Rebecca Rand Kirshner

Regime change at CW’s ’90210’

Sinclair to run show through 2011; Sachs, Judah exits likely

Rebecca Rand Kirshner Sinclair is taking a permanent residence in the 90210 ZIP code.

On the heels of the freshman CW show’s renewal, Sinclair has inked a new seven-figure deal with "90210" producer CBS Par and has been tapped to serve as executive producer/showrunner on the high school drama for the next two seasons.

Sinclair joined "90210" as an exec producer in September, when she inked a two-year overall deal with CBS Par.

Under the pact, she was to run the writers room this season, working alongside exec producers/showrunners Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, then segue into development while serving as a consultant if "90210" returned for a sophomore year.

With her new deal, Sinclair has been given the show’s reins through the 2010-11 season.

Sachs and Judah likely will depart at the end of this season.

At the studio and network, Sinclair had emerged as the clear choice to run the show because she is credited with elevating "90210" creatively since coming aboard. But she said the decision to stay on was not easy.

"I wasn’t even considering it until almost a month ago," Sinclair said. "I was sure that absolutely, positively there was no way back."

Sinclair came to "90210" as a big fan of the original. She was the same age as the class from the Fox series. She cut her bangs the same way as Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and even went to her prom in the same dress Brenda and Kelly (Jennie Garth) wore to theirs.

But Sinclair admits her early experience on the CW series was rocky.

"I felt the show was confused and too cynical for me," she said.

But something happened around the making of Episode 17, which will mark the show’s return to originals March 31, in its new 9 p.m. Tuesday slot.

"I started to see my voice," Sinclair said. "I found myself invested in the potential of the show. I want to change it; I want to make it good. It has the potential to be an iconic, modern, stylish teen drama."

Like the CW’s East Coast fashion trend-setter "Gossip Girl," "90210" will tap much deeper into California style and fashion next season, according to Sinclair.

While she hinted that the season finale will feature surprise visits from "Beverly Hills, 90210" alums, don’t expect a lot of that next season.

While the character of Kelly is organic to "90210’s" setting and Sinclair admits she loves Tori Spelling’s Donna, who will appear later this season, "the goal is for this show to emerge on its own," she said. "It’s time to take off the training wheels and let this show ride by itself."

As for the show’s core cast, producers are figuring out whether all of the characters will come back, the UTA-repped Sinclair said.