Beverly Hills 90210:
The Ultimate Complete Series review by Drusilla Blakey
In early 90s the teens of Beverly Hills High took television by storm with the hit series Beverly Hills 90210. The series ran for 10 seasons and not only featured spin-off series, but also updates and reboots series that have kept the franchise alive. Now fans can head back to school where it all started with the Beverly Hills 90210: The Ultimate Collection.
Back in high school, my life was void of drama. I was just a nerdy kid hanging out with friends. But, I could always count on the cast of 90210 to bring the drama for me.
The show began in 1990 at the same time I was starting high school. I was fascinated watching these seemingly 'grown up' and fancy rich kids navigate glamorous Beverly Hills. I absolutely identified with Brandon & Brenda Walsh (Jason Preistly & Shannen Doherty) who are our fish out of water characters who moved to the 90210 from Minnesota. They don't fit in, their clothes aren't in style, and their parents were very much like mine with the old "you go to school for an education, not a fashion show."
And yet somehow, they manage to make it into the "in crowd". Suddenly, crazy antics ensue and love triangles bring us a lot of heartache, tears and drama. The show had it all! The nerdy kid David, trying to fit in (Brian Austin Green) and of course all the guys were in love with Kelly (Jennie Garth) and
all the girls were in love with bad boy Dylan (Luke Perry).
In addition to normal teenage angst, the show used its platform for good and tackled many social issues of the time including sex, date rape, homophobia, animal rights, alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders, antisemitism, racism, teenage suicide, teenage pregnancy, and AIDS.
Throughout its 10 seasons, the show enjoyed consistently high viewership and even became a worldwide phenomenon. So much so that it spawned several series specials, reunions, anniversary specials and even a whole new reboot series. Finally, in 2019 we were given a special limited run series titled "BH90210" that brought back our original cast.
Revisiting the show again now, I was transported back to high school. The clothes, the dialog, the craziness - some things are a bit dated, but most things are par for the course of a teenage drama. The chemistry of the cast was was so real and believable. I honestly believed the friendships and loves. We now know that behind the scenes, things were not as they appeared. There was drama and issues on and off the set!
As I watched the 2019 BH90210 series, I was struck by how much harder it was for me to feel any sort of chemistry. Now this new series has the cast playing themselves working on a reunion show. So a bit of a life imitating art and honestly, very creative! But in the original show, they were so young and genuine and in the revival they are now older and brought a bit of their real lives into the show. I could sometimes feel the snark coming across the screen and I could even see the side eye being shot at Shannen Doherty and honestly, the absence of Luke Perry was felt.
Now, The Ultimate Beverly Hills 90210 Collection is available for all us die-hard fans to enjoy. It includes all 10 seasons plus the 2019 series BH90210. This special collection includes behind-the-scenes footage, special interviews and much more.
Grab your copy of the Beverly Hills 90210: The Ultimate Collection available now on DVD from Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment.