Listen to the Joystiq Podcast (because your ears can't read)
AOL Television

shannen doherty-related stories

It looks like those Heathers are headed to television

HeathersMaybe it's because I was a teenager when it came out, but Heathers still stands as one of those few movies that I really remember and connected with. I'm kind of on the fence with this news that Fox and Sony are developing Heathers for television, though.

In the film Winona Ryder's character Veronica goes from being a "Heather," the popular clique in the school, to systematically murdering them and making their deaths look like suicides. Suddenly, suicide becomes the "in" thing. And all of this because she was tricked into doing so by the new "bad boy" in town.

Ultimately standing up to him, Veronica does the right thing in the theatrical ending, but there's lots of death, suicide attempts and darkness along the way. I'm not sure how well that translates to TV, though Buffy the Vampire Slayer had lots of death and darkness in a high school and it did okay. There's a way to do a very serious story about the emotional turmoil and cruelty of high school, but it's a tightrope that has to be walked very carefully.

TV Squad Ten: Why you should give the new 90210 a chance

90210When 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.

Continue reading TV Squad Ten: Why you should give the new 90210 a chance

90210: Make your predictions on who Sean really is! - VIDEO

90210If you are like me, you started watching The CW's 90210 out of curiosity and nostalgia but ended up not being able to miss an episode because you wanted to know how evil Naomi could be. You wanted to know what happened to the old Beverly Hills, 90210 gang, thanks to Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty guesting on the spin off. And, let's admit it, you also wanted your weekly Rob Estes fix!

Now a regular 90210 viewer, I got interested in the Sean storyline. Sean is the son Harry didn't know he had and who was given up for adoption nearly 22 years ago by Tracy. Was "Sean" someone that was already on the show but under another name? (Early this season, people speculated that Ryan would turn out to be Harry's son.) If not, would the PI hired by Tracy find Sean? Who raised Sean all these years? Who had he become? All questions that were answered in this week's episode.

However, the ending of last Tuesday's episode raised a lot of new questions, the main one being: Is Sean, played by Josh Henderson, really Sean?

Continue reading 90210: Make your predictions on who Sean really is! - VIDEO

Doherty returns to her favorite zip code

shannen doherty 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.

Continue reading Doherty returns to her favorite zip code

Why Tori Spelling thinks people want to be her friend

Tori, Dean and CoolioThere 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."

Continue reading Why Tori Spelling thinks people want to be her friend

90210 panel: Brenda's back, and the new generation - TCA Report

The 90210 TCA panel
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.

Continue reading 90210 panel: Brenda's back, and the new generation - TCA Report

Yes, Shannen Doherty is coming back to 90210 - TCA Report

90210 logoGabe 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?

SOAPNet plans Beverly Hills 90210 beach marathon

BH90210 title bwSo 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.

Gallery: SOAPNet BH90210 mini-marathon

Beverly Hills 90210 DVDBeverly Hills 90210  -beach 1Beverly Hills 90210  -beach 2Beverly Hills 90210  -beach 3Beverly Hills 90210  -beach 4

Continue reading SOAPNet plans Beverly Hills 90210 beach marathon

Is Shannen Doherty really coming to the new 90210?

Shannen D 90210The 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.

But what about Brenda?

Well, in his new perch at Entertainment Weekly, Michael Ausiello reports that his sources -- producers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah -- have confirmed that Miss Shannen Doherty is in formal talks to join 90210 in her original role, Brenda Walsh.

Continue reading Is Shannen Doherty really coming to the new 90210?

Welcome back to 90210 ... except you, Shannon

Lori LaughlinActress 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."

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]

Top TV witches

The Worst Witch AOL TV released a list of the top 18 TV witches. The list is exhaustive including everyone from classical TV witches to daytime witches and BBC witches.

This list even made me a little nostalgic. After reading about Miss Cackle and Mildred from the 1986 TV movie The Worst Witch, I think I might have to check my TV listings to see if the movie will get an encore presentation in the days leading up to Halloween. I totally forgot that Mildred was played by Fairuza Balk who obviously used her Worst Witch time to develop her later role in The Craft. With those piercing blue eyes, dark hair and bright red lipstick, she really does make a good witch.

Continue reading Top TV witches

Super Emmy Preview: TV Guide in 60 seconds

  • TV Guide - EmmysOn the cover: a supergigantic, mega preview of The Emmy Awards, including an interview with host Conan O'Brien.
  • Matt Roush calls Vanished "cliche-ridden," but loves Spike Lee's documentary about Hurricane Katrina, When The Levees Broke.
  • A guide for parents on how to use the ratings system.
  • Richard Dean Anderson talks about Stargate SG-1's 200th episode.
  • Ausiello has the scoop on a new cast member joining House.
  • In the print edition: a preview of the new season of Prison Break; a Q and A with Shannen Doherty about her new relationship show; and a look at the new Raven sequel on the Disney Channel.

New Oxygen series places ad on Craigslist

shannen dohertySo, last month I mentioned that Shannen Doherty would be returning to television with a new reality show in which she would help people put the kibosh on bad relationships, romantic and otherwise. Well, if you live in Los Angeles, are in a crappy relationship, and feel that Ms. Doherty is the only one who can set things straight, well, then you're insane. But you're also just the right person to answer this ad, which was placed on Craigslist to lure people to take part in the new series. And heck, both parties are compensated, so whether you're the "dumper" or the "dumpee" it all works out in the end.

The new series, Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty, will air on Oxygen.

[via Perez Hilton]

Break up with Shannen Doherty

shannen dohertyShannen Doherty is teaming up with the creators of Scare Tactics once again for a new reality show of sorts called Breaking Up with Shannen Doherty. No, the show isn't about people dating and breaking up with the actress, but it is about people in cruddy relationships who aren't sure whether to pull the plug or not. Doherty goes undercover to survey the situation, then deicdes whether to help instigate a break up. Thirteen episodes of the new series will air on Oxygen, though I probably won't watch it since I grew bored with it in the time it took me to type that sentence describing it. Oh yeah, and I should point out that the show won't just focus on romantic relationships, but on any kind of bad relationship.

Cast of Charmed not too happy with the WB, I mean CW. Oh, whatever!

The pissed off cast of CharmedThe cast and crew of the WB's Charmed, which is finishing up its eighth and final season, are pissed at the network that housed them for so long. According to Holly Marie Combs (Piper), who became producer on the show halfway through the series, the network has treated them like the ugly stepchild pretty much from day one.

Another member of the cast, Rose McGowan (who joined as Charmed sister Paige when Shannen Doherty departed after the fourth season), added that the cancellation of the show as their network and the UPN merged was the icing on the cake to the way to they were treated. McGowan said that even if her contract was renewed for a ninth season (her and Combs' contracts ended this season) she would not return due to the poor way she and her castmates were handled.

The full interview can be found on SciFi Wire. By the way, with the completion of this season, Charmed makes history as the longest running television show with female leads; it beats out the classic Laverne & Shirley by a half season and Buffy the Vampire Slayer by one full season.

Next Page >

Featured Stories


meet the tv squad

Categories

RSS Feeds

Powered by Blogsmith

TV Squad on Twitter

Twitter @tvsquad

follow TV Squad on Twitter

AOL TV's Top 5


More Features


watch full episodes online

TV Squad Newsletter

Get TV Squad's daily posts emailed to you daily. Sign up now!

.

Sponsored Links

Most Commented On (7 days)

Blog Roll

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: