Teen dramasare quite popular on TV, and some of them have been highly influential, among them one show that changed TV and is a must-watch despite being 10 seasons long. The popularity of teen dramas is thanks to their relatable characters and topics, engaging storylines, and even nostalgia thanks to their high school setting.
Teen dramas likeEuphoria,Skins,The O.C.,Degrassi, andDawson’s Creekare some of the most popular ones, and some even rank amongthe best TV shows of all time, but not all of them changed TV. However, one that can brag about it is a teen drama from the 1990s with 10 seasons that is worth the commitment.
Beverly Hills 90210 Is One Of The Best Teen Dramas Of All Time
In 1990,Beverly Hills 90210was released on Fox. Created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling,Beverly Hills 90210took viewers to the title Los Angeles suburb to meet a group of high-schoolers living and studying in Beverly Hills.
Darren Star is also the creator ofMelrose Place,Sex and the City, and Emily in Paris.
The show kicked off with the arrival of twins Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) and their parents, who moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Beverly Hills thanks to their father being promoted at work. Because of this,Beverly Hills 90210began with Brandon and Brenda adjusting to a completely new lifestyle.
The twins began to attend West Beverly Hills, where they befriended Kelly (Jennie Garth), Dylan (Luke Perry), Steve (Ian Ziering), Donna (Tori Spelling), Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris), and David (Brian Austin Green). Together, they got involved in all types of drama in and out of school, including love triangles, betrayals, and more.
AlthoughBeverly Hills 90210had a rough start with low ratings during its first season, the show got a major boost in the summer of 1991 thanks to a special “summer season” that aired while most series were in reruns (viaLos Angeles Times). From then on,Beverly Hills 90210’s ratings continued to increase, and the show became a huge pop culture phenomenon.
Beverly Hills 90210succeeded thanks to its relatable, charming, and different characters, relatable storylines and struggles, and character development, and it brought very generous amounts of drama to the audience in every episode.
How Beverly Hills 90210 Changed Teen Dramas
Beverly Hills 90210is now a classic of TV and teen dramas, and it’s also a show that changed the genre.Beverly Hills 90210is credited with popularizing the genre, though with more soap opera-like elements that added to the show’s drama, and it’s a formula that many shows have followed since then.
A key part ofBeverly Hills 90210’s success was its marketing, as it recognized the teen demographic as a powerful and profitable one.Beverly Hills 90210seized it not just with its stories and characters but also with related media, such as novelizations and lots of merchandise.
Thanks to this,Beverly Hills 90210also covered serious and even taboo topics that its teen audience could relate to and which sparked conversation among them.Beverly Hills 90210connected with its target audience deeply and directly, as seen in the cultural impact of the show, which went from teens dressing like the characters did to discussing specific topics.
Thanks to all this and more,Beverly Hills 90210paved the way for teen dramas likeThe O.C.,Dawson’s Creek,One Tree Hill,andGossip Girl, among many others, and the genre has a lot to thank it for.
Beverly Hills 90210 Got A Failed Reboot In 2019
Unsurprisingly, the success ofBeverly Hills 90210led to spinoffs, most notablyMelrose Place, but the show also got a reboot and a weird continuation. The reboot, simply titled90210, had the same premise of following the lives of the wealthy students of West Beverly Hills High School, starting with the arrival of siblings Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon Wilson (Tristan Wilds).
90210ran for five seasons between 2008 and 2013, and while an official reason for its ending wasn’t given, the show’s viewership numbers had been in decline. In 2019,Beverly Hills 90210got a strange type of reboot or continuation withBH90210, which focused on fictionalized versions of the main cast as they reunited to prepare a reboot.
BH90210only ran for one season, and though it has been said that it was planned to be a limited series or an “event series”, Fox canceled it due to its format. At the time of writing, there are no plans to remake or rebootBeverly Hills 90210.
Why Everyone Should Watch Beverly Hills 90210
Beverly Hills 90210’s biggest hook years later is its nostalgia factor, and for younger generations, the curiosity of taking a look into teen life in the 1990s. Although many elements ofBeverly Hills 90210are now outdated, its exploration of serious themes is still relevant, and viewers can still relate to them.
Beverly Hills 90210’s characters are interesting, charming, complex, and well-developed, as are their storylines, making it easy to keep watching the show. On top of all this,Beverly Hills 90210is a must-watch thanks to its legacy, as if it weren’t for it, many popular teen dramas wouldn’t exist or would have been very different.
