Simpson-Wentz evicted from 'Melrose'

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield have been dropped from the cast of "Melrose Place," the new U.S. remake's producers confirmed.

EW.com said the co-stars will be seen on the show until January, but their characters will then be written off the series.

"Well, we always knew that this murder mystery (story line) would end in episode 12. And we always knew that (Simpson-Wentz's) character of Violet would be instrumental in that as a suspect, and (Egglesfield's character of) Augie, as well. And once that murder mystery was solved, she would go on her way. That was the original plan going into the development of the show," executive producer Todd Slavkin told the entertainment magazine's Web site. "We felt that once the murder mystery was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift into a much more fun, romantic, sexy upbeat kind of show, and (her) character would move on."

Slavkin described Egglesfield's character as "the ultimate suspect" in the show's homicide plot arc.

"And his brooding alcoholic (character) tonally didn't fit the paradigm moving into post-murder mystery 'Melrose Place," the producer said.