TVSquad

Despite my best efforts, I'll admit it: 90210 has sucked me in. I'm not proud of it, but CW just has a way of doing that to me. 90210 isn't a great show: the acting is so-so and the plots are completely predictable . Nevertheless, every week I find myself inexplicably drawn to the goings on at West Beverly High. Apparently it's not just the audience who's getting sucked in: the actors are as well. Despite sounding like she wasn't interested in appearing beyond her initial four-episode run, Shannen Doherty is returning to 90210.

Doherty has signed up for two episodes of the CW series with the possibility for more. Doherty has been joined on the 90210 set by her costar on the original 90210, Jennie Garth. Both of their characters left town in a recent episode, but Garth has always planned on coming back. After all, her character, Kelly Taylor, is actually employed at West Beverly, while Doherty's Brenda Walsh seems to have come back solely to react to Kelly's storylines and babysit her son.

(S01E01 / S01E02) Wow. So, within the first five minutes it becomes abundantly clear that this is not your momma's 90210. First of all, there are actual non-whites at West Beverly High! Er, well, at least one. But he's a main character! Secondly, kids at West Beverly don't just hang out at the Peach Pit or whatever before class, they perform sexual acts in their big, shiny SUVs!

Other things are the same, however, such as the fact that being a new kid still sucks: even if you're an impossibly skinny girl with perfect teeth and hair like a shiny, pretty labradoodle, like Annie Wilson. People still call you Farm Girl, and Kelly Taylor's sister posts mean blogs about you. Meanwhile, if you're her brother, even being a lacrosse star can end badly, when jealous kids get you kicked off the team.

90210's premiere is a little uneven, but also oddly entertaining. One thing that everyone can agree on though, is that Jessica Walter is still awesome.

Talk about a mismatch: Even though there are plenty of people in the press tour audience who fit in The CW's target demographic of women age 18-34, most of the people who seem to grab the microphone and ask questions during most sessions are firmly not in that demo. In fact, their demo could be described as "men, age 35 - infinity." Hearing some of them ask questions of the young stars of 90210, for instance, sounds almost creepy.

That being said, the CW sessions are always good to attend for two reasons: 1) the comedy stylings of communications chief Paul McGuire, and 2) the frustrating non-answers given by CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff. Both are entertaining in their own way.

Gabe Sachs, executive producer of the new 90210, just announced to the gathered critics here in Beverly Hills that Shannen Doherty will reprise her role as Brenda Walsh on an episode this season. Brenda will be recruited as a guest director of a musical being mounted by the students at Beverly Hills High. This was a deal that was in the works for a few weeks.

This is the third former 90210-er that will reprise their roles; Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth will also come back this season. Sachs and his fellow executive producer, Jeff Judah, told the critics that other previous characters will come back if A) they can get them to come back and B) if they can be written into the show organically.

I'm pretty sure Ian Ziering is available. Can't they have Steve Sanders be the woodshop teacher or something?

Don't expect to see Brandon Walsh hanging out with the rest of the gang at The Peach Pit when the new 90210 debuts this fall. Jason Priestly, who played Brandon throughout 90210's original incarnation has revealed that he has in fact been approached by CW execs about reprising his role--but that he has turned them down.

Priestley, who is currently promoting a one episode directing stint on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, seems to be more interested in taking a seat behind the camera than donning his acid-washed jeans in front of it. While Walsh appeared in nearly 250 episodes of the teen soap, he also directed 18 of them. Despite turning down the CW's original offer, he seems quite interested in taking a seat on the director's chair.