It looks like the Melrose Place update has proven a surer bet than the Gossip Girl spinoff. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Melrose Place and Vampire Diaries have both been given the go ahead to hire staffers. I don't know about y'all, but I can't wait to see my Sydney (Laura Leighton) and Michael (Thomas Calabro) again! Even if I do have to endure Ashlee Simpson. Now if they can just rescue Josie Bissett (ex-Jane) from that Secret Lives of Teenagers Who Need To Be On The Pill business on ABC Family. As for the Gossip Girl spinoff, featuring Guiding Light alums Brittany Snow and Cynthia Watros, it could possibly still happen as a mid-season replacement. Why don't they just scrap the retro sludge and make Gossip Girl book series companion, The It Girl into a GG television spinoff?! Lil' Jenny is da bizness!

Recent Playboy model Lisa Rinna won't be returning to Melrose Place for the upcoming remake after all. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she said:

"I don’t think I wanna go back anymore. Seriously, I watched some old tapes recently - Harry and I were going through stuff. It doesn’t feel right! It feels weird. I’ve changed my mind. You can’t go back!"  

Just over a month ago, she took to the streets with placards imploring passing motorists to "Honk 4 Lisa Rinna On The New Melrose Place." Could it be that they don't want her back, and she knows it?

Here’s the Scoop! 04.20.09

Who thinks there’s some scrambling going on at GH? The ratings suck, the storylines aren’t much better and fans are probably the most unhappy they’ve been in a very long time. Is any of this registering with TPTB? Some are saying it is and re-writes are in the works but my question is: Will the re-writes be in the right direction? GH, Guza, Frons, Jill… do they know what the right direction is? Past experiences tell me that they got off track a long time ago.

What’s going on with NotEmily? Some say she was never supposed to be the RealEmily and that this Rebecca character was meant to stick. Stick to what? Will this be a re-write? There’s some Rebecca – Lucky stuff RUMORED to be coming with those Nikolas-Elizabeth RUMORS mixed in. HERE’S WHAT YOU DO… Make the decision to have NotEmily be the RealEmily. Helena’s in town, use her to your advantage. Have Hells play a role in Emily’s death, explain away Diego admitting to killing her and spin the story in the brainwash direction. I know I never endorse the recycling of old storylines, but in this case, it’s your only option. Do I want a quad with the four musketeers? Not really but I’d be all for a triangle with Lucky-Emily-Nikolas. READ MORE

Okay, this freaking new Melrose Place is shaping up to be pretty doggone sick! FOX's nastiest doctor ever, sorry House fans,  is heading for The CW update of Melrose Place. Zap2it.com is reporting Thomas Calabro will be reprising the role of Dr. Michael Mancini who cheated on his fashion designer wife Jane (Josie Bissett) with Kimberly Shaw (Marcia Cross), ultimately leading Kimberly down a path so dark it lead toher going so bat poop crazy that she blew up the entire complex, among other things. First Syd, now Michael, PLEASE CW rescue Bissett from that awful ABC Family teen pregnancy drama, The Secret Life of an American Teenager Who Should Have Been On The Pill! If Jane comes back we're in business! Thanks Scott for the clip!

We Love Soaps is reporting that Laura Leighton has signed on for the CW's Melrose Place remake. Heather Locklear has already passed on reprising her iconic role as Amanda Woodward, so Leighton does seem like a good choice to bring back. The only trouble is that she died at the end of season five - her character Sydney Andrews was knocked down by a car on her wedding day. It will be interesting to see how they explain that away.  

Series regulars already signed up for the Melrose remake include Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield. Leighton will have a recurring role on the show and her character Sydney is supposedly the new landlord. I hope this doesn't mean she'll be playing second-fiddle to the new generation, but that's looking very likely right now.

The bond between All My Children and all things Melrose Place just got a little bit stronger. According to The Hollywood Reporter,Colin Egglesfield (ex-Josh Madden) is joining the cast of the new Melrose Place on The CW.