News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and More

5 02 2009
  • Tuesday night’s 90210 scored in the ratings by achieving double-digit growth in all the key demographics.
  • PEOPLE confirms that Shannen Doherty (Brenda) will be back on 90210 later this season but no clue as to what the storyline will be.
  • As teased during last night’s episode, the Jonas Brothers will give a sneak peak of their new movie during next week’s 90210 and give a special performance.  Jessica Lowdnes (Adrianna) says she hopes the Jo Bros will actually be on the show at some point.
  • The New York Post has an interview with Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) about her new role as Rhonda on 90210.
  • E!Online is reporting that AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) could be cast in the Twilight sequel.
  • Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) is the new face of K-Swiss sneakers.  You can see one of the ads here.
  • Ausiello is reporting that, in an Anne Hathaway-like storyline, Serena (Blake Lively, Gossip Girl) will fall for a European guy who turns out to be less than genuine.  This will eventually lead to Georgina’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) return.
  • Hilarie Burton (Peyton, One Tree Hill) has cast Austin Nichols (Julian, One Tree Hill) in a movie she’s making, and he hijacked her blog to tell you all about it.
  • Instead of watching the Superbowl, one writer created Dawson’s Bowl 2009 after, yep, Dawson’s Creek.
  • Closing The Ring, starring Mischa Barton (Marissa, The O.C.) has been released on DVD.




Spoiler: Mega Buzz

4 02 2009

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!

I buy Kelly as the guidance counselor and Brenda being in town for a play. But how are they going to bring Donna back into the 90210 fold? —  Jill
MICKEY: Remember my idea? Well, let’s just say I wasn’t that far off — at least about the Japan part. But I can’t take credit for the Kelly-Donna scene in the lesbian bar; that’s all them.






News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, The O.C. and More

4 02 2009
  • E!Online has video of Tori Spelling (Donna) filming with Jennie Garth (Kelly) and Jessica Stroup (Silver) on the 90210 set.  Nothing revealing.  They also have semi-revealing scoop about Gossip Girl (but nothing new if you read the spoiler post from earlier today!).
  • Don’t usually post tabloid gossip but this is interesting, considering there’s been rumors for months: US Weekly has a photo of Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) kissing.  Or at least it seems to be Ed.  Honestly not 100 percent sure it’s him.
  • But if you want to spot Chuck himself in real life (or someone like him), you should read this post from Jossip.
  • Or you can see Westwick at the upcoming Comic Con, where he’ll promote S. Darko.  The film also stars James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill).
  • Maureen Ryan from The Chicago Tribune has a cool interview with Josh Schwartz on the role music will play in the Gossip Girl spin-off.
  • I don’t watch Big Love but apparently it improves upon what The O.C. got right in–and only in–the show’s first season.  (For more on what The O.C. got right and then got wrong, as alluded to in the article, check out my own piece here!)




Spoiler: Ask Ausiello

4 02 2009

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!

Question: Do you hate 90210 or something? Give us some good scoop! — Sam
Ausiello:
Hate it? The show is awesome! Just kidding, I haven’t seen an episode in months. But several trusty sources tell me it’s about to get really good, so I’ll probably start watching again next week — if for no other reason then to prep for Tori Spelling’s arrival in March. Speaking of which, I hear Tori’s bestest frenemy, Shannen Doherty, is returning for one more episode in May. Could this be the Brenda-Donna reunion we’ve been waiting for?! Sure couldn’t! I’m told the two won’t be sharing any scenes. Bum-mer.

Question: I recently saw a photo of Nate and Blair kissing in an upcoming episode of Gossip Girl. What the hell?! We waited all season for Blair to get together with Chuck! Please say it won’t last. — Clare
Ausiello:
Let’s ask exec producer Stephanie Savage about that incriminating photo: “I think they look really cute together kissing in the snow.” Um, let me take a different approach. What does the rekindled N and B romance mean for C and B? “Tell those Chuck and Blair fans to hang in there.” That’s better.





