Schools in! For 11 seasons, Beverly Hills 90210, was a ratings hit and trend-setting youth soap opera for Fox. Now, a mere eight years later, the CW will spin-off Beverly Hills 90210, coming up with a contemporary version of the well-loved, if corny, teen drama.The original, executive produced by the late Aaron Spelling, and created by Darren Star (Cashmere Mafia). The new CW version is not connected to Star. Rob Thomas, who created Veronica Mars, has been approached to take on the project.
This isn't the first time a spin-off of Beverly Hills 90210 has been created. In 1992, Melrose Place sprang from the same creative team, with star Grant Show going from one show to the other. In time, both shows were Fox mainstays and helped make little known actors Luke Perry, Jason Priestly and others TV stars.
The CW will do a contemporary take on Beverly Hills 90210, keeping it set in present day. If Rob Thomas does choose to do 90210, you can count on it being smart and a notch or two above the original. Thomas's revamped Cupid, has also been greenlighted. In 1998, Cupid was on ABC, which is also backing this new version. Despite the presence of Jeremy Piven (Entourage) as a guy who believes he's the real mythical Cupid, the show was dumped in 1999.
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
The Prisoner -- An early look
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-13-2008 @ 9:32PM
Oreo said...
OH YES! I CAN'T WAIT!
lol
Reply
3-14-2008 @ 9:16AM
Jamie said...
It was only 10 seasons.
Reply
3-13-2008 @ 10:17PM
kickit said...
...lol
Reply
3-13-2008 @ 11:36PM
Karen said...
Oh MAN. Rob Thomas deserves a hell of a lot better than Darren Star's sloppy seconds.
Reply
3-14-2008 @ 12:07AM
Bash said...
TVSquad is too dumb to use press releases. And doesn't know anything about TV.
Even I knew that it was only 10 seasons. Too bad you usually don't have to fact-check stuff that's handed to you, right?
Reply
3-14-2008 @ 9:24AM
hessian said...
Technically, isn't this a sequel?
Doesn't a spin-off usually require taking a character (or two) from an established show and uprooting them to a new setting/situation?
SPINNING them off in a new direction?
This sounds like a 're-imagining' a la Battlestar Galactica or Bionic Woman.
Reply
3-14-2008 @ 10:44AM
sitruc said...
Why?
Also, the revamped Cupid doesn't sound as good as the original.
Reply
4-04-2008 @ 4:00PM
Jim said...
"If Rob Thomas does choose to do 90210, you can count on it being smart and a notch or two above the original."
I wouldn't go that far just yet, especially considering the huge legacy, success, and long life that surrounds the original. Given that, what you're suggesting is far easier said than done. Thomas may be a talented writer, but it doesn't make him a renaissance man; whether or not he excels in this sort of teen show is something that remains to be seen.
That said, I'm quite excited by this great news. I hope the original set for the high school is retained, and that the show lives up to what came before it.
Reply
4-05-2008 @ 12:25AM
amy said...
it would be nice to have kelly, dylan, and brenda come back but allow brenda and dylan to get back together and start a family. you could see the compassion and love between them. it would also be nice to have brandon come back to search for his love with kelly.
Reply