The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story

[UYI]

Since no one has posted about it yet, I will. There will be a TV movie on Lifetime about the original Beverly Hills 90210:

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/lifetime-greenlights-unauthorized-beverly-hills-802584

 

 

[methodwriter85]

Okay, there better some damn good dirt on here instead of the insipid crap from the Saved By the Bell movie. Tori and Jennie have basically admitted that they couldn't stand Shannen Doherty.

[Enero]

Hopefully it doesn't turn into a Shannon Doherty hate fest. We already know her cast mates didn't really like her but surely there was more juicy drama than that going on behind the scenes. The show was after all on for 10 years most of which Shannon wasn't even on.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Enero

[DkNNy79]

Well I believe Vanessa Marcil didn't get along with Tori and Jennie as well.  I think she alluded to the fact that they weren't very nice to her.

[methodwriter85]

Hopefully it doesn't turn into a Shannon Doherty hate fest. We already know her cast mates didn't really like her but surely there was more juicy drama than that going on behind the scenes. The show was after all on for 10 years most of which Shannon wasn't even on.

 

I think they're specifically only covering her years.

 

I would be shocked if casting even got close. Shannon Doherty, Luke Perry, and Tori Spelling all had very distinctive looks.

[butterbody]

I would be shocked if casting even got close. Shannon Doherty, Luke Perry, and Tori Spelling all had very distinctive looks.

Well if they're still trying to cast Donna Martin, they could try to get the talking horse from the Direct TV ads.

[DangerousMinds]

Mods or anyone else - this is also a Lifetime Original Movie, correct? Shouldn't it then be discussed in that thread? Ditto for "a Deadly Adoption," "Flowers in the Attic," etc. I just need some clarity on this please.

[methodwriter85]

Well if they're still trying to cast Donna Martin, they could try to get the talking horse from the Direct TV ads.

 

There's an anecdote from Tori Spelling's book that Luke Perry called her Camel because of her eyelashes were like a camel. Her eyelashes. Right.

 

I kind of wish that this was authorized and based on sTori Telling because it was actually pretty juicy and fun.

[WendyCR72]

Mods or anyone else - this is also a Lifetime Original Movie, correct? Shouldn't it then be discussed in that thread? Ditto for "a Deadly Adoption," "Flowers in the Attic," etc. I just need some clarity on this please.

 

Hi! Glad to help out. In cases such as larger/more popular pop-culture movies and such, like BH90210, Saved By The Bell, Sharknado Number Whatever and so on, I feel they merit their own threads here in the One Offs thread.

 

There may be some overlap since some may also discuss in the Lifetime thread, but it's okay. The Hallmark movies also have their own thread for the non-holiday stuff and are also discussed (Christmas) in the holiday specials/movies thread.

 

To put it in more concise terms: We're pretty relaxed here, so some overlap won't hurt.  :-)  And if it gives higher-profile projects some more exposure with their own threads, great!

 

Hope this helps. Anymore questions or concerns, don't hesitate to ask.

[DangerousMinds]

Thank you!

[BetterButter]

Cast photo

[methodwriter85]

You know, it's not as off as I thought it would be. The Jennie Garth is actually pretty spot-on. Max is way too tan to be Jason Priestly, though.

 

The jeans could be tighter (jeans didn't get baggy on the show until college) but otherwise it's not bad.

[Rick Kitchen]

It's funny that the same actress who played TAT in the Saved by the Bell movie is going to play her in this one.

[Maharincess]

Is the dark haired girl in the cast picture supposed to be Brenda or Val?

[ShadowHunter]

Will this movie bring up Ian's Sharknado success?

[DucksFlyTogether]

What is Valerie doing there if they're only covering the Brenda years?  I guess Tiffani and Brian were dating at least part of that time?

[methodwriter85]

It has to be Brenda. Val never had hair that was long and straight like that.

[turbogirlnyc]

The girl playing Tori Spelling is way too pretty. Looks nothing like her. Except for the hair in that photo.

[Dejana]

"Luke Perry" has his hands full in new sneak preview

[methodwriter85]

The girl playing Tori Spelling is way too pretty. Looks nothing like her. Except for the hair in that photo.

T.V. is contractually obligated to perpetuate the myth that Tori Spelling is beautiful.

[GaT]

This is kind of off topic, & I'm not really sure where to post this, but this seems like the best place to put it. I was watching ET & they did a piece on the movie. As part of it, they showed some original interviews they did with the cast way back in the day. When Shannen's came up (around 1:07) I was astounded by her teeth. They're kind of yellowish & there's big gaps between some of them. Can you imagine someone being given a star role in a tv series now with teeth like that? Didn't they have teeth whitening in the 90s? Since it caught my attention as soon as she started speaking, it really stands out. 

