The plot is thickening over at CW’s Melrose Place reboot. On the heels of One Tree Hill boss Mark Schwahn’s departure from the project, sources confirm that the net is now talking with Smallville show-runners Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin about shepherding the update.
It goes without saying that a likely complication in the talks is the duo’s involvement with Smallville and the uncertainty surrounding the show’s future. The net has not formally renewed Smallville for a ninth season, although Warner Bros. is already finalizing deals with the principal cast, including Tom Welling. Should Swimmer and Slavkin depart, fellow executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson would likely become the primary show-runners in season 9.
Schwahn’s exit from Melrose 2.0 was announced last week at press tour. According to insiders, the exec was unable to close a deal with producer Paramount due in part to his existing committment to Warner Bros, which produces OTH.
What say you, Smallville fans? Are you willing to lose Swimmer and Slavkin if it means getting a super Melrose Place remake? Sound off below!
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Smallville is working, and Melrose Place is as close to a sure failure as I’ve seen come forward in a couple years. Even with one or two seasons of Smallville left (at best), it’s still a better bet than MP. I’m guessing that it won’t survive a 12 episode order. (And I was a big fan of the original.)
Noooooooooo! Seriously, this would be an unmitigated disaster. First off, the idea of a Melrose remake/update/whatever is ridiculous. Get an original thought, CW! Secondly, Smallville has been firing on all cylinders this year with the awesome showrunning of PS3. Why disrupt that for an ultralame remake? Makes no sense. CW, renew Smallville keep PS3 at the helm and get started on that Justice League/Green Arrow spinoff!
This is normally the type of think I wouldn’t give two thoughts to but in this case I’d say it would be a bummer. Smallville has really been creatively recharged in a very noticeable way this season and I think its in no small part to the work of Swimmer and Slavkin as the new showrunners. I’d hate to see them go.
I am a fan of Smallville and was a fan of Melrose Place. I would hate to see Smallville suffer due to Paramont wanting to relive its glory days with old shows. They need to come up with something new and fresh not old and dead.
What the heck!? Smallville pulls in one of CW’s biggest audiences, especially this season! So why would you get rid of the people who have played a big part in making this the best season of Smallville yet? Not to mention remaking Melrose Place would be a complete waste of time and energy because it’s a gaurenteed flop anyway
I just don’t know about this Melrose reboot. I don’t think anyone cares about a new group of twentysomethings. We cared about Amanda, Allison, Kimberly, Michael, Sydney, and the rest. So unless this is gonna be about something like what Amanda and Peter are up to since faking their deaths, who’s going to want to watch this? After all, I only tuned in to 90210 for Kelly and Brenda (and Nat too I guess haha).
We don’t want Mp remake smallville is the best show ever!!
Let Soudners and Peterson go to PM for all I care but no Swimmer and Slavkin Please!!!
I think the new 90210 contains probably the dullest, most insincere acting amongst the principal cast, of any still-running show on tv. The only real actors are the parents, and maybe the guy who plays Dixon. Cant place all of the blame on the actors though- the writers putting the words “I love you” 15+ times into ONE episode, tells you that they really are looking for ways to fill in the 45 min to a show
Mike, you seem like a pretty nice guy from your columns, but seriouly- though you would never say it, you do hate most of the CW shows, right? LOL
Oh no!! Slavkin and Swimmer are really good. If there is no Smallville Season 9, then I’ll be happy for them to find another job, but I absolutely don’t want Smallville to go on without their creative influence. I know they’ve made a big impact on the show. Smallville will suffer without them.
When is the CW going to wake up and realize what a great thing they have going with Smallville. This last season has been outstanding and the 9th season has the potential to be even better! I am so sick of shows about spoiled, rich people that just sleep around and cheat on each other. Smallville and Supernatural are such a nice break from that on the CW. I really hope the network doesn’t ruin things for Smallvile. And while we are on the subject, why does EW do episode recaps on every show under the sun except Smallville???
Slavkin and Swimmer are some of the best writers on Smallville; it’s Peterson and Souders who are creatively bankrupt. Am I willing to loose S&S? NO! Hell no!
IF one wants to make another AAron Spelling remake take the couple who thought they could make a pre-Robin show about Dick Greyson (Rather than, y’know Tim Drake). Ugh. UGH!
Hell no. The world doesn’t need an s9 for Smallville. The world DEFINITELY doesn’t need a new Melrose Place. And such a split would move both for the worst.
