Glasses just slow me down Melanie "Mel" Burke is a local politician for the City of Toledo, Ohio. She is Lennox Scanlon and Ryder Scanlon's aunt and Joe Longo's employer. Her full name has never been used, though Melissa Joan Hart confirmed in an interview that 'Mel' is actually short for Melanie. (The series is named for its actors, not the characters).
Personality Mel is a former wild-child turned city council woman. When her sister ends up in prison and her brother-in-law flees after a multi-million dollar scandal hits his company, Mel takes custody of her teenaged niece and nephew. Unfortunately, Mel is completely unprepared for this new responsibility. Still struggling to abandon her past party-girl ways while trying to make a name for herself in local politics, Mel has even more trouble abandoning 'Cool Aunt Mel' in favor of her new parental obligations. In many ways, Mel herself straddles the line between adolescence and adulthood, her behavior and the nature of problems frequently mirroring those of her fifteen year old niece.Many episodes feature her reconciling her inner rebel teenager with her duty to set a good example. She is impulsive, dramatic and very high-energy. She loves junkfood almost as much as she loves a nice glass of red wine after dinner. She isn't overly concerned with her health and exercise, though it's clear that she takes pride in her physical appearance. She enjoys shopping (especially shoe shopping!) and dressing in stylish business attire and she puts a lot of effort into haircare. Despite this, Mel doesn't come across as overly vain or arrogant. Instead, she appears highly confident and spontaneous. She is a natural flirt and has a witty sense of humor. She can, however, be overly critical, and picky, especially when it comes to men. She is quick to find flaws in others, Joe in particular, and gets irritated when people muscle in on her territory (though she herself is quick to get involved in other people's business). She isn't naturally an angry person and while she is otherwise confident in other areas, she sometimes struggles to assert herself when she is worried about hurting another person's feelings. She is known to sometimes skirt around the truth, or even sculpt it, and dislikes being put in the position of the 'bad guy.' These qualities often lay the basis for much of the drama that springs up around the house. |
![]() Occupation: Councilwoman
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio Relationship: Husband: Joe Longo Family Mother: Monica Burke Father: Russell Burke Sister: Meredith Scanlon Niece: Lennox Scanlon Nephew: Ryder Scanlon Step-daughter: Danni Portrayed By: Melissa Joan Hart First Appearance: "Pilot" Last Appearance: "At Last" |