Seasons 1-3: High School Years

[slayer2]

2000 Miles just came on and now I'm all pissed off to hear from y'all that they replaced it on the DVDs. The fuck!!??? I cannot sir. I simply cannot.

[woodscommaelle]

Is there a worse actor on this series than Mel Silver?

[Bastet]

Doug Emerson (Scott Scanlon).

Edited December 14, 2014 by Bastet

[woodscommaelle]

Doug Emerson (Scott Scanlon).

Good one!

[slayer2]

Okay so after marathoning season one and 'The Beach Episodes' and realizing how egregiously they fucked up the music rights I had to make a playlist. it's here http://joyjazzandjive.blogspot.ca/2015/01/beverly-hills-90210-yes.html for anyone interested (and damn skippy 2000 Miles is on there). I didn't bother with music from the College Years as I pretty much clocked out after Brenda did. My heart actually hurts when I try to watch the show without her. The power of Shannen Doherty!

Actually, the original Melrose Place has the same issue.

Party of Five did this too. My disappointment at not hearing Tom Petty's Wildflowers and Chris Isaak's Somebody's Crying is legendary.

Edited January 26, 2015 by slayer2

[AndySmith]

 

And who likes Claire?

 

I did...

[Maharincess]

I'm so ridiculously happy that the show is now on Hulu!

I'm going to be laid up for a while so this is perfect! I wasn't looking forward to basically being bedridden for a few months but at least I'll have the show to watch now.

I watched the pilot and episode 1 today.

I'm way too old to be so happy about this.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Maharincess

[slayer2]

I'm so ridiculously happy that the show is now on Hulu!

I'm going to be laid up for a while so this is perfect! I wasn't looking forward to basically being bedridden for a few months but at least I'll have the show to watch now.

I watched the pilot and episode 1 today.

I'm way too old to be so happy about this.

 

You're never too old to be happy about marathoning tv shows especially Beverly Hills 90210!

[Maharincess]

I'm loving my rewatch! Brinda Wash who says coulnn't and woulnn't, Dylan with his one strap overalls.

Sigh.

I didn't have Soap Net so I haven't seen the show in years. I read the forums at TWoP and here and was always envious when you all would watch.

I could only find clips online so I'm so happy that Hulu has it on. I'm not happy about surgeries but am happy that I have all the time in the world to lie back and watch.

Perfect Mom is next up on my queue! I'm getting my snacks together to watch it.

[desertflower]

Best wishes for your recovery from surgery, Maharincess. Glad the gang is there to get you through it. :)

I'm curious, do the episodes on Hulu have all the original music?

[Maharincess]

Thank you so much desertflower.

To be honest, I don't pay much attention to the music. If the Hulu episodes have different music than the original run had, I wouldn't know the difference.

Sorry I'm not much help in that area.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Maharincess

[desertflower]

That's ok! I actually don't notice a lot of it either. I watch on Pop, which does replace some songs but some of it is still the same, I think. I know there are a handful of memorable scenes where I'd notice the difference but that's only every so often.

[sinnerforhire]

With the announcement on EHG that Tara and Sarah are going to do a 90210 podcast, I watched the first season on Hulu and am halfway through the second season through methods. I have to say, without the nostalgia factor (I was seven when the show premiered and didn't know it existed until much later) it just comes across as preachy and tone-deaf, especially in the Issue episodes.

The wheelchair cousin episode really bothered me, but disability rights is kind of a hot-button issue for me, so no surprise there, I guess. I thought Kelly should have done more on the direction of calling Bobby out for how he treated her. I also thought it was incredibly patronizing how the Walshes didn't think he could do normal everyday things like cooking by himself.

I just got to The Next 50 Years and it was everything Jessica's canon submission made it out to be. God, Scott's mom really was unbearable! I wished David would have stood up to her more, but I can see why he didn't.

Since I'm not really looking at the screen that much, I'm missing the outfits. It sounds so strange that Brenda would steal her dad's shirts and that was considered a cool thing to do fashion-wise. And I thought the spring formal dress could have been a lot worse, considering the bridesmaids dresses from that era that my best friend and I played dress-up with, all puffy sleeves and crinoline skirts and yes, one of them was teal.

Edited May 23, 2015 by sinnerforhire

[Bastet]

It sounds so strange that Brenda would steal her dad's shirts and that was considered a cool thing to do fashion-wise.

 

I remember that trend, although I think it lasted about five minutes.

[sinnerforhire]

Watched the season 2 Christmas episode today and I teared up. Not just once, but multiple times.

*hangs head in shame*

[desertflower]

There is no shame here! Cry away!!

