I love this because I started watching in season 5 as well and I too was kind of young to be watching at 10 years old! lol I do remember the very very first time I saw the show was during the first summer season. I just found it while flipping channels. I remember the scene with Dylan in the hospital from his surf accident and Brenda visiting him. I immediately loved it. But because I was only 7 I didn't keep up with it. I rediscovered it in season 5 when Tiffani joined and then I watched religiously until the show ended.
haha probably true. ;) However, I was already a fan from sbtb and I followed her over to 90210. But 90210 definitely solidified it. Aaron Spelling was was very smart.
I am so glad to see TDW return. Although I've never previously spoken out about it, I have been a religious follower of your work (well, the teen drama side of it anyway) since the previous iteration of TDW, and I am indebted to you for so much, not the least of which is my love for Beverly Hills, 90210 (which I will neither abbreviate to '90210' nor 'BH90210' for obvious reasons.
I am three years your junior, and I am of a different gender and a different contintent. But that is seemingly where the differences end (well, I'm sure there's more, but for dramatic purposes, go with me here). In reading your first posts on this substack, I am struck by how much of myself I recognize in your story.
I, too, fell into the teen drama rabbit hole out of love of a single show, which will forever remain my favorite. Mine was One Tree Hill. I started watching in the spring of 2004 (like you, with a random episode, though mine was towards the end of the first season), and it completely became my entire world from that point onwards. I hated The O.C. for a while, because the whole conversation back in 2004-2005 was One Tree Hill vs. The O.C., but then I started watching it and fell in love. I still can't believe that show was only on for 4 seasons, given the impact it had on pop culture. Then, in 2007, I was prompted to watch Gossip Girl, with promos and fans comparing it to OTH. I did watch, and even kind of like, the entirety of that show, but I, too, felt that my appreciation for that show was never on the same level (I have some major foundational issues with that show, which I would love to explore in the comments of your future posts, but I still really liked some characters, couples, and storylines).
Around that time, I stumbled onto your TDW site. I had obviously heard of DC as the pre-OTH OTH, and with the launch of 90210, suddenly Beverly Hills, 90210 (which at that point had been over for nearly a decade) became a part of the conversation again. I had a ton of shows that I was interested to watch, and I can't particularly say Beverly Hills, 90210 was near the top. My interest in that show mainly sprung from the fact that I knew Paul Johansson was in it for a bit. TDW, and more specifically your obvious and deep-rooted passion for the show, changed all that for me. I spent a year abroad, but when I returned in '09, I decided to launch into Beverly Hills, 90210.
I, too, had trouble allocating time for my passions to balance out work throughout my 20s. As such, I have had to take a few breaks in my watching of the show. Moreover, I am vehemently opposed to bingewatching, instead choosing to watch my shows at the glorious pace of one episode a week. Fast forward 11 years, and I have just started season 10 of the show (episode 3 is coming up later this week). I am both excited and sad to finish out the series soon. I love that when these characters look back on the decade that has passed in their lives, a decade has actually passed in my life as well.
Another reason why I love this pace is because it allows me a week between episodes to just let thoughts run through my head. Like you, I am constantly thinking about these shows, and like you, I don't really know many people that are quite as passionate about these shows. I'm always excited to meet someone who has seen one of the shows, but usually I soon figure out that our obsessions are not quite on the same level. I love your description of your 'ritual', because I had one as a teen watching new OTH episodes. First, I would rewatch the previous episode in full the day before a new episode came out (which usually meant I was watching the same episode twice within 6 days). On the night of a new episode, I told my parents goodnight, announcing I was not yet going to sleep, but I wouldn't come back down anymore. I would change to my pajamas, spend an hour watching the new episode, followed by an hour browsing all the message boards, then go to bed.
I haven't watched DC yet, but I'm saving it for after Beverly Hills, 90210: it's on my (increasingly large) to do list. I have many more thoughts I'd love to share, but this is already turning into a very long message, so I'll do so thematically in response to your future posts. Let me finish off with a few thoughts on Beverly Hills, 90210 as a whole in reply to your post:
- I totally agree with you that S3 is when things kicked into gear. That's when the show became less episodic and more serialized. I will say that I really loved the S2 Christmas episode, which tied into the reveal of Steve's adoption. I always appreciated the rare moments where Steve had an actual serious storyline, instead of simply being used for comic relief.
- My couples preferences have shifted over the years. I liked Dylan and Brenda initially, by S3 I prefered him with Kelly, but from S4 onwards I was on the Brandon and Kelly train. Obviously, I have yet to see most of S10, but in S9 I was not a fan of Dylan's arc nor the pairing of Dylan and Kelly, to be honest. I always rooted Brandon and Andrea in the first few seasons. I didn't care much for David and Donna initially, but in the later seasons they became possibly my favorite couple. In early S5, before they turned him into an abuser, I liked Ray and Donna. I also liked David and Valerie.