[UniqBlue69]

Tori Spelling Uses the Excuse of a Lie-Detector Test to Basically Brag About Banging Two Guys on Beverly Hills, 90210

 

I love how the interviewer calls her out on volunteering the information and then she tries to act all coy when pressed about who the 2nd guy was she banged (the other was Brian Austin Green). Is there nothing this desperate woman won't do or say for publicity? Anyway, my money's on Luke Perry. Didn't daddy Spelling pay his salary the first couple of years because Fox refused to?

[Tara Ariano]

This is kind of off topic, & I'm not really sure where to post this, but this seems like the best place to put it. I was watching ET & they did a piece on the movie. As part of it, they showed some original interviews they did with the cast way back in the day. When Shannen's came up (around 1:07) I was astounded by her teeth. They're kind of yellowish & there's big gaps between some of them. Can you imagine someone being given a star role in a tv series now with teeth like that? Didn't they have teeth whitening in the 90s? Since it caught my attention as soon as she started speaking, it really stands out. 

 

Shannen Doherty's teeth have always been a moving target, as it were. When she started on the show she had a gap on the side; circa Charmed she got them capped;  but since then she's developed a different gap between them in the front.

[GaT]

At least she had them whitened, I hate yellow teeth.

[leighdear]

I am stupidly and ridiculously excited about watching this tonight.  I'm currently about halfway through of an entire show re-watch on Hulu plus and almost wish I was already done.  

 

But I'm watching anyway!  And I've always had a soft spot for Tori, despite all her neediness and horrible decisions.  Her lie detector should be interesting.  

[Megan]

Tori Spelling Uses the Excuse of a Lie-Detector Test to Basically Brag About Banging Two Guys on Beverly Hills, 90210

 

I love how the interviewer calls her out on volunteering the information and then she tries to act all coy when pressed about who the 2nd guy was she banged (the other was Brian Austin Green). Is there nothing this desperate woman won't do or say for publicity? Anyway, my money's on Luke Perry. Didn't daddy Spelling pay his salary the first couple of years because Fox refused to?

 

 

Didn't she actually date the dude that played Noah IRL? I assume him.

[Ruby25]

Did Jennie Garth and Luke Perry ever fool around in real life?

[leighdear]

Wow, they are seriously throwing Shannen under the bus.  Though if even half of what they show is true, she absolutely deserved it.  

[Primetimer]

What could make an ersatz Shannen Doherty so morose? Find out with our special bonus podcast on Lifetime's unauthorized story of Beverly Hills, 90210!

Read the story

[Primetimer]

But you may also find you cannot look away.

Read the story

[JennB]

How many toothpicks do you think "Luke" went through during filming?

[lottiedottie]

So, they took two hours to basically show us how they got Shannen off the show and oh yeah, she's a bitch. Got it!

 

Although it was amusing to watch. Can't wait for unauthorized Melrose!

[TomGirl]

Some of the actors didn't resemble the real actors at all (e.g. Brian Austin Green). The Jennie Garth actress was the best match.

[Hollysdower]

OMG, you guys are so great getting this up right away! I have to fly to England (or to...Beverly Hills, or something) to see this...still waiting...on those..."flight attendants"... OK enough metaphor

Watched the live tweets, can't wait to see the movie, so great to have this podcast to tide me over, thanks guys! :D

[methodwriter85]

They honestly knocked it out of the park in terms of casting Young Jennie Garth. I also think Samantha Munro did a good Shannen Doherty, although not nearly as good as Irene Molloy did on Grosse Pointe. (Come on, Hunter Molloy was clearly meant to be Shannen)

The rest of the casting was meh, but it was entertaining, and that's pretty much all I wanted after the lame Saved by the Bell story

[Racj82]

I can't even give them props on the Garth thing. That actress is a well known look a like for Garth. That was gimmie. She was even on the 90210 reboot for a recurring arc.

[methodwriter85]

Wow, they are seriously throwing Shannen under the bus.  Though if even half of what they show is true, she absolutely deserved it.  

 

Given that Shannen managed to get herself written off a t.v. show twice, I'm guessing she did?

 

I still think the story seems way tamed down, but I was actually entertained, which was more than I can say for the Saved by the Bell story.

Edited October 4, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Dejana]

The Unauthorized movies seem to be less terrible, the more of them Lifetime churns out. Now that actors are appearing as the same character in multiple movies, does it count as an official Unauthorized Lifetime Universe? Even though they left out things like the Walsh parents, The Peach Pit and "Donna Martin Graduates!" the in-movie version of the show bore more than a passing resemblance to actual, old-school 90210.

 

Hollywood can spend years and tens of millions of dollars making biopics where the actors in no way resemble the real-life subjects, so I pretty much give cheapie, slapped-together Lifetime movies a pass for not finding dopplegangers on short notice. It was easy enough to tell which person they were playing, and that's really all I expect, given the budget/talent pool they're drawing from. Movie Tori looked the least like the real version, but I never thought she was hideous in the early years and would've looked fine if she'd left herself alone.

