ABC greenlights Thomas' 'Cupid'
 

It has been a busy 1990s-themed week for Rob Thomas.

As the "Veronica Mars" creator was talking with the CW and CBS Paramount Network TV about writing a contemporary spinoff of Fox's 1990 hit "Beverly Hills, 90210," ABC on Thursday handed him a pilot order for "Cupid."

Thomas has described "Cupid" as a "reinvention" of his praised but short-lived 1998 ABC comedy series of the same name about a man who thinks he's a god sent to Earth by Zeus to unite 100 romantically challenged couples.


The project, from ABC Studios and the original series' producer Sony Pictures TV, has been in development at ABC since the fall and is in first position to CW's "90210" spinoff. Thomas still is expected to be able to pen the script for the "90210" spinoff, which has been put on fast-track development by CW.

The pickup of "Cupid" puts Thomas in a position similar to the one Josh Schwartz found himself in last year, when both of his projects, NBC's "Chuck" and CW's "Gossip Girl," were picked up to pilots with "Chuck" in first position.

Both pilots went to series, had successful first seasons and earned second-season renewals.