Melrose Place Was there ever a season 8 bible written--

[MarkSinacori]

I am guessing there must be one somewhere! You know--how shows have the writers think up ideas for the next seasons halfway through the current one!


My guess is--there is one and it MUST exist!


The show was planning on having either 2 endings in season 7- one that would be a cliffhanger into season 8 and one that would have closed the show!


Given what we all know around December or January of 1999---Jamie Lunar was leaving at the end of the 7th season!


I'm not sure how many episodes were already written or taped when they got the news of the cancellation in January of 1999! Some shows film into April! So my guess is they had filmed at least a few of the final episodes of the series and then got the news they were ending!


Was there a bible as to how they originally were to do the last several episodes of season 7 OR were they taped as written before they got the news of the cancellation--

Also--What was the finale supposed to involve had it been a cliffhanger for an 8th season and is there an episode guide that explains what would have happened in season 8!


Somewhere there must be episode titles and descriptions of what would have happened in the last few of season 7 had that not been the final season along with a whole season 8 episode guide as well!




When they got the news they were probably already passed filming the episode where Amanda put the building for sale so I'm guessing that was a plan anyways had the show continued into an 8th season!


The final episodes promo was in February and they had footage from at least the first few final episodes they showed viewers including the car crash with Ryan years ago and his deceased wife! So my guess is that story was originally part of season 7 as was Sarah McBride and Teri!

The last few episodes such as Tony Marlin and his death- Jane getting with Kyle and Amanda divorcing him and losing AWA- and Eve going super psycho when Peter went back with Amanda--I don't know if they were originally supposed to be written that way or they were and then they decided how to end the show in the last hour--

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

I read that Spelling was hoping to do one more year. However, I think everyone behind the scenes knew that the writing was probably on the wall as early as autumn 1998, as a new president had arrived at FOX who wasn't Melrose Place's biggest supporter. So I'm guessing they may have been preparing to wrap up the show anyway rather than planning for another season.

It's been a while since I've watched the final season but from what I can recall there were hardly any characters left living in the apartment complex in the final season anyway. Please correct me if I'm wrong but weren't Jane, Kyle, Michael and Peter all living elsewhere towards the end. And with Lexi due to leave, it would've been only Amanda, Ryan and Megan left in the Melrose Place complex by season 8 if it had happened.

 

[tommie]

Well... they basically had two episodes in mind - one that worked as a series finale (which we got) and one that would be a "classic Melrose cliffhanger". As @sbaker have said, they re-wrote that crap fast to fit a series finale tag.

I believe Carol had written the so-called "classic!" Melrose finale.

 

[MarkSinacori]

I read that Spelling was hoping to do one more year. However, I think everyone behind the scenes knew that the writing was probably on the wall as early as autumn 1998, as a new president had arrived at FOX who wasn't Melrose Place's biggest supporter. So I'm guessing they may have been preparing to wrap up the show anyway rather than planning for another season.

It's been a while since I've watched the final season but from what I can recall there were hardly any characters left living in the apartment complex in the final season anyway. Please correct me if I'm wrong but weren't Jane, Kyle, Michael and Peter all living elsewhere towards the end. And with Lexi due to leave, it would've been only Amanda, Ryan and Megan left in the Melrose Place complex by season 8 if it had happened.

What I'd like to know is were all the "Final episodes" up until "Asses To Ashes" written exactly that way for season 7 to go into season 8--

They wanted to do 2 different endings for the last episode!


There were sites that said back in early 1999 that had so many stories on how the series was supposed to end-- Kyle was supposed to die before the last episode in a fire or something at the Beach House set by Ricky G in revenge or something and then Amanda would move to New Mexico or something and sell the building in the last episode and whoever bought it was renovating it from what it was originally! Another situation I read was Michael Peter and Amanda get on a boat and then it blows up and everyone thinks they died and then they all move to an Island far away!



In the last season--the last few episodes it was just Lexi Megan Ryan and Michael living there!

