TVSquad

The CW's new version of 90210 isn't premiering until next month, but there's already behind-the-scenes drama. The new series, which is said to basically be the CW's last chance of survival, has been a hot topic since it was announced back in March. Soon after news of the spinoff broke, came the chatter of original cast members coming back to Beverly Hills High. However, one previously confirmed cast member may not be making it back for the reunion. Tori Spelling is said to have dropped out of the production.

Spelling was originally slated to reprise her role as Donna Martin (who is now a boutique owner) in the pilot but dropped out, ostensibly because she was giving birth to her second child. Now, despite publicly saying that she would probably appear later in the season, Spelling looks to be completely out. According to sources, it's not diaper duty that's keeping her away, it's cold hard cash.

Unsurprisingly, Spelling's problems can be traced directly back to original 90210 troublemaker Shannen Doherty (okay, and Jennie Garth). Apparently, producers lured Spelling back at a rate of $10,000-$20,000 per episode. However, it took more in the neighborhood of $35,000-$50,000 per ep to secure Doherty and Garth. Once Spelling found out about this, she demanded parity..but apparently didn't get it.

Spelling's point of view makes sense to me. She has the highest-rated show on Oxygen right now and is a best-selling author. This, at the very least, puts her more in the public eye than say, Shannen Doherty and her role in ABC Family's The Christmas Caper. Of course, there's a very good chance that the CW is using this dispute purely as a ratings grab, as there is talk of Spelling actually being brought in for November sweeps.

I didn't watch the original 90210 very often, so news of a new version did nothing for me. However, the addition of original cast members makes it into something I want to check out. I'd like to see how they meld the stories of the original crew with the new kids. I was especially excited to hear that Doherty was coming back, since she was fired from the original and her character was never heard from again, but I like Spelling. I watch her show sometimes, and like a lot of people, I find myself rooting for her. CW should be doing everything they can to get her back on, because frankly, they need all the help they can get.