Editing Heather Locklear (section)

===1999-2005: from drama to comedy===
After ''Melrose Place'' ended in 1999, Locklear was cast in the fourth season of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[Spin City]]'', initially opposite [[Michael J. Fox]] and later [[Charlie Sheen]]. Fox and show staff approached her to play a woman who would manage the mayor's ([[Barry Bostwick]]) senatorial campaign.<ref>[https://www.deseret.com/1999/9/21/19466694/surprise-locklear-joins-spin-city/ Surprise! Locklear joins 'Spin City', Sept. 21, 1999]</ref> Locklear moved to New York for filming<ref>[https://observer.com/1999/08/las-bitch-comes-to-ny-uptown-ladies-look-out/ L.A.’s Bitch Comes to N.Y.: Uptown Ladies Look Out!, Observer, by Sam Charap, August 16, 1999]</ref> and Spin City rated top in its new time slot among 18-to-49-year-olds.<ref>[https://time.com/archive/6740372/television-after-fox-can-spin-city-shine-with-sheen/ Television: After Fox, Can Spin City Shine with Sheen?, Time, February 14, 2000]</ref> [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]] boss [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] credits "Sheen's instant chemistry with costar Heather Locklear for keeping the series spinning forward".<ref>[https://ew.com/article/2000/11/30/charlie-sheen-helps-spin-citys-ratings-improve/ Charlie Sheen helps ''Spin City'''s ratings improve, Entertainment Weekly, by Ray Richmond, November 30, 2000]</ref> Because of Sheen joins the show, production was relocated in Los Angeles the next year and until the end of the show. Locklear earned two [[Golden Globe Awards]] nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy before the series ended in 2002. 

''Spin City'' marked a new beginning in Locklear's career with several comedies for television and theatrical movies. In 2002, Locklear had a brief recurring role in the sitcom ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'', another hit show created by [[Bill Lawrence (TV producer)|Bill Lawrence]] years after ''Spin City''. She also had a guest spot in the last season of [[David E. Kelley]]'s legal comedy drama ''[[Ally McBeal]]''. She played the love-interest of [[John C. McGinley]] and [[Peter MacNicol]], respectively.

In 2003, she starred in a pilot for her own comedy series, ''Once Around the Park'', but this was unsuccessful.<ref>[http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2003/05/09/locklear-passes-on-nbcs-ausa-looks-at-miami-15942/5932/ Locklear Passes on NBC's 'A.U.S.A.,' Looks at 'Miami', by Brian Ford Sullivan, The Futon Critic, May 9, 2003]</ref> The same year, Locklear appeared in the film ''[[Uptown Girls]]'', a romantic comedy starring [[Brittany Murphy]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/15/movies/film-review-down-on-her-guccis-but-with-a-heart-of-platinum.html Down on Her Guccis but With a Heart of Platinum, by Stephen Holden, The New York Times, August 15, 2003]</ref> In 2004, Locklear made a guest appearance on the sitcom ''[[Two and a Half Men]]'', which starred her former ''Spin City'' co-star Charlie Sheen. In 2005, Locklear appeared in the film ''[[The Perfect Man (2005 film)|The Perfect Man]]'' with [[Hilary Duff]].<ref>[https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/may/26/heather-locklear-to-star-in-big-screen-flick/ Heather Locklear to star in big screen flick ‘Perfect Man’, by Jill Jackson, The Spokesman-Review, May 26,2004]</ref> The same year, she had a brief recurring role on the drama series ''[[Boston Legal]]'', which starred her former ''T. J. Hooker'' co-star William Shatner. Locklear reunited with executive producer David E. Kelley who cast her in a 2002 episode of ''Ally McBeal''.<ref>[https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2005/0315/403688-locklearh/ Locklear set for Boston Legal role, RTE, January 10, 2007]</ref> "Her humor, sex appeal and mischief make her perfectly suited for ''Boston Legal''", said the creator of the show in a press release.<ref>[https://insidepulse.com/2005/03/16/35376/ Locklear to Make Guest Spot on 'Boston Legal', by Rob Purchase, Inside Pulse, March 16, 2005]</ref> Locklear was also featured in a [[Biography Channel]] special.

In 2004, Locklear returns to drama in primetime opposite [[Blair Underwood]] and starred in the short-lived television drama series ''[[LAX (TV series)|LAX]]'' set in the [[Los Angeles International Airport|airport of the same name]].<ref>[https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/lax-1200531204/ LAX review, by Phil Gallo, Variety, September 9, 2004]</ref> She portrayed an ambitious airport executive overseeing the Los Angeles hub. She was also executive producer on the series, but it was cancelled after 10 aired episodes.<ref>[https://www.upi.com/Entertainment%20News/2004/11/22/Heather-Locklears-LAX-canceled/13181101151168/ Heather Locklear's 'LAX' canceled, UPI, November 22, 2004]</ref> "LAX debuted to an audience of 13 million. But then things went south — quickly: The series lost 5 million viewers in its second week and went into a free fall until November, when NBC axed the drama from its schedule", according to Entertainment Weekly.<ref>[https://ew.com/article/2004/12/07/why-heather-locklear-remains-tvs-most-wanted-woman/ Why Heather Locklear remains TV's most wanted woman, Entertainment Weekly, by Linette Rice, Dec. 7, 2004.]</ref>