Everyone Else Is Doin’ It Print

Written by: Rae • March 13th, 2008 • Filed Under: The CW

If the CW wanted to get people talking, the possible revival of BH 90210 with Rob Thomas at the helm definitely worked. It’s the one TV news story I’ve seen repeated all over the place today. And I’m about to talk about it too so just call me a lemming.

Or maybe not since the idea doesn’t excite me much. Unlike the Rob Thomas haters out there, it isn’t about not trusting Rob with the task. He’s more than proven to me that he can give us interesting complex characters even when he’s working with something so cliche as snooty rich kids. He’s always got a good class story to tell.

It’s not even the idea of another teen drama about the wealthy that fails to make my ears perk up. The CW wants the teen demo so I think it’s a little silly to give them a hard time for going with teen dramas over others. Although, I did just picked up a pilot, currently titled Wrecking Ball, about a “handsome” man from a powerful political family who wants to help the little guy and I’m just not seeing the teen demo flocking to that one. Maybe they are expanding their demo? That or they think it’ll draw in the “family” crowd.

But back to 90210: 2008 (I like the idea of a TV show that’s all numbers - just think, it’ll always be at the top of alphabetical lists of TV shows), it’s the idea of recycling an old show idea that disappoints me. I know, I know, all stories are recycled plots but, come on, at least give us the illusion of getting something different. Even when a show idea was gold and though this isn’t very green of me, I’d prefer NEW material to recycled material. Isn’t that what the new CW is supposed to be all about?

Wow, I almost to a really harsh place about being “free to be recycled” but I’m really not that close-minded about the idea. If the CW picks it up, I’d give it a fair shot to win me over. However, until it does, I can’t say that I’m excited by the prospect of having another set of 90210ers on my TV screen again.

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There Are 9 Responses So Far. »

1. Comment by Just Jody on 13 March 2008:

OK, I don’t see why everyone is calling this a recycled/rehashed/redone/remade 90210?? The article calls it a spin-off. Melrose Place was a 90210 spinoff and it was a totally different show.

It’s not going to be like Bionic Woman where they simply re-do the old show with new actors. (Or at least I don’t think it will be?) As far as I can tell from what I’ve read (which is the same as everyone else) it’s going to use the popularity of the 90210 name, (and possibly a last name or two?) but otherwise it’s going to be a different show.

My guess is it’s going to be about as much 90210 as The OC was, and that worked out just fine. (Mostly) Especially with someone like RT at the helm… he’s not going to just pull out 90210 old scripts and hand them to the new actors.

I’m not excited or un-excited by it, I’m just floored by the overwhelmingly negative reactions, which are based on such a small amount of information.

And I’m not missing your point about wanting ‘fresh” TV, but as you said, almost everything is a re-hash of something. Also, considering the CW target demo, very few of those people are going to have ever seen 90210, so to them it probably will be new.

As a die-hard 90210er, I’ll tune in, but as there’s only room for one cheesy teen drama in my life, it’ll have to be better than Gossip Girl to keep me watching. Though I don’t know that that would be that hard.
2. Comment by Just Jody on 13 March 2008:

But, thanks for writing out some actual thoughts explaining why you don’t like it as opposed to just saying ‘It’s stoopid. I hate it.’ Which seems to be the popular comment!
3. Comment by Rebecca on 13 March 2008:

I am now torn. On the one hand, I like Rob Thomas and wish to watch any show he does. On the other hand, I hate 90210 with a passion (for reasons which have little to do with the show itself and everything to do with annoying people standing around on my lawn and traffic jams making it difficult to get to my house. Well, and not thinking it was really worth it. Though we’ve had other shows/movies film up near here and they’ve generally been less disruptive. Then again, they hadn’t placed one of their primary outdoor shooting locations for the entire series a block or so away and another one just another two or three blocks away. On a major street which is too narrow as it is… mutter.)
4. Comment by Rae on 13 March 2008:

No, no, I understand what you’re saying and no doubt that’s true. Except that I do think spin-offs are recycled material and, honestly, this latest one is only suffering from there being so many others out there at the moment. Between networks just taking ideas from other countries and trying to spin-off the popularity of older shows, I just worry about this being the latest trend rather than giving new stuff a try.

Anyway, what I was going to say was that I didn’t mean to be harsh or give the idea that I hate it. I don’t. I’m just not on the OMG! LOVE IT! side of the fence. I’ve actually seen an equal mixture of both reactions today. Although, for the most part, it does seem that people are firmly on one side or the other. I’m sure a lot of the “hate it” reactions are coming from people who don’t want their memories of 90210 tainted by a bad spin-off more so than actually hating the idea.

I suspect my “eh” reaction is also more of a general reaction to the idea of another show like this when I feel like we do already have a bunch of them. I’m all for teen flavored dramas but I’d like to see something different out there… especially on a network that already has two similar themed shows. I can see how someone who loves those type of shows, though, would be all over it.
5. Comment by Rae on 13 March 2008:

So, Rebecca, are you saying you might be able to come to like it as long as they don’t film it anywhere near you?
6. Comment by Eolivet on 13 March 2008:

I couldn’t agree more. While I know it’s not a remake, to me, it isn’t a totally new idea, and the CW can’t deny that it’s trying to lure in viewers who were fans of the original (and who will inevitably compare the two).

This whole “re-make” trend disappoints me — for every “The Office” there’s a “Bionic Woman,” and the idea that “Private Practice” is referenced proves how quickly they forget by the time PP went off the air, “Criminal Minds” was back to winning the time period in most everything except younger demos. Even my (our?) beloved “Boston Legal” hasn’t come close to duplicating the ratings success of “The Practice” (though those Emmys have been nice )

I want original ideas. Not based off of books or movies or old shows (though I fully admit a bias in wanting ABC to pick up the “Life on Mars” remake) I know they’re out there. They’re some of my favorite shows.
7. Comment by Rae on 13 March 2008:

Definitely on the CW is totally cashing in on the 90210 love. Just like they did with Gossip Girl and I actually get WHY they are doing it but it can also be a recipe for disaster. At least with Gossip they didn’t have to live up to any other visualization of the story.

And, yes exactly, the re-make trend is what I hate and this particular news just suffers from coming on the heels of all the others. The more shows I’ve seen picked up as remakes of shows from other countries added to things like the Knight Rider pilot, the more I fear it’s not going to stop anytime soon. In actuality, it’s kinda souring me on the other re-makes retroactively. Cupid just got the pilot pick-up from ABC and I’m not nearly as excited about it as I was before… although it’s a little better that it’s someone from the original series involved.

Because that’s another facet of it that sorta bothers me. I think the re-makes that tend to succeed are the ones that involve someone from the original creative team. At least then the shows maintain some of the same feel of the originals and isn’t that why we want spin-offs or remakes? Because we love that original and want a similar show to love?
8. Comment by Rae on 13 March 2008:

PS Jo: If I was a development exec at the CW, I’d probably be all over this idea. It’s a good chance for them to take, if only to see how the pilot script comes out. But, as a TV whore who is experiencing a bit of TV ennui, I want some fresh new idea that has me falling in love again… I miss being addicted to a show and its characters.

Hmmm and here I thought I wasn’t all that affected by the Strike…
9. Comment by Stella on 13 March 2008:

I think I’d give the “new” 90210 a shot. Although instead of making yet another high school drama, I’d have preferred they brought back the old cast (it’s not like any of them are doing much of anything, right? Dancing with the Stars?) as bitchy and bitter drifting into middle agers.

‘Cuz we never escape high school and all that @#$%…