Tuesday Night Reaction

3 02 2009

90210

  • Promo leads me to believe Navid will be back in this episode.  I guess that’s good.
  • Glad they picked up right where they left off.
  • Oh, wow.  He’s perfectly fine!
  • Figures they went the typical teen drama promotional route of making it seem worse than it really is.
  • Why do Annie’s parents need to wait with them?
  • Q1: “The right moment was like 2 years ago.”–Naomi
  • “I’m eating for two” is quite an overused phrase in like…everything!
  • I like that she said “it’s your baby” rather than “it’s yours.”  Semantics, I know.
  • Q2: “Sometimes I took the pill.  Sometimes I took other pills.”–Adrianna
  • Why do collapsed lungs always sound more serious than really are?
  • Why is Harry massaging Debbie in front of the kids?!
  • Q3: “Do you want to tell us what it is or do you want to play charades?”–Harry
  • Q4: “I’m not really into the whole unrequited love thing.  So I had to get out before somebody got hurt.  Or more hurt.–Dixon (I hear ya, Dixon!)
  • Q5: “Ty is like 11 in girl years.”–Naomi
  • Q6: “If Perez Hilton tuaght us anything, it’s that you can’t hide a baby bump forever.”–Naomi (Ugh, did they have to give him a shoutout?)
  • Q7: “I just finished being rehab girl. Now I have to be pregnant girl.”–Adrianna
  • Q8: “I’m so sick of reading about myself on the bathroom walls.”
  • Ty is being really mature. This can’t last, right?
  • Navid is back!
  • Q9: “Hell to the yes.”–Navid
  • Q10: “Who am I kidding? I’m never gonna get another girl.”–Navid
  • Rhonda is so cute and baby-faced!
  • See, Rhonda agrees that the lung thing sounds worse than it is!
  • Typical that he doesn’t know who she is.
  • Q11: “You obviously just live in your own bubble.  When’s the last time you spoke to someone who wasn’t running for homecoming queen or didn’t play a varsity sport?”–Rhonda
  • Typical mother-in-law joke.
  • Ugly/scary dogs!
  • Typical married couple banter.
  • Wow, Ty’s parents seem really genuine.  This can’t last either, right?
  • That’s an awfully pretty maid. (Sorry, Dorota!)
  • Q12: “Please commit them to your brains and your BlackBerrys.”–drama teacher
  • Balloon seems childish.  How about flowers?  Or even just a nice, hand-written note?
  • Ty’s mom = overprotective or sketch?
  • Funny/weird seeing Adrianna with a baby bump.
  • Random Jonas Brothers/90210 promo.  Apparently I should tune in next week?
  • OMG, they want her to go away!
  • A contract?!  Adoption?!
  • Was Rhonda in a cast in the earlier scene?
  • Q13: “And romance horror genre does exist.  It’s not very popular but the Swedes have mastered it.”–Ethan
  • He’s quite cute when he’s being sweet/sincere/nervous.
  • Love The Wedding Planner!
  • Q14: “As long as you are okay with the occasional ‘this is such a chick flick!’ commentary.”–Ethan
  • Q15: “He’s swimming in chicks.  And he’s funky–looking.”–Navid
  • Q16: “You’d be very beautiful…if you didn’t ahve that lame hair ‘do.”–Navid
  • Q17: “I wish I videotaped it so I could put it on YouTube.”–Dixon
  • Q18: “If Dixon wants a girl, Dixon gets a girl.” “Not if Dixon talks about himself in the third person like a tool.”–Dixon and Christina
  • Q19: “I don’t think you’ll  be doing much skiing in your third trimester.”–Naomi
  • The Juno reference had to come sooner or later.
  • Like that Naomi’s looking out for her.
  • Dragon Fury?
  • Q20: “Gotta pass the old guy.  I’m sick of seeing his ass.”–Rhonda
  • Q21: “All I saw was one long Sports Center reel.”–Ethan
  • Is Rhonda channeling Jamie in A Walk to Remember?
  • Blacksmithing?
  • Why is Annie so insulted about an acting class suggestion?
  • Weezy keeps making me thing of The Jeffersons.
  • Weezy does have some fair points.  Adrianna hasn’t been that responsible.
  • Woah, go Adrianna’s mom!
  • Will someone pleaseeee order a Mega Burger??
  • I like when the background music is incorporated into the scene.  (In the film world we call that diagetic and non-diagetic sound.)
  • Proud of Adrianna and her mom talking their issues out.
  • Maybe things would be easier on them financially if they didn’t live in Beverly Hills.
  • Ironic that now Annie is in “in” the bubble.
  • Very O.C. moment with the indie rock band.
  • Q22: “She looks pretty and not pregnant.”–Navid
  • Q23: “I’m really uncool.”–Navid
  • Q24: “I may drop a World of Warcraft reference before I remember that not everyone plays massive role-playing-games.”  “As long as I get to be a seventh level sage.”  “Marry me?”–Navid and Nika
  • Did Debbie deliberately tell Silver the party thing?  She had such a smirk on her face!
  • Q25: “Danny, really, after the fifth round?”–drama teacher saying “Catch the Clap”
  • Ha! Rhonda can totally walk!
  • Q26: “I knew you weren’t a lesbian!”–Silver
  • Q27: “No, I’m his nothing girl because he dumped me.  What kind of love just stops like that?”–Silver  (All she said was sooo dead-on!)
  • Q28: “This being in love stuff is making me crazy!”–Silver (I love how the promo for this ep mashed this quote–and others–with a different line.)
  • Q29: “So you love me?”  “I didn’t say that.”  “Yes you did.  You said this being in love stuff is making you crazy.  Ergo, you love me.”  “Ergo, I do.  Well, I ergo you, too.”–Dixon and Silver (Too cute!)
  • Should the breakup have lasted longer?  Or do you think this is realistic?
  • So the real reason for the amnio comes out!  The paternity question is a fair one, though.
  • Okay, the baby is not an ‘it’!
  • Q30: “Luckily I’m getting pretty good at dealing with humiliation.”–Adrianna
  • The TV announcement was so clever!
  • Ty looks soooo shocked!  And is he crying??
  • Q31: “And as for the father, there isn’t one.  It was an immaculate conception.”–Adrianna (Funny, but do you think she should’ve ‘outed’ him?)
  • That was a really good ending.
  • Adrianna is really becoming the show’s focus–and breakout star.
  • Promo: “It’s Valentine’s Day Beverly Hills-style.”
  • Promo would appeal more if they didn’t just do the whole first time storyline with Ethan and Annie.