[sinnerforhire]

I just got to Jack (fake) blowing himself up, and wow, that is some seriously terrible emoting by Luke Perry. BAG in the Dead Scott episode looks like an Oscar winner in comparison. If that was the take they went with, I don't even want to contemplate how bad the outtakes must have been.

[psychoticstate]

I have the first season on DVD and I swear at one point I had the second as well (but I think my ex stole it).  Anyhow, after reading these boards during the afternoon, I went home and dug my DVDs out and watched Slumber Party.  I was upset to notice that during the "dance scene" with Cindy, Brenda, Kelly, Donna and Andrea, they replaced "Mony Mony" with some song I've never heard of.  Makes no sense when the gals are leaning in to say "Yeah!" along with "Mony Mony." 

 

Anyway, I love the Slumber Party episode, from Andrea's prairie girl nightie to her inexplicably bringing the Ouija board.  Andrea would NEVER do that - - Donna maybe.  Funny too how Brenda tells the gang that they aren't watching Pretty Woman or any other movie because they are there to talk and then promptly agrees to a board game. 

 

Amanda is a stark raving bitch who needs to be stuffed with Oreo cookies so she'll shut up.  I understood why Kelly wanted to leave after Brenda got hypocritical on the Dylan thing after Skeletons in the Closet but it made no sense why Andrea would get huffy and want to leave and Donna would follow suit.  Oh well, it was in the script.

 

I also watched East Side Story and man, Brandon was so judgmental and pissy I wanted to slap that shelf of hair right off his head.  If I had spoken like that to one of my dad's clients, or any adult in front of my parents, they would have locked me in my room until I was 30.  Carla seemed a nice enough character but we really didn't get to know her since she went to West Bev for a hot minute before heading back to Pomona.  Which apparently is such a different world and sooooo far away from LA that she and Brandon would never speak again.  I guess they don't have phones in Pomona.  Either that or Carla was smart enough to get the hell away from Brandon as quickly as possible.  We won't even discuss Brandon's painful dance moves at the rec center.

 

The fashions were particularly godawful in this episode.  I may be colorblind after watching it.

[desertflower]

I am convinced that Brandon's terrible dancing at the rec center is what directly led to the "Brandon hates to dance" running plotline. I bet Jason saw himself and vowed "Never again!"

Re: Carla disappearing off the face of the earth. Just add her to the long list of Brandon's season 1 girls who all vanished. Teen mom, Vivica A. Fox (who was supposed to be a neighbor!), Ice skater girl, Mary Ann from the pilot. All vanished, never to be seen again, except for a brief appearance in Brandon's flashback memory at the senior breakfast.

[Maherjunkie]

Was he worse than Elaine on Seinfeld?

[hammaboo]

I loved the summer episodes.  At the time, I think they were very innovative by doing that.  I don't remember any channels were doing off-season episodes like they did for 90210. 

 

I know the episodes could come off as a bit preachy (the more you know *shooting star twinkle twinkle twinkle*) and do more so now that I'm an adult, but I always thought they did a pretty good job with holiday episodes. Halloween (Donna as a mermaid, haha) and Christmas in S2, Thanksgiving (tying back to the homeless guy from the summer eps) and Christmas(the It's a Wonderful Life ripoff) in S3.  Or at least, I still enjoy them when I see them. 

 

Season 1, my favorite episode is the one where Brenda covers for Brandon at the Peach Pit as Lavoiiiiine.

[Marie Claudine]

Mary Ann from the pilot.

Yup, where did she go? Would she not have been at the Senior Breakfast herself?

 

Lol, whenever I think of that girl and the related plot, I giggle. "Mary Ann gave him roses, and he broke her heart" - Andrea was soo dramatic! Because 16-year old girls always send roses to boys in their class, and nobody notices that unless the guy spreads inappropriate rumours during gym. M-hm.

[txhorns79]

Amanda is a stark raving bitch who needs to be stuffed with Oreo cookies so she'll shut up. 

 

I appreciated that they solved her anorexia by putting her on the path to bulimia.  

 

I'll never not love the fashion show episode.  It's so anvil-icious, and obviously Cindy being scandalized when she walks in on "perfect mom" Jackie doing lines in the bathroom is a wonderful moment.  

 

Also, Cindy's horrible, horrible "emotional affair" flowered dress she wears when she goes to see her old boyfriend is a sight to behold.   

[desertflower]

Cindy got a raw deal from the wardrobe department. Carol Potter was a pretty woman, and on the rare occasion they put her in something flattering she looked really nice. But I guess they were set on making her the dowdy mom from the Midwest. I still have trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that I am now older than she was in those episodes, because she seemed much older based on the wardrobe.

