One of the more interesting bits of TV news of late is that The CW is working on a contemporary spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210. The original 90210 certainly has its place in gay pop culture history for its occasional gay characters and storylines and also for helping establish the career of out producer Darren Star, who went on to give us Melrose Place (with gay character Mat Fielding), gay fave Sex in the City as well as the brilliant-but-canceled Grosse Pointe.

Interestingly, this new vision of 90210 is coming from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas. As Veronica Mars fans know, Thomas created a dark and gritty view of high school life with his teen investigator. Neptune, California was a city sharply divided by class and we often saw Veronica's classmates depicted as petty, vindictive and cliquish. Thomas also gave us a few gay characters who weren't easy to love but compelling for their complexity. It'll definitely be interesting to see how the voice Thomas developed on Veronica Mars combines with the lighter and more superficial tone associated with 90210.

However, there's another interesting parallel with a gay-inclusive teen drama to be found. 90201 is sometimes compared to Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, a teen drama that debuted a few years before 90210 that also tackled social issues. Presumably, a "contemporary" 90210 spin-off will have one (or more) of the original 90210 gang introducing us to a new group of students ... which is pretty much the original premise of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Will the depth of storytelling and characterization grow from classic to contemporary for the 90210 franchise the way it did with Degrassi? More importantly, will this contemporary 90210 have the courage to include a gay character as prominent and compelling as Marco, Dylan, Page or Alex on Degrassi?

What do folks think? Is it possible to recapture the magic of 90210 or have decades of intervening knockoffs (many of which are already on the CW) diluted the formula beyond recognition?

Recently out actor Adamo Ruggiero continues his tour of gay media outlets with an interview in Out magazine.

Ruggiero talks about how growing up in Toronto (where there's no paparazzi) made it easier for him to come to terms with his sexual orientation, since he wasn't scrutinized the way many young celebrities are ... but it probably also helped that Degrassi's most devoted fans were kept at bay by an international border:

What’s funny about our show is that in this one particular case it’s the opposite: Americans love this Canadian show, but we don’t. And they are obsessed -- the Customs people tell us whenever kids come through they always ask where the cast lives!

Hm, I didn't realize you could make customs an accessory to your stalking like that.

Ruggiero reveals a sense of humor when it comes to fans debating his sexual orientation before his coming out:

Straight! Can you believe that? People believe what they want to believe, and that happens mostly in America. Here in Canada, we just see human beings for the most part. So, I’m sure me coming out is going to make some waves down south. With the small amount of celebrity I’ve had in my life, knowing that, how can I believe that Britney Spears is pregnant for third time when they think I’m straight?

That just leaves me imagining Ruggiero anonymously leaving a few of those "Oh, please, who didn't know already?" comments I saw in some stories covering his coming out.

He also discusses his future on Degrassi saying he's not sure when he'll leave the series, though it's bound to happen sooner or later as the characters age. I remember that when this season started, this was expected to be the last season for Marco and other characters his age. It sounds like that's been put off for now, which makes me happy since the newer characters on Degrassi have yet to really grab me. Ruggiero also says he'd like to work behind the scenes in the future. Oh, Adamo, don't tell us you'll be depriving us from seeing this adorable visage in the future:

Is that a zipper tie? Everything does come back into style eventually!

That's just a sampler of what he talks about, be sure to check out the full interview.

In a bit of is-it-luck-or-just-good-planning, this week's Degrassi two-parter (appropriately titled "Pride") focuses on Ruggiero's character, Marco. From the looks of the previews, this episode finds Marco facing money trouble because he's been spending so much time with a guy (a new boyfriend?) who lives an expensive lifestyle. His financial situation is desperate enough for him to consider prostituting himself:

I'm feeling a bit mixed on the plot. I mean, this is Degrassi so the show will handle the topic responsibly, but when I saw the preview, my first thought was "Didn't they have a gay character so strapped for cash they sold their body last season when Alex became a stripper?" Is Degrassi getting a bit repetitive with its gay characters?

