A bunch of writers—including the showrunner—just bailed on the Beverly Hills, 90210 revival
Things do not appear to be well at America’s angstiest zip code tonight, with Variety reporting that several “senior” writers—including showrunner Patrick Sean Smith—have ditched Fox’s Beverly Hills, 90210 revival. It’s not clear yet why the Greek creator and several of his associates have bailed on BH90210—as it is, somewhat upsettingly, titled— but it apparently boils down to interference, either from producers, or members of the revival project’s cast.
Said cast includes several notable returnees, including Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling, all playing fictionalized, “heightened” versions of their actual real-life selves—because aren’t all those stories about 90210 drama fun and funny, and something nobody could possibly get mad about 20 years after the fact?
Like we said, it’s not totally clear if someone is, indeed, getting mad about them now, 20 years after the fact, or if the pressure that led to Smith and his colleagues’ departures came from the show’s executive producers, instead. Either way, Paul Sciarrotta (whose credits include Reckless, Jane The Virgin, and the 2008 90210 reboot) will take command of the show’s suddenly depleted writers’ room, as they push to meet the series’ August 7 debut.