Beverly Hills 90210: The TV show’s greatest moments
It was the TV series that offered a glimpse of the glam lives of rich kids in Beverly Hills long before Instagram. As the 90210 reboot airs, here are the show’s most thrilling moments.
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It was the iconic 1990s TV show that a generation of teens fell in love with.
In the days before Instagram and Snapchat, Beverly Hills 90210 gave transfixed viewers a glimpse of the ultra glam lifestyles of the young, beautiful and rich.
It also kickstarted the careers of teen heart-throbs Luke Perry and Jason Priestley and so-called Hollywood bad girl Shannen Doherty.
Now, 90210 is getting a reboot with a twist, with the new BH 90210 series, which features the actors from the original classic teen playing fictionalised versions of themselves.
As the 90210 “revival within a revival” of the classic teen drama prepares to air on Network Ten, we look back at the show’s most unforgettable moments.
1. THE ARRIVAL OF BRENDA AND BRANDON
The show’s first episode opened with a bang — clean-cut Minnesota twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh begin their sophomore year at West Beverly Hills High after moving to the epicentre of wealth and fame when their dad gets a new job. The wide-eyed pair get a dose of culture shock when they get a taste of their new classmates’ glamour and privilege.
2. ENTER DYLAN MCKAY
The show’s first heart-stopping moment came with the arrival of Luke Perry in episode two of season one.
As the brooding bad boy Dylan McKay, Perry exuded a cool charisma that channelled James Dean. With his retro quiff, eyebrow scar, and smouldering eyes, Perry’s first appearance cemented his position as Hollywood’s hottest teen heart-throb.
Perry, who tragically died after a stroke last March at the age of 52, said of his role: “I’m going to be linked with him until I die, but that’s actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He’s mine.”
As for the character of Dylan McKay, he brought the works of Lord Byron to a new generation, describing himself as “mad, bad and dangerous to know”.
3. DYLAN AND BRENDA’S FIRST DATE
The volatile relationship of Dylan and Brenda kicked off after a dramatic first date, which ended with the bad boy smashing a flower pot after they ran into his estranged father at a swanky hotel.
From that moment, Brenda was hooked — and so were viewers who by that stage had deemed themselves either Team Brandon or Team Dylan.
4. SECRET SHAME OF KELLY’S MUM
Like most teens, Brenda took her sweetheart of a mother for granted when she began idolising the seemingly cool mum of her BFF Kelly (played by Jennie Garth). But in classic Hollywood style, there was a dark secret. Yes, that’s right, Kelly’s mum was a coke fiend. In a dramatic plot-line, Kelly was forced to play mother to her drug-crazed mama during her a major relapse.
5. DONNA LOSES HER VIRGINITY
To a new generation of TV audiences, Tori Spelling is the modern-day super mum who documented her chaotic family life and marriage on reality TV.
But 90210, which was the brainchild of Tori’s TV legend dad Aaron Spelling, was her first big break. As the innocent Donna Martin, Spelling’s role was at first minor but grew when she became a fan favourite. One of the show’s key moments was 1997 when Donna, formerly the role model for abstinence, finally lost her virginity to David (Brian Austin Green).
6. ANDREA LEARNS SHE IS PREGNANT
In season 5, producers were forced to reluctantly write a pregnancy storyline for the character of Andrea, played by Gabrielle Carteris when the actor became pregnant in real life.
Carteris, who was 34 but playing 18, was pregnant with her first child and could only conceal herself in baggy overalls and behind lunch trays for so long.
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The producers were unhappy with the more adult direction of the character, and Carteris was written off the show at the end of the season.
7. DONNA PASSES OUT AT THE PROM
The school board rules were clear: Anyone caught drinking or drunk at the senior prom would be suspended and not allowed to graduate.
And yet poor Donna got stuck into the champers on an empty stomach before promptly passing out. When teachers threatened to stop Donna from graduating, her besties staged a protest that resulted in her donning her graduation gown.
8. WHEN VALERIE REPLACED BRENDA
In a major showbiz scandal at the time, Shannen Doherty, one of the show’s biggest stars, left at the end of season four amid allegations of friction and erratic behaviour. These claims have been denied by Doherty, who recently told News Corp in an exclusive interview that she was merely standing up for herself in an industry dominated by men in the pre-Me Too era.
With the departure of Doherty came the arrival of Tiffani Amber Thiessen, who played visiting Walsh relative Valerie. Things got off to a dramatic start when the show’s new bad girl lit up a joint in Brenda’s room.
9. THE DEATH OF DYLAN’S DAD
Just when Dylan and his dad were repairing their fractured relationship in season three, Jack McKay’s car exploded when he took the keys from his son to move it.
In true soapie style, Jack didn’t actually die in the bomb. Viewers would find out seven years later it was just a ruse to get him into the witness protection program.
10. BRENDA AND DYLAN AT THE SCHOOL DANCE
After they attended the 1991 spring dance, Dylan took Brenda up to a hotel room where they had sex for the first time.
This led to a pregnancy scare, a break-up and then drama when Brenda left for Paris. Dylan ended up on cheating on her with Kelly, leading to one of the show’s classic live triangles.
* BH 90210 airs tonight at 8.30pm (AEST) on 10.