Brenda + Dylan = 4 Eva

So presumably everyone is excited about the new Beverly Hills 90210? Well, I am unlike the average joe. I'm TURBO excited. This is my 12 year-old dream come true. Soon my 15 yr-old dream will come true and they'll make final episodes for My So-Called Life. Even though everyone's 30 now. Anyways, in honor of this new development in the 90210 continuity (this is actually what the industry calls it), lets look back on those golden days of teen drama. I was actually a member of a Bevery Hills 90210 club. It was basically me and my friends and I don't recall us ever actually meeting, but it sure was an honor just to be a part of it. I also had a Brandon Walsh doll (to go along with my Joey McIntyre NKOTB doll) and I'm sure it's still packed away somewhere. I kept it in pristine condition, still in it's box and everything. It must be worth a fair bit by now, in fact - but like I'd ever part with that. As if!
What this all boils down to is how rocking this show was, from the incredible theme tune, to the clothes, to the music (remember when the girls snuck into Color Me Badd's hotel?!) to the Peach Pit. It was everything the early 90's was about. Dylan and his shit-hot Porsche. Andrea and her "poor" background. Brenda listening to REM's Man on the Moon while moping around her room. I mean for reals - these kids had it all. Sure it turned to shit when Brenda left and Tiffini Amber-Thiessen of Saved By The Bell fame (look out for further affinity between these two programs...) took her place and they all went to college and seemed to age 5 years in one summer. But for about 3 years, this was the greatest thing that happened to television:

Look at how casually Luke Perry/Dylan McKay is standing. Look at how un-casually Jason Priestly/Brandon Walsh is wincing standing.

Aaaaallllll that denim. Love Jennie Garth/Kelly Taylor's pose. Truly love Shannon Doherty's/Brenda Walsh's shoes. And all that goddam denim.


"Purse those lips Jennie! Shannon - think of your diva reputation - now PURSE!"




I think this was taken at the height of the show, or thereabouts. Shannon Doherty is looking HAWT. Look at her face - she KNOWS she's the hottest girl on set. She KNOWS everyone thinks she's a bitch. Girl does not give a shit. Also, I remember it was this photo that was used to promote the episode in which David's loser friend shot himself to death. Well, he only shot himself once and it was accidental (he was playing with his dad's handgun, spinning it round his finger wild-west style and it went off. DUH) but it did kill him. Shot himself all the way to death. Anyways, to promote this Very Special Episode of 90210, they printed the above picture in TV Guide with the ominous caption, "One of these people will die tonight" or something to that effect. In any case, it was so fucking obvious that David's loser friend (on the far right) was gonna die as the rest were all main characters and he was just David's idiot friend who wore that cowboy hat all the time and had a really fucked up mother. Still, nice kicks.

Couldn't find this any larger, but this was such a great time for the show. When they filmed the second season over the summer in 1991, this was a huge moment for television. While every other series was in re-run hell, this was the only show churning out fresh episodes all summer long. Right when teenagers needed television the most, 90210 delivered. Smooth move. Though I often find that whenever I think of the 90210 summer episodes, I automatically start thinking about the Saved By the Bell summer episodes; both of which involved major characters working at a beach resort to ensure every episode had reason to show young hardbodies in bikinis and trunks.

Have I mentioned that I ADORE Brenda Walsh/Shannon Doherty? Sorry Mischa Barton, Blake Lively et al. but this is the original Icon. (But Leighton Meester? You're on your way...)

Ah man - remember when this biker chick came in to get with Brandon? I dunno about where you lived, but where I lived, EVERY girl I knew hated her. Where did she go in the end? Perhaps she was killed by a gang of Brandon Walsh fangirls All I know is she was an unpopular casting decision. Much like when the biker chick turned up to get with Zack in Saved By the Bell and we were meant to pretend we didn't notice that Jesse and Kelly were gone. Did these shows share writers??









And here's the supposed new crew



Only one token ethnic minority? And he's black?? That's SOOO 1999. Everyone knows the token ethnic these days should be Asian. Anything from Pakistani to Korean. Harold or Kumar. Oh, and one of these guys has to be gay, right?


All hail the original teen drama to beat them all:



PS - while I looking for photos I came across this:




Okay - that is NOT Jennie Garth, and whoever it is - those tits have been heavily photoshopped. But I love the quote. Notice she refers to her as "Brenda", the character, rather than Shannon. As though this is "Kelly", not Jennie, talking.

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