Megan and Ryan I think were moving to the beach house once Kyle's dreamhouse was finished! So in the end it was just Lexi and Michael in fall of 1999! The script in the last episode even had a scene where Natalie came back with her husband and was looking at apartments!


But by 2009 nobody lived at MP anymore except Sydney who came back after faking her death!

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

What I'd like to know is were all the "Final episodes" up until "Asses To Ashes" written exactly that way for season 7 to go into season 8--

They wanted to do 2 different endings for the last episode!


There were sites that said back in early 1999 that had so many stories on how the series was supposed to end-- Kyle was supposed to die before the last episode in a fire or something at the Beach House set by Ricky G in revenge or something and then Amanda would move to New Mexico or something and sell the building in the last episode and whoever bought it was renovating it from what it was originally! Another situation I read was Michael Peter and Amanda get on a boat and then it blows up and everyone thinks they died and then they all move to an Island far away!



In the last season--the last few episodes it was just Lexi Megan Ryan and Michael living there!

Megan and Ryan I think were moving to the beach house once Kyle's dreamhouse was finished! So in the end it was just Lexi and Michael in fall of 1999! The script in the last episode even had a scene where Natalie came back with her husband and was looking at apartments!


But by 2009 nobody lived at MP anymore except Sydney who came back after faking her death!

If someone did an interview with the writers of the time, I'm sure they could fill in the gaps. I've seen interviews with some of the Dynasty team where they can't recall specific plots or what they had planned (like David Paulsen not recalling who the infamous "lady in the limo" was supposed to be in the finale). However, the Melrose crew seem to have a pretty good memory, as witnessed in this article about season three.

http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/melrose-place-1994-1995-writers-room-stories.html

 

[tommie]

They knew they were in trouble, however, they did write two finales - one that could serve as a series finale and one with a "classic Melrose cliffhanger". You can sort of see the trails of the classic cliffhanger one which @sbaker pointed out

 

[tommie]

And yes, apparently there was a scene filmed where Lexie met Natalie. She was supposed to ask where people like Sandy, Rhonda and Alison went.

They cut it out because they thought people wouldn't get it.

 

[tommie]

When they got the news they were probably already passed filming the episode where Amanda put the building for sale so I'm guessing that was a plan anyways had the show continued into an 8th season!


The final episodes promo was in February and they had footage from at least the first few final episodes they showed viewers including the car crash with Ryan years ago and his deceased wife! So my guess is that story was originally part of season 7 as was Sarah McBride and Teri!

The last few episodes such as Tony Marlin and his death- Jane getting with Kyle and Amanda divorcing him and losing AWA- and Eve going super psycho when Peter went back with Amanda--I don't know if they were originally supposed to be written that way or they were and then they decided how to end the show in the last hour--

First of all - Melrose finished filming at the end of March 1999 I believe.

Also, from what I can tell they pretty much just rewrote the last episode - as @sbaker pointed out, there's very much a season finale in there. The way they wrapped up the Megan/Ryan/Teri saga implies that here would be more to it. Jane running away is another thing that would've probably been a cliffhanger. Jamie Luner (Lexi) would've left. Alexandra Paul (Teri) seemed to imply that she was going to be upped to a series regular.

My guess? Lexi would've indeed left with the pool wedding being her final scene. I think Amanda would've confessed and a large part of season 8 would've been dedicated to her trial. Eve would've become the new Kimberly, since that was where they were going with her. Jane would've temporarily been written out to suit Josie Bissett's needs.

It's funny. In one of those legends interviews Aaron seemed pretty "meh" about Dynasty ending when it did, but seemed annoyed at Melrose Place being cancelled. And I can't blame him - Melrose really deserved another season.

 

[MarkSinacori]

Nah--it didn't need another one but then it would have been good to see and would have left when 90210 left!

The way they ended season 6 was bad and season 6 was the end for sure! When they got season 7 I guessed that was gonna be the last season!

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

And yes, apparently there was a scene filmed where Lexie met Natalie. She was supposed to ask where people like Sandy, Rhonda and Alison went.

They cut it out because they thought people wouldn't get it.

