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''BH90210'' is an American
comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
series that aired on
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
from August 7 to September 11, 2019. As the sixth series in the franchise, original series stars
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
,
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
,
Jennie Garth Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise), ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom ''What I Like About You (TV ...
,
Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on ''Biker Mice from ...
,
Gabrielle Carteris Gabrielle Carteris ( ) is an American actress and trade union leader. Her best known acting role is as Andrea Zuckerman in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. In 2012, Carteris was elected executive vice president of SAG-AFTRA, a trade union representin ...
,
Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of List of Beverly Hills, 90210 characters#Main characters, David Silver on the Television show, television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1 ...
, and
Tori Spelling Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress. Her first major role was Donna Martin (character), Donna Martin on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', from 1990 to 2000. She has appeared in made-for-television films, including ''A Fri ...
return, playing themselves in a heightened version of reality that's inspired by their real lives and bonds, in which the actors deal with launching a reboot of ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
''. In November 2019, the series was canceled after one season.


Plot

The series focuses on the original cast members of ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
''—
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
,
Jennie Garth Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise), ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom ''What I Like About You (TV ...
,
Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on ''Biker Mice from ...
,
Gabrielle Carteris Gabrielle Carteris ( ) is an American actress and trade union leader. Her best known acting role is as Andrea Zuckerman in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. In 2012, Carteris was elected executive vice president of SAG-AFTRA, a trade union representin ...
,
Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of List of Beverly Hills, 90210 characters#Main characters, David Silver on the Television show, television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1 ...
,
Tori Spelling Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress. Her first major role was Donna Martin (character), Donna Martin on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', from 1990 to 2000. She has appeared in made-for-television films, including ''A Fri ...
, and
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
—playing heightened, fictionalized versions of themselves. Having parted ways 19 years after the original series ended, they reunite to get a reboot up and running, and must reconcile their new lives with the complications of their histories together.


Cast


Main

The main cast is composed of actors from the original series portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. Their fictional characters and storylines are inspired by the actors' real lives. *
Gabrielle Carteris Gabrielle Carteris ( ) is an American actress and trade union leader. Her best known acting role is as Andrea Zuckerman in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. In 2012, Carteris was elected executive vice president of SAG-AFTRA, a trade union representin ...
as herself: Carteris was
Andrea Zuckerman Andrea Zuckerman, portrayed by Gabrielle Carteris, is a fictional character who was one of the female leads of ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' for the first five seasons. Andrea was the intelligent but sometimes socially awkward editor of the school n ...
in the original series. In the series, Gabrielle is president of the fictional Actors Guild of America, reflecting Carteris' real-life
SAG-AFTRA The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
presidency. In the series, Carteris' character explores her sexuality, decades into her heterosexual marriage. Carteris hoped the storyline would add authenticity to the series and promote representation, stating, "Women come to a time in their lives where they raise their kids, they've had their careers, their kids leave home, and they're deciding, 'Am I recommitting to my relationship? It's been a great ride. Do I want to stay here? Maybe there's something else." *
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
as herself: Doherty was Brenda Walsh in the original series and the CW revival. Doherty did not want her fictional characterization to affirm "the prevailing public image that she's a trouble-making villain," though she is depicted as being estranged from the rest of the cast. While Doherty said "the scripted version of Shannen is ''extremely'' heightened" and "a little bit more of a hippie," the character incorporated her real-life dedication to animal activism. *
Jennie Garth Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise), ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom ''What I Like About You (TV ...
as herself: Garth was Kelly Taylor in the original series and several of its spin-offs. Developing a fictional version of herself required a lot of introspection, according to Garth, ultimately creating a character "in her ‘40s in a multiple-marriage situation, dealing with teenage girls, dealing with Hollywood, being in the limelight again and facing all those fears that were there when she was a young girl." Ziering reiterated that Garth's character would have a storied love life, reflecting Garth's real-life marriages. *
Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of List of Beverly Hills, 90210 characters#Main characters, David Silver on the Television show, television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1 ...
as himself: Green was
David Silver David Silver may refer to: * David Silver (Beverly Hills, 90210), a character on the TV series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' * David Silver (drummer), American musician, drummer of Season to Risk and Offworld * David Silver (computer scientist) (born 19 ...
on the original series. His fictionalized character is a stay-at-home dad. *
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
as himself: Priestley was Brandon Walsh in the original series. According to Priestley, his fictionalized character "differs from imin every way," aside from his career as a TV director. Ziering elaborated that Priestley's character only directs teen dramas, leaving him creatively dissatisfied. Priestley also described his character as "
Christopher Nolan Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
-obsessed," and wore a "WWCND" (What Would Christopher Nolan Do?") bracelet while filming. *
Tori Spelling Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress. Her first major role was Donna Martin (character), Donna Martin on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', from 1990 to 2000. She has appeared in made-for-television films, including ''A Fri ...
as herself: Spelling was Donna Martin in the original series and several spin-offs. Creating the fictional Tori character proved difficult for the writers, according to Spelling, due to the public fodder surrounding the actor's personal life. The fictional Tori has six children, whereas Spelling has five in real life. According to Ziering, Spelling's character is "broke," reflecting the actor's alleged financial issues, and is thus the catalyst for getting the reboot off the ground. Spelling's
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
career is also satirized in the series as her family's main source of income. *
Ian Ziering Ian Andrew Ziering (; born March 30, 1964) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on ''Biker Mice from ...
as himself: Ziering was Steve Sanders in the original series. Ziering's character on the show is an entrepreneur. He describes the character as "much more motivating and inspiring" than Ziering is in real life, adding that he is "very well off, lives in a beautiful home, he’s got everything he really needs — so we think."