[psychoticstate]

I appreciated that they solved her anorexia by putting her on the path to bulimia.  

 

I'll never not love the fashion show episode.  It's so anvil-icious, and obviously Cindy being scandalized when she walks in on "perfect mom" Jackie doing lines in the bathroom is a wonderful moment.  

 

Also, Cindy's horrible, horrible "emotional affair" flowered dress she wears when she goes to see her old boyfriend is a sight to behold.   

 

I loved the Perfect Mom episode.  I think that one, along with the Slumber Party (but not a slumber party, rather a women's conference or whatever), were my favorites from season 1.   Jackie was so over the top, Brenda realized how lucky she was to have "boring" Cindy and Kelly was humanized a bit.

 

I have to say that unlike many teen themed shows, the actresses playing Cindy, Jackie and Felice were spot on.  I couldn't imagine anyone else in their shoes.

 

 

Cindy got a raw deal from the wardrobe department. Carol Potter was a pretty woman, and on the rare occasion they put her in something flattering she looked really nice. But I guess they were set on making her the dowdy mom from the Midwest. I still have trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that I am now older than she was in those episodes, because she seemed much older based on the wardrobe.

 

Amen to this.  Either the show made her look like she fell off the Color Me Badd turnip truck or went way overboard (as in the episode where she played a rich Beverly Hills woman in the boutique Brenda briefly worked at.)    It's too bad they couldn't have dressed her more like Felice (when she was dressing normally) or Samantha Sanders.

Edited June 12, 2015 by psychoticstate

[atlanticslide]

I'm watching the Season 1 finale episode (Walshes moving back to MN) and man, could Kelly be any worse of a friend? Andrea goes to her for advice about sex, tells her that she and Brandon are going to hook up in the empty Peach Pit, and Kelly decides instead to co-opt their sex date and make it a party? That said, why on earth would Andrea and Brandon think the Peach Pit would be a good spot for their first time (and Andreas first time)?

 

On a different note, Brenda is constantly way too overdressed for the beach. In this episode she's wearing a long-sleeved black dress that goes down to her ankles and looks about three sizes too big.

[Qoass]

 

the actresses playing Cindy, Jackie and Felice were spot on.  I couldn't imagine anyone else in their shoes.

 

Well, you don't have to imagine since Jackie and Felice were played by different actresses in their first appearances!

[desertflower]

I'm watching the Season 1 finale episode (Walshes moving back to MN) and man, could Kelly be any worse of a friend? Andrea goes to her for advice about sex, tells her that she and Brandon are going to hook up in the empty Peach Pit, and Kelly decides instead to co-opt their sex date and make it a party? That said, why on earth would Andrea and Brandon think the Peach Pit would be a good spot for their first time (and Andreas first time)?

Oh man, I HATE that scene on the carousel when Andrea propositions Brandon. People throw the word "cringe-worthy" around a lot, but it's totally appropriate for that scene. I actually squirm watching it, I just feel embarrassed for her. There's nothing wrong with her showing interest in him but it's just the way she says it, how she's giving herself as a gift to him. GAG.

[Maherjunkie]

Now desert flower, if you were at a purity ball that's what it would be.

[psychoticstate]

Well, you don't have to imagine since Jackie and Felice were played by different actresses in their first appearances!

 

Ha!  True.  And Casa Walsh was played in the premiere by another non-Walsh house. 

 

Oh man, I HATE that scene on the carousel when Andrea propositions Brandon. People throw the word "cringe-worthy" around a lot, but it's totally appropriate for that scene. I actually squirm watching it, I just feel embarrassed for her. There's nothing wrong with her showing interest in him but it's just the way she says it, how she's giving herself as a gift to him. GAG.

 

It is definitely cringe-worthy but I can see a teenage girl thinking it made perfect sense.  He's leaving and you're never going to see him again so no time like the present.  Doing the deed at the Peach Pit though was bizarre and gross.  Were they going to lie on the floor?  On the bar?   Brandon was working - - surely he had a few bucks for a motel room.  Or how about the Beverly Royale?  Isn't that where all assignations happened? 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Well, you don't have to imagine since Jackie and Felice were played by different actresses in their first appearances!

 

 

Actually, only Donna's mother was played by a different actress--Jordana Capra--But here's the kicker: Her name was Nancy Martin, not Felice!  Katherine Canon took over the role, and I guess they decided to change her name as well! Anne Gillespie has always played the part of Kelly's mother.

[desertflower]

I think I remember another woman appearing as Jackie, but it was only once and very brief. In the pilot, maybe?

[GHScorpiosRule]

I think I remember another woman appearing as Jackie, but it was only once and very brief. In the pilot, maybe?

 

 

I stand corrected. Totally forgot about the pilot. It was Pamela Galloway. hangs head in shame.

 

But I am petty enough that I love that it's Jason and Shannen's names as top billing when you go to imdb.com and do a search under the show's name.*

 

*I remember in one of those exposés, how Jennie Garth said how Shannen wasn't a team player, and everything was about Brenda!Brenda!Brenda!  And once Shannen was gone, why, look at that--practically every episode, or a multitude of episodes over the years were about Kelly!Kelly!Kelly!

 

Bitter, who, me?

[psychoticstate]

 

 

*I remember in one of those exposés, how Jennie Garth said how Shannen wasn't a team player, and everything was about Brenda!Brenda!Brenda!  And once Shannen was gone, why, look at that--practically every episode, or a multitude of episodes over the years were about Kelly!Kelly!Kelly!

 

Bitter, who, me?

 

Well, of course it was about Brenda, Brenda, Brenda.  The show's original concept was about the Walsh family moving to Beverly Hills and their new friends.  Kelly was a friend so a supporting role in the beginning. 

 

I understand JG being bitter/upset/annoyed that SD wasn't a team player but not getting twisted because things were about Brenda the first few seasons.

[Maherjunkie]

Maybe she meant showing up on time.

[AndySmith]

I think most of the cast would agree that Shannon wasn't a team player back then. Glad she's mended fences with most of them, though.

[larapu2000]

I fucking HATED Lavoine.  Brenda, the consummate drama queen.  I also hated Brenda.  And Brenda/Dylan.  I was always a fan of the Kelly/Dylan romance because it's like the show was trying for "The Way We Were" but Brenda wasn't "complicated," she was just a whiny, entitled teenage girl.  And not that Kelly wasn't, it just seemed like Dylan would get a few moments of fucking peace if he were dating Kelly.  

 

I do admire Shannen Doherty's legs, though.  Girl had a set of gams on her.

[JennDear77]

What the hell was up with Scott Scanlon's eyebrows? The actor who portrayed him was horrid and must have thought that over-emoting with them was a good idea. I saw the show when it aired and am now watching the reruns on TVGN. Right away, I realized that I was dreading seeing his earnest face with the dancing eyebrows again. It sounds terrible to say it but I wasn't sorry when he was killed off!

Holy crap thank you. I was always super annoyed at his delivery/acting style/whatever the hell he was doing. I don't know if the actor was doing those things purposely to make the character very geeky freshman or if that guy really can't control his facial movements and that's how he speaks.

The woman who played his mother annoyed the crap out of me too.

[FozzyBear]

Well, of course it was about Brenda, Brenda, Brenda. The show's original concept was about the Walsh family moving to Beverly Hills and their new friends. Kelly was a friend so a supporting role in the beginning.

I understand JG being bitter/upset/annoyed that SD wasn't a team player but not getting twisted because things were about Brenda the first few seasons.

From interviews and such I actually gather that the 3 girls are pretty close in personality to their characters during senior year/college and the RL fights were kind of close to the show. I think SD was dramatic and self absorbed, but also free spirited and talented. JG has always struck me as a bit of an uptight nag who was pretty judgmental of other people's mistakes, but also pretty reliable and responsible and considerably more together than the rest of young Hollywood. TS sounded like a sweet kid who wasn't too bright and very easily influenced by those around her. I always suspected the writers started using the existing tensions between the girls for inspiration for story lines.

[SoupThrower]

Why must they let David Sing. Brian deserved better than him singing. Brenda and him should have danced more together though. 

 

What I loved:

- Nikki with Bran - I thought it was great.

- David

- Kelly in S2

- Donna in S2

- Drunk David and Stoned Brandon

- Celeste and Steve.

- Brandon braying because it is so bad it's awesome. 

- Brenda's bitchiness cause it is awesome.

- Steve except for the hair and clothes. 

 

Eh

- Dylan and Brenda

- Dylan and Kelly

- Brandon and Emily

- The Paris episodes

 

Didn't like:

- The racist girlfriend

- Andrea and anything to do with teachers

- Andrea and anything to do with issues

- Andrea being lovesick

- David's singing

- The legacy key stuff. 

[Princess Sparkle]

It is definitely cringe-worthy but I can see a teenage girl thinking it made perfect sense. He's leaving and you're never going to see him again so no time like the present. Doing the deed at the Peach Pit though was bizarre and gross. Were they going to lie on the floor? On the bar? Brandon was working - - surely he had a few bucks for a motel room. Or how about the Beverly Royale? Isn't that where all assignations happened?

They were going to do it on the bar, weren't they? I just remember after they realized they couldn't do it in either one of their houses and Brandon suggests the Peach Pit, Andrea says that they could do it on the bar, because that's what happened in The Postman Always Rings Twice.

That entire subplot is insanely cringeworthy, and I can't believe Gabrielle Carteris or Jason Priestley got through any of that with a straight face. Also, Andrea, word of advice - if you're planning on getting banged by your hot crush, don't show up in an oversized mumsie blazer. Even though it was so jerky of him, I crack up every time at the scene where Brandon sees it, and is basically like "Oh, you're wearing that? ......ok."

Edited October 21, 2015 by Princess Sparkle

[screamin]

I think the point was that Andrea knew about the surprise party and dressed for that rather than a clandestine assignation on or behind the Peach Pit bar.

[wessywok]

I've never seen Beverly Hills 90210. It was forbidden at home, along with Married With Children. The reason for the first was "I will not allow such terrible acting in my house." the reason for the latter was "I will not have such a poor portrayal of family in my house." When pressed, my mother also said that she thought that - as a fraternal twin - I should boycott the series on behalf of myself and my 2-minute-older brother. 

So I'm listening to these podcasts having never seen the show itself and it is cracking me up and making me so grateful that my mother forbade it. This way of consuming it is vastly preferable. 

[Maherjunkie]

Does she regret denying you such pleasure?

[Shangrilala]

So I have to give a HUGE shout out to Chuck Wilson and Samantha Sanders for giving me a wonderful answer to the questions:  "Where do babies come from?"

 

My 4 year old asked me the age old question last night, and I was so taken aback by her (it came out of nowhere), that I reached far back into my memory of the Hartley House mom telling Chuckie that mommy and daddy love each other very much and that "one night there was so much love that it made a whole other person."  

 

Thank you Samantha Sanders, Chuckie and 90210 writers. I had no idea that I would remember that line, but apparently I did and it worked...for now!  

[scrubs14]

I haven't actually seen the early seasons in years though I'm loving the Again with This podcast.  While going through some of the visual aids, I remembered that the Peach Pit looked totally different early on.  

 

I could have sworn that there was an early episode that showed the "construction" being done. Am I totally crazy?  Does anyone know what episode this would be in? Or did they just come back at some point with a totally different looking set and no explanation.  Which would kind of go along with the whole "And they never saw him again..." theme.  

[Shangrilala]

There is.  During the first summer season when Brenda breaks up with Dylan is when they have the Peach PIt under construction, I just don't remember which one specifically.  

[Pdxblonde]

The summer of deception is playing on Pop this week. Steve and Brandon were really "fighting" over racist mom haircut chick? Seriously? She looks the same age as Jackie and Cindy!

[desertflower]

Today I watched the episode where they start senior year, where Nikki is featured quite a bit. Afterward I was flipping through channels and the movie Vacation is on, in which Dana Barron (Nikki) plays Audrey. So funny to see her back to back like that. I had to look up the dates and do some math...Vacation was 1983 and she was about 17. Her appearance on 90210 was 1993, putting her at 27, playing a freshman. (Or was she a sophomore? I know she had a senior buddy like the freshmen but maybe it's just because she was new to the school?) Anyway I guess she fit right in with Steve and Dylan and Andrea and all the other old high school students. :) But to her credit she still looked like a teenager.

[SoupThrower]

Today I watched the episode where they start senior year, where Nikki is featured quite a bit. Afterward I was flipping through channels and the movie Vacation is on, in which Dana Barron (Nikki) plays Audrey. So funny to see her back to back like that. I had to look up the dates and do some math...Vacation was 1983 and she was about 17. Her appearance on 90210 was 1993, putting her at 27, playing a freshman. (Or was she a sophomore? I know she had a senior buddy like the freshmen but maybe it's just because she was new to the school?) Anyway I guess she fit right in with Steve and Dylan and Andrea and all the other old high school students. :) But to her credit she still looked like a teenager.

 

Woah....she was older than Jason. 

 

Wait! She was older than Brian by 7 years. That's even scarier. I mean the girls that Brian kissed were around his age (Tori, Kathleen, Tiffani). Heck even Ariel was older than Brian by around 6 years.

 

Guess it never hit me how young Brian and Tori were. 

Edited December 16, 2015 by SoupThrower