Beverly Hills, 90210

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Beverly Hills, 90210

This Beverly Hills, 90210 logo was seen from 1991 to 1994.
Genre Teen drama/Soap opera
Creator(s) Darren Star
Starring see Cast below
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
No. of episodes 296
Production
Running time 44 minutes (60 including commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel FOX
Original run October 4, 1990 – May 17, 2000
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Beverly Hills, 90210 is a popular primetime television soap opera that aired from October 4, 1990, to May 17, 2000, on FOX in the United States and subsequently on various networks around the world. The show followed the lives of a group of teenagers living in the posh, star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California and attending the fictitious West Beverly Hills High School and then fictitious California University. The show was created by producers Aaron Spelling and Darren Star. The "90210" in the title refers to one of the suburb's postal codes (or ZIP Code).

Originally the central characters were fraternal twins Brandon (played by Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (played by Shannen Doherty), who moved with their parents, Jim and Cindy, from Minneapolis to Beverly Hills. However, during the show's run, its focus shifted substantially. The show addressed many topical issues like date rape, alcoholism, drug abuse, teen suicide and teen pregnancy.

Although the first season had low ratings, FOX stuck by the show partially out of desperation due to the lack of original programming available for the network at the time[citation needed]. The show gained popularity during the summer of 1991, when FOX aired a special "summer season" of the show while most other series were in reruns. The series became one of FOX's top shows when it began its season that fall. Viewership increased dramatically and the cast members, particularly Priestley and Luke Perry, became teen idols, while the series would make actresses Shannen Doherty and Tori Spelling household names.

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Characters

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
  • Brandon Walsh: Brandon and Brenda were born November 1974. Consistent protagonist of 90210; Twin-brother of Brenda; Aspiring journalist; Sympathetic good guy; Had a problem with sports gambling; Student Body President & TV station correspondent at California University; Romantically involved with Kelly, Nikki, Emily Valentine, Lucinda Nicholson (secretly as she was a University professor), Susan Keats, Tracy Gaylian; Nearly marries Kelly, but they decide not to go through with it at the altar. Moved to Washington D.C. after graduating from college.
  • Brenda Walsh: Twin sister of Brandon; One-time girlfriend of Dylan; Generally a good girl, but is known as the rebellious twin; Was held up at gunpoint by an armed robber; Had breast cancer and pregnancy scares; Fell-out with best friend Kelly over Dylan; Arrested for breaking & entering an animal laboratory at the university in protest of animal rights, but was not charged; Moved to London after first year of college to pursue an acting career. She would never appear in another episode after moving to London.
  • Kelly Taylor: Kelly Marlene Taylor was born March 1975. Brenda and Donna's best friend; Romantically linked to Steve, Dylan, Brandon, Colin & Matt. Reunited with Dylan at the end of series after breaking up years earlier. Mother suffered from cocaine and alcohol abuse; Became David's stepsister and has had two half sisters: Erin by her mother & Joy by her father; was the victim of rumors & gossip during high school, Seventeen Magazine covergirl; Severely burned during an electrical fire that broke out at a house rave party, was brainwashed and joined a cult under the direction of a rogue university professor; had problems with diet pills and later became addicted to cocaine; went to rehab & recovered with help of the gang. Became pregnant by Brandon, but had a miscarriage due to endometriosis, Was shot in a robbery gone-bad at LAX and subsequently got amnesia; volunteered at AIDS hospice and later worked at a free clinic where she faced sexual harassment by a doctor but was able to overcome it with the support of Brandon. Almost married Brandon but changed her mind right before walking down the aisle. Was raped in an alley when attempting to locate Dylan, Shot and killed her rapist. Was on show for its entire 10-year run.
  • Dylan McKay: Born: Dylan Michael McKay in October 1974. Rich, motorcycling, surfing school rebel; Lived by himself in the BelAge Hotel as a teenager, Romantically linked to Brenda, Antonia, Kelly, Valerie and Gina; Wife, Antonia, murdered; Always had a soulmate connection with Kelly but couldn't commit to domestic life; Father in prison and later, supposedly killed in a car explosion in 1993 but Dylan finds out in 2000 that he is alive and well and in a witness protection program. They reunite briefly. Mother in Hawaii; they had a strained relationship. Found out he had a half-sister who was later found to have become a prostitute in LA by Kelly & Brandon. (She turned out to probably not be his sister, but he continued to treat her as such.) Suffered from drug and alcohol problems; Part-owner of the Peach Pit Diner. He later buys Peach Pit After Dark to save it from being bought by a greedy restaurateur. He and Kelly apparently got back together in the final episode after breaking up years before.
  • David Silver: School deejay; On-again-off again boyfriend of Donna but later marries her; Dated Ariel (who he cheated on Donna with), Clare, Valerie, Sophie, Camille and Gina. Aspiring music video director and musician; Initially he was a year younger and thought of a nerd by the others, but became their friend; once took crystal meth; later in the show, his friends became worried about him when he was diagnosed with manic depression, but he overcame that problem; On the show for all 10 seasons.
  • Donna Martin: Born: December 25th 1974. Best friend of Kelly; Dated David; Longtime virgin; Suffered abuse at hands of boyfriend Ray; Almost failed to graduate high school due to alcohol consumption at senior prom. Had a learning disability of partial dyslexia. Was almost raped by Garrett Slan, a campus rapist and later stalked & taken hostage at the college TV station by the obsessed cameraman, Evan. Romantically involved with David, Griffin Stone, Ray Pruit, C.U. quarterback Joe Bradley and Noah Hunter. Finally had sexual intercourse for the first time with David on the night they graduated from college. Briefly abused prescription drugs. Married David in the final episode. Like Kelly, Steve and David remained with show for entire 10-year run.
  • Steve Sanders: Steven M. Sanders was born May 15, 1975. Friend of Brandon, and was Kelly's one-time high school boyfriend; adopted by TV star Samantha Sanders and her husband Rush; learns Rush his his biological father and his birth mother died. Once took steroids; Party-planning athletic fraternity member; had brief romance with Celeste, whom he met on a TV dating show. Once had a near encounter with a transgendered model. As an adult, romantically involved with Clare and Janet; Became magazine editor and later married Janet; had a daughter with Janet named Madeline; On series for all 10 seasons.
  • Andrea Zuckerman: Class Valedictorian; School newspaper editor; Secretly commuting to Beverly Hills from Van Nuys; Brandon's best friend while harboring a not so secret crush on him; teen hotline volunteer worker; almost had sex with Brandon at the end of the first season & at the senior prom. Romantically linked to Jay, Dan, Jesse and Peter, with whom she later had an extramarrital affair. Had a shotgun marriage with Jesse, had a baby named Hannah, and left Beverly Hills and California University to attend Yale while Jesse pursued his law career. They would later divorce. She was the show's conscience.
  • Scott Scanlon: Nerdy and socially awkward best friend of David; Grew apart from David when he started to become close with the school's core group; Accidentally killed himself in front of David while playing with a gun at his birthday party. David & his friends buried a time capsule in his memory.
  • Emily Valentine: Troubled newcomer to West Beverly High; Drugged Brandon at a rave; Spent time at a mental hospital after threatening to torch a parade float and writing threatening letters to West Beverly High; Met up with Brandon later in San Francisco before moving to study marine biology in France.
  • Nikki Witt: Brandon's sophomore girlfriend during his senior year in high school. Made out with David while Donna was in Paris but later became friends with the group. Had an abusive ex-boyfriend at which time Brandon came to her aid. Moved back to San Francisco after reconciling with parents.
  • Stuart Carson: Brenda's wealthy suitor shortly after starting college. Proposes to Brenda after knowing her for a short time & they almost wed in Vegas but both come to their senses.
  • Jesse Vasquez: Bartender; Law student; Became husband to Andrea after only dating her for a short time as she became unexpectedly pregnant.
  • Clare Arnold: Met the while she was a senior in high school and they were college freshman. She stayed through a few middle seasons; Known for her high IQ; Wild daughter of a wealthy diplomat and college chancellor; Aggressively, yet unsuccessfully pursued Brandon while she was still a high school student and he was in college; Kelly and Donna's roommate/best friend. Changed throughout the show, at first she was wild, misunderstood, and didn't know who she was. However, she grew into this beautiful young woman, intelligent, sure of herself and became part of the gang. Romantically involved with David and Steve; she was the first girl to nail Steve's feet to the ground. Once almost moved in with boyfriend Steve, Ended up moving to France with her father.
  • Valerie Malone: A classic-type bad girl; Very sociopathic and a pathological liar; Old family friend of the Walshes from Buffalo, New York. Slept with or dated: Steve, Dylan, David, Ray, Colin and Noah; Manager/part-owner of the Peach Pit After Dark Night Club. A regular cigarette and pot smoker; Periods of suicidal tendencies; Had an HIV scare; was sexually abused as a child; nemesis of Kelly's until they reached a truce right before she moved away. Reveals that she murdered her father to get revenge on him for molesting her; it was thought for years that he committed suicide.
  • Ray Pruit: Blue collar construction worker; Up and coming singer/songwriter who becomes the house musical act at the Peach Pit After Dark shortly after it first opens; Romantic interest of Donna; Comforted Donna after her break up with Griffin; Becomes sexually involved with Valerie after becoming frustrated with Donna's vow of virginity; Became abusive to Donna and stalked her after she broke up with him. Went to therapy to make up for it and wrote a song for her in apology. After apologizing to Donna and recovering, he became engaged to Wendy Stevens.
  • Joe Bradley: All-star quarterback at California University; Came to Donna's aid after Ray became abusive to her; Had surgery for a heart-condition and was cut from the football team; Dated Donna and proposed to her, but she rebuffed him and he returned to his hometown to coach his high school football team.
  • Antonia Marchette: Daughter of Dylan's father's supposed killer and mobster Tony Marchette; Became romantically involved with, and eventually married to, Dylan as he initially tried to use her to get to her father, he later truly fell in love with her; Accidentally killed by a hitman that was hired by her father to kill Dylan the day after their wedding.
  • Colin Robbins: New York artist who meets Kelly during her internship in New York; moves to L.A. to begin relationship with her; Colin's lifestyle is secretly supported by a female gallery owner in exchange for physical favors; Has a cocaine problem and drags Kelly into it; Jumps bail after Valerie posts her club assets for his bond & is sentenced to two years in prison for drug possession and fleeing arrest. Currently in prison.
  • Gina Kincaid: Was born February 25, 1975. Former ice skater; Kelly and Donna's roommate; Dated David and Dylan; Loved Dylan but Dylan loved Kelly; Resented Donna for her privileged childhood; Donna's cousin but secret revealed she is Donna's half-sister. Left Beverly Hills after Dr. Martin's death.
  • Janet Sosna: Steve's Japanese girlfriend and later wife; Parents disowned her due to interracial relationship; journalist at Brandon and Steve's magazine; Mother of Steve's daughter Madeline.
  • Matt Durning: Engaged to Kelly late in the final seasons; Lawyer. Secretly married to a mentally ill woman who later divorces him. Engagement is broken off after he reveals he cheated on Kelly while under the influence of LSD.
  • Noah Hunter: Met the gang in Hawaii during Donna's fashion photo shoot at beginning of Season 8; Secretly rich; Accidentally killed his girlfriend Beth when he was driving drunk in the Hollywood Hills; Romantically involved with Valerie and Donna; Father committed suicide; Struggled with alcohol problem.
  • Susan Keats: Editor of the college paper, self-proclaimed feminist, love interest of Brandon, was impregnated by ex-boyfriend Jonathan Caston, had an abortion & later won an award for her article on the right to choose. Moved to Boston for a newspaper job.
  • Tracy Gaylian: News anchor for TV Station at CU. Love interest of Brandon but he breaks up with her when he realizes his true feelings for Kelly.
  • Carly Reynolds: Single mother who moved to Beverly Hills to get a fresh start; Waitress at the Peach Pit; Love interest to Steve. Moved back to her home state of Montana with her son to care for her father.
  • Camille Desmond: David's final girlfriend before he realized his true feelings for Donna; Clothing designer; Worked for Donna and Kelly at their boutique.
  • Nat Bussichio: A former movie actor and fatherly operator/part-owner of the Peach Pit Diner; Often serves as a voice of reason and source of advice to the younger characters, especially Brandon. Nat later married his sweetheart Joan and had a baby boy with her.
  • Jim and Cindy Walsh: Brandon and Brenda's parents; Later moved to Hong Kong. Jim served as Dylan's business manager on and off despite rocky relations between the two at times. Down to earth Cindy is seen as not only a loving & sympathetic mother to her children but also to her children's troubled friends, especially Dylan & Kelly.
  • Dr. John and Felice Martin: Donna's parents; Personified wealthy, conservative, social climbing Beverly Hills socialites. Straight-laced mother Felice: who was caught by Donna having an affair once, more often than not proved to be an obstacle in her daughter's ambitions. For example, Felice disapproved of her daughter mixing with the likes of Kelly and David & once even supported West Beverly High School's decision to suspend her daughter prior to graduation. Overprotective and uptight, she often tried to sabotage Donna's relationships with David, Ray, and Noah. Donna's father finally admitted that he was Gina Kincaid's natural father & died from a massive stroke later on in the series. Felice finally gave in to Donna's relationship with David & even helped get them back together at the end of the series.
  • Other cast parents: Kelly's former-model mother Jackie was shown occasionally throughout the show's run; Kelly's absent father was shown occasionally at events like high school graduation, he got arrested at Kelly's lavish college graduation party which he threw for her. He also almost married Valerie's mother but stood her up at the altar. David's unfaithful father Mel was shown in the middle of the series when he married and divorced Jackie Taylor, then lived with her again until Gina blackmails him; David's mother was shown as sweet & loving but suffers from manic depression. She attemps suicide & she later would come to David's aid when he is hospitalized later in the series. Dylan's father Jack had a brief run after being released from prison but was then apparently killed only to later re-appear after secretly being enrolled in the Witness Protection Program; Dylan's negligent new-age following mother Iris occasionally appears but lives in Hawaii; Steve's adoptive mother Samantha, who loves him as her own, shown early in the series as a former sitcom star and in later episodes as a lesbian; Steve's father Rush shown as a doubting overbearing distant parent. Although it was thought for years he was his adoptive father, Steve learns that Rush is indeed his real father.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Beverly Hills, 90210 episodes

