TVSquad

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.

We TV Critics are dead on our feet now that we're in the last two days of a near-three week press tour at the Beverly Hilton, but that hasn't stopped us from getting dish from actors and producers here to hawk their fall ABC series.

On stage to promote Cashmere Mafia (a series about four women living life in New York City) creator Darren Star was asked about his other program about four women that call the Big Apple home. Star says: "There's a [film] script. It's in the form of pre-production."

TV Guide is reporting that Lucy Liu has decided to return to television. She'll star in the pilot for Cashmere Mafia, a new ABC comedy from Sex and the City creator Darren Star.

Liu became famous in the 1990s for playing 'Ling Woo' in Ally McBeal, and recently appeared as a guest star on Ugly Betty, but has primarily stuck to movies. In particular, she seems to snag lots of roles where she kicks some ass (Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels). Maybe she's tired of all the stunts and Kung Fu?

Her role in Cashmere Mafia is definitely a departure from those action flicks. The series follows four career women in the world of dating and family in New York City.

I thought we were all pretty much over Carrie and her Manolo Blahniks, weren't we? Too bad. Two of the big four networks have ordered pilots similar to Sex and the City.

ABC has ordered a pilot for the embarrassingly-named Cashmere Mafia, which was created Sex executive producer Darren Star. It's described as "the next generation of Sex and the City". Oh, please let it get a better name. It's about four women who have known each other since college and follows them as they date and work to further their various careers. ABC has also ordered a pilot for Women's Murder Club, described as "CSI meets Sex and the City." It's about a group of female friends who happen to be a homicide detective, a medical examiner, a reporter, and an assistant district attorney. The pilot is going to be directed by Brett Ratner, the man who destroyed The X-Men, so don't expect much.

And finally, NBC gave the greenlight to Lipstick Jungle, based on a novel by the same name about "three powerful New York businesswomen who will do anything to get ahead," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Who's the novelist? Why, it's Candace Bushnell, of course. She's the one who created Sex and the City in the first place.

[Thanks, Karen!]

The CW is jumping on this internet bandwagon thing by offering up some of its season premieres online. Veronica Mars, Everybody Hates Chris and newcomer Runaway will be available on MSN.com for one week before they premiere on the network. Online (and commercial-free) premiere dates are: Runaway on Sept. 18, Everybody Hates Chris on Sept. 24, and Veronica Mars on Sept. 26.

Runaway, by the way, is an hour-long drama about an all-American family that moves to Iowa because they're on the run from the law. The father of the family (Donnie Wahlberg) was convicted of a crime he didn't commit and the family is trying to track down the real killer. It was created by Sex and the City creator, Darren Star. (See a preview here)

Sex and the City creator Darren Star just sold a new pilot to The CW, the new network that replaces The WB and UPN. The drama is called Runaway, about a family that makes the decision to go on the run when the father is accused of murder, in hopes of trying to prove his innocence. Runaway began at UPN, and is the first drama pilot that The CW has picked up. No word yet on casting, but that will surely come soon.