Fall dramas try to offer something for everyone

New fall dramas are all over the map. Longing for the good old days of the 1990s? "90210" is calling your zip code. More interested in reliving the mid-1980s? Rev up the engine for the "Knight Rider" remake.

Enjoy "Survivor," but kinda wish it was fictional? "Crusoe" tells the tale of one of the original island castaways, with no bleeped-out obscenities or tribal-council backstabbing.

The studios love to remake shows from across the pond, and this year is no exception. "Eleventh Hour" is based on a British miniseries, and "Life on Mars" has roots in a BBC original series.

"Fringe" is probably the season's most talked-about show. Created by "Lost's" J.J. Abrams and starring "Dawson's Creek" alum Joshua Jackson, the pilot alone cost a reported $10 million. Unfortunately, Fox might have been smarter to just take that money and mail a ten spot out randomly to a million people to try and get them to watch, because early reviews are less than stellar.

Looking for a bright side? Thanks to the strike-shortened season, very few pilots were available for review, so maybe there's a gem out there that no one, critics included, has yet seen. Stay tuned.

'90210'
The success of "Gossip Girl," the hit drama about spoiled rich kids in New York, almost certainly inspired the CW braintrust to revisit "Beverly Hills, 90210," the 1990s hit drama about spoiled rich kids in L.A.

Michael Desmond He's not Dylan, he's Ethan. The confusion is understandable.

The new Brenda and Brandon, Annie and Dixon Mills, are obviously not twins (she's white, he's black and was adopted). But they're still siblings coming to the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills from a supposedly more innocent state (Kansas, not Minnesota this time).

The show premiered on Sept. 2 to mixed reviews. Certain in-jokes hit the mark — an age joke about Andrea's daughter played off fans' knowledge that Andrea's portayer, Gabrielle Carteris, was already 29 when cast as a teen on the show. Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty made their appearances, and there's a fun role for Erin Silver, Kelly's half-sister, remembered as a babe in arms from the original show.

Co-executive producer Gabe Sachs promised "edgier" plots, but as Anna Chan points out, nothing in the premiere seemed edgy, it was just soapy. The "Gossip Girl" influence seemed clear — there's a party every night for these high schoolers, and everyone has glitzy clothes to wear and a drink in hand.

A bright spot could be Tristan Wilds' Dixon. Fans of "The Wire" will remember him as Michael, and he shines here.  Let's hope they don't shy away from the racial angle Dixon brings to the show — the old "90210" was about as diverse as a glass of milk.

One to watch? Maybe. Fans of the 1990s original will want to see how well the Peach Pit and the original cast members have aged, but in this “Gossip Girl” world, Beverly Hills’ Zip code may no longer have the same cachet. (Premieres Sept. 2, CW, 8 p.m.)    —Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

'Crusoe'
More than 40 years after 1960s series "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" aired on TV, NBC is bringing the famous castaway back to the small screen. "Crusoe," of course, is the name of a shipwrecked man who worked to survive on a not-quite-deserted island for almost 30 years.

The series is an adaptation of Daniel Defoe's 18th-century novel, and NBC says it's a "high-action, fast-paced, 13-part series (that) will combine for the first time the energy of network television while remaining faithful to the author's original classic story."

As its preview suggests, the show will focus both on island adventures and life in England, exploring Crusoe's relationship with his wife, father, and mentor. The latter two are played by the show's marquee talent: Sean Bean will appear as Crusoe's father, while Sam Neill plays family friend Jeremiah Blackthorn. (Crusoe himself is played by Philip Winchester.) On the island, Crusoe will also have what NBC describes as a "strong and unlikely friendship with Friday," who in the book becomes Crusoe's servant after he escapes from his cannibalistic peers.

One to watch? The preview makes "Crusoe" seem like a grand and epic series that was made for HBO or Showtime, although the Friday timeslot suggests NBC might not be as convinced. (Premieres Oct. 17, NBC, 8 p.m.)    —Andy Dehnart

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