CAN FANS SAVE MELROSE PLACE?
     During its seven-year run, MELROSE PLACE has survived fiery explosions, bloody shootings and a slew of psycho stalkers. But that's child's play compared to MP's battle with Fox executives for a slot on the 1999-2000 schedule. Word is that incoming Fox Entertainment President Doug Herzog (formerly of Comedy Central) is not a fan of soaps and has never seen MP.
     "I think we have a 50/50 chance of the show coming back," confides the show's executive producer, Charles Pratt, Jr. "Leaning a little toward not coming back. It's time to start writing letters addressing, 'What would people do without MELROSE PLACE?' It was rough last year getting a pickup, but we agreed to change the show, and now everybody loves what we've done. If I thought our show was really dying because it wasn't any good, that's one thing. But it's better this year than I think it's been in years."
     As for the changing of the guard at Fox, Pratt points to one the the network's long-time supporters. "People have come and gone, but [Fox Chief Operating Officer] Peter Chernin has always been a fan of the show."
     Pratt asks the many fans of MP to write letters of support to Peter Chernin, c/o Fox Television, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067.