On the eve of tonight's premiere of the possibly unnecessary 90210 reboot, the Times on Sunday looked back on the erstwhile (and future?) teen phenomenon with an oral history. Amid a sea of vague references to Shannen Doherty's bitchiness, there were many interesting bits: an anecdote about a skiing trip the 90210 boys took during the show's heyday, during which, Jason Priestley obliquely implies, he, Ian Ziering, and Luke Perry slept their way through the female population of Switzerland; also, the completely unsurprising fact that Aaron Spelling's office had shag carpeting.

But it's maybe what's missing that's most telling. Jennie Garth and Doherty, who are cast on the show, are of course prominently quoted in the article, along with Priestley, who turned down an onscreen role in favor of directing. But not a peep from Ziering, Perry, Tori Spelling, Gabrielle Carteris — or even Brian Austin Green! If the Times couldn't wrangle a quote out of them, we sort of doubt any of the primary players who aren't already signed on will be making a return visit to Beverly Hills. Which means if the increased focus on blow jobs doesn't do it for you tonight, don't expect Donna Martin to save the day.

When Teenage Angst Had Its Own ZIP Code [NYT]