 

Of course there was a Sharknado joke.

 

Fact checking the 'Unauthorized' Shannen Doherty drama

Edited October 4, 2015 by Dejana

[turbogirlnyc]

I wanted more. I guess we only get the Shannon years? The actors playing Donna, Dylan and David looked nothing like the originals.

[methodwriter85]

I wanted more. I guess we only get the Shannon years? The actors playing Donna, Dylan and David looked nothing like the originals.

I thought the guy playing Dylan looked like Daren Kagasoff from The Secret Life of the American Teenager. No, I didn't watch the show, but I did see clips.

 

I'm guessing they only did the Shannon years because the show was generally harmonious after she left? I did think it was funny that the movie basically said that Jennie Garth was going to fill the bitch vacuum.

Edited October 4, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Racj82]

There is nothing else to say after Shannen left. There's a reason why, when FOX did their reunion, there wasn't a non OG member to be found. That's the legacy of the show. Valerie was the shit so you have to give a mention to her but you don't need to go beyond that. They only get less than a hour and a half as it is. They have to look at a specific chunk of time. That's how they've been doing it all along.

 

Looking at the movie.

 

This may seem silly but I was struck how well the guy playing Priestley got it. He nailed Jason without hamming it up at all. Some of the line readings (like when Brenda told Kelly she lost her virginity) came off like they took actual sound from the show it was so uncanny.

 

The Dylan actor didn't look like Luke but he had the same water head. The girl playing Donna could have passed for Kelly to IMO. The BAG one was the dirt worst. And teach that dude how to flail around like David.

 

I thought Munroe did a real good job as Shannon. Didn't totally look like her but she became her pretty well.

 

What I actually enjoy the most were the little personal things. Like Jason and Gabby seeming to be really close in real life. Ian and Shannon being closer than I would think. He really seemed to have her back a lot until he even had enough. Jason made me laugh everytime he messed with BAG. I'm sure he did treat him like a little brother.

[Hollysdower]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this, but this is at least the second time that Dan Castellaneta has played Aaron Spelling. He was in a 2004 made-for-TV movie about Charlie's Angels as Aaron. I thought there was a Dynasty "behind the scenes" TV movie where he played Aaron, but I guess I just imagined it, cause I can't find it.

Gotta give props to Dave on that Reagan impression. :P Also, I read Priestley's book, and I don't recall a Reagan meet in it.

[txhorns79]

They honestly knocked it out of the park in terms of casting Young Jennie Garth.

 

Seriously.  She guested on the CW's 90210, but sadly she never shared a scene with Jennie Garth.   

[StatMom]

This was great! Dave even got a couple moments in. The Reagan impression was choice. Also enjoyed his reaction to the clunky/winky suggestion of a Fox News division, which was something like: "Hah ha! Heh... oh." Yeah.

Tara's description of the sets of the movie looking like they were shot in a bank or something were spot on. I'd like to think it was intentional as some kind of homage, but we know better. Just terrible.

[AndySmith]

This is what the movie thinks Tori Spelling looked like before BH90210 was on the air

 

Hahaha no not even. That casting is the only part that makes me think the movie might have been authorized ;)

[WhosThatGirl]

I'm a sucker for all these terrible lifetime movies. As I have mentioned, I was too young for the actual era of 90210 and most of my references come from seeing it on reruns but I did watch a million E specials on Shannon and 90210 back in the day, so yeah, most of this movie was stuff we already kind of knew but it was somewhat better then the unauthorized ones before it. Probably because this time, the powers that be had more to work with as far as actually having things happen. Nothing happened BTS of Saved By The Bell or Full House because for the most part, those sets were PG for the most part.

Here, these actors were kind of insane.  I will probably even watch next weeks Melrose Place movie even though I didn't ever watch that show, ever.

 

Not Jennie Garth looked and acted so much like real Jennie Garth, it was kind of scary. 

[ShaNaeNae]

That was...interesting. I didn't realize that girl was already well known for looking like Jennie. Because that was spot on. The girl who did Shannon did a good job, but her hair bugged me. I graduated HS in '91 so I was right along with them following them for style. Shannen always had the most on point (as the kids say these days) bangs. Except the pilot episode. I could tell which one was Jason P, occasionally he'd nail him. He was always the easy going yet outgoing guy. Trying to remember if I knew he was roommates with Brad Pitt early on. The guy playing Dylan was nothing like Luke. I had to laugh at BAG/David Silver because I always picture him in those loud blouses, bopping around with his bolo tie bouncing and swinging like nobody's business. As mentioned, the girl who played Tori was stinkin' adorable and Tori/Donna wasn't. She was a cute character, but not Donna. Steve Sanders looked like a clown. I know looking back he was goofy looking, but that guy looked horrible. And I don't know if Gabrielle Carteris is just annoying, or that character (not the character of Andrea, the character of fake Andrea) was.  That was annoying optimism.

