90210 Reviews Surprisingly Positive

The kids of West Beverly are back. (CW Image)"]

When the CW wouldn't allow critics to preview any 90210 episodes, they all salivated at the prospect of lambasting the flop they had decided it would be. However, although last night's two-hour premiere episode of 90210 packed in more drama than they should have, it still managed to be an interesting take on the original. Last night saw everything from cheating boyfriends to love triangles to illegitimate babies and even grandmas in car accidents -- but hey, it was what it was -- which was not terrible.

Donning bright colors similar to that of a Tide commercial, the new kids of West Beverly continually reminded us that yes, they were rich and spoiled. Of course, there were over-the-top moments to be expected in any teen drama and for those, we were compensated with slick camera pans and decent dialogue. With a scene ripped straight from Arrested Development, along with the grandmother played by Jessica Walter, at least the writers are stealing from good shows.

There were also cameos from prior 90210 stars for us old folk. Nat was working at a newer, revamped Peach Pit and Brenda Walsh came back looking kind of hippyish. Kelly Taylor was now a single mom who will   most likely break hearts all over again and well, Donna Martin was a no-show due to a salary dispute.

The Hollywood Reporter says, "Let it be said at the outset that the latest, hotly anticipated new edition doesn't embarrass as much as many had feared given the decision by the CW publicity department not to send out screeners in advance to critics. This form of journalistic blasphemy will no doubt result in the show getting panned by many scribes just on general principles. But the truth is it really isn't so horrible after all."

What did you think? Did you check out the first show? Let us know!