I would've been one of those people. It's a nice idea to try and link back to the very start but Natalie is too vague a reference considering the amount of drama and characters that passed through the complex after her.

I know that they kept the two shows very separate but had the shows gone on longer, I wonder would they have migrated any 90210 characters over to Melrose after the planned West Beverly reboot of 2000-01? Presumably that revamp would've involved focusing on school kids again so they would've had to cut a few of the older cast loose. While certain characters like Steve or Donna wouldn't have travelled well IMO, I think Kelly, Noah or Gina would've fitted into the Melrose universe quite well.

 

[tommie]

I honestly doubt it for the same reason they didn't migrate characters from Models, Inc or Melrose Place to Beverly Hills 90210 when it ended - first of all, they liked to use the same actors from both shows. The way to try and tie the shows together would've been Sophie turning out to be an amnesiac Sydney / Sydney on the run from that cult. They could've had Jane or Michael spot one of those Billboards she put up and viola, you have Sydney back on The Place.

Also, Vanessa Marcil essentially begged to be let out of her contract due to the female cast members on Beverly Hills 90210 being ultra-bitchy - that's why she was written out before the finale and presumably why Josie Davis' character was introduced.

 

[Soaplover]

Rena Sofer seemed a safe bet for a season 8 slot given the history between her/amanda..plus her marriage to Peter..and her working at Kyle's restaurant.

Alexandra Paul as a regular is news...but her story got wrapped up pretty quickly. I do think her taking Ryans child and the car crash would habe served as a cliffhanger if renewed...ans Lexi's declaration/speech to Michael was a good way to write her character off.

Still I could have seen a newbie joining in season 8...someone 20 something looking to make their dreams come true..and encountering the bitter/jaded vibe of the 30 something crowd in the complex lol

 

[Marika]

Still I could have seen a newbie joining in season 8...someone 20 something looking to make their dreams come true..and encountering the bitter/jaded vibe of the 30 something crowd in the complex lol

More like 40 something crowd. Amanda, Michael and Peter already looked really old in season 7, and Jane, Kyle, Megan and Ryan didn't look fresh either. Didn't help that they prefered to hang out in that Jazz club. Somewhere between seasons 3 and 4 all the main characters seemed to have aged drastically.

Speaking of which, I wonder why we almost never saw these supposedly hip and young people in L.A. going out partying and dancing. They either only drank at Shooters or went to private parties. The only character enjoying the L.A. nightlife seemed to be Sydney in seasons 2 and 3.

 

[MarkSinacori]

Lexi bought the building--how would she have left! I doubt they would have used that pool scene as her final scene!

I'm guessing she would have taken her life when she couldn't have Ryan or maybe killed by Eve--

Lexi was bad in season 6--she was horrible! But season 7 she was better! Season 8 would have been very boring had they been renewed another year with Lexi not being there!

Nurse Audrey probably would have came back! I doubt Michael would have had that ending he had--not in season 7 that's for sure! If Jane had left she probably would have came back halfway through the season--maybe gotten back with Michael in a better way! Kyle probably would have had to have a newbie to date or be with in season 8 or would he and Amanda not have divorced--

I loved Dr Visconti! I knew they wouldn't use him in the new version--he was all comedy! So sad he wasn't back for the CW version! Him and Irene were good in season 7!

Maybe Connie would have broken out of jail had there been a season 8!

Maybe we would have seen Kyle and Ryan's mother! I always imagined Joan Collins as their mother if someone big were to play her!


Sarah would have gone back to boarding school! I doubt she and Teri would have stayed! Ryan would have stayed with Megan!

 

[tommie]

Lexi bought the building--how would she have left! I doubt they would have used that pool scene as her final scene!

Oh please! This is Melrose Place and they are mega-annoying with how they wrote characters off. The pool scene would've been her last scene and in the season premiere they would've explained it as Lexi moved away and is now selling the building.

 

[MarkSinacori]

Nah--I doubt that would have happened! They would have shown her actually selling the building--or dying!

 

[MarkSinacori]

Eve's friend Jackie probably would have come back in the finale! Maybe escaped jail!