"Are you ready for some football?"

Superbowl Sunday is upon us and while many American’s will be gorging themselves on junk food and a wicked ale while cheering on the Patriots or the Giants, I’ve always been one to avoid the telecast at all costs.  As you can imagine, living in Boston makes it difficult to turn your nose up at the hysteria this town creates for their golden boys the Red Sox and the Patriots but I do my best at shunning the big Tom Brady shaped elephant in the room by hunkering down with the hundreds of other television channels at my disposal.

If you’re a huge football fan, Sunday night is your Oscars.  Sit back with a beer and enjoy watching the burly men ram and pound each other as sweat pours from their heaving chests in glorious HD.  If you’re simply into watching hotties like Tom Brady, Eli Manning, or Amani Toomer - all the power to you; hell, if you just like saying tight end and wide receiver – have a field day because this is your night. It’s Superbowl Sunday!

But if you’re looking for some alternatives to the biggest football game of the year I’ve got the rundown of the best (and worst) in counter programming to help you plan accordingly.  Call your best gays, gal pals, or your grandmother; bust out the wine or sparkling cider, the cheese platter, the crudités and get ready to cheer on your right to choose...

THE MUST LIST:

FOX’s Superbowl Pre-Show with Ryan Seacrest
Airs on FOX
I know what you’re thinking, why would I watch the pre-show if I don’t plan on watching the main attraction?  Well I have a few words for you!  Paula. Abdul. Acting Crazy Singing. Live. For. Reals.  Straight up, the American Idol judge will be performing her new single “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” and I can think of nothing better than watching her lip-sync her way out of that bag of crazy.  As an added bonus, Randy “Have I told you that I was in Journey, Dawg?” Jackson will be performing with her.  Train wreck!

Puppy Bowl IV
Airs: 3:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m. (Animal Planet)
If you like your action a little furry and with leather studded collars this is the show for you!  Animal Planet’s pawsitively genius Puppy Bowl returns for a fourth year with way too much cuddly cuteness for one person to handle.  This show makes putting balls in your mouth and chasing tail a sporting event!  Not to be outdone by Tom Petty, this Half-Time Show features its own band of Heartbreakers… kitties, kitties, and more kitties! 

Much, much more after the break...

Great news from our Friendly Neighborhood to the North: 21-year-old actor Adamo Ruggiero, who is wrapping up a 6-year stint as beloved gay teenager Marco del Rossi on critical and fan fave Degrassi: The Next Generation, has come out as a gay man in a candid interview to a Canadian Internet video site.

Echoing the coming out of Wilson Cruz, the US's first gay primetime teen on My So Called Life, Ruggiero decided that after serving as a role model to youths for years as Marco, his going public with his sexuality was a no-brainer. 

He notes:

"I thought, you know, I was learning and I learned and what better way to kind of share my knowledge than right now."

Ruggiero also speaks about the parallels between Marco's journey and his own, whether or not he was afraid of being forcibly outed by the gossip press, and much much more in this thoughtful interview. He's also Italian, so he talks with his hands a lot, which is adorable:

We've been big fans of Ruggiero and Marco for a while now, and posted some great pics of him a while back - check 'em out! You can find more of our coverage of Degrassi's gay character over here.

Big love to Ruggiero for the courage to speak openly about his sexuality and to continuing to be an inspiration to young gay people by living his life authentically and with pride.

The coming out scene is a staple of gay stories, as it's an important moment gay people experience repeatedly in their lives. In honor of National Coming Out Day, here's a few of my favorite coming out scenes.

Luke Snyder
From: As the World Turns

Right now, Van Hansis is breaking new ground as part of the first gay male romance on an American soap opera, but Luke Snyder's coming out was memorable as well for giving us so much nuance in his family's reaction. Holden had suspected Luke was gay for some time (his only concern being that Luke hadn't felt free to confide in him), while Lily felt betrayed at the idea of people in her family knowing things that she didn't. While Luke's parents were both inclined to be supportive of him, their reactions included a mix of emotions that made it one of the most memorable moments in recent memory for ATWT fans.