 

Aaron Spelling.  For a minute I thought they got Christopher Walken to play him.  Never knew much about Darren Star, but seems like a nice guy.

 

I'm going to put myself out there, what's with Sharknado? I know it's some kind of cult classic that came out a few years ago (I think) with Eye-an and Tara Reid. And it's about some mix of a shark and tornado.  But why the wonder (and actuality) of Steve mentioning it. I noticed he told Shannen she was like a shark/tornado mix. Does it have anything to do with Ian and/or 90210 besides sharing the same star?

[turbogirlnyc]

That was...interesting. I didn't realize that girl was already well known for looking like Jennie. Because that was spot on. The girl who did Shannon did a good job, but her hair bugged me. I graduated HS in '91 so I was right along with them following them for style. Shannen always had the most on point (as the kids say these days) bangs. Except the pilot episode. I could tell which one was Jason P, occasionally he'd nail him. He was always the easy going yet outgoing guy. Trying to remember if I knew he was roommates with Brad Pitt early on. The guy playing Dylan was nothing like Luke. I had to laugh at BAG/David Silver because I always picture him in those loud blouses, bopping around with his bolo tie bouncing and swinging like nobody's business. As mentioned, the girl who played Tori was stinkin' adorable and Tori/Donna wasn't. She was a cute character, but not Donna. Steve Sanders looked like a clown. I know looking back he was goofy looking, but that guy looked horrible. And I don't know if Gabrielle Carteris is just annoying, or that character (not the character of Andrea, the character of fake Andrea) was. That was annoying optimism.

Aaron Spelling. For a minute I thought they got Christopher Walken to play him. Never knew much about Darren Star, but seems like a nice guy.

I'm going to put myself out there, what's with Sharknado? I know it's some kind of cult classic that came out a few years ago (I think) with Eye-an and Tara Reid. And it's about some mix of a shark and tornado. But why the wonder (and actuality) of Steve mentioning it. I noticed he told Shannen she was like a shark/tornado mix. Does it have anything to do with Ian and/or 90210 besides sharing the same star?

That was definitely a Sharknado reference. I can't see how else it would fit in with 90210.

Didn't know the girl playing Jennie was known for looking like her. Sometimes she did (like when she had sunglasses on) and sometimes not. I mistook Donna for Kelly in this show. I thought the girl playing Donna could have pulled off Kelly, as well.

Sure, the Shannon years were "eventful". So call it the unauthorized Brenda Walsh show. During the Tori Spelling interview after the movie, she admitted that she didn't like the show because it didn't capture what the experience was like for the cast. She also said there were a lot of romances & first loves amongst the cast members that weren't portrayed. That would have been more interesting than Shannon being the bad girl. Why can't they make it longer than an hour and a half?

If they needed more time, they could've done without Steve & Brenda's car ride or the network/Spelling talks. And why show Tiffani's entrance?

I'm not sure if anyone watched the Tori interview but man, I'd be pissed if my dad who was worth 50 million, only left me $800,000. Especially since they were close.

And I doubt Tori's only plastic surgeries were her nose and boobs. She looks completely different.

[turbogirlnyc]

Did Jennie Garth and Luke Perry ever fool around in real life?

I remember reading it somewhere. Though I don't know if it's true. They had some damn good chemistry. Tori mentioned in her interview that there were a lot of romances and first loves amongst cast members (not her).

[CMH1981]

I know they didn't get into the majority of the behind the scenes dealings w/ Shannen Doherty, but from this movie it made it look like she was voted off the 90210 island mainly for being late to the set. The almost throw down b/t Shannen and Jennie was laughable b/c you just know Shannen would have mopped the floor w/ Jennie, Shannen plays dirty.

So did Jennie b/c the new top bitch after the Shannen ouster this movie made it seem like was going to happen?

Was this the first time we had post-show updates (no matter how cheesy/stupid these were) on one of these unauthorized movies?

 

I'm not sure if anyone watched the Tori interview but man, I'd be pissed if my dad who was worth 50 million, only left me $800,000. Especially since they were close.

 

I know Candy comes into play here w/ the amount that Tori and her brother were left, since she seems to be a bitch and probably manipulated Aaron into amending his will near the end all that, but just b/c your parents have an immense wealth doesn't mean they are obligated to give a huge chunk of it to you after their death or even before that.  It's their money, or in this case Aaron's money, that he made himself.  If Tori wants millions then by god she can try to have her go at it to make something of herself other than a failed reality actress w/ two bad marriages.

Edited October 4, 2015 by CMH1981