Heather Locklear arrives to save Melrose Place.

Entertainment Weekly has a shot of Melrose Place veteran Heather Locklear in costume as the famously miniskirted Amanda Woodward on her first day at work on the new Melrose. Nervous executives at the CW Network are eager to get the word out that Heather is dusting off her Amanda broomstick to stir things up just like she did on the original show back in the ’90s. Her magic touch is sorely needed to boost ratings in the wake of the abrupt cancellation of fellow CW soaper “The Beautiful Life,” which was yanked after only two showings that averaged a measly 1 million viewers. Melrose isn’t doing much better according to TV Guide, which reported its audience at 1.8 million in a recent article on how the new season’s shows are faring. Heather’s on-set photo is making the rounds of the Web and she looks trim and perky as ever. Her scenes, which begin airing November 17, should be interesting if only to see if she shows any wear and tear acting alongside the new cast members. At 48, her appeal among the CW’s young target audience is debatable. Nevertheless, her TV track record, save for the short-lived airport drama LAX, is pretty solid. Getting back to work is just what she needs given the rough times she’s had lately what with the DUI and the whole Denise Richards thing with her ex Ritchie Sambora. Maybe Heather can channel her frustrations into making Amanda’s return as ferocious as possible, giving Katie Cassidy’s Ella a true role model to emulate. November can’t come fast enough.