Why Melrose Place's Laura Leighton Hasn't Rewatched Old Episodes More Than Once: 'It Just Depressed Me' (Exclusive)

Laura Leighton may have rewatched episodes of Melrose Place once after the show went off the air, but it’s only been recently that the actress has been happy to revisit the sudsy drama she once starred in.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Leighton, 55, admitted that viewing old episodes previously wasn’t a pleasant experience.   

“Maybe I did it once, but it just depressed me. Just seeing yourself 30 years ago — it's dated in ways and you are so young,” she explains, adding, “I don't know. It's just a trip to watch yourself that many years ago.”

But the actress has recently had a change of heart. On July 7, Leighton and former costars Courtney Thorne-Smith and Daphne Zuniga launched the Melrose Place rewatch podcast, Still the Place, produced by iHeartPodcasts.

Each episode sees the three actresses reflect on a particular episode, sharing behind-the-scenes stories with special guests that includes the cast and crew. “We are reliving every hookup, every scandal, every back stab, blackmail, explosion and every wig removal… together!” according to the podcast’s synopsis.

For Leighton, starring on the primetime show was a surreal and incredible experience. Although it wasn’t huge initially, the show gained a big following during season 2, which the actress only realized when former castmate Andrew Shue shared the show’s viewership numbers. The cast landed on magazine covers, and even navigated massive crowds, including after an appearance at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood.

Added Leighton: “We needed help getting in and out of it.”

At the White House Correspondents dinner one year, Leighton also recalled many people in the room being avid viewers. “All of these writers for national magazines and politicians watched it, and I'm like, ‘Aren't you supposed to be running the country?’” she mused.

Looking back at that period, the actress wishes she could have appreciated those experiences with the added perspective she has now.

“I wish I could do the things we did then with my understanding now, because it was so much,” she remembers. “We were so tired. We had to do things and you just want to be home. I would like to do those things now and realize … how special it was.”

“I flew with the Blue Angels, and I was like, ugh,” she continues. “You just don't have the perspective to know what rarefied air you're breathing, how cool those experiences were.”

While Still the Place will please some longtime fans, a Melrose Place revival may also be on the horizon, which CBS is currently developing and pitching to networks and streamers. Zuniga, Leighton and Heather Locklear are all set to return.

Former castmember Jack Wagner previously told PEOPLE in April he isn’t writing off the idea of making an appearance on the drama. “You never really die on a soap, right?” he said. “How they unfold those two characters [Peter and Amanda], it'd be fantastic how they sort of tell that story. … That was a great finale to be included in, especially with Heather. If I'm asked to come back, I'd absolutely entertain that.”

Thorne-Smith, for her part, also tells PEOPLE she’d be open to reprising her role on the reboot, too. “I would consider hanging out and playing with these guys anywhere, anytime. I adore them,” she says.

Details about the reboot are scarce, but Leighton teases the new show is being developed with “everybody in mind,” referring to the original cast, which also included Thorne-Smith, Zuniga, Shue, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett, Grant Show and Leighton’s husband Doug Savant.

“We would be so thrilled if a reboot is able to happen. I think it'd be a perfect full circle thing to have,” Leighton says, adding, “It would be a dream to reconnect with everybody.”

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Still the Place is available to listen wherever you get your podcasts, and Melrose Place can be streamed on Paramount+.