Spinoff

Remember those crazy, Lisa Rinna-fueled rumors of a new spinoff edition of Melrose Place? Not so crazy after all.

The CW really is developing a contemporary take on the Aaron Spelling soap opera. It's just barely in the works — there's no script or showrunner, nor has anything about the plot been revealed — but it's definitely in motion.

So, OK, let's talk about this. It's true that 90210 has gotten decent ratings (better than Gossip Girl most weeks, in fact). But it could still use some work. And the fact that Melrose Place was itself a spinoff of 90210 Classic does not mean that the new version requires a spinoff of its own!

Then again, it sounds like Rinna's on board, and hey, Heather Locklear's not doing much these days. Do you think the CW is smart to move forward with this spinoff?

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Apparently, the two Project Runway spinoffs that the Weinstein Company announced it had up its sleeve for Lifetime just aren't enough. The Weinsteins are pitching another Project-titled project, this one called Project Triple Threat.

The show will be a quest for the nation's best actor/singer/dancer, according to Variety. Just like the rest of the Project shows, the 16 contestants will share a house together while competing for a grand prize, this time a shot at a record contract and a role in a musical. That's in addition to the newly named Models of the Runway, the show about Project Runway's models, and Project Pygmalion, a society-themed competition that will turn its winner into a high-class socialite.

I think at some point, all these Project _______ shows are just going to lead to diminishing returns, just like how Bravo's Top ______ series fizzled a bit with Top Design last year. A lot depends on the contestants' personalities and the challenges they're given, of course, but at some point, the formula's just not interesting anymore. Do you think you'd watch Project Triple Threat?

In other Runway related news, second-season runner-up Santino Rice will be competing on a Fox Reality Channel show called Gimme My Reality Show, in which "D-list celebs who have appeared on reality shows but never starred in their own" will "battle for star recognition in a variety of challenges." I kind of want to cry now. Meanwhile, the lawsuit over Runway's move to Lifetime will be heard in court on July 17 — one day after the fifth season premieres on Bravo. Good timing, universe!

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Hey, Upper East Siders, are you ready for a double dose of gossip? There's a story floating around that the producers of Gossip Girl are planning a spinoff of the CW series.

(Update: Josh Schwartz has said it's not true, but in the same story, a CW boss says they'd consider it if the second season does well. Hmm . . . )

According to the Hollywood Reporter, one likely scenario is that Jenny Humphrey (played by Taylor Momsen) would move on and become the lead character of her own series — much like what happened in the Gossip Girl books, when Jenny's character got her own book series. The producers are also considering introducing a new character in the Fall who would be spun off — and whose path would mirror that of Jenny from the books, which involves getting publicly humiliated in a series of scandals, leaving Constance Billard, and entering a boarding school in upstate New York where she reinvents herself as the queen bee.

The producers are reportedly interested in the project whether the CW wants it or not — and, if the network isn't interested, the series could land at another channel. Well, as we've learned from the Queen B vs. Little J battle, there's nothing like a little competition to keep things interesting among socialites, no?

On the other hand, there's one teensy problem with this plan — which is that the Gossip Girl ratings still aren't good. Could the show's fan base support a spinoff? Would you watch a show all about Little J?

Photo courtesy of The CW

House, PI?

There's some pretty bizarre news in today's Ask Ausiello column over at TV Guide, saying that the producers of House are considering a spinoff of the medical drama — but with a twist. The character who would be "spun off" doesn't even exist on the show yet.

Here's the deal: There will be a new character — a male private investigator, and no, it's apparently not Tritter — introduced in an upcoming episode. If the character and actor stand out enough, that character could eventually get his own series. Presumably, this would all start next season, as this season's finale has already been written and cast and Ausiello says this would only happen if "the actor they find really pops," which suggests they're still looking.

At this point, there's no word that makes my stomach fill with dread more than "spinoff" — but this sounds less like a spinoff and more like a whole new show, in House style, about this private eye. So, do you think a House-esque take on a detective and his stories would be interesting? And how do you feel about House bringing on a character solely in the hopes of getting him his own show eventually?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Though the whole Project Runway vs. NBC lawsuit is yet to be settled, Lifetime is moving forward as though it will be airing the show in the Fall for sure. And that's not all: At a presentation on Monday, Harvey Weinstein — whose company produces Project Runway — told reporters that Lifetime will be airing not one but two spinoffs of the show around the same time as the show's November premiere.

The first of them doesn't have a title yet, but Weinstein said it will look at the Project Runway world through the eyes of the show's models. The second, dubbed Project Pygmalion, is a makeover series that will turn its winner into a high-society socialite.

Now, I do love a good reality show, but doesn't that seem like a bit . . . much? Especially if both shows and Runway are airing around the same time? I would think that Lifetime would want to be very careful about Runway-related overkill, especially because there will be another season of the show airing on Bravo sometime between now and November.

Also of note: Michael Kors is for sure on board for the move to Lifetime, but Nina Garcia isn't yet — though he noted that everyone would like for her to continue on the show. It sounds like her recent departure from Elle, which was a Runway sponsor, is an issue. Meanwhile, Bravo has its own programming presentation scheduled for Tuesday, which should be interesting to say the least!

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Since we now have an outline of the main characters for the rumored 90210 spinoff, my brain can't stop thinking about who might be cast in these roles. While these new characters have updated traits and hobbies (emo! YouTube!) they are, as some have pointed out, more or less the new versions of the original cast. While we all have our old favorites, I think it's really fun imagining the young stars who could play these updated versions of the original Kelly, Brenda, Donna, etc. Also, some of the original 90210 actors were, like, 30 years old when they played teenagers so I'm going to expand my own fictional casting reach as such.

For example, I could totally see Kristen Stewart (In the Land of Women, Into the Wild) as Annie, the emo girl looking to get popular, and Victor Razuk (Lords of Dogtown, upcoming Stop-Loss) as her adopted bad-boy brother, Dixon. I loved Kevin Zegers in The Jane Austen Book Club and could see him as the jock. Also, this Nickelodeon actress screams Daphne Silver to me. What do you think? Any hot young stars come to mind to fill these slots?

For a reminder of all the new characters and their descriptions, and to tell me who you're thinking could play them, read more

For a show that's not official yet, we sure are hearing a lot about the new Rob Thomas-penned Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff. The Hollywood Reporter got its hands on a detailed description of the series, Variety pieced together details from various casting notices to put together a pretty darn full picture of what the show will look like, and Thomas himself talked to People 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 read more

Before The OC, The Hills, and the Upper East Side, there was one ZIP code everyone knew: 90210. And now, it might be coming back.

The CW is developing a modern-day spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210, with Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas at the helm. The show's original creator, Darren Star, isn't involved with this update.

What makes it a spinoff rather than just a show about rich kids in California? That's not exactly clear right now — nobody has said which, if any, of the original characters would be brought back. But we might know more by the end of the month, when the CW will reportedly decide whether to order a pilot for the show. For now, though, let's just speculate: Do you think it's a good idea? Could they make it work? And what characters (if any) would you hope to see return?

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