(S08E15) The show that wouldn't die is back from its break, and so is Lois. Tori Spelling also returns as Linda Lake, the gossip reporter with the Joker smile and the meteor-induced ability to turn to water, like Zan from the Wonder Twins.
Before I go all spoilery, I wanted to mention that I found the music of this episode distracting. It made the melodrama even moreso and was downright annoying.
The CW's new version of 90210isn'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.
There was one and only one reason why I wanted to speak to Tori Spelling at NBC's TCA party: No, it wasn't because of 90210, though I was curious about it. It was because of my girlfriend.
I'm serious. She's a big fan of the Tori and Dean reality series on Oxygen, and she's told me on more than one occasion that she thinks that, if circumstances allowed, that she could be friends with the semi-estranged daughter of late TV magnate Aaron Spelling. When I told Tori (her husband, Dean McDermott, was there but must have been grabbing some mac and cheese or something) that I only know the show because of my girlfriend, she understood. "We hear that a lot. It's OK."
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?
So Shannen may be coming to the new 90210, and Jennie is definitely in the cast, and Tori will miss the first few episodes because she just had a baby, but generally speaking, there's been lots of buzz and interest in the upcoming, 2008 version of Beverly Hills 90210.
While CW gears up for the new, SOAPNet is happy to celebrate the old.
On Saturday, July 26th, SOAPNet will glory in the 50 hottest moments of the original Fox series. From 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., ET/PT, three beach-oriented episodes of the show will be shown back-to-back-to-back, with six interstitials that will reveal from 1-50, the hottest "moments" in BH 90210 history.
The new 90210 has yet to air but it's already created a tremendous amount of buzz. The return of actresses Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth from the original series has made news, as well as Luke Perry's words that he won't be coming back and Jason Priestley letting the world know he'd be available to direct.
Actress Lori Laughlin believes that any cast reunion that takes place on 90210will most certainly not include Shannen Doherty. In the OK Magazine article, the actress is quoted as saying "I don't think anyone wants to touch that."
Doherty has a history of rancor between herself and the cast and crew around her. She left Beverly Hills 90210 after four years, and the departure was pretty acrimonious. When she later joined the cast of Charmed (also produced by Aaron Spelling), she left after three years due to supposed problems with her co-star Alyssa Milano.
On the other hand, according to Laughlin, the door is still open for other cast members such as Luke Perry and Jason Priestley. Tori Spelling is already reported to be appearing in the pilot. Nothing makes a spin-off official like having original cast members in it. It seems a shame that Shannen Doherty keeps shooting herself in the foot like this. [via TVTattle]
Nikki Finke, over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, which was a prime spot for news about the writers strike, reports that reliable sources claim Tori Spelling will reprise her role of Donna Martin on the spin-off.
American Idol's ratings may be down, but it is still the number one show on television. And the juggernaut has spawned all kinds of imitators, including, America's Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars,Skating With Celebrities, and Rock Star Supernova.
And now, the Jackson Family is developing its own talent contest for CBS, tentatively called Pop Dynasty. Before you ask, NO, neither Janet nor Michael is involved with the show. This is Jermaine, Tito and LaToya's baby. The three Jacksons will serve as the show's judges.
Last October I hepped y'all to a possible new reality series from Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott in which the couple would run their own bed and breakfast. Well, it's a-comin', and it's a-gonna be on Oxygen. I'm-a gonna stop typing like that now, if you don't mind.
It's tough being Tori Spelling. She's spent better than a decade living under the spotlight and having every mistake magnified. Granted, she brought a lot of it on herself, but I think she has probably taken more than her fair share. It's just so easy. But given all that, I think she gains a lot of points for being able to make fun of herself, because when you get right down to it, that's what so noTORIous is all about. Laughing at the absurdity that is her life.
I think that those years of bad press and bad jokes may have been the biggest problem that this show had. One that it faced before they ever shot a scene, and one that they were never really able to overcome. A lot of people simply dismissed the show for no other reason than it was starring Tori Spelling as herself. And that's too bad, because I'm here to tell you that they made a pretty funny sit-com.
(S08E15) The show that wouldn't die is back from its break, and so is Lois. Tori Spelling also returns as Linda Lake, the gossip reporter with the Joker smile and the meteor-induced ability to turn to water, like Zan from the Wonder Twins.
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.
There was one and only one reason why I wanted to speak to Tori Spelling at NBC's TCA party: No, it wasn't because of 90210, though I was curious about it. It was because of my girlfriend.
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.
So Shannen may be coming to the new 90210, and Jennie is definitely in the cast, and Tori will miss the first few episodes because she just had a baby, but generally speaking, there's been lots of buzz and interest in the upcoming, 2008 version of Beverly Hills 90210. 
The new 90210 has yet to air but it's already created a tremendous amount of buzz. The return of actresses Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth from the original series has made news, as well as Luke Perry's words that he won't be coming back and Jason Priestley letting the world know he'd be available to direct. 
Actress Lori Laughlin believes that any cast reunion that takes place on 90210 will most certainly not include Shannen Doherty. In the OK Magazine article, the actress is quoted as saying "I don't think anyone wants to touch that."
Not even a week after it was announced that Jennie Garth would be part of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off in a recurring capacity, comes the news that Tori Spelling will also join the "new" 90210 series.
American Idol's ratings may be down, but it is still the number one show on television. And the juggernaut has spawned all kinds of imitators, including, America's Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars, Skating With Celebrities, and Rock Star Supernova. 
Last October I hepped y'all to a possible new reality series from Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott in which the couple would run their own bed and breakfast. Well, it's a-comin', and it's a-gonna be on Oxygen. I'm-a gonna stop typing like that now, if you don't mind.
It's tough being Tori Spelling. She's spent better than a decade living under the spotlight and having every mistake magnified. Granted, she brought a lot of it on herself, but I think she has probably taken more than her fair share. It's just so easy. But given all that, I think she gains a lot of points for being able to make fun of herself, because when you get right down to it, that's what so noTORIous is all about. Laughing at the absurdity that is her life.
Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
