The CW to Develop Beverly Hills, 90210 Spinoff

The CW is developing a contemporary spinoff of Aaron Spelling's seminal 1990s teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210, which might even be a spinoff of an earlier animated show Beverly Hills Teens.

Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas is a possible writer for the project, which has been fast-tracked by the network.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, details about the spinoff -- including which if any of the characters on the original series will make the transition to the new show -- remain sketchy. The CW is expected to make a decision whether to order a pilot by the end of the month.

This would be the second spinoff from Beverly Hills, 90210, which aired on Fox from 1990-2000. The Star-created Melrose Place had a successful seven-year run on Fox.

A teen soap about privileged youths living in Beverly Hills would be a perfect companion to CW's buzzworthy freshman drama Gossip Girl, which revolves around rich teens living in Manhattan.

Spinoffs are hot this development season. Fox is developing two: Cleveland, centered on the Cleveland Brown character from the hit animated comedy Family Guy, and a Prison Break offshoot set at a female prison.