Ouch! Looks like both Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield have been DROPPED from The CW’s Melrose Place remake.In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, executive-producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer give us a bit of color on the show’s future. An excerpt:
Melrose Place: Colin Egglesfied & Ashlee SimpsonWhat was behind the decision to let Ashlee and Colin go?
TODD SLAVKIN: Well, we always knew that this murder mystery would end in episode 12. And we always knew that [Ashlee's] character of Violet would be instrumental in that as a suspect, and [Colin's character of] Augie as well. And once that murder mystery was solved, she would go on her way. That was the original plan going into the development of the show.
So it was always the plan for Ashlee to leave after episode 12?
SLAVKIN: Yes. Because we felt that once the murder mystery was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift into a much more fun, romantic, sexy upbeat kind of show, and [her] character would move on.Same thing with Colin?
SLAVKIN: Colin was always meant to be the ultimate suspect. And his brooding alcoholic [character] tonally didn’t fit the paradigm moving into post-murder mystery Melrose Place.
Is it fair to say that if either of those characters clicked you would’ve found a way to keep them?
SLAVKIN: Well, you never know when you go along. But in the end, we felt like it was right [decision].
DARREN SWIMMER: The nature of soaps is that as things progress along, the story takes on a life of its own and the characters come and go in relation to that.
Hmm. Sounds like a bunch of PR talk to me. Let’s face it, Ashlee was one of the crappiest parts of an already crappy show.
But don’t fret, Melrose Place fans! Heather Locklear‘ll show up and knock the socks right off of yo feets.
