Beverly Hills, 90210

This article is about the TV series. For the series' whole franchise, see Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise).
Not to be confused with 90210 (TV series) or BH90210.

Beverly Hills, 90210
Genre
Created byDarren Star
Starring
Theme music composerJohn E. Davis
ComposerJay Gruska
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes293 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupFilm; Single-camera
Running time45–95 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox[1]
ReleaseOctober 4, 1990 (1990-10-04) –
May 17, 2000 (2000-05-17)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Beverly Hills, 90210 (often referred to by its short title, 90210[2][3][4]) is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ten seasons on Fox from October 4, 1990, to May 17, 2000, and is the first of six television series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. The series follows the lives of a group of friends living in Beverly Hills, California, as they transition from high school to college and into the adult world. "90210" refers to one of the city's five ZIP codes.[5]

The initial premise of the show was based on the adjustment and culture shock that twins Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) experienced when they and their parents, Jim (James Eckhouse) and Cindy (Carol Potter), moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Beverly Hills, California.[6][7] In addition to chronicling the characters' friendships and romantic relationships, the show addressed topical issues such as sex, date rape, homophobia, animal rights, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders, racism (including antisemitism), teenage suicide, teenage pregnancy, and AIDS.[8][9]

After poor ratings during its first season, the series gained popularity during the summer of 1991, when Fox aired a special "summer season" of the show while most other series were in reruns.[10] Viewership increased dramatically, and 90210 became one of Fox's top shows when it returned that fall. The show became a global pop culture phenomenon with its cast members, particularly Jason Priestley and Luke Perry, who became teen idols; the series also made actresses Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth household names in the United States. The show is credited with creating or popularizing the teen soap genre that many other successful television shows followed in the years to come.

The show had many cast changes; Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, and Ian Ziering were the only actors to appear during its entire run and appeared on the first episode of the spin-off Melrose Place. On February 27, 2019, it was announced that a six-episode reboot had been ordered by Fox and that the show would simply be titled BH90210.[11][12] The revival premiered on Fox on August 7, 2019, and was cancelled on November 7, 2019.[13]

  1. ^ Brennan, Patricia (December 23, 1990). "'Beverly Hills, 90210'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Martel, Jay. "Scenes From the Cast Struggle in Beverly Hills 90210". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  3. ^ McLaughlin, Katie (May 15, 2014). "Jason Priestley: I regret leaving '90210'". CNN. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Fretts, Bruce. "The prodigal stars return". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  5. ^ "DARREN STAR, creator, 'Beverly Hills 90210'". The New York Times. August 31, 2008. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  6. ^ "Beverly Hills, 90210 – The Complete First Season". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  7. ^ Quintanilla, Michael (October 3, 1991). "Trends: Real Beverly Hills kids say they like '90210' and its plots. What they don't like is being portrayed as snobs". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  8. ^ James, Caryn (August 4, 1991). "TV VIEW; '90210' Goes To the Head Of the Class". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  9. ^ Bernstein, Sharon (February 6, 1992). "Beverly Hills' Teen-Agers Petition for Condoms". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  10. ^ Herbert, Steven (July 13, 1991). "Fox 'Hills' Strategy Pays Off". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  11. ^ Ausiello, Michael (February 27, 2019). "90210 'Revival' Officially Greenlit: Fox Orders 6-Episode Summer Event Series". TVLine. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Shannen Doherty to Join "BH90210," A Six-Episode Event Series, Airing Summer 2019 on FOX". The Futon Critic. April 26, 2019.
  13. ^ "'Beverly Hills, 90210' Revival Canceled at Fox". The Hollywood Reporter. November 7, 2019.