Shannen Doherty back in `90210' 'hood this fall

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Brenda Walsh is coming back to "Beverly Hills 90210," and she's arriving in style.

Shannen Doherty will reprise her role as Walsh in CW's new version of the 1990-2000 series, with her character now a famous director who's invited back to stage a musical at her alma mater, the network said Saturday.

Walsh will guest star in multiple episodes, the network said at a meeting of the Television Critics Association _ which, appropriately enough, was in Beverly Hills.

She'll be reunited with a few members of the old West Beverly High School gang. As previously announced, Jennie Garth will return as Kelly Taylor, now a school guidance counselor, and Tori Spelling will be back as Donna Martin, who owns a boutique.

Also back is Joe E. Tata, again playing Peach Pit cafe owner Nat.

In the original series, Walsh was last seen bound for London to study acting.

She became a "successful theater actress, splitting her time between London and New York," a CW release explained. She then found equal success as a theater director _ and her old school asks her to return as a guest director.

The drama about two teenagers from the Midwest who move to California and enroll in West Beverly Hills High School debuts Sept. 2.

Comments

[BlueLogic]

DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!
DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!

[AlienDNA]

I actually worked on "Beverly Hills, 90201" as a production assistant, and I have a revelation for you: Shannon Doherty, for all her bad press, was a genuinely nice person. I think the origin of her "difficult" status stemmed from the fact that she always gave one hundred percent when it came to her work, and she expected everyone else to do the same. Alas, not everyone did, which frustrated her a great deal. The media, in turn, spun stories of her frustration into Hindenburg-sized tales, thus foisting upon her an undeserved reputation as a prima donna.

I first realized that Shannon had no Hollywood pretensions when she went around the set and took photographs of everyone on the crew " everyone " and then posted them on the walls of her dressing room. She also routinely visited those of us who were stuck in the front office, which made her one of the only stars I"d ever worked with who took enough of an interest in even the lowest-ranking crew members to ask about our lives.

I haven"t seen or worked with Shannon since the early "90s, but I can say that in all my years in film production, she was one of the most genuine people I ever worked with. Her totally false reputation as a prima donna is something that has never ceased to amaze me, and the fact that so many people have bought into it illustrates just how gullible the public can be.

[Theda]

Thanks for sharing this. It's nice to hear that Shannen treated the crew and employees with friendship and respect. People usually prefer hearing the worst about TV actors and actresses, even if it's not true.
The first five years of the show, when she was a co-star, were quite entertaining.

[Fernando]

I too worked as a production assistant for 90210 and had many run-ins with Shannon during the years.

I'm not saying this person is lying and if I had worked with her I'd probably want to share my opinion, but do you see how easy it is to make something up? ; )

[truthyguy]

"Shannen Doherty will reprise her role"

Big surprise. Like she has something else to do.

[ilovedessert]

UCK! ANOTHER REASON TO STOP WATCHING TV ALTOGETHER!

[phae100]

i'm so relieved to hear that Tori Spelling is getting a regular gig. Everytime I see her on tv her and her cute husband are worried about making $. I'm not being sarcastic btw.

[TimT]

Regardless of what the knee-jerk put downs focus on, this show could be interesting. If they can harness the love that's lost between Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty, the show could be a real cat fight.

It's true that Shannen has always been a prima donna, but at least she keeps things interesting. Then there's Jennie. She's one of the more underrated actresses out there. She takes the work seriously and has had lots of camera time to work on the craft. The problem is Tori Spelling. The first time around her acting was so facile and awkward, she gave nepotism a bad name. And she's done very little since.

Chances are, they will do some wannabe production with half-assed writing and a bunch of pretty new faces to capture the teen demographic. That's a lot easier than to do something with depth. But who knows, maybe they will find a few good writers who can challenge the actors. Given half a chance Jennie or Shannen could actually kick some butt.

[marignymitch]

This could be fun. I like hair-pulling, biting and scratching on the set.

[Fernando]

Leave it to 90210 to avoid originality and pander to whatever is popular at the moment: Brenda Walsh to direct a "high school musical"?!

The show used to be a massive success, God knows I watched it, but it's funny if you think about it with an adult's mind; the show claimed to speak of the problems of real teenagers but did so through over-privileged, indulged characters. The next thing they should do with 90210 is a parody like the Brady Bunch movies, this movie is ripe for that.

Here is a parallel to look for: Even bigger than 90210 back in the early '90s were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They just made a comeback that didn't really catch on. I foresee the same thing with this new series.

[jdt67]

This is why network television sucks so much these days. No originality. This is also why television viewers are moving to cable.

[Mattie]

it was a bad show the first time around, I can't imagine it's going to get better, and you are so right about the good shows being on cable!

[lexnekst]

This show always sucked. It reminded me of how poor I am. I hope it's a mssive fail.

[rzan1]

I recall how difficult this woman was and how desperate for attention, even negative attention. Her behavior could be overlooked if she had even an ounce of talent. But she has very little going for her. This new 90210 sounds like a loser. Wonder who will watch it?

[Fernando]

I think a lot of people will, for nostalgia and nothing else. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it but if it happens to be on when watching the tube I'd watch it for a little bit.

Funny how the writing for the show seemed deeper in those days, it was never great but not an abject failure either. Total escapism and Hollywood plastic though, so embarrassingly obvious now. :D

[StephenJK]

She plays a great VV |-| 0 |2 3.

[Topfeeder]

Now that's creativity. You should be writing scripts.

[StephenJK]

LOL!

[marignymitch]

Censors! Censors! A bad wor ..., um, something. I got it! Bad letters, symbols and numbers. (Nice work StephenJK)

[MyThought]

Well - so much for watching the new series. She's accepted because she hasn't be working and there's a reason for that.

I don't think the show will make - you can't go back as they say.

[ChiGuy]

If that woman never appeared anywhere ever again, I wouldn't notice.
Give her 5 years. She's destined for the "Where Are They Now" websites.

[mlmendy]

Whatever you like her or not, every TV show she is in is a Hit and as soon as she leaves it it is becoming a down.

[ChiGuy]

Like "90210"?
She left, and it went on for five more seasons.
LikeCharmed?
She left, and it went "down" for another six.

And she's been fired more times than Andy D*ick.

[TroubleNYC]

My life is finally complete...