- As characters, I pretty much liked all of the regulars. I think Tiffani Amber-Thiessen is given too little credit in the conversation around this show, and I was shocked at how unceremoniously she was written off. I'm also sad producers felt that Hilary Swank wasn't working, because I really enjoyed the whole Steve/Carly/Zach storyline (once again, showing the more serious side of Steve). In the later seasons, I've been a bit saddedened by how little Joe E. Tata was used (he definitely wasn't used as a 'regular').
Shari, thank you SO much for all you've done to keep the legacy of this show, and these shows, alive. I am looking forward to consuming your original TDW content more fully once I finish Beverly Hills, 90210 (I've been wanting to avoid spoilers), and I'm excited to start the podcast you've been mentioning recently at that time as well. More importantly, for the past decade or so, whenever I had a bad day, it was always brightened by a new post or tweet sharing some interesting facts or reads on teen dramas. You like to quote Dylan McKay? Well, I like to quote the king of quotes, Lucas Scott:
I can't tell you what your comment means to me. It might be the most impactful message I've ever received. It brought tears to my eyes and I immediately shared it with my closest friends. The whole purpose of TDW, then and now, is to share my passion with fellow fans. Your comment, and your journey, lets me know I'm accomplishing that mission.
-I love that you won't abbreviate "Beverly Hills, 90210" to "90210" or "BH90210." I have posts coming up in a few weeks about both shows... and I don't hold back.
-It really does seem we have similar stories with "Beverly Hills, 90210" / "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill" / "The O.C." How remarkable! I am always eager to hear how people fell in love with the genre, so thanks for letting me know how you did!
-It is rather amazing how much "The O.C." impacted pop culture despite lasting for much shorter than the other teen dramas. It would be interesting to explore why that is.
-Funny that people would say "Gossip Girl" is like "One Tree Hill" because in some ways they are worlds apart. I, too, still have issues with "Gossip Girl," but I have a post coming up that delves into how I underestimated it from the start.
-I do think describing "Dawson's Creek" as a "pre-OTH OTH" makes a lot of sense! I've never heard that description before, but I think it's valid.
-Well, thank goodness Paul Johansson led you to watch "Beverly Hills, 90210!" I am humbled by whatever role I played.
-I am so impressed by the way you've watched "Beverly Hills, 90210." I think my preferences fall somewhere in between weekly viewings and binge-watching. But to do it week by week, season by season, like you have shows extreme patience and also a commitment to experiencing the show as it was originally intended and just as original viewers did. What a great observation as well about a decade passing in both the characters' lives and your own. I imagine that has greatly impacted your views compared to if you had binge-watched the series over, say, a few weeks.
-I am so excited that you're on season 10 of "Beverly Hills, 90210" now, but also sad for you that your journey is coming to an end (though at your pace, you still have a few more months to go!).
-It is so true that there is a difference between meeting someone who likes these shows and someone who has an obsession on our level. I definitely created TDW for those who are obsessed like us!
-Your "One Tree Hill" routine is so interesting! I know of a couple of people that would always try to rewatch last week's episode before that week's new one. That is a serious time commitment!
-I am so excited for you to one day watch "Dawson's Creek." I love experiencing the teen dramas again through the eyes of first-time viewers so I will be eager for your thoughts!
-I, too, love the season 2 "Beverly Hills, 90210" Christmas episode for Ian's emotional storyline! In fact, if I ever get the chance to speak to him, I've planned to tell him how much I am struck by his "serious" and emotional acting – in this episode, as well as in season 6 when he discovers Rush is his biological father and also in season 10 (no spoilers for you!).
-It's very interesting how your couple preferences have changed as the seasons passed. I think that is a sign of your maturity and growth, versus being narrow-minded and irrationally committed to one couple no matter what. You certainly don't hear of many Donna-Ray fans, even pre-abuse!
-I agree Tiffani isn't given enough credit. She is often overshadowed by a fixation on Shannen and the early seasons. I did love Tiffani's final episode, though, and Val's emotional goodbye scene with David.
-I can't say I was a fan of Carly or her storyline with Steve, but it's pretty unbelievable how Hilary Swank's career took off afterward. Perhaps the only teen drama star with the same level of success (in terms of critical acclaim) is Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson's Creek).
-"Your art matters. It's what got me here." ARE YOU SERIOUS?! What a freakin' honor. I am truly so humbled.
