Simpson-Wentz and Egglesfield Axed On Melrose Place
By Jillian Bowe on October 22, 2009
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield are out at Melrose Place. According to Ausiello, the two stars' last air date is slated for January. Executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer spoke with Ausiello and they explained their decision.
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield are out at Melrose Place. According to Ausiello, the two stars' last air date is slated for January. Executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer spoke with Ausiello and they explained their decision.
What 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.
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Comments
2 April 2009
2 hours 18 min
Sucks, I actually liked Colins character but I wont miss Ashley at all. I wonder, Greg Vaughn was talking about how he was up for a role on the CW and was memorizing lines, I wonder if its for Melrose Place?
8 September 2009
1 day 7 hours
SUCKS! They were two of the characters I liked! Also, poor Colin just can't catch a break. How come a guy like him can't get work? He is a decent actor.
They probably had to fire them to bring in Heather Locklear for a few episodes.
Stupid move!
16 August 2007
1 hour 31 min
Bummer....I liked Ashlee as a psycho and was looking forward to how she'd interact with Heather....In that interview they said they want it to be lighter. I can only imagine what that will mean.
1 July 2009
2 hours 33 min
That does suck, guess they had to make room for Heather Locklear. I am with you Luke, I also liked Ashlee as a psycho and poor Colin good looks and talent, but can't catch a break. We'll see if GV gets brought in. Still stinks!!!
19 November 2007
58 min 11 sec
I doubt this show will make it past the additional 5 episodes ordered. It seems on course with what happened with Privileged last year. The ratings are similar and that show also got a partial back order before getting canceled. I don't think Heather Locklear will increase the ratings that much. The old characters on 90210 didn't improve ratings.
I'll enjoy the show even more now that Ashlee Simpson is gone. There's just something strangely off-putting about her, and it's not her acting.
16 August 2007
1 hour 31 min
It's the red hair! LOL. I think it would do better in the ratings if it were paired with OTH. I think it is a huge mistake to have it paired with 90210, which is such a young show.
22 August 2008
10 weeks 6 days
Sucks for Colin.....But Yeahhhhhh for ASSLEE
6 January 2008
16 min 56 sec
I loved Auggie. The only good thing about boring Riley was Auggie. I think the writers got this all wrong. Now Ashley, YES! She was horrible and looking at her try to be sexy with that booty chin in HD was nothing nice.
I really hope GV gets Melrose if this is what he is trying to do. He already has Charmed on his resume.
8 February 2009
14 weeks 4 days
Colin Egglesfield told me to tell yall that All My Children is moving to LA...
Miracles can happen.
11 June 2008
3 weeks 9 hours
If you want the real story why Colin was let go....here's the link for more of his E! interview with Kristin. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b150330_colin_egglesf...
And this morning was the first you'd heard of it?
They said that it wasn't anything against me or my talent or anything. There was never any discussion that they weren't sure what they were going to do with me or my character. And it wasn't like I was getting in fights with crew members or punching people out.
It's an odd decision, because we just did a poll yesterday about favorite Melrose Place characters that aren't Ella, and Auggie was the winner.
That's the thing—I don't know. It's kind of crazy. It's like, how?! Why?! I'm not spending too much time thinking about it, because it'll just drive you crazy, if you try to figure something out that you're never going to figure out. I'm just focusing on [other stuff]. I've already got a bunch of auditions lined up.
Was your agent or manager told anything else or anything different about what happened?
No, that's what they were told as well: that it was a network decision and obviously the ratings aren't what they need or want them to be, so they're going to try things to shake things up, but why they chose this, I don't know.
Story-wise, there's the murder mystery, although I could have sworn we already absolved Auggie of killing Sydney Andrews. Is this a twist thing? Are you the killer of Sydney Andrews who must be punished?
The way in which I'm leaving the show, I'm not being killed off, I'm just leaving. It keeps the door open for, potentially, my character to come back, but who knows?
Are you done with the show for now, or are you still in the middle of production?
I'm shooting one more episode, and we start shooting that on Monday.