Here's the skinny on the premiere of the new 90210 - some older fans of the original won't be able to relate to it (after all, it's not their generation anymore), some will get into the new 90210 world, some younger fans will love it, some will hate it, and there's no doubt that bitter journalists will pan the show and continue to whine because they didn't receive an advance screener prior to the premiere. Sounds a lot like high school, right?

Having grown up as one of the first generation 90210 zipcoders, it was exciting to step into the new halls of West Beverly Hills High. The new students still drive expensive cars and fashion the latest designer garb and matching accessories, but there are a few new twists while some things remain the same. High school is high school, though, and the backstabbing shifts from mere verbal gossip to modern day trash talk on blogs and cell phones.

Rob Estes (Melrose Place) takes up shop as West Beverly Hills High's newly assigned principal after uprooting his Kansas family for the urban landscape of L.A. Also transplanted are his wife, played by Lori Loughlin (of Full House fame), adopted son Dixon (Tristan Wilds The Wire) and daughter Annie, refreshingly played by Shenae Grimes (Degrassi: The Next Generation), who seamlessly fits into the show with a sense of comfort and ease, much like her predecessor, veteran Beverly Hills 90210's Jennie Garth.

Garth returns as original 90210 character Kelly in a guest starring stint, coming back to 90210 as an adult in the role of the school's guidance counsellor. Although there was much hype about the return of Shannen Doherty, who hasn't been seen on Beverly Hills 90210 since 1994, there's a reason why the series survived without her. Appearing late in the 2 hour premiere, Doherty's presence was a far cry from what it once was as the bad girl of 90210. Still, Doherty helped to establish the new 90210 world while serving as one of the credible roots from the show's early days. Whether her line "I'll be here for awhile" was intended to be a comedic play on her 90210 career or whether it's an actual fact remains to be seen.

The new 90210 boasts a roster of fresh and talented faces that work well together in setting a new tone for the series while adhering to a loose 90210 template. Call me crazy, but somehow high school feels a bit more real and much less pastel than it did in 1992. In the premiere fans were quickly introduced to Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord Nip/Tuck), the spoiled rich girl, and Ethan (Dustin Milligan) the dreamy jock. Dreamier than Ethan comes Ty (Adam Gregory), the lead in the school play, whose Clark Kent good looks are enough to leave any young girl weak in the knees. No, we're definitely not in Kansas anymore!

How about flying to San Francisco on a private jet for a date? From a fantasy first date to an over-the-top "not so" sweet sixteen birthday party, 90210's premiere didn't miss a step in updating fluffy high school drama for a new generation. What else did fans receive? The revelation of a secret love child, cheating, theft, the innuendo of a drug addiction, a break-up, a rebound hook-up - all in just the first two hours!

Well done! Some pegged it as the most anticipated premiere of the season and now that the rating are in, 90210 is the highest rated scripted series premiere in the history of The CW. Will it continue into the second week? That's the big question on everyone's mind now that we've finally seen the goods. One thing that the new 90210 has as a secret weapon that none of its competitors have is legacy and two audiences - new and old. If the original cast members can be worked into the series in recurring roles while the new characters establish their own identity, 90210 will be as big a hit as it once was. It's got the same hip vibe as the original with a modern update.

Whether or not this generation of 90210 high schoolers will last 10 years on the small screen, only time will tell. The 90210 premiere certainly laid the proper foundation for a future of sudsy storylines that include a group of fresh newcomers with potential and hopefully even more original 90210 cast members. To the producers of the show... please sign Luke Perry now.