For a show that's not official yet, we sure are hearing a lot about the new Rob Thomas [1]-penned Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff [2]. The Hollywood Reporter got its hands on a detailed description of the series [3], Variety pieced together details from various casting notices to put together a pretty darn full picture of what the show will look like [4], and Thomas himself talked to People [5] about his plans. It still doesn't have a title, but that's about the only thing it's lacking.
It always starts with the parents on shows like this, and here we've got a grandma in the mix: Tabitha Mills, a 60-ish actress and alcoholic (par for the course here) who Variety says "was a major star in the 1970s and had been linked to everyone from Warren Beatty to Jack Nicholson." She's moved to her 90210 estate after yet another stint in Betty Ford.
Living close by is her do-gooder son, Harry Mills, who graduated from Beverly Hills High in the 1980s and has decided to move home from Kansas City (according to Thomas) or St. Louis (according to Variety) to help his mom out. He gets hired as the new principal of BevHigh, and his wife, Celia, is an ex-Olympic athlete who finds her niche in the Golden State as a personal trainer. As for the children, well:
- Annie, 16, is an emo kid and drama nerd who's trying to make it with the cool crowd.
- Dixon, also 16, is a "supersmart bad boy who has lingering social and behavioral issues" — and the casting notice is neutral on his physical description, which Variety speculates could mean he won't be white.
But that's just the family. Are there more teens in this soapy, sun-soaked universe? Why, of course there are! Just .
First up, there are the Silver kids — whose parents are noticeably missing from the story, despite the fact that one of the original characters was David Silver (Brian Austin Green). Could they be the offspring of David and Donna (Tori Spelling)? Nieces and nephews? Maybe it depends on how much work Green and Spelling have when the show starts shooting? Thomas did confirm that one cast member will return, though he wouldn't say which. Anyway, the Silvers apparently live in a mansion since their parents have been "on a cruise" for a long time. They are:
- Daphne Silver — that's just Silver to you — is a high schooler who hosts her own YouTube series (how's that for some good ol' millenial charm?) and wants to be a socialite. She's the only Jewish girl at Bev High with a black boyfriend, and she has a crush on Dixon; it's unclear if Dixon is that boyfriend or not.
- Max Silver, 24, manages the Century City Mall's movie theater. He, according to Variety, "seems forever on the verge of a nervous breakdown and appears to be harboring some secrets." Um, like he's the illegitimate son of David Silver and one of his many BevHills girlfriends, perhaps?
And then there are a few more random high schoolers to hang out at the mall with our main kiddos:
- Navid Shirazi is a teen of Middle Eastern descent who runs the school's TV newscast and is a high school politician.
- Ethan Ward is the token jock who gets dropped by the popular kids and ends up hanging out with the rest of our cast. Um, these kids aren't the in crowd?
- Naomi Bennett is — if you couldn't guess from the name — hot, rich, and dating Ethan. Variety says Naomi "appears to be a brat but will end up having more layers."
Also, it's not a character (technically), but Thomas said the Peach Pit will be back, too.
So, your thoughts? Could it stack up to the original? Who are these mysterious Silver children?
Source [6]