The CW recently picked up Melrose Place for five additional episodes despite lackluster ratings thus far, a move that surprised more than a few TV critics.

Well, it turns out producers at least have a plan to improve the freshman series, starting with the firing of Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, according to TV Fanatic.

Another cast member, Colin Egglesfield, will also be let go along with Ashlee as of January. The show’s murder mystery will be wrapped up in December.

Reports say Melrose Place will also take on a lighter tone, which is probably a smart move when they’re not exactly dealing with Emmy-winning actors.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, left, and Colin Egglesfield have been evicted from Melrose Place. The girl in the middle is sticking around for now. No wonder she’s smiling!

New cast members, including the return of original series star Heather Locklear, will begin to be integrated as the series transitions into the new year.

All in all, if the show made these moves to save its a$$, more power to it. The murder plot lacked consistency, and it was taking itself too seriously.

And seriously, it is worth nothing that Ashlee cannot act. At all.

We aren’t delighting in anyone getting fired from their job, as it’s not her fault that she has absolutely no talent, but from a creative standpoint, it had to be done.

Hey, at least it will give her more time to spend with baby Bronx.

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The Bachelorette star Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski, her embattled fiance, were spotted picking up unmentionables at the new Victoria’s Secret store in Chicago.

The reason? “I’m a little down on my lingerie collection,” she said.

Not that Ed minds. Asked what he thinks is the sexiest thing a woman could wear, he responded, “No panties.” Jillian Harris said “no bra” is the sexy way to go.

The couple, who recently moved in together, were also eager to talk about news that Bachelor Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney got engaged in New Zealand.

“We had no idea they got engaged and just talked to them yesterday,” Harris said, adding that they just found out. “They sent us a picture of them together.”

“They looked so happy … I guess I never thought about it, but them being in New Zealand would be the best time to do it. It all makes sense!”

Despite the drama of how they got together, Jillian said she is not surprised that Jason popped the question - or that Molly Malaney accepted.

Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski are going strong!

“They’re so awesome,” she said. “We hung out with them in Vancouver, the four of us, and had so much fun. We want to hang out more in the future.”

As for the choice of Jake Pavelka as the new Bachelor?

Since he was one of her suitors, Jillian said it’s a little weird to see him dating a group of women, but she’s excited for him to make the journey she did.

“We’re obviously so supportive of anyone who’s a part of that whole family,” she said. “But it’s strange. You don’t think of them as exes but it’s sensitive.”

“I think everyone that was there was there looking for something different but I think they all genuinely deserved to find somebody special,” she added.

“I think [Jake Pavelka] is going to make an interesting Bachelor,” Jillian said. “He’s definitely got a lot of emotion so I think he’ll be very fun to watch.”

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Dennis Quaid was thisclose to being popped for DUI last night.

At Philippe restaurant in West Hollywood early this morning. Quaid, his wife Kimberly and a friend walked outside where valet had already brought their car.

The motor was running, they got in and Quaid got behind the wheel.

He turned the wheel a matter of inches but had not yet shifted it into drive when a local policeman pulled up alongside and urged the actor to call a cab.

Dennis responded that he didn’t want to drive. The cop repeatedly said, “Get out of the car.” Quaid responded, “What do you want me to do?!” He then grew some brain cells and asked if they could go back in the restaurant and the cop said yes.

Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly lucked out last night.

The Quaids did end up taking a cab home and he came back for the car a short while ago. Interestingly, he could have been arrested from a legal standpoint.

The car was on and he was behind the wheel, but the police officer used his discretion and decided not to pursue it. Maybe he should thank the paparazzi.

Members of the celebrity gossip media mobbing the scene joked with Quaid, saying “You don’t want a DUI. You don’t want to end up like Mel Gibson!”

Hard to argue with that.

Good to see Dennis make the right choice in the end … even if it caused a scene and took more than a little cajoling. All’s well that ends well, right?

Besides, even if he had been arrested and tossed in the drunk tank overnight, Randi and Evi Quaid would still be the black sheep of the family.

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Just two days after Rihanna’s new single dropped chronic one-upper, her former boyfriend and beater Chris Brown has released a new song of his very own.

The track is, if nothing else, a moving and passionate effort.

One need not dig deeply for metaphors and double entendres to find likely Rihanna references in Brown’s “Crawl,” a slow jam laden with sorrow and hope.

“Everybody says we’re through / I hope you haven’t said it too,” Brown sings in the new track. “So where do we go from here with all this fear in our eyes?”

How about the side of I-95. Just kidding. Sort of. Anyway.

Take a listen and tell us what you think by voting below:

What do you think of Chris Brown’s new song “Crawl”?

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When forever ends, a new legend begins…

So teases the New Moon trailer below, which will start airing across television networks this week.

In the Jacob-centric preview, Bella’s BFF transforms into a werewolf and lunges at Edward (Robert Pattinson). As a result, Bella must step between the two men in her life.

Also included below are scenes from the wolfpack’s attack on vampires Victoria and Laurent, as Jacob tells Bella: “We only kill who we’re trying to protect you from.”

But that doesn’t include Edward… does it? Movie goers will find out on November 20.

Taylor Lautner, as Jacob, is actually featured far more prominently in the film than Pattinson’s Edward. But co-star Jackson Rathbone told MTV this month that viewers won’t be disappointed.

“I think people are going to be really blown away by his performance,” he said. “You have these great moments that Jacob just completely is winning over Bella. And it’s just beautiful to see it.”

We can’t wait to see for ourselves.

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