Veronica Mars creator is trying to revive the teenage classic as a West Coast answer to Gossip Girls.
The names Brenda, Dylan, Kelly, Brandon, David, Donna, and Andrea remind people of a certain age of just one thing; the hit 90s TV show Beverly Hills, 90210. The sensational show about rich, privileged teenagers started in 1990 and aired the final episode in May 2000. But hold on to your Rodeo Drive goods because there’s serious talk of a spinoff. Get ready to head back to good ‘ol West Beverly Hills High School.
But don’t get too excited yet. Veronica Mars creator, Rob Thomas, is writing the pilot episode for the new spinoff and the original creator of the hit show, Darren Star, is not involved in the new project. Thomas is trying to get the CW network to sign the show on for a Fall 2008 premiere but the network hasn’t given the green light quite yet.
90210 Spinoff Plot and Characters
Details have been leaking out and Variety was there to publish a few tidbits. The plot will center on a West Beverly Hills High graduate, Harry Mills, who moves his wife and two children from the Midwest to be the new principal at the high school. Does that sound a bit familiar? Harry’s mother, Tabitha Mills, is a washed up actress/alcoholic who Harry feels he needs to look after while she makes a go at being sober…again. Harry’s wife is a former Olympic athlete and together they have one biological daughter, a theatre girl named Annie and an adopted “bad boy” son, Dixon.
Thomas has already picked an actor for one of the roles he’s created. A relative unknown in Hollywood, Justin Milligan will take on the role of Ethan, a likeable jock at West Beverly.
Other characters include a wannabe socialite Daphne Silver, her brother Max Silver, Ethan’s girlfriend Naomi Bennett, and Andrea Zuckerman’s daughter Hannah who is going to be in the pilot episode as host of the schools news show. No word on whether Daphne and Max Silver are related to the David Silver of the original 90210.
Original Characters Return
It’s not clear which, if any, former characters will come back but a few have already put in their two cents.
Tori Spelling, who played Donna Martin and is daughter of 90210’s original producer, the late Aaron Spelling, has expressed her desire to be apart of the yet-untitled spinoff. “My dad always wanted to do a new version of 90210 so I’m sure he will be beaming from above,” Spelling told People Magazine.
Tiffani Thiessen, who has since dropped the “Amber” from her name, has also been questioned about reprising her role as vixen Valerie Malone but she has, so far, vetoed the idea. She told People Magazine she’s much more interested in becoming a mother in the next year than hoping back to West Beverly Hills.
Jennie Garth has yet to talk about whether she will be coming back but Thomas has high hopes that she will. A first draft of the pilot script has Ms. Kelly Taylor coming back as a fashion design teacher at her high school Alma Matter. But Jennie Garth has signed on for a pilot also due out this Fall so plans are still up in the air for the spinoff.
