90210 Execs React to Boffo Ratings; Plus: Kelly-Brenda Rumor Snuffed

[Brian Damage]

On Saturday night in, yes, Beverly Hills, TV Guide and the Paley Center for Media presented the second night of "Fall Preview Parties," this time touting the CW's 90210 and Privileged (which bows Tuesday at 9 pm/ET, and stars Joanna Garcia and Anne Archer). After moderating a panel discussion with exec producers and stars from both shows, I asked 90210 show runners Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs for their take on the Week 1 ratings which made the reboot the highest-rated scripted series premiere in CW history.

Interestingly, they were prepared for the worst. As Judah said, "You know that matter what you do, on a show like this, some people are going to crap on it." Added Sachs, "Especially with a campaign like this," featuring scantily clad teens in a swimming pool. "People were ready to hate it."

Instead — as indicated by a TVGuide.com poll — some 86 percent of you plan to keep watching. Said Judah, "You just hope you get the [solid early] numbers and people settle in and follow it."

Helping reel in eyeballs was an unexpected "tsunami of publicity" that surrounded the return of original Beverly Hills gals Jennie Garth or Shannen Doherty. "We did not understand the fanaticism that the previous fans had," Judah admitted. "We naively were thinking, 'Maybe we should put Kelly in the first scene, so people know she's in it…?' We had no idea that she was going to be on 17,000 magazine covers!"

Nor would seemingly 17,000 rumors start flying. Kelly and Brenda are going to be roommates? Not true, insist the producers, incredulous at where such a story could stem from. Will the two former rivals fight over English teacher Ryan? "We'll see," Judah hedged.

Well, have any sort of catfights 'tween the two been scripted? Not just yet. As Judah noted, "In the original show, yeah, they had their problems, but it was still this core group of friends, 'them against the world,' versus a show where two people hate each other and always are against each other. We're leaning more towards the old model of people who are friends but have different ways of looking at things." — Matt Mitovich

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-en...view/800046275

[HuntingtonM15]

Oh, whatever, they knew exactly what they were doing. Try to draw in as many original fans as possible, and hope that they would somehow be drawn into these horrible new characters they created. Well, in order for that to happen, they would need some good writing in addition to good casting. I thought all of the adults were fine with the material they were given (which was next to none), but all of the young cast were beyond awful.

[Schmoopie]

I haven't watched the whole thing but I was prepared to hate it, too. From what I saw (the very beginning and the bit with Shannen Doherty and Jeannie Garth), it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I wouldn't watch it on a regular basis.

Andrea

[ThomasE]

I will keep watching to see if it holds my interest. When I was watching the original, I was watching mainly for Shannen and I started at the end of season two. I kept watching even after she left but by season five, I was missing episodes and by the middle of season six, I stopped watching on the regular basis and tuned in for the finale for that season. I watched the season seven premiere but that was basically it.

Shannen D. was the primary reason that I would watch so hopefully I will be able to watch through this entire season. I also loved seeing my girl Linda Gray in the mix. I thought that was great. She is a hot granny! LOL.