Aaron Spelling's Not Laughing

By Stephen M. Silverman

09/01/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

A TV series that spoofs Aaron Spelling's "Beverly Hills, 90210" and is scheduled to debut this fall on the WB network is not amusing to Spelling himself, reports the Wall Street Journal. "Grosse Pointe," named after a wealthy residential enclave in Michigan, is said to feature a temperamental Shannen Doherty-like actress and another female character whose talents are dubious but whose uncle runs the network (said to be shades of Tori Spelling, Aaron's daughter). "Grosse" is produced by Darren Star, who produced "90210" and "Melrose Place" with Spelling before he went off on his own. HBO's "Sex and the City" is also Star-produced. Spelling had no comment for the Journal, which said that the WB (which, like PEOPLE, is part of Time Warner) is trying to appease the influential producer by toning down some of the show -- even changing the color of the Tori-like character's hair -- but Star is said to be fighting these changes. Shannen Doherty, meanwhile, told the Journal: "I've seen the show (and) I think it's funny."