**This episode will re-air Wednesday at 9PM!





LA Times: 90210 Needs To Be Saved

3 02 2009

The Los Angeles Times published an excellent article yesterday on how the new 90210 isn’t living up to expectations.  The best analysis I’ve seen by far!

Here’s a summary:

“‘90210’ is suffering a servere case of adolescent angst.”

American Idol’s return is affecting its audience, so the show will move to 9PM later this season–after a six-week break!

The show is doing well overseas but not in the U.S.

90210 can’t get out of Gossip Girl’s “shadow.”

“The series has floundered creatively and has no irresistible Dylan-Brenda couple to root for.”

The original series is the number one teen drama in history.  I wholeheartedly agree with that.  Even if I didn’t root for Brenda and Dylan.  (And you can read about the show’s origins and how it defined the genre here!)

Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs have stopped writing for the show after having problems with the network (and they even seem regretful about signing on to the show at all) but they remain on board in other capacities for now.  They won’t be back if there’s a season 2.

“‘I’m not as witty as [‘Gossip Girl’ executive producer] Josh Schwartz and I never will be,'”Judah says.

Dustin Milligan (Ethan) admits he’s unhappy Judah and Sachs’ plans weren’t followed.  It’s one reason the storyline for Ethan to have an autistic brother didn’t play out.

New executive producer Rebecca Rand Kirshner Sinclair admits she needs time to “fix” things.

“Saving “90210” [is] a top priority, but it won’t be easy.”

Jennie Garth (Kelly) is signed on for one more episode.  Tori Spelling (Donna) will have a “limited run.”

CW head honcho Dawn Ostroff is blaming the nostalgia factor for the show’s problems.

