TVSquad

When a spin-off is launched, people - and I include myself in the lot - are quick to criticize. "This show sucks!" "It's not the same as the original!" "Rip off!!!" Let's face it, it's not easy for a spin-off to live in the shadow of the show that launched it. One of these series is The CW's 90210.

When Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered in October 1990, I was a 13-year-old looking for a new series that would tackle issues teenagers like me could face. As a Canadian, Degrassi Junior High had been entertaining me and providing answers to questions teenagers ask since 1987, but Degrassi's quality made me crave for more of the like. Thankfully, BH90210 was launched and I never missed an episode during its 10-year run.

When The CW announced that it would revive the series by creating a spin-off, I was all giddy inside. Could Dylan, Brenda, Kelly and company be back? Would it be set at the same high school? Would it be as good as the original? Who? How? When? What? Why? Argh!!! My expectations were getting high. Too high.

As expected, I didn't enjoy the first few episodes of the spin-off much and found a lot of flaws in it. However, out of nostalgia, I stuck with the series and started to find reasons why people should give 90210 a chance. Let's see if you agree with my reasons.

It seems like if you're an actress in Hollywood, you're either too fat or too skinny.

A couple days ago, EW's PopWatch reported that The CW asked the younger female stars of 90210 (Shenae Grimes, Jessica Stroup and AnnaLynne McCord) to address their "weight issues."

Sure, skeletal celebrities are nothing new (and almost seems like a requirement of fame), but even one of the stars of another CW teen drama, Gossip Girl, thinks a line has been crossed. Penn Badgley (Dan) told Popeater.com that he doesn't like "thin L.A. girls" and hopes "they eat a double cheeseburger or something."

Earlier this week, The CW released this promotional picture of the 90210 regular cast. From left to right: Dustin Milligan, AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Walter, Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, Lori Loughlin, Ryan Eggold, Jessica Stroup and Michael Steger.

If you've been keeping up with information about the spin-off, you know that there is someone missing from that picture. No, it's not Jennie Garth or Tori Spelling since they will be recurring/guest stars. But it's the actor who'll play the pivotal character of Harry Mills, a father who relocates his family in Beverly Hills to take care of his mother.

The Berverly Hills, 90210 spin off found its mother! TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reports that Full House's Lori Loughlin was cast as Celia Mills, "an ex-Olympic athlete who relocates to Beverly Hills with her husband and two children."

As we revealed about a month ago, 90210 version 2.0 will revolve around the Mills family, which relocates to Beverly Hills so the patriarch can take care of his movie star mother who just fell off the wagon. Supposedly, he'll get a job as Beverly Hills High new principal.