The CW network wants a genuine hit and they see a new Beverly Hills 90210 program as the way to get it. Typically, these plans to recycle ideas by simply plugging in new people fail spectacularly. What gives me pause is sometimes, they work. It’s a small pause, however. Amidst the mountain of recycled garbage, there’s the latest incarnation of Battlestar Galactica.
Part of the reason the new Galactica works so well is Ronald D. Moore didn’t just dust off the idea and cast new actors. He took the idea and really fleshed it out. The writing makes it a far better program than the original.
This 90210 revival may also be different because Rob Thomas is behind it. He created Veronica Mars and wrote most of the program’s episodes, so I’m certainly willing to have a look at this new 90210, should it reach the airwaves.
The only reason I know anything about this is Shenae Grimes has been cast as the female lead. Her largest media exposure thus far has been playing Darcy Edwards on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Before that she was on a Coffee Crisp commercial (“A nice light snack? What does that even mean?”).
An Ottawa Sun article quoted her from an interview a few months ago: “The Canadian (TV and film) industry is so great, but it’s so small, it’s tiny. Once you’ve been working for a few years, I’m ready to get out to Los Angeles and audition my behind off.”
It seems to be working for her.
Rachel
Damn. I didn’t watch that show the first time around but then you say the new one is done by Rob Thomas. That makes me pause too because I so dearly loved Veronica Mars. I was devestated when they cancelled that show. Why do all the good shows get cancelled?