Steven Carter
From: Get Real

This mostly sweet teen romance climaxes when Steven comes out at his graduation ceremony. The heartfelt speech is bittersweet since Steven's boyfriend, John Dixon, remains firmly closeted, ensuring that the relationship cannot continue.

Marco DelRossi
From: Degrassi: The Next Generation

When Dylan couldn't stand being in a relationship with a closeted boyfriend any longer he broke up with Marco, leading to a rather sensitive scene where Marco's mother figures it all out from seeing her son heartbroken.

Jamie and Ste
From: Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing ended with the unforgettable image of Ste and Jamie slow dancing in the courtyard of their housing complex. As the camera pulls back, Cass Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream" plays and their neighbors react to the sight of the youths being so openly affectionate with each other.

Despite loving Degrassi Junior High in its day, I spent five seasons procrastinating on checking out Degrassi: The Next Generation until the six season had its summer premiere this past June. I quickly learned that all the claims of the show's addictive nature was very, very true.

The N now has preview pix for the seventh and final season, which debuts for American viewers this Friday, October 5. Canadian viewers have to wait until December 4 ... but they'll get to see the whole season interrupted. The N will be airing half of the season and finish it later in 2008.

There are plenty of new promo pictures of gay youth Marco Del Rossi (played by Adamo Ruggiero), so I thought I'd share some of them here (plenty more after the break!)...

It's good to finally see Marco with a decent haircut and clean shaven...

Friday

The View (ABC) Check local listings
Proud AfterElton.com Hot 100 honoree Anderson Cooper stops by for a "special edition" fall preview episode that'll look ahead at "politics, television, film and fashion." Project Runway's Nina Garcia, Caroline Rhea and Melissa Claire Egan also participate.

Degrassi: The Next Generation (The N) 9:00 PM EDT
Tonight's the sixth season finale and I hear gay teen Marco gets a story once again, even as the show finishes a juicy storyline for lesbian character Lexi. Marco and Lexi have gotten a lot of focus, which makes sense since they're two of the more interesting (and adorable) characters on the show.

Saturday

The Graham Norton Show (BBC America) 10:00 PM
Joan Collins and Jason Donovan appear in tonight's episode. Here's to hoping Graham and Joan reenact Charlotte Rae's infamous "Joan Collins is a &#^*!" smackdown.

Sunday

Big Brother (CBS) 8:00 PM EDT
Now that Dustin is no longer HoH, will he have to face the possibility of being nominated for eviction this week? More importantly: without a certain somebody around, what the heck are we going to look at for an entire hour?

The Kill Point (Spike TV) 9:00 PM EDT
We know: we're continuing to recommend something on basic cable frathouse Spike TV?! Well, the gay character in this hugely appealing hostage crisis story is still around and, for the most part, this mini-series has offered solid drama. Am I the only one who finds the grammar obsession of Donnie Wahlberg to be something you'd expect of a Saturday Night Live sketch?

Wow. It's a busy weekend for queer television, with the acclaimed Degrassi and Entourage giving their characters a prominent role this week.

Friday

The Early Show (CBS) 7:00 AM EDT
John Travolta makes one of the last talk show appearances to promote Hairspray this morning. This morning will also include an exit interview with the latest Big Brother evictee.

Hairspray (TBS) 10:00 AM EDT
In case you'd rather see the original version or would like an appetizer for the musical version opening in theatres this weekend, TBS is rerunning the classic edition.

Degrassi: The Next Generation (The N) 8:00 PM EDT
Marco is the focus of this episode where he develops a bad habit while struggling with a physical separation from his boyfriend, Dylan.

Doctor Who (Sci-Fi) 9:00 PM EDT
Tonight's episode doesn't feature our favorite time-traveling omnisexual rogue, but from what I hear, it lays the foundation for one of the more surprising revelations about Captain Jack that will come later in the series.