After you watch the series premiere of "90210," you'll have seen just about every dramatic situation a show can offer. The two-hour pilot, which aired Tuesday night, failed an attempt to please every viewer and instead left new viewers somewhat confused, and "Beverly Hills" faithfuls a bit disappointed.
Those who tuned in may have found their new guilty pleasure.
The original series, "Beverly Hills, 90210," became a hit with U.S. youth soon after it first aired. The rest of the world caught on soon after, making the show an international hit. Known for its witty writing and well-developed, relatable characters, the original series welcomed the teenage generation of the '90s into high-class culture. Those who took part in one of the most beloved pieces of pop culture were most likely disappointed.
The main plot of the show is similar to the previous series: a sister and adopted brother move with their parents from Wichita, Kan., to Beverly Hills, Calif., where they can care for their drunken grandmother. The two struggle to fit in at first, an expectable hurdle after such a move. One would expect this struggle to continue and develop throughout the season, but instead the two are already happily involved in the West Beverly Hills High School scene. Now, all that's left to worry about for the two is eerily similar to "Gossip Girl," the CW's other teen drama, which takes place at an elite private school in Upper East Manhattan. The problem with the plot seems to be a result of a forced connection with the past series.
"90210's" attempt to continue story lines dropped in 2000 - the year "Beverly Hills, 90210" came to its end - creates a mangled web of ties that the new viewers could not understand without extensive research of the '90s cast. These old ties, mixed with new dilemmas, new characters and a more modern environment created an extremely confusing state of affairs. An unsuccessful attempt to please new and old viewers is the introduction of a second child from Tori Spelling's character from the original series, Donna Martin. The father, as discovered in this week's episode, is also the father of the main characters in the new show, Harry Mills (Rob Estes). Attempting to play up the "Beverly Hills, 90210" tie, there is a Photoshopped picture of the father with Martin during those years. Though the show claims the two dated in high school, the purported father was not present in the original series.
If that sounds confusing, it's because it is. That situation is just one of the many jumbles of new and old characters that cause the viewer to think much more than they should have to for a teen drama sitcom. The show did have its pluses, however. The main characters, Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon Mills (Tristan Wilds), were characterized enough to make you sympathize with their many problematic situations. Their innocence in comparison to the elite of Beverly Hills is emphasized just enough to make it believable. However, between the two of them, and their new groups of friends, just about every plot turn has been taken.
Cheating boyfriends, jealous athletes, backstabbing friends, sweet 16 party invites and dis-invites - you name it, it happened in the first episode. Annie has already broken up with her long-distance love and found two new boys who will most likely be competing for her affections in the coming episodes. Dixon has already had the lacrosse team join forces to make sure he doesn't make the team, only to have the star player, Ethan, stand up and help him join the team. His actions were a little too late, however. Dixon had already retaliated by letting Ethan's blonde, sexy and rich girlfriend know that he'd been cheating on her. The show is up there with "Greek" and "Gossip Girls," in that you'll watch it, but probably keep that fact to yourself.
Perhaps the biggest plus was the show's soundtrack. The songs didn't add much depth to the show, but they were well selected to fit the age group watching the show. Boasting bands like the Ting-Tings and Coldplay, it's a treat every time you hear background music begin.
Though "90210" did prove that it can keep you entertained for a quick two hours, the show has yet to prove itself a definite success. If the writers can miraculously come up with more plot lines to keep the viewers waiting to see what happens, they can gather a large audience of teens and pre-teens, and perhaps a following of closet fans in college students.
You can reach this staff writer at kboghosian@theeagleonline.com.