Guest stars

* Carol Potter as herself: Potter portrayed Cindy Walsh on the original series, who now works as a licensed therapist. *
Christine Elise Christine Elise McCarthy, professionally known as Christine Elise, is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Valentine in ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' and '' BH90210'', and Kyle in the ''Child's Play'' ...
as herself: Elise recurred as Emily Valentine in the original series. According to Elise, the series takes "enormous liberties" with her characterization, including making her an executive at Fox and a lesbian, and she was adamant the story not heavily incorporate her real-life former romance with Priestley. Elise described her character as a villain with a vendetta against the main cast. *
La La Anthony Alani Nicole "La La" Anthony (née Vázquez; 19791982) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an MTV VJ on ''Total Request Live''. She was the host of the VH1 reality television reunion shows '' F ...
as Shay: Brian's fictional wife and a successful pop/hip-hop artist. She is the breadwinner for the family while Brian is a stay-at-home dad. She has grown accustomed to being the center of attention but remains down to earth. *
Vanessa Lachey Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American television host, model and actress. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and hosted ''Total Req ...
as Camille: Jason's fictional wife and a high-powered publicist who desires to start a family. *
Jenna Rosenow Jenna Rosenow (born 5 January 1991) is an Australian television and film actress. After an early recurring role in children's television show '' Mako: Island of Secrets'', Rosenow played Amber Turner in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' from 2013 t ...
as Stacy: Ian's fictional wife, a fitness guru who's having a secret affair behind his back. *
Ivan Sergei Ivan Sergei (born Ivan Sergei Gaudio) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''. Life Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in New Jersey, a ...
as Nate: Tori's fictional husband and an ex-hockey player with aspirations of becoming a professional sports announcer. The Nate character was based on tabloid depictions of Spelling's real-life husband,
Dean McDermott Dean McDermott (born November 16, 1966) is a Canadian actor best known as a reality television personality with his former wife, actress Tori Spelling, and as the host of the cooking competition '' Chopped Canada''. He played the role of Constab ...
, as well as public perceptions of their marriage. *
Ty Wood Tyson Wood (born September 17, 1995) is a Canadian actor. He has had several roles including his role as Tim Cherry in the biographical television drama '' Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story'' and in the role of Billy Campbell in the h ...
as Zach: A young fan who watches the original show with his mother, and who initially believes himself to be Brian's alleged illegitimate son, which was subsequently disproved by DNA testing secretly ordered by Shay. At the end of the season finale, it is implied that Jason may possibly be his biological father. * Karis Cameron as Kyler, Jennie's fictional teenage daughter who wants to become an actress like her mother. Jennie also hires Kyler to co-star with her in the reboot series after finding out that she wants to follow in her footsteps. Kyler, however, was laid off from the series by executives who ordered a number of changes for the show. * Evan Roderick as Chaz Bryant * Brad Bergeron as Matthew * Destiny Millns as Heather * Natalie Sharp as Anna: A writer who gets hired by the network to be the showrunner on the reboot series. Sharp said her character "owns her power so well... Anna will snap her fingers and tell you what you should be doing and what you shouldn't be doing. She really puts people in their place." * Brendan Penny as Wyatt Jackson, Jennie's bodyguard who she hires to keep her safe. *
Jamie Walters James Leland Walters Jr. (born June 13, 1969) is an American actor and singer, best known for his roles on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' and '' The Heights'' and singing lead vocal on " How Do You Talk to an Angel". Career Walters was born in Bosto ...
as himself: Walters was Ray Pruit, Donna's abusive boyfriend, in the original series. Walters retired from acting after negative fan reaction to his character damaged his career. This trajectory is satirized within the series when Tori falsely accuses him of trying to sabotage their reboot in an act of revenge. *
Denise Richards Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, TV personality, and model. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), the erotic thriller film '' Wild Things'' (1998), and the ...
as herself: Richards guest starred on the original series as Robin, Kelly's cousin. She appears as a heightened version of herself in the final episode of ''BH90210'', when it is revealed she's Anna's mother. * Davin Tong (credited as Peter Chao) as Tori's reality show director. Archive footage of the late
Luke Perry Coy Luther "Luke" Perry III (October 11, 1966 – March 4, 2019) was an American actor. He became a teen idol for playing Dylan McKay on the Fox television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' from 1990 to 1995, and again from 1998 to 2000. ...
as Dylan McKay was used in the first episode, with the episode itself dedicated to Perry's memory.


Episodes


Production

In November 2019, Fox canceled the series after one season.


Background and development

From 2008 to 2013, a sequel series entitled '' 90210'' aired on
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
. Jennie Garth returned in a heavily recurring role, while Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty also made appearances and Jason Priestley directed an episode. In December 2013, Ian Ziering stated on '' Oprah: Where Are They Now?'' that he had attempted to sell a "loosely scripted" reunion special in which the original cast members appeared as themselves at a dinner party at his house, with a target airdate of September 2, 2010 to commemorate the show's numerical title; however, he failed to find a network interested in buying the project. Ziering indicated that
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had expressed interest in a revival series with the original cast in August 2016. In March 2018, it was reported that Garth and Spelling had partnered with
CBS Television Studios CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount (Network) Television, as a re ...
to produce a ''90210''-related series in which they would play "exaggerated versions of themselves." The project came out of an initial meeting between Spelling and studio president David Stapf. That December, Garth and Spelling shopped project to several networks and streaming services, and ''
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'' confirmed the return of Priestley, Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, and Brian Austin Green, as well as Mike Chessler and
Chris Alberghini Chris Alberghini (born September 27, 1965 in Plymouth, Massachusetts) is an American television director and producer. Alberghini has worked on many shows, including ''The Nanny'', Murphy Brown, Tori Spelling's VH1 sitcom, '' So NoTORIous'', '' ...
, who created Spelling's sitcom '' So Notorious'' and also wrote on the CW's ''90210''. That same day, CBS Television Studios confirmed the project was still in "early development" and called it "an untraditional take on a reboot with some of the original cast." In February 2019, ''Deadline'' reported that
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
, which aired the original series, was among the outlets bidding on the series, with
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, and
CBS All Access Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily ...
also reportedly interested. On February 27, Fox ordered the six-episode event series, then titled ''90210''. Its short order reflected a shift in the company's mandate away from a traditional 22-episode order following Disney's acquisition of 20th Television, which rendered Fox as a stand-alone network. According to Spelling, the creative team's intention was to do a continuing series, but the network opted for a limited episodic order so they could expedite production for a summer debut. Since then, both Garth and Spelling have stated they did not know about the shortened episode order until Fox formally announced the series. In April, the series was retitled ''BH90210''.


Casting

Garth and Spelling, who spearheaded the project, were confirmed to play heightened versions of themselves on March 11, 2018. That December, Priestley, Ziering, Green, and Carteris were confirmed to have signed on, also playing fictionalized versions of themselves. On February 1, 2019, Spelling said that
Luke Perry Coy Luther "Luke" Perry III (October 11, 1966 – March 4, 2019) was an American actor. He became a teen idol for playing Dylan McKay on the Fox television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' from 1990 to 1995, and again from 1998 to 2000. ...
would return for "as many pisodesas he can do," given his prior commitment to '' Riverdale'', and that there was "no status right now" as to whether
Shannen Doherty Shannen Maria Doherty (; April 12, 1971 – July 13, 2024) was an American actress. During her career Shannen Doherty filmography, in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in ''Little House o ...
would return. On March 4, Perry died after suffering a stroke, and had not officially signed on, although he had been involved creatively before his death. On April 26, Doherty's return was confirmed. Doherty has since stated she did not intend to join the show, but did so after Perry's death to honor him. On May 30,
La La Anthony Alani Nicole "La La" Anthony (née Vázquez; 19791982) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an MTV VJ on ''Total Request Live''. She was the host of the VH1 reality television reunion shows '' F ...
became the first non-alum actor to be cast in the recurring role of Shay, Green's fictionalized wife. The following day on May 31,
Vanessa Lachey Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American television host, model and actress. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertainment Tonight'' and hosted ''Total Req ...
was cast as Camille, Jason Priestley's fictionalized wife, in a recurring role. On June 5,
Ivan Sergei Ivan Sergei (born Ivan Sergei Gaudio) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''. Life Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in New Jersey, a ...
joined the supporting cast as Nate, Spelling's fictionalized husband. Sergei had previously starred with Spelling in the 1996 television film '' Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?''.
Christine Elise Christine Elise McCarthy, professionally known as Christine Elise, is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Valentine in ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' and '' BH90210'', and Kyle in the ''Child's Play'' ...
, who reoccurred on the original series as Emily Valentine, joined the cast on June 17. Upon the series' announcement, Elise reached out to Alberghini and Chessler about joining. On July 15, it was reported that Natalie Sharp has joined the cast as a new character named Anna. Sharp, who dyed her hair red for the role, was cast the day before she began filming. On July 30, Spelling announced that
Denise Richards Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, TV personality, and model. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), the erotic thriller film '' Wild Things'' (1998), and the ...
has joined the cast, also portraying a heightened version of herself. Richards had previously appeared on an episode of the original series as Robin McGill, Kelly's cousin. Carol Potter, who starred in the original series as Cindy Walsh, was also reported to be making an appearance.


Writing

Garth and Spelling developed the idea alongside Alberghini and Chessler. According to Spelling, they wanted to avoid creating a traditional reboot in the vein of the CW series and create "something that would cause noise and be groundbreaking just like heoriginal show was back in the ‘90s." Garth and Spelling then approached the original cast about appearing, leading to months of creative conversations to flesh out the concept and develop fictionalized versions of themselves. According to Carteris, some cast members initially disagreed with Garth and Spelling's meta pitch and pushed "for a pure reboot, but that majority, I think, of what brought he castforward was the idea that it wasn't." Ziering noted that the cast left themselves "vulnerable" and open to mining their real lives for storylines, while Garth said the series would lean into the pre-existing perceptions people had about the cast, but "take back the power, spin it and use it to tell these stories was an interesting angle for everyone involved." Priestley noted that while the meta
show within a show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** ...
premise differentiates the series from other reboots, it will still follow some traditional conventions in the current trend of reviving older shows. While the writers looked to other shows with similar concepts, such as ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...
'' and ''
Episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...
'', as examples, Chessler considered this series more challenging because it featured an entire ensemble playing themselves rather than just one actor. The main cast remained creatively involved in the process and serve as executive producers, On May 16, Paul Sciarrotta was announced as the series' showrunner, replacing
Patrick Sean Smith Patrick Sean Smith is an American television show creator, writer, and producer. Filmography *'' The Chronicle'' (2002) writer *''Everwood'' (2003-2004) writer *'' Summerland'' (2005) writer *''Supernatural'' (2006) writer *''Greek'' (2007– ...
, who left the series alongside two unnamed writers. The writers' departures reportedly stemmed from disagreements with some of the actors and an executive overseeing the project. The writing staff had one week per episode to break the story and write the script. According to Garth, writing took place concurrently with filming, which allowed for their real life experience on-set to be incorporated into the show's storylines. Initially conceived as a half-hour comedy in the vein of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', the series was redeveloped into an hourlong format. Garth described the series as a "soapedy," giving its unique blend of comedy, drama, and soap opera elements. Garth stated the new series would ignore the CW revival, on which she was prominently featured, as they aimed "to move away from that sort of image and go back to the original concept." Sciarrotta said the writers were conscious not to make the dialog pertaining to television production "too inside baseball." Doherty stated Perry's death would be addressed in the first episode. According to Alberghini, the writers and cast scrapped various iterations of acknowledging Perry's passing in the show, before reaching what they felt was the most respectful approach.


Filming

Filming took place in Vancouver, with production dates from May 21 to July 31, 2019. Principal photography with most of the cast began on May 27, whereas Doherty began filming on June 14. Spelling later confirmed filming would wrap on August 2. Spelling noted that they worked on an abbreviated schedule, with filming taking place as scripts were still being written. Scenes taking place at the fictional West Beverly Hills High School were filmed at
Vancouver Technical Secondary School Vancouver Technical Secondary School, often referred to as Van Tech, is a Public education, public secondary school located on the East Side of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver Technical currently offers Advanced Placement, Summit, F ...
. Because of the show within a show premise, many of the production facilities were used on camera; according to Spelling, their makeup artists and trailers appeared in scenes in which the characters were getting their hair and makeup done. On set, the fictionalized characters were referred to by their initials to avoid confusion from the actors' speaking in the third person. Costume designer Mandi Line collaborated heavily with each actor to develop their wardrobe, which included recreations of specific outfits worn on the original series.


Fox cancellation and potential future

Though ''BH90210'' was advertised as an event series, Garth and Spelling had indicated that future seasons are possible. They elaborated that future episodes or seasons would "delve into actual scenes" from the show within a show. Ziering revealed that the original pitch suggested 13 episodes, the final of which would have incorporated this concept and would have taken place entirely in the world of the original series. Spelling stated they decided to end the season finale with a cliffhanger, explaining: "In our minds, writing the last episode was foreshadowing another season. Going forward, the second season would be more laser-focused on the reboot." On November 7, 2019, it was announced that Fox had canceled the series after one season. Michael Thorn, the network's president of entertainment, stated, "To sustain something that meta and heightened in the long-term is incredibly hard. We always kind of envisioned it as an event… So we felt like to do it as a short-term event where you could just catch up with these actors that you love and do something that was wildly different was a great way to honor the legacy of the show." Carteris indicated that the series was being shopped elsewhere, Garth also stated they were working on finding a new network for the show, and added the confusion over its cancellation could help fuel future storylines. In December, Garth stated that discussions of where to take the series were still ongoing, noting that a different iteration of the show or a movie were both possibilities. In June 2020, Spelling reiterated that a second season was unlikely, but that she and Garth were in pre-production on a project to commemorate the original show's 30th anniversary in October. In March 2021, Garth and Spelling stated on their podcast, ''9021OMG'', that "it was supposed to be at Fox and taking it somewhere else felt ..a little weird."


Promotion

On May 8, 2019, an announcement trailer was released, depicting the cast reuniting for a table read of the first script.
TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...
called the teaser "nostalgia-drenched." On May 13, the official trailer premiered at the Fox network upfronts presentation, showcasing "''the actors themselves going about their daily lives, with Doherty practicing yoga, Spelling making coffee, Garth blow-drying her hair, and more — as the beloved theme song comes back into their lives in unexpected ways.''" On May 16, Fox reported that the trailer had amassed 18 million views and 140,818 shares across social media platforms in under 69 hours, making it the most-watched and most-shared trailer among all new series for the 2019-20 broadcast television season. On June 6, another promo was released, depicting the cast playing with authentic dolls modeled after their characters. On July 11, the first trailer featuring footage from the series was released. From August 1 to August 3, Fox and
PopSugar PopSugar Inc. is an American media and technology company that is the parent to the media property PopSugar (stylized POPSUGAR) and a monthly subscription business PopSugar Must Have. The company was founded in 2006 by married couple Brian and Lis ...
opened a
pop-up restaurant A pop-up restaurant is a temporary restaurant. These restaurants often operate from a private home, former factory, existing restaurants or similar space, and during festivals. Various other names have been used to describe the concept of settin ...
in Los Angeles, modeled after the Peach Pit diner from the original series. Due to high demand, the pop-up was extended through the end of September 2019.


Reception


Critical response

On
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, the series holds an approval rating of 69% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.61/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though ''BH90210'' strange take on the 'reboot' doesn't always hit its mark, it still proves an endearingly wild trip thanks to its committed cast's continued chemistry." On
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, it has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Several critics were given the first two episodes to review. Kristen Baldwin of ''
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'' gave the series a 'B' grade in her review, calling it "a poignant and funny meditation on midlife mortality. She also complimented Garth's performance, noting she delivered "comedic asides with unexpected precision." ''
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s Kimberly Ricci thought the series "presents an interesting (and refreshing) perspective because it kind of hates itself", and praised the performances for their "self-mockery." Judy Berman of ''
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'' gave a positive review and praised the series' novel premise, dubbing it "the audiovisual equivalent of a beach read that’s smarter than it needs to be." Anne Easton of ''
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'' gave the episodes a favorable review, complimenting the "witty, quippy, and snarky" writing and opining that Spelling "matured in her thespian abilities, showing more range in both her comedic, and, well, intentional overdramatic moments." Emily Nussbaum of ''
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'' called the series "just smart enough to feel clever, just silly enough to feel relaxing, a guilty pleasure by design," and praised the performances, particularly that of Carteris, whom Nussbaum identified as a breakout and called "oddly affecting." While Gwen Inhat of ''
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'' addressed the unevenness of the storylines, she felt the six episodes "somehow ..pulled off being both a valentine to fans and a send-up of the show they fell for in the first place. Kelly Lawler of ''
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'' wrote that although the series does not reach the heights of the original, "in a world in which revivals or remakes of popular stories is inevitable, at least this one is weirdly fun." In a separate review ranking ''BH90210'' among other television reboots, Lawler wrote, "it's just a middling soap opera about slightly washed-up celebrities trying to have one last ride," and placed it at number 14 out of 17 shows. Linda Holmes of ''
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'' called the series "cute" and "strange," and wrote that she found it challenging "to give a proper critique of something hat'smore like a bonus feature on a DVD than anything else." Jen Chaney of ''Vulture'' appreciated how the meta take "both earnestly and cynically akesaim at your nostalgia pleasure centers," and anticipated the series could have strong
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potential. In his review for ''
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'', Daniel Fienberg criticized the "flimsy" execution of the show's premise and the disjointed performances of the cast overall, although he highlighted Garth and Spelling's comedic chemistry, as well as Carteris and Green's performances. Though Willa Paskin of ''
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'' gave the series an "A for effort," she criticized its "try-hard playfulness" and called it "not funny or smart" despite its clever premise. ''TVLines Andy Swift was more negative in his review, criticizing the low stakes of the storylines and opining the series "lacks the dramatic intrigue of the original series, but with scripts largely devoid of humor, it doesn’t quite work as a comedy, either." Matthew Gilbert of ''
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'' felt that the series would be stronger as a half-hour sitcom, and criticized the storylines as "fairly dumb," opining that, "there was little to entice those who tuned in for the premiere, to get a glimpse at everyone, to return for more."


Ratings

Upon its initial broadcast, the premiere episode drew 3.86 million viewers and scored a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, making it the second-most watched broadcast of the night, as well as the Fox network's most watched non-sports program of the summer. The premiere was also the summer's most-watched program, more than doubling the ratings of its closest competition, '' Grand Hotel'' on
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. Subsequent episodes experienced ratings declines, with ''
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'' reporting that by the fifth episode, the series was performing at 50 percent of its premiere ratings. Overall, ''BH90210'' showed the biggest decline in ratings of all shows airing in the summer season. According to ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', each episode's ratings tended to grow by about 75 percent, in both its demographic and overall viewership, after three days of delayed viewing, which Fox reportedly focuses on instead of live viewings.


References


External links

* * {{Beverly Hills franchise 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2019 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings American English-language television shows Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise) Television series by CBS Studios Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows set in Beverly Hills, California Television shows set in California Television series about television Metafictional television series Television series by Fox Entertainment Fox Broadcasting Company comedy-dramas