MELROSE PLACE The Complete First Season 8 DVDs (25 hours)

This Aaron Spelling series -with characteristic attractive, but not (yet) famous, casting- is set in and named after an apartment block in the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles, just affordable -even if some take a roommate- for a number of tweens who hope to start their adult life from there in the huge metropolis. The early tenants include Billy Campbell, an optimistic, pleasant would be-writer, Allison Parker, a neurotic-anal employee who has a love-hate-relationship with him, Matt Fielding, a noble gay social worker, Dr. Michael Mancini who also acts as (unqualified) superintendent, his partner Jane Andrews whose ambition is in fashion, handy-man Jake Hanson -also the artificial link with Spelling hit series Beverly Hills 90210- and photographer Jo Reynolds. At first it focuses on their neighborly and amical/amorous relationships, but as they get started in life their professional lives introduce new story lines, lovers and other characters, some of which become very important and/or move in, such as Michael's hospital rival Peter Burns, Billy and Allison's boss Amanda Woodward, Jane's crazy sister Sidney and many others, so the series evolves from a young soap to a mix of more dramatical stories, including adultery, divorce, even violent crimes. Written by KGF Vissers

Set in an apartment block in the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles, Melrose Place was originally a spin-off from Beverly Hills 90210, but when its initial formula of looking at the lives of a group of well-meaning, attractive 20-somethings failed to get high ratings, writers introduced conflict in the form of less moral characters (notably Amanda Woodward played by Heather Locklear). Ratings improved, and storylines became more and more outrageous: characters coming back from the dead, multiple personalities, a bomb destroying the apartment complex. By the end of Season 4, story-lines appeared to tend towards being more "grounded", however