'90210' is CW's highest-rated scripted series premiere

September 03, 2008

Reviews are mixed, but Tuesday night’s two-hour series premiere of the new Beverly Hills, 90210 was a rating success. Nearly 5 million viewers tuned in for the series opener, proving that 90210 is still television’s hottest zip code. The premiere set a record as the highest-rated scripted debut show in the history of The CW.

The premiere of the CW's "90210" -- arguably the most crucial series of the fall season -- became the highest-rated scripted debut in the network's two-year history. Tuesday night's two-hour premiere was seen by 4.9 million viewers and garnered a 2.6 rating among adults 18-40. That surpasses the CW's previous scripted record in the adult demo by 18%, set by a premiere of the long-running cult favorite "Smallville" (2.2). The "90210" number also ties the network's premiere record once reached by reality hit "America’s Next Top Model."TV critics were braced for disaster after CW refused to send out screener copies of the show (the debut was actually reworked until nearly the last minute). But most critics were generally pleased with the result, calling the show a serviceable-if-tame update of the 1990s original. The "90210" returns are considered to have outsized importance. No network has more riding on a single show than the CW has on "90210." If the CW does not improve, industry insiders have whispered this summer, corporate parents Warner Bros. and CBS Corp. might fold the network. And of all the CW's new shows, only the teen soap sequel was considered to have a real shot of significantly moving the needle. To paraphrase the network's "90210" slogan, the CW is living by the code."It needs to be something that is surprising," a company insider said last week of the "90210" rating. "An 'I didn't know the CW could do that kind of number' number."By setting a new scripted record, last night's tally could fit the bill. Combined with "Gossip Girl" showing some growth on Monday, "90210" should give CW some breathing room if the show can continue to carry a fair amount of its number into next week. Now that's a big If, since last night doubtless contained a significant amount of one-time curiosity tune-in. But "90210" numbers also improved over the course of the show's two hours among all key demographics rather than shed viewers, which is a good sign that audiences remained engaged in the show.

"I think it's probably excessive to pin the survival of a network on a single show, but unquestionably the relaunch of this well-known franchise is going to be inordinately important in bringing some heat back to the CW, and forestalling further erosion of their audience," TV historian Tim Brooks said. "Youth-oriented networks, more than anyone, need heat."