Leaving Souders & Peterson as the lone showrunners of Smallville is very Yikes-worthy to me.
Why not ship S&P over to Melrose because they’re the ones that I always associate with all the crappy shippy stuff (mostly, the Clana) on Smallville.
I’d rather there not be a Smallville S9 than watch a show run by those two, to be quite honest.
Of course, in a world where I ran Television, there would also be no remakes of Melrose Place and 90210. Sorry, CW, but if you don’t have Heather Locklear, that remake is going to FAIL. You can’t recreate that, no matter how hard you try nor matter who you hire.
They just need to end Smallville and be done with it.
After a dull season last year, Smallville has been recharged and one of my must-see TV shows this seasons. To loose 2 of the main reasons for this would be criminal. Like someone said above, do we realy need another show about the beautiful rich people that probably can’t act – just look at 90210; absolutley awful. Renew Smallville and look at the possibilty of a spin off of the Justice League or Green Arrow. Much better idea.
Souders & Peterson would be more suited to write soap than Slavkin & Swimmer. This is no good news for Smallville fans.
Why not just have a Justice League that centers around the teenagers growing up in Melrose – Blah
They better not ******* leave Smallville!!!! It was there idea for the show to go into a ninth season and after all of the positive feedback they have received from fans why would they leave? seriously finish the show you are on don’t be like Gough and miller people will hate you for a long time.
I just can’t figure out for the life of me why the CW thinks they need a reboot of Melrose Place. The network already has One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210…all shows that revolve around clothes, sex etc. Smallville and Supernatural are the two shows on the CW that are about something other than just selling some kind of product. Smallville has been the CW’s highest rated show for so long and yet the network gives the show no press and now this. Speaking of press, I second the comment below. Getting kind of sick of EW doing recaps for every show on TV but Smallville and Supernatural. Who cares about Gossip Girl or 90210?
Don’t be foolish and leave the number one show on The CW to be apart of a guaranteed flop that will probably pull in only 2 million viewers just like 90210. seriously 90210 and Gossip Girl are pulling in less viewers than Veronica mars was when it was on the network, Dawn Ostroff just won’t cancel show’s she greenlights because it would mean she failed at her job and probably be fired(which should have happened along time ago. Stay with Smallville, It’s the best show on The CW.
Why? Why? Smallville is one of the best shows on TV and the writers are the reason. I’m hoping they decline because after Smallville, Melrose would seem demeaning of their talents. Melrose is just going to fail – people have seen it all before. The Hills killed that format.
Please Don’t make the mistake of leaving Smallville. Right now Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin are known as the guys who made Smallville great again, stay with the show and be remembered for that, not as the guys who went to a show that is a big failure.
All I know is that the CW needs to end One Tree Hill and Smallville.
Instead of worrying about “Melrose Place” so much, why not try fixing “90210,” since it’s mostly wasted potential. “90210″ could be an awesome, but it lacks direction. Fix it and if it reaches 3 or 4 seasons, spin-off “Melrose Place.” Don’t rush it, take it slow, that goes to Dawn Ostroff and the “90210″ writers. Some story lines can last for several episodes.
I think most people agree that Smallville is nearing it’s end but not because it’s bad–because it’s time for Clark to become Superman. However, I do think there is room for one more season. The show has seen alot of new creative growth throughout Season 8. To end things this year would feel rushed when we are finally seeing so much of Clark’s maturity and deveopment pay off. One more season would probably do the trick and the show could end on a high note, accomplishing what it set out to do. I really hope the current creative team stays in place to finish what they started this year. As far as One Tree Hill, I stopped watching that show years ago when they had 17 year olds getting married. Really hope the CW doesn’t ruin Smallville!
Smallville has been SO much better this season since Millar and Gough left, so no Swimmer and Slavkin certainly should not leave, not just yet!!!!
Be Smart Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin, Stay with Smallville and have it go out on a high note. Season 8 has been fantastic,we know you guys read the message boards so you already know how great the fan response has been. just a little message to the CW, Let smallville go out with a season 9 don’t make it end with a rushed season 8. Smallville is the only show on your network that pulls in more than 4 million viewers and the DVD’s sell like crazy. Give Smallville the respect it rightfully deserves.
Swimmer and Slavkin should not leave Smallville!
Melrose 2.0 = Worst.Idea.Ever.
Smallville is just starting to get good again!! Melrose place had no place on the CW!