Lots of remakes were announced this year, but maybe none was crazier than the CW trying a new take on the teen classic Beverly Hills, 90210. The news about the spinoff was one of the first new shows to be announced after the writers' strike, and at first, it seemed like everything was full of promise. The man behind the spinoff was Rob Thomas of Veronica Mars fame, and the first descriptions of the characters got us pretty excited to see who would play the key roles.

The casting news came fast and furious, and we hung on every bit, from the picks of a Degrassi star and Lucille Bluth to the return of Jennie Garth and — probably the biggest news of all — Shannen Doherty as Brenda. In general, we were pretty pumped to see what would come of the remake. Even after Thomas left the show, the news seemed good: the new showrunners had worked on another favorite, Freaks and Geeks.

To relive what happened next, just read more.

We got our first look at the show in May, and in July, I spent some time with Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, and even Joe E. Tata as Nat (who kissed me!). With the first promos and photos, our collective excitement was closer to a 9 than a 0.

But then the premiere date came, and the two-hour episode was not the amazing piece of TV we'd been hoping for. In the immediate aftermath, my expectations were exceeded, but as the weeks went on, odd plot twists and a lack of characters we loved had us falling out of love with the show. Hope is not lost, though: I still think the show can be fixed, and with a new executive producer on board, I'm curious to see how things shape up for '09. The CW is certainly hoping this spinoff will be a success — it's even contemplating adding a Melrose Place remake, too.

Photos courtesy of The CW and Source