Dispatch from the CW: Brenda Walsh, Michael Lee, Lucille Bluth and more on the new '90210'

Why is this man smiling? Doesn't he remember Dukie?

So Tristan Wilds and the rest of the gang from the new "90210" were just here at press tour. After the jump, some highlights, including confirmation about the return of Shannen Doherty.

• Doherty will be back for several episodes as Brenda Walsh, who comes back to West Beverly as a special guest director for the school musical. (When last we saw Brenda, she was heading to London to study theater; the press release says she was successful as both an actress and director.)
• I asked new showrunners Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs why they thought Tristan, last seen on the polar opposite of "90210" as Michael on "The Wire," would be right to play the lead on this new show. They admitted they were both huge "Wire" geeks, and that they spent most of their first few days working with him acting like they were on "The Chris Farley Show." ("Remember that time you were sitting on the stoop? That was awesome!") I could not get a satisfactory answer as to why they chose to leave Dukie behind.
• The Peach Pit will be reimagined as more of a hip coffee house that the kids like to hang out at. Joe E. Tata was a very special guest at the CW's breakfast, but I didn't get a chance to talk to hm.
• Jessica Walter, who plays Tabitha, the boozing ex-movie star mom of Rob Estes' character, was asked how Tabitha compares to Lucille Bluth. "Lucille enjoys vodka, while Tabitha prefers scotch."