It's so interesting to read how each person got into their favourite TV show! I personally think I would be ok with a child of the age you were watching Beverly Hills, 90210. I haven't seen past mid s5 of this show, but IIRC based on the episodes I've seen: yes, there were drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, etc., but those things were always portrayed in a negative light. I would be more worried about my child watching some more recent shows where those things are portrayed in a nuanced light, or sometimes not even a storyline into themselves, but something "normal" going on without being addressed.
It's also interesting how the age we got into our fav shows influence the way we see them. I got into my 2 all-time favourite TV show, Buffy and Roswell, when I was roughly 13-14, so a few years younger than the characters portrayed. I remember thinking that "The Bronze" in Buffy was sooo cool and I couldn't wait to go to places like this. And I also thought that Liz and Maria' jobs in Roswell (waitresses in a touristy diner) seemed sooo fun and I couldn't wait to be 16 to have a part-time job and maybe work in a cafe/dinner/restaurant myself. But I had watched those shows a few years later, I would have probably laughed at how non-sensical The Bronze was (sometimes it was like a coffee shop, sometimes like an all-age club, sometimes like an actual bar, etc.) and how awful it must have been to work in that diner and serve annoying tourists after a long day at school. And I just started watching Beverly Hills, 90210 in 2019. I'm interested in the storylines and characters, but the issues likely do not feel as life-threatening to me as if I had watched the show as a kid like you or a teenager like I did with Buffy and Roswell.
Love your insight! My favorite couples are Dylan and Kelly and Brandon and Kelly too ❤️
I love this because I started watching in season 5 as well and I too was kind of young to be watching at 10 years old! lol I do remember the very very first time I saw the show was during the first summer season. I just found it while flipping channels. I remember the scene with Dylan in the hospital from his surf accident and Brenda visiting him. I immediately loved it. But because I was only 7 I didn't keep up with it. I rediscovered it in season 5 when Tiffani joined and then I watched religiously until the show ended.
And now you're the biggest Tiffani fan I know!
haha probably true. ;) However, I was already a fan from sbtb and I followed her over to 90210. But 90210 definitely solidified it. Aaron Spelling was was very smart.
Shari,
I am so glad to see TDW return. Although I've never previously spoken out about it, I have been a religious follower of your work (well, the teen drama side of it anyway) since the previous iteration of TDW, and I am indebted to you for so much, not the least of which is my love for Beverly Hills, 90210 (which I will neither abbreviate to '90210' nor 'BH90210' for obvious reasons.
I am three years your junior, and I am of a different gender and a different contintent. But that is seemingly where the differences end (well, I'm sure there's more, but for dramatic purposes, go with me here). In reading your first posts on this substack, I am struck by how much of myself I recognize in your story.
I, too, fell into the teen drama rabbit hole out of love of a single show, which will forever remain my favorite. Mine was One Tree Hill. I started watching in the spring of 2004 (like you, with a random episode, though mine was towards the end of the first season), and it completely became my entire world from that point onwards. I hated The O.C. for a while, because the whole conversation back in 2004-2005 was One Tree Hill vs. The O.C., but then I started watching it and fell in love. I still can't believe that show was only on for 4 seasons, given the impact it had on pop culture. Then, in 2007, I was prompted to watch Gossip Girl, with promos and fans comparing it to OTH. I did watch, and even kind of like, the entirety of that show, but I, too, felt that my appreciation for that show was never on the same level (I have some major foundational issues with that show, which I would love to explore in the comments of your future posts, but I still really liked some characters, couples, and storylines).
Around that time, I stumbled onto your TDW site. I had obviously heard of DC as the pre-OTH OTH, and with the launch of 90210, suddenly Beverly Hills, 90210 (which at that point had been over for nearly a decade) became a part of the conversation again. I had a ton of shows that I was interested to watch, and I can't particularly say Beverly Hills, 90210 was near the top. My interest in that show mainly sprung from the fact that I knew Paul Johansson was in it for a bit. TDW, and more specifically your obvious and deep-rooted passion for the show, changed all that for me. I spent a year abroad, but when I returned in '09, I decided to launch into Beverly Hills, 90210.
I, too, had trouble allocating time for my passions to balance out work throughout my 20s. As such, I have had to take a few breaks in my watching of the show. Moreover, I am vehemently opposed to bingewatching, instead choosing to watch my shows at the glorious pace of one episode a week. Fast forward 11 years, and I have just started season 10 of the show (episode 3 is coming up later this week). I am both excited and sad to finish out the series soon. I love that when these characters look back on the decade that has passed in their lives, a decade has actually passed in my life as well.