Despite all of the above, there most likely will be a season two.

And BREATHE!





New 90210 Tonight!

3 02 2009

90210 returns tonight with an all-new episode.

You can read a preview interview with Adam Gregory (Ty) here.

Come back later today for a super-serious article on why 90210 is failing.

Then come back tomorrow for my reaction post to the new episode!





Spoiler: Watch with Kristin

3 02 2009

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!

Daniella in Pittsburgh: What’s coming up on Gossip Girl? This season has been amazing so far!
As if a long lost sibling and declining admission to Yale isn’t enough, Serena’s insta-gal-pal Poppy Lifton is coming back to make her life even more difficult. I’m guessing another feature in Women’s Wear Daily is not on her to-do list this time around? And Rufus is going to run into some money problems soon, but with Lily by his side that shouldn’t be too big of an issue right? She could easily take care of those with a small loan from her Bass Industries inheritance!

Alexandra in Baltimore: Anything on One Tree Hill? Do you know yet if this is really the last season?
No word yet on if a decision has been made about a seventh season, but by the looks of the upcoming One Tree Hill eps, I’d say things are starting to wrap up in North Carolina. Julian is looking to take things to the next level with Brooke when he asks if she and Sam will move back to L.A. with him. Might Tree Hill’s resident fashionista settle down in California for good? Millicent and Mouth are going to rekindle their adorkable love soon, too! And hell must have frozen over because after six seasons of abandonment, abuse and even murder, Dan is finally going to apologize to Nathan and Lucas for being such a terrible father.

Jamie in Salt Lake City: Please give me some juicy scoop on 90210, Kristin!
Looks like all of the emotional turmoil Silver (Jessica Stroup) has been going through is going to get worse before it gets better. When she goes MIA, the gang launches a manhunt to find her that leads everyone to a train station, where one of our beloved 90210ers will end up in a sticky situation out on the tracks. Any guesses as to who it might be? Is that how they find Silver? Or maybe it’s her man, Dixon, coming to the rescue!

Heather in Vancouver: I’m confused as to when Adrianna and Ty slept together on 90210. Was it before he and Annie dated?
Ty finds out he is the baby daddy in tomorrow night’s episode, but we won’t find out when the deed was done for a while. Adam Gregory tells me, “That will probably be revealed in later episodes, so we’ll have to see how that unfolds.” No doubt this will have an affect on Ty and Annie’s friendship, or possible romance. “When it happened, how it happened plays a big part in Ty and Annie’s little relationship,” adds Gregory.





News Roundup: 90210, One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl

2 02 2009
  • Ryan Eggold (Ryan, 90210) admits in a new interview that even he is “wary” of remakes.
  • In the February 9, 2009 issue of PEOPLE, Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) says “being on your BlackBerry during dinner” is her number 1 dating don’t.  “That’s a big one.”
  • A one-time One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek director reflects on his time in Wilmington and his experiences on both shows.
  • Leona Lewis says she loves Gossip Girl, and that’s one of the reason she cast Chace Crawford (Nate) in her music video.
  • Matthew Settle (Rufus, Gossip Girl) says there’s a “magical time” ahead on the show but also warns that Rufus and Lily’s son may pop up at any time, in a dramatic fashion, of course.  Settle also squashes rumors on who his son isn’t.




Site of the Week

2 02 2009

This week I’d like to introduce you to The Melrose 90210 RPG, a site I ran back when I started high school.

The Melrose 90210 RPG was essentially a fan fic that picked up where the Beverly Hills, 90210 series finale left off in 2000.

Combining the 90210 cast with some Melrose Place characters, we wrote more than 30 “episodes.”

I stopped working on it in 2002 for miscellaneous reasons, but always dreamt that someday, my ideas would be turned into actual episodes.

Alas, 90210 has now been remade and it certainly isn’t based on my writing.

The site is still worth a look and the episodes definitely worth a read.  But if you don’t have a lot of time (each one is quite lengthy), at least check out the summaries and some of the other content.

The Melrose 90210 RPG is an extremely fun and satisfying look at where 90210 could’ve gone had it continued.

Enjoy!