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!





Beverly Hills, 90210 Season 7 DVD

28 01 2009

Ever since season 6 came out in the fall, I’ve been impatiently waiting for news about season 7.

This week, I happened to check twice…and lo and behold, the second time, I found something.

Beverly Hills, 90210: Season 7 will be released on April 7th!

So what does that include?  Some of my favorite moments: David and Donna get back together.  Brandon and Kelly get back together. Everyone graduates from CU…and much more!

Let’s just hope there’s special features this time!

You can read more about the upcoming release here.





Spoiler: Watch with Kristin

27 01 2009

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

Georgia in North Dakota: I love Toni Collette‘s new show The United States of Tara! What can you dish? I’ll take that or Gossip Girl.
I’ll give you both. At the premiere party for the show, Brie Larson (Tara’s daughter) showed up with a familiar Gossip Girl face. Her real life boyfriend is none other than Serena van der Woodsen’s ex-flame Aaron Rose (John Patrick Amedori). Kooky, right? When asked if she’s jealous that John was making out with Blake Lively Brie tells me: “You know, I don’t care. I think she kind of looks like me, so I don’t really take offense to it. I just envision that it’s myself…Whatever! He’s still my boyfriend!”

Randall in Miami: What’s the latest on Gossip Girl?
A former bigtime couple that some of you (though, admittedly, very few of you) love will be getting back together and who it is certainly surprised the pants off of me! Also, Nate’s grandfather makes him an offer that’s too good to pass up, which leads to Vanessa feeling out of place, and the dynamic of that relationship shifting. Basically the whole rest of the season is relationship roulette.

Wanda2Saints: Who is the GG couple getting back together?
Not Jenny and Nate, despite the purposely misleading photo at right. (Shhhhh!) And yes, right now you Chuck and Blair fans should be weeping, ’cause this old couple reconnecting totally means that Bluck or Chair (or whatever your name of choice) will not become a real couple any time soon this season.

Margaret in Tallahassee: What’s next for Rufus and Lily?
Rufus and Lily continue to play house, which continues to sicken the kids…and continues to seriously trigger my morning sickness. This baby is not a Rufus and Lily fan.

Any word on Tori’s comeback to 90210?
I’m hearing Donna (Tori Spelling) comes back to  Bev Hills and reveals she’s having problems with David (paging Brian Austin Green!). Seriously, have any of these women been lucky in love?! I feel for the old school 90210-ers! The upside, though, is that their careers all appear to be going well (and global). Word is, Donna is thinking about opening a clothing store in Los Angeles and she’s already a huge success in Japan.

Emily in Rapid City, S.D.: Have you heard any details on the new Dylan on 90210?
Yes, Matt Lanter soon joins the cast as the new Dylan McKay, and AnnaLynne McCord tells me she’ll be the first to get in on that action, “He is the bad boy and Naomi starts to love herself some bad boy…He] just throws her so off her Naomi world and off its axis, that it kind of intrigues her, so she feels challenged. He gets her into trouble.” And it looks like Shenae Grimes may also get into the mix., “I feel like there’s going to be a triangle somewhere there,” she tells me, “and I wouldn’t complain if I was apart of said triangle.”

Katrina in Auburn, N.Y.: Kristin, please tell me Josh Henderson will be back on 90210!
The maybe-he-is-maybe-he-isn’t, long lost Wilson kid might not be finished with Beverly Hills just yet! Josh tells me that the fate of Sean Cavanaugh has yet to be determined. ” I don’t think he’s done by any means. There are still things up in the air where I might be the son. It’s worth watching, I’ll just say that. My guy’s still bouncing back and forth.”

Gregory in Eugene, Ore: Anything you can share on One Tree Hill?
Looks like Lucas’ movie is going to get shut down.

***

Wow, this was so jam-packed with scoop that made me mad that I just have to comment!

  • Blair and Nate getting back together is old news.  I forget who broke it, but I did read it a while ago.  While I am not opposed to the idea, it’s hard to believe Blair and Chuck still won’t be getting together.  I much rather see a Nate and Serena pairing.
  • Donna having problems with David = NOT ACCEPTABLE, especially if BAG isn’t even on the show.  I am sick of the new 90210 rewriting history and ruining the way the original ended.  It is so disrespectful to longtime fans.
  • And calling Matt Lanter the new Dylan McKay is a little premature.  Would be interesting/annoyingly predictable, though, if it ends up being another Brenda-Dylan-Kelly triangle.
  • I really don’t want to see Lucas’ movie get shut down…except if it starts back up.  I’d love to see snippets of the final product, a premiere, etc.  Then again, it is getting to be very Dawson’s Creek-like where Dawson makes the movie (in the show’s penultimate episode) based on his life/the actual show.
  • Am I off my rocker about all this?  What do you guys think?




Spoiler: Ask Ausiello

21 01 2009

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!
Question: Come on, Ausiello! Give us scoop on Gossip Girl! — Sam
Ausiello:
First let me say that Monday’s episode was an absolute triumph on all levels (acting, writing, directing)…which makes the fact that it was the lowest-rated of the season all the more depressing. (Time to reboot the system, Nielsen!) On the scoop front, I know what brings Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg) back to town, and it’s not her seemingly indefatigable quest to piss off frenemy Serena. Quite the contrary, in fact. Take it away, exec producer Josh Schwartz! “Certain times a situation is so dire that it requires the assistance of even your most sworn enemy,” he teases. “It just might come to pass that Serena and Blair find themselves in a situation where they have no recourse other than to recruit Georgina Sparks.” In other GG news, the show is casting the possibly recurring role of an “unassumingly cute” 16-year-old male. Sounds like Jenny’s getting a new suitor!