Another reason why I love this pace is because it allows me a week between episodes to just let thoughts run through my head. Like you, I am constantly thinking about these shows, and like you, I don't really know many people that are quite as passionate about these shows. I'm always excited to meet someone who has seen one of the shows, but usually I soon figure out that our obsessions are not quite on the same level. I love your description of your 'ritual', because I had one as a teen watching new OTH episodes. First, I would rewatch the previous episode in full the day before a new episode came out (which usually meant I was watching the same episode twice within 6 days). On the night of a new episode, I told my parents goodnight, announcing I was not yet going to sleep, but I wouldn't come back down anymore. I would change to my pajamas, spend an hour watching the new episode, followed by an hour browsing all the message boards, then go to bed.
I haven't watched DC yet, but I'm saving it for after Beverly Hills, 90210: it's on my (increasingly large) to do list. I have many more thoughts I'd love to share, but this is already turning into a very long message, so I'll do so thematically in response to your future posts. Let me finish off with a few thoughts on Beverly Hills, 90210 as a whole in reply to your post:
- I totally agree with you that S3 is when things kicked into gear. That's when the show became less episodic and more serialized. I will say that I really loved the S2 Christmas episode, which tied into the reveal of Steve's adoption. I always appreciated the rare moments where Steve had an actual serious storyline, instead of simply being used for comic relief.
- My couples preferences have shifted over the years. I liked Dylan and Brenda initially, by S3 I prefered him with Kelly, but from S4 onwards I was on the Brandon and Kelly train. Obviously, I have yet to see most of S10, but in S9 I was not a fan of Dylan's arc nor the pairing of Dylan and Kelly, to be honest. I always rooted Brandon and Andrea in the first few seasons. I didn't care much for David and Donna initially, but in the later seasons they became possibly my favorite couple. In early S5, before they turned him into an abuser, I liked Ray and Donna. I also liked David and Valerie.
- As characters, I pretty much liked all of the regulars. I think Tiffani Amber-Thiessen is given too little credit in the conversation around this show, and I was shocked at how unceremoniously she was written off. I'm also sad producers felt that Hilary Swank wasn't working, because I really enjoyed the whole Steve/Carly/Zach storyline (once again, showing the more serious side of Steve). In the later seasons, I've been a bit saddedened by how little Joe E. Tata was used (he definitely wasn't used as a 'regular').
Shari, thank you SO much for all you've done to keep the legacy of this show, and these shows, alive. I am looking forward to consuming your original TDW content more fully once I finish Beverly Hills, 90210 (I've been wanting to avoid spoilers), and I'm excited to start the podcast you've been mentioning recently at that time as well. More importantly, for the past decade or so, whenever I had a bad day, it was always brightened by a new post or tweet sharing some interesting facts or reads on teen dramas. You like to quote Dylan McKay? Well, I like to quote the king of quotes, Lucas Scott:
"Your art matters. It's what got me here"
- Bram
Bram,
I can't tell you what your comment means to me. It might be the most impactful message I've ever received. It brought tears to my eyes and I immediately shared it with my closest friends. The whole purpose of TDW, then and now, is to share my passion with fellow fans. Your comment, and your journey, lets me know I'm accomplishing that mission.
-I love that you won't abbreviate "Beverly Hills, 90210" to "90210" or "BH90210." I have posts coming up in a few weeks about both shows... and I don't hold back.
-It really does seem we have similar stories with "Beverly Hills, 90210" / "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill" / "The O.C." How remarkable! I am always eager to hear how people fell in love with the genre, so thanks for letting me know how you did!
-It is rather amazing how much "The O.C." impacted pop culture despite lasting for much shorter than the other teen dramas. It would be interesting to explore why that is.
-Funny that people would say "Gossip Girl" is like "One Tree Hill" because in some ways they are worlds apart. I, too, still have issues with "Gossip Girl," but I have a post coming up that delves into how I underestimated it from the start.
-I do think describing "Dawson's Creek" as a "pre-OTH OTH" makes a lot of sense! I've never heard that description before, but I think it's valid.
-Well, thank goodness Paul Johansson led you to watch "Beverly Hills, 90210!" I am humbled by whatever role I played.
-I am so impressed by the way you've watched "Beverly Hills, 90210." I think my preferences fall somewhere in between weekly viewings and binge-watching. But to do it week by week, season by season, like you have shows extreme patience and also a commitment to experiencing the show as it was originally intended and just as original viewers did. What a great observation as well about a decade passing in both the characters' lives and your own. I imagine that has greatly impacted your views compared to if you had binge-watched the series over, say, a few weeks.
-I am so excited that you're on season 10 of "Beverly Hills, 90210" now, but also sad for you that your journey is coming to an end (though at your pace, you still have a few more months to go!).
-It is so true that there is a difference between meeting someone who likes these shows and someone who has an