Locklear moves back just in time

That shaking underneath Hollywood tonight is not from a quake, but from the force unleashed by the return of a TV powerhouse no less than William Shatner reprising his role as Capt. James T. Kirk or Larry Hagman taking over "Dallas" again. Amanda Woodward -- that is, Heather Locklear -- is back on "Melrose Place," and her arrival couldn't be better timed.

The first time Amanda appeared at the West Hollywood apartment complex of twentysomething troublemakers and bed-hoppers, Aaron Spelling's show wasn't living up to its "Beverly Hills, 90210" spinoff hype. Now, 10 years after Fox's hit "Melrose" went off the air, the CW finds itself in a similar predicament -- lackluster ratings, despite abundant promotion, the presence of four of the former series' stars (Locklear makes five), and a choice time slot behind the new "90210."

It's unfair that everything seems to be riding on Amanda's pad-less shoulders again. "Melrose Place" is averaging just 1.9 million viewers, and more worrisome, only 700,000 of them are in the target demographic of 18-to-34-year-old women. So far, the CW has only committed to 18 episodes.

Locklear knows her debut was not designed to coincide with the network's new creative direction that required firing cast members Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield. Seeking a lighter tone, the series will abandon its more sinister story lines to focus at the business at hand: hookups, fancy parties, and career and relationship woes.

"Absolutely, this is on my mind, but hopefully my going there will bring some attention and make people watch because it's not just about watching Amanda, it's about bringing awareness to the show," said Locklear.

"It's not a teenage show," said Locklear, who joins the series in the 10th episode. "It just needs to get the attention of people and for people to get hooked because that's what the original 'Melrose Place' was about."

Co-creators Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer had always wished Locklear, whose portrayal of a sexy, no-nonsense "Melrose" diva became emblematic of '90s pop culture, would join the cast. That's why they named the publicity firm where Ella (Katie Cassidy) works "WPK," hoping someday Amanda Woodward would be revealed as the W.

"Before I saw the pilot they had asked me and I thought, 'It's a whole new network, new writers, how do I fit in?' " Locklear said. "I wasn't sure we were supposed to be messing with this. I saw the pilot and I wasn't sure, still. But then I saw the second episode and I thought, 'This is really fun, the clothes are great and now they're starting to get into some story lines.' And I went, 'I'm in. If I'm not the one who killed Sydney, I'm in."