Harper’s Island: it’s the new Moonlight - VIDEO
OK, before you Moonlight fans come after me, I’m kidding with the post title … mostly. The similarities are rather striking though. Remember when team Moonlight brought in former Angel producer David Greenwalt, and most of the original cast was sent packing? Well, now comes word that former Angel producer Jeffrey Bell has been brought in as the new showrunner for Harper’s Island, and Elaine Cassidy is the only actor being held over from the pilot. Eeerie, isn’t it?
I’m still not exactly bullish on the idea that serialized horror/drama is something that CBS can pull off, but you never know. That’s what makes TV so fun. And I’m enough of a fan of things in the horror genre that I’ll certainly be game to give this one a look. Bell, who also counts X-Files, Alias, and Day Break among his credits, will be sharing executive producer duties with Jericho’s John Turteltaub. Here’s hoping things go better for Mr. Bell than they did for Mr. Greenwalt. If you haven’t seen the preview for Harper’s Island yet, it’s embedded, after the jump.
Confessions of a Saved by the Bell fanatic
Hi, I’m Debbie and I’m a closet Saved by the Bell fan. Whew, it felt good to finally admit that. C’mon, who’s going to be big and brave and confess to watching Saved by the Bell every Saturday morning when they were in high school (OK, maybe college too)? Stand tall!
So here we are, some 15-20 years later (and as I look at the dates I shamefully admit I was in college, not high school!) and AOL TV has decided to ingratiate us thirty-somethings and let us know what the original cast members have been up to all of these years, and currently.
I knew Zack, er, I mean Mark-Paul Gosselaar, had a stint on NYPD Blue, but it is nice to know that he’ll be starring in a new legal drama on TNT this year.
No one else from the main cast is currently doing much, although we’ve seen them through the past 20 years on such hits as 90210.
A fun thing AOL TV included is some guest stars on SBTB that may have not been memorable then, but have gone on to grace our television screens weekly. Grey’s Anatomy, anyone?
My trip down memory lane has been gratifying, and my confession has left my lighter, if not somewhat embarrassed.
Tori Spelling going back to Beverly Hills, 90210?
Not even a week after it was announced that Jennie Garth would be part of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off in a recurring capacity, comes the news that Tori Spelling will also join the “new” 90210 series.
Nikki Finke, over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, which was a prime spot for news about the writers strike, reports that reliable sources claim Tori Spelling will reprise her role of Donna Martin on the spin-off.
Finke doesn’t reveal more about Spelling’s possible return to the famous zip code so it is unknown if she’ll appear as a regular, a recurring, or a guest star. Donna could very well be part of the school’s staff along with Jennie Garth’s character, become friends with the Mills, the central family of the spin-off, or even run the Peach Pit!
Fans of the original series will remember that Donna got married to David Silver in the 90210 series finale so Spelling’s appearance on the spin-off could mean the return of a third original cast member, Brian Austin Green.
My reaction to this news is that same as my fellow Squadder Rich: “Why don’t they just remove the ’New’ from the title of 90210, because it’s looking a lot like the old 90210 with many of the original cast returning?” I’m glad to see that there will be some familiar faces on the spin-off but I don’t want every single original cast member returning! I want fresh faces, new problems, etc.
Stay tuned to TV for more information about the potential Tori Spelling return to 90210 and more news about the spin-off.
Updated to add: According to US Magazine, Spelling will appear on the show as a recurring cast member.
Jennie Garth will be part of the 90210 spin-off
Actress Jennie Garth, who portrayed Kelly Taylor in almost 300 episodes of the hit series Beverly Hills, 90210, will appear on the series’ spin-off set to premiere this coming fall season on The CW. The actress, who will appear in a recurring capacity on the spin-off, will reprise the same role that helped put her on the map in the 1990s.
It’s not unusual to see original cast members make their way in spin-offs. And when said spin-offs have teens attending school, it’s a regular occurrence to see the original cast member be part of the school’s staff. Kelly Taylor is no exception here. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Kelly Taylor will become a guidance counselor at West Beverly Hills High. Nothing more is known at this point about the character and if other 90210 original cast members will join her on the show.
Jennie Garth was also part of the cast of What I Like About You and of Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars.