CLEAN SLATE; SHANNEN DOHERTY IS CAST AS A GOOD WITCH BY - GUESS WHO? - HER OLD BOSS, AARON SPELLING.

Byline: Keith Marder Daily News Television Writer

Shannen Doherty is working for Aaron Spelling again, and get this - he cast her as a witch.

But before you spit out any jokes about the former ``Beverly Hills, 90210'' bad girl playing a part many might claim is not much of a stretch, Doherty will play a good witch.

Besides, Spelling said, the role of Prue Halliwell was written well before Doherty signed on to play it.

Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano play three sisters who use their mystical powers (Doherty can move objects without touching them) to fight evil in ``Charmed,'' a new drama series aimed at the 18-to-34-year-old crowd and set to debut 9 p.m. Oct. 7 on the WB network.

The principals shared a stage and kudos recently to promote the show, which would lead to the notion that the behind-the-scenes tension marking Doherty's ``90210'' run are a thing of her past.

Still, the pairing of Spelling, the executive producer of ``Charmed,'' and Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh for the first four years of ``90210,'' would, on the surface, seem unlikely.

Reports of Doherty becoming increasingly difficult to work with, coupled with legal run-ins on Sunset Strip, being sued by an ex-landlord and a failed shotgun marriage to Ashley Hamilton coincided with her departure from the Spelling production. However, Spelling said that Doherty was not fired, but left of her own accord.

Her character eventually was written out of the teen drama. Spelling attributed Doherty's exit to the fact the show was only guaranteed one more season and the actress wanted to pursue other career options.

``I feel that we've always had a very good relationship,'' said Doherty, now 27, ``and I'm thrilled that we can work together again.''

Spelling prefers to remember Doherty as his daughter Tori's friend, rather than as the woman who agreed to undergo anger management counseling and two years' probation for breaking a beer bottle over a car in 1997. In 1994, she was sued by her landlord, who alleged that she did $136,000 worth of damage and failed to pay $14,000 in rent.

``I remember Shannen when she and Tori were little girls and she would sleep over all the time,'' Spelling said. ``They would come running downstairs in their jammies and raid the refrigerator.''

Doherty would prefer to remember nothing of the turbulent time, claiming not to have any recollection of what was written about her in the tabloids, other than that the newspapers wouldn't let it go and the media still insists on referring to her with a word that rhymes with witch.

Letting it go

Doherty, who has been acting since age 10 and played Jenny Wilder in ``Little House: A New Beginning,'' has appeared in everything from the series ``Our House'' to the feature film ``Mall Rats'' and television movies such as ``A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story.''

To her, the turbulent times earlier this decade are but a blip on life's radar screen.

``A lot of that happened eight years ago, and it seems like 30 years ago,'' Doherty said. ``I don't remember anything. I don't remember what was said. It's over and it's done with.''

These days, Doherty's profile is much lower. She lives in Hollywood with her longtime fiance, and has managed to steer clear of tabloid reporters.

Spelling, though, recalls many of the things Doherty claims to have forgotten, including one of the more sensationalized tabloid tales. One mag reported that Doherty ran out of a nightclub screaming, hopped into her car and drove away without tipping the valet attendant.

``My daughter was in the club with her that night,'' Spelling said. ``She had gotten into a horrible fight with her boyfriend - and they criticize her for not taking a dollar out to give to the guy.''

Even if skipping tipping were a heinous act, which Spelling obviously doesn't believe, he has no problem being in business with Doherty. There was scuttlebutt that he offered her $1 million an episode to return to ``90210.''

That, he says, is not true.

``I wouldn't even offer my wife $1 million to come home,'' he said. ``I gave her a choice of another show and this show. And we thought it would be more fun for her to do something new.''

Spelling sees a double standard in Hollywood that examines women under a higher-powered microscope more than men. Second chances often are afforded to male actors. Robert Downey Jr., who was convicted of parole violation after breaking into and passing out in a neighbor's home, had been released from jail to work on films, and is now being allowed to continue a drug treatment program on an outpatient basis - although a judge warned him just last week that another slip will result in prison time.

Christian Slater is still in the business after serving time for battering his girlfriend during a drug binge.

Their female counterparts also should be given a chance to redeem themselves, he says.

``I just wish women could be treated in this industry like men,'' Spelling said. ``With women, what is there? A different set of rules that Shannen's going to be living with the rest of her life? She deserves a second chance, and I gave it to her.''

Besides, Spelling adds, what his actors do when they're off the clock is their own business.''

`90210' reunion?

The reunion of the executive producer and female lead of ``90210,'' the show that catapulted Spelling back to the top echelon of producers and made Doherty a megastar, now makes the return of Brenda Walsh to the Hills a possibility.

After all, Luke Perry agreed to return to ``90210,'' after that seemed as likely as Bob Dole becoming president of the United States.

``I do think it's an interesting thing,'' Perry said about the chances of him and Doherty returning to the Hills at the same time. ``The great thing about Aaron is that he is a relationship-driven person, and he puts a lot of himself in his relationships. Some people, yes, you work for one time and leave and they want nothing to do with you. Aaron has been around a long time and has a lot of wisdom and is in it for the long haul. I told him I was in it for the long haul. The thing is you can't be a (jerk) on the way out.''

Maybe ``Charmed'' will be such a big hit, Doherty will be too busy to come back to ``90210'' at all. Or maybe she'll come back for the 250th episode, which will air this season. Maybe she'll come back for the series finale, whenever that may be.

``You know, I've honestly thought about it,'' Doherty said, ``and the only reason why I would contemplate it is because I get a ton of mail from fans who would love to see it sort of resolved and give them closure. And you know, if the right thing came along and the two of us sort of had the scheduling right, it's not something that I would say `absolutely no' to.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) WITCH HUNT

Aaron Spelling needed a charmer for his new show. Who better than Shannen Doherty to play the part?

(2) ``I feel that we've always had a very good relationship and I'm thrilled that we can work together again,'' Shannen Doherty says of her reunion with producer Aaron Spelling for the new series ``Charmed.''