Question: 90210 gets so little attention from you! Got any scoop? — Stephanie
Ausiello:
This season’s 19th episode (airing in April) will be must-see-worthy for two reasons: It marks Tori Spelling’s return as Donna and features the arrival of Dixon’s estranged mother.





90210 Locations Pt. 2

21 01 2009

You’ve seen Casa Walsh.  Now here’s a different residence…

cimg6873

The Beach Apartment!

While Kelly and Donna did in fact “live” on the beach, it wasn’t in Beverly Hills.  Instead, they lived about a half hour south of Los Angeles, in Hermosa Beach.

cimg6876

Let’s take a second to think about all the different people that lived here: Kelly, Donna, David, Clare, Carly, Gina and Janet.  As Clare once said, it’s all about “location, location, location!”





News Roundup: 90210, One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek

15 01 2009
  • So it IS true that Diablo Cody will be guest-starring on 90210!  You can read about it here, here and here!
  • Grant Show is up for making an appearance on 90210…if his character Jake can revive his his long-ago romance with Kelly (Jennie Garth)!
  • One of the show’s writers talks about Tori’s return here.
  • Watch with Kristin says there’s an “even” chance One Tree Hill will return for a seventh season.  Also in the article is a very interesting quote from Sophia Bush (Brooke) about once dating a current co-star (!) after splitting from Chad Michael Murray (Lucas).
  • James Van Der Beek (Dawson…duh!) will play a surporting role on a new pilot series called Eve Adams.




Article: Ryan Eggold Interview

13 01 2009

In another great 90210 interview (which we’re getting thanks to the TCA Press Tour), Eggold (Ryan Matthews) reveals some interesting inside-info.  Here are the highlights:

Tori Spelling’s (Donna, Beverly Hills 9021o) return will be related to Silver.  Makes sense considering they’re related through marriage.  Brian Austin Green, where are you?!

The execs did consider making Ryan Harry and Tracy’s lovechild.

They also considered Ryan getting Brenda pregnant.

He’s got a very foul mouth.  Strange–I don’t remember that from when I interviewed him!





News Roundup: Gossip Girl, 90210, One Tree Hill

13 01 2009
  • Kelly Rutherford, whose divorce I first told you about here, went to the courts to stop her estranged husband from leaving the country with her son.  Unfortunately for her, the request was denied.  PEOPLE reports an increasingly ugly situation between the two.  Her husband alledges Rutherford’s work on Gossip Girl (Lily) is part of the problem.
  • Jessica Lowdnes (Adrianna, 90210) says she’s a series regular.  Haven’t seen it listed that way anywhere but guess we have to believe her?
  • CBS unveiled yesterday a new 90210 product: a karaoke machine!  I kid you not.  Check it out here and here.  Suppose I’ll add it to the recommended products list…?
  • If the last one wasn’t random enough, how about this one: Kate Voegele (Mia, One Tree Hill) will perform on an upcoming episode of The Bachelor.
  • Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) will be on a panel of “leading women” giving advice to advertisers on how to market to women.




Spoiler: You Ask, I Answer

12 01 2009

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

(compiled from recent columns)

Korbi, Is Tori Spelling really doing 90210?!! -Michelle
Donna Martin Graduates! The deal is done, baby. I spoke to a friend of hers who gave me the wink-wink when I asked.

Who is the father of Adrianna’s baby? Is it the HIV guy or someone we know? -P
Someone we know. Someone we haven’t seen in a while. Someone who’s super hot.

I cannot believe that Gossip Girl is doing this whole love child thing with Lily and Rufus. 90210, Brothers & Sisters, so many shows have already covered it! To death! -Jacqueline
I feel your pain, but I’m hearing GG may actually put its own little spin on the whole “bastard kid coming to town and turning everyone’s lives upside down” storyline. I know my pal Michael Ausiello at EW has said that the long-lost child will show up towards the end of the season, but as I understand, the original plan was for Rufus and Lily to find out that their first born son was killed in a tragic accident.

Korbi! I wanted to know if we were going to get any closure on Eden’s character from Nip/Tuck?  Thanks. -Marty
Yes, indeed. 90210 producers were kind enough to let AnnaLynne McCord finish filming her Nip/Tuck arc last Fall, so we should see Eden again soon.

Tell me there are more old 90210 characters coming back to the show. I want to see a familiar face. -Shannon
Well, if you’re hoping for Dylan McKay, don’t get hold your breath. But if you’re cool with seeing Jackie Taylor again, you can get excited. Word is, Kelly and Silver’s loony mom will soon make a return appearance.





Breaking News: Tori Spelling “Close” to 90210 Deal

7 01 2009

It’s the news many have been waiting for.  A deal will be finalized soon for Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) to appear on 90210 for multiple episodes, according to the LA Times.

I didn’t (and still don’t) want Donna back without David (Brian Austin Green) because I fear it will be revealed that they’re no longer together.  I don’t know how the execs could do that in good conscious considering how much of the original series was built around their relationship, especially the series finale.

Before Spelling’s first appearance deal fell apart over the summer, the plan was to have Donna be the owner of her own boutique.  My question: isn’t she already?  Anyone remember Now Wear This?  But like Kelly (Jennie Garth) was so far from where we last saw her, who knows what Donna will be up to?

Are you okay with a Donna return even if the storyline isn’t true to the original series?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.