[edit] Departures and decline

[edit] Shannen Doherty

The show's later years had some controversy and frequent casting changes: most notably when Shannen Doherty left the show at the end of the show's fourth season over her reported diva-like behavior, and her feud with fellow cast member Jennie Garth. She was replaced with former Saved by the Bell star Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, who played bad girl character Valerie.

Shannen won the lead role in another Aaron Spelling Drama, Charmed where she acted alongside Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano. The show was a hit on The WB, but Shannen left the show and rumors circulated that it was because she had problems with Alyssa Milano.[citation needed]

[edit] Luke Perry

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Luke Perry's controversial send-off features his character Dylan marrying Antonia (Rebecca Gayheart), the daughter of the mob boss who orders his father's death. Before the marriage, Dylan attempted to use Antonia to get to her father, but falls in love with her instead. Her father, uncomfortable with the marriage, orders Dylan's death. The hired hitman inadvertently kills Antonia instead due to the fact that she drives Dylan's car at the time of the planned hit. Dylan leaves town heartbroken, after his father-in-law reluctantly agrees to a truce in the wake of his daughter's death. It is revealed later in the series that Dylan's father was not really murdered and that he had faked his death in order to enter the Witness Protection Program.

Perry's departure (in episode 154, "One Wedding and a Funeral," aired 08-Nov-1995) was derided by some television critics and fans of the show, who felt the story line was too contrived to be believable for the character[citation needed] and over-the-top to be taken seriously. This plot point was pointed at by some fans as a viable moment in the show's history in which the series "jumped the shark."

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Melrose Place connection

The series Melrose Place was initially a spinoff from the show, as actor Grant Show (who played Jake on Melrose Place) appeared for a multi-episode run as Kelly's love interest. In later seasons, Melrose Place's development into an ultra-sensationalistic soap opera influenced its predecessor, which headed off into the same direction. However, the initial failure of Melrose Place during its first season created a ban on future 90210 spinoffs; plans to split 90210 into two shows (one focusing on the main cast and another focusing on a new group of high school students) upon the graduation of the main cast from high school were aborted.

A rap/pop theme song is used from 1991-2000.

[edit] Parodies

Star later produced a series Grosse Pointe, which satirized the production of a high-school soap opera being filmed in Los Angeles. The show was clearly a 90210-style show.

Another aspect of the show that was the subject of parody was the fact that many of the show's cast members were in their mid-to-late 20s and not teenagers. In particular, Luke Perry and Gabrielle Carteris were singled out for most of the criticism regarding being too old to play teenage characters.

Saturday Night Live did their own parody of the show when Jason Priestley hosted in 1992. In the episode, it is announced that the zip code 90210 would be changed to 90218. Several of the kids took offense to it and reacted in different ways (Kelly and Donna go shopping, Dylan gets drunk, Brandon keeps taking everyone keys and putting them in a lock box feeling they are not able to drive, etc.). In the end, the zip code reverts back to 90210 after protest.

The Short-lived Fox Television sketch show The Edge did a parody of 90210 that mocked Tori Spelling. During the sketch, the character of Tori constantly says, "I can do whatever I want because this is my daddy's show." Aaron Spelling took offense to this, and asked for an apology from the producers of the show (he never got one).

The Mickey Mouse Club did a parody sketch called Beverly Hillbillies 90210, combining the characters of both 90210 & The Beverly Hillbillies.

MADtv made its own parodies of the show as Beverly Hills, 90210 B.C. set in prehistoric Beverly Hills and later Beverly Hills 9021-H20 which had the characters being stalked by Michael Myers of Halloween.

Czech TV Nova parody show Tele Tele made parody of the show known as "Heverly Debils". Three miniepisodes (about 10 minutes each) were filmed.

[edit] Influences on popular culture

  • The punk rock band Relient K refers to the show "90210" in their song "Hoopes, I Did It Again."
  • As a result of the show, 90210 is the most familiar ZIP code for people who live outside the United States. It is often used to sign up for services intended only for US residents.
  • In Sweden, the names Dylan and Brandon suddenly became popular in 1992 through 1994. Both names are difficult to pronounce for the average Swede and were almost completely unknown before the show started airing in the country.
  • Many people have been poking fun at the cast's ages during the run of the show. On Family Guy, when Peter must go without tv for weeks, he constructs a tv out of a box he can look out of and goes to his daughter's high school, thinking it's West Beverly. Seeing Meg there, he mentions that the producers must be desperate to keep getting guest stars for the tenth season. (This episode aired during 90210's final season). In American Dad, Roger the Alien entertains his Afghan husband with tales of "The Land of West Beverly, where all the teenagers are in their thirties."
  • In its initial broadcast in the Philippines in 1991, the local TV network ABS-CBN mistakenly pronounced the series' title as "Beverly Hills NINETY-TWO-TEN" (instead of the normal "Nine-Oh-Two-One-Oh"). To this day, many Filipinos recall the series as "Ninety-two-ten", even though the error was corrected.
  • The show is referenced briefly by name in a song in "A Goofy Movie," created by Disney.
  • The show name is also mentioned in the Salt n' Pepa Song "It's None of Your Business."

