Brenda Lives! Doherty Zips Back to 90210

Erstwhile good girl gone bad reprises her iconic role in CW spinoff

By Gina Serpe Jul 19, 2008 6:54 PMTags
Shannen DohertyNancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPress.com

The beeyotch is back.

The CW has confirmed that erstwhile Brenda Walsh Shannen Doherty will be reprising her role as one-half of Beverly Hills' best-loved Minnesota twins for a multiple-episode stint when the 90210 spinoff hits small screens this fall.

Doherty's reprisal marks the fourth official return from a Beverly Hills, 90210 regular to the spinoff, joining Tori Spelling, whose Donna Martin is now an upscale boutique owner, Joe E. Tata, whose Nat is still the owner of the Peach Pit, and—cue the maniacal moustache-twirling—Jennie Garth, whose Kelly Taylor is now the guidance counselor at West Beverly High.

It remains to be seen whether she—Taylor or Garth—also reprises her role as a certain brunette's mortal frenemy.

Though murmurs of such a casting coup have been circulating for weeks, with E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos reporting earlier this month that Doherty's appearance was a done deal, the network only made it official this morning, with an announcement at the Television Critics Association conference.

As for Doherty, she will apparently remain the show's resident drama queen.

Since leaving West Bev, Brenda has become a successful theater actress and director who divides her much-sought-after time between the London and New York stages. She is dragged back into the high school fray when her alma mater approaches her to direct a musical production for the students.

For more details on what's in store for the gang come the Sept. 2 premiere, jump over to our Watch With Kristin TV blog.