‘90210’ Cast All Grown Up In New Season

FOX gets a jump on the competition with early season premieres of its Wednesday dramas “Beverly Hills, 90210” at 8 and “Party of Five” at 9.

The buzz at “90210” is that with the maturing cast - this is the show’s seventh season - we can expect more episodes focusing on contemporary issues.

That’s evident tonight when Kelly (Jennie Garth) makes arrangements to volunteer at an AIDS hospice, and Brandon (Jason Priestley) comes face to face with racism when he befriends a young black girl (Maia Campbell).

Producers also say they will abandon stories that stretch over multiple episodes - a great idea if you ask me. How many weeks did we have to suffer through Kelly’s predictable drug detour last season?

Joining the cast is Dalton James (“Crossroads”), who will debut in a recurring role next week as Mark Reese, a student who works with Brandon at the college television station. He’ll also romance Kelly.

Speaking of romance, Donna (Tori Spelling) and David (Brian Austin Green) will be on and off again this season.

On “Party of Five” we’ll get to see if Charlie and Kirsten (Matthew Fox, Paula Devicq) can keep it together. But if their relationship isn’t in doubt, apparently Bailey and Sarah (Scott Wolf, Jennifer Love Hewitt) appear headed for trouble. In three weeks, Alexondra Lee joins the cast as an older college woman Bailey is drawn to.

Tonight, Bailey and Will (Scott Grimes) embark on a disastrous road trip to Mexico, and young Claudia (Lacey Chabert) returns from summer camp very much in love.

Highlights

“The John Larroquette Show,” NBC at 8:30: Ann Magnuson (“Anything But Love”) guest stars as a performance artist John (John Larroquette) goes out with - after he’s criticized her in a newspaper review. Also, Catherine (Alison LaPlaca) is visited by her snooty mother (Jo de Winter). Repeat.

“Miss Teen U.S.A. Pageant,” CBS at 9: Bob Goen and Shari Belafonte host the contest from Las Cruces, N.M. And would you believe the Monkees will be on hand to sing “I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer”?

“PrimeTime Live,” ABC at 10: Chris Wallace reports on allegations by a former FBI informant that Malcolm X’s daughter, Qubilah Shabazz, plotted to kill Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Also, an interview with singer Tori Amos. (Both segments rescheduled from previous dates.)

Cable Calls

“For the Future: The Irvine Infertility Scandal” (1996), LIFE at 9: Bear with this fact-based movie’s slow start and a wooden performance by Marilu Henner. It comes alive a third of the way through when the focus shifts to Linda Lavin.

Henner portrays Debbie Challender, one of hundreds of infertile women who sought help from Dr. Ricardo Asch (rendered with steely arrogance by Castulo Guerra) and the fertility clinic at the University of California at Irvine. Lavin plays office manager Marilyn Killane, the whistle-blower who exposed dangerous and unscrupulous practices.

Lifetime will follow the movie with “Final Take: The Fertility Scandal” at 11. Challender, Killane and the Pulitzer-prize winning reporters who broke the story are interviewed. (Asch, who has fled to Mexico, has never been charged with wrongdoing.)

“The Perfect Daughter” (1996), USA at 9: A new twist on the old amnesia melodrama: Tracey Gold stars as a young heroin addict who is hit by a car. When she wakes up in the hospital, she’s lost most of her memory. She’s forgotten that she’s an addict. Amazingly, she has lost her addictive personality and has become “normal.”

She remembers her parents (Bess Armstrong, Mark Joy), whom she hasn’t seen in two years. Unfortunately, she has forgotten she was on the run after stashing $100,000 in stolen drug money.

The contrived script can’t be salvaged, despite a strong turn by Armstrong. Gold is that same desperate character she always seems to play. Pass on this one.

Talk Time

“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actress Shelley Long and Scott Wolf (“Party of Five.”).

“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Mario Van Peebles, model Angie Everhart and the Beach Boys.

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Music guest Hootie & the Blowfish.