[edit] Misc

  • Beverly Hills High School is actually located in ZIP code 90212. There are 3 zip codes in Beverly Hills and the most affluent homes lie within the mostly residential 90210, where the High School most certainly does not. However, the characters attended the completely fictitious West Beverly High School, which could have been located in any ZIP code. The filming location for West Beverly High School was in the less affluent lower middle class community of Torrance, CA at Torrance High located in the 90501 zip code. Torrance High can also be seen in other shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • Tentative titles for the show included Class of Beverly Hills (which would end up being the name of the first episode) and Potomac 20854, with Star's actual high school, Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Montgomery County, Maryland—a school with similar demographics to Beverly Hills High—as an inspiration.
  • Tori Spelling was not originally given a significant role in the show. In the pilot episode, she is simply another member of the supporting cast.
  • Luke Perry is not an original cast member of the show; he was not featured in the pilot at all. His character Dylan McKay was originally intended to only appear in one story arc. Fox was initially reluctant to have him included as a regular, but Aaron Spelling felt differently and paid Perry's salary himself during the first two years until the network was won over.
  • Lyman Ward was originally cast as Jim Walsh and played him in the original pilot but his scenes were reshot.
  • The cast were Juniors in high school during the first and second season.
  • In the first season, the Walshes hire a hispanic maid named Anna . She is never seen in any other seasons nor is it mentioned what happens to her.
  • Tori Spelling and Kathleen Robertson reunited together in the film Scary Movie 2 in 2001.

[edit] DVD releases

On July 22, 2006 tvshowsondvd.com [1] announced that Paramount Home Entertainment would be releasing Beverly Hills, 90210 Season 1 on Region 1 DVD on November 7, 2006.

Paramount Home Entertainment are in doubts about the future of Beverly Hills, 90210 release after the first season did not do to well in the sales and have agreed to release the second season to see if there's a chance the rest of the series can be released.

Single releases

Cover Art DVD Name Ep # Release Date
The Pilot Episode 1 June 15, 2004

Season releases

Cover Art DVD Name Ep # Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 Additional features
The Complete First Season 22 November 7, 2006 November 13, 2006 Season 1 episode recaps, Interactive featurettes, Commentary by Creator Darren Star on select episodes.
The Complete Second Season 28 May 1, 2007 June 4, 2007
  • Some music on the First Season will be replaced for the DVD release [2]

[edit] International

[edit] Repeats/Syndication

  • In the USA, the show now replays on SoapNet, Monday-Friday at 5pm and 6pm ET and Saturday from 10am-Noon ET. In April 2007 the show will move up to 3pm and 4pm ET.
  • In Canada, the show now replays on TVtropolis, Monday-Friday at 5pm and Saturday-Sunday at 4pm (with each day's episode repeated the following day at 3am). TVTropolis operates an East Coast and a West Coast feed, so episodes can be seen 3 hours later on the East Coast at 8pm or 3 hours earlier on the West Coast at 2pm.
  • In Denmark it is shown at 16.15 every weekday on TV 2. The show is currently on its 9th rerun.
  • It is being shown on Tv3 in Norway.
  • In Brazil, the show was shown on Globo TV in the 1990s. Now, it is shown on Sony Entertainment Television.
  • In Latin America, it is also being shown on Sony Entertainment Television.
  • In Sweden it was on TV 3 but is now off the air].
  • In the U.K. occasional repeats are shown on Sky One (Series 1 to 9) as well as Five (Series 1 to 4).
  • In Iceland, it airs at 4.20pm, every weekday on Skjár 1
  • In Germany, it airs at 6:10pm on Das Vierte.
  • In Italy it airs at 9:00 AM on Italia Uno.
  • In France, it now replays on TF1, Monday-Friday at 10:15am.
  • In the United Kingdom, Five (TV) broadcast the show Saturday lunchtimes, usually around 12:30. The complete series was not aired.
  • In Mexico, it was transmitted in Canal 5 of the Televisa Network, once a week at 9:00 pm.
  • In Slovenia, it's aired on TV 3 on work days at 5 p.m.
  • In Venezuela it airs on Televen Monday to Friday at 11 am.
  • In Ukraine Was shown on 1+1 national TV channel in 1998-1999 years.

[edit] External links

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