TORRANCE, California (AP) — "Gutter balls only, please!" someone yells during a rehearsal at the Lucky Strike bowling alley for the CW’s new series "90210." So co-stars Jessica Stroup and Shenae Grimes downplay their bowling skills.

The spin-off on the fabled ’90s teen drama premieres September 2 (8 p.m. EDT). If the show mimics the hot bodies, hip fashion and angst-ridden affluence of "Beverly Hills, 90210," it will also play edgier and less preachy, says co-executive producer Gabe Sachs.

"Look, we’re not stupid," Sachs says. "We know people are probably expecting a cheese fest and that’s just not what we do."

Sachs and partner Jeff Judah cut their teeth as producers on the quirky yet short-lived teen series "Freaks and Geeks" and "Life as We Know It."

CW tapped the duo to produce its rich-kids reprise after Rob Thomas, creator of moody teen drama "Veronica Mars," dropped the project.

"The truth is, Jeff and I write how we write," Sachs says. "Everything’s got to come out of real emotion. We want to deal with issues and show consequences, but not the issue of the week and pound you over the head."

"But I can never ever knock the original ‘90210,’ " Sachs says of the series that ran from 1990-2000, trading on youth issues from addiction to pregnancy and amping the fortunes of the fledgling Fox network.

The original hooked a generation of viewers on trendy teen melodrama honed by creator Darren Star and executive producer Aaron Spelling.

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written by Andrew