BEVERLY HILLS 90210

Revitalizing ”Beverly Hills, 90210”: Smart move or final measure by a low-rated, desperate network?
Viewers will have to come to a decision for themselves when the new ”90210” has its two-hour premiere on WGN-Channel 9. The CW network refused to make any episodes accessible in advance for review, which is widely seen as a sign that the show will be a disappointment.
Not that critical evaluation is likely to have much consequence on the ratings. Lukewarm reviews certainly didn’t damage the original ”90210,” which aired on Fox from 1990-2000.
In what the CW calls ”an edgy, contemporary spinoff,” the Wilson family moves from Kansas to Beverly Hills, where siblings Annie (Shenae Grimes, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”) and Dixon (Tristan Wilds, “The Wire”) enroll in West Beverly Hills High and dad Harry (Rob Estes of ”Melrose Place,” a spinoff of the original ”90210”) accepts the job of principal.
Return of Kelly, Brenda
Faculty members include guidance counselor Kelly Taylor, a character from “Beverly Hills, 90210” once again played by Jennie Garth. And she’s not the only returnee: Shannen Doherty is slated to appear in a handful of episodes, breathing new life into Brenda Walsh, last seen heading to London to study theater on the old series.
While the original series had the imprimatur of the late Aaron Spelling and a pre-”Sex and the City” Darren Starr, the new ”90210” is in the hands of writers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, who previously worked on the teen dramas ”life as we know it” and ”Freaks & Geeks” as well as the sitcom ”Just Shoot Me.”
”It’s grounded with real character stories and emotional stories,” Judah said, “and whether these kids drive Maseratis or whatever mansions they live in, we want people in Iowa watching, going, ‘That’s how I feel when my dad gets mad at me. That’s how I feel when someone doesn’t like me.’ We’re trying to tell truthful, emotional stories, but also keep it pretty funny, too.”
A little like ‘Freaks & Geeks’
Sachs said ”Freaks”-style quirky comedy will add another layer to the new ”90210.” He understands why that notion may raise eyebrows.
”Trust me, your concerns about Sachs and Judah doing ‘90210′ are the same concerns everyone has had, including Jeff and I,” Sachs said. ”We were the first ones to go, ‘Can we pull this off?’ ”
For the CW, the series may represent its last best hope for survival. Sachs acknowledged that he and Judah feel that pressure.
”It’s such a big business now,” he said. “We’re not in a world where they go, ‘Hey, creative guys, here’s a bunch of money, go shoot something.’ There’s so much relying on the success of this show.”