No ‘90210’ for Critics
Premiere Screeners, That Is
If you haven’t heard already from the other gazillion entertainment and TV websites that have posted about it, The CW issued a press release yesterday stating the network won’t be sending screeners — DVDs of an episode before it debuts on television — of the 90210 premiere to critics and many bloggers. This after taking requests for advance copies for days before the announcement.
What could possibly be the reason for this decision? Well, networks and studios typically withhold screeners for projects that (1) have experienced production problems or (2) will probably be perceived as suck-y. My vote for 90210 is the second.
If I and my fellow like-thinkers are correct, what a waste all of this overhyping of the show has been. As many have noted, it borders on weird how so much focus has been placed on old stars like Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, and Tori Spelling from Fox’s Beverly Hills, 90210, the show 90210 is a spinoff of, rather than the newcomers on the upcoming version.
You be the judge. Here’s what The CW and production studio CBS Paramount Network Television said in their press release. Note how the statement makes a point of claiming, “We’re not hiding anything.” If they say it, it must be true, right?
The CW and our studio partner CBS Paramount Network Television have made the strategic marketing decision not to screen “90210″ for any media in advance of its premiere. We’re not hiding anything . . . simply keeping a lid on 90210 until 9.02, riding the curiosity and anticipation into premiere night, and letting all our constituents see it at the same time.
90210 premieres Tuesday, September 2, on The CW at 8pm EST
90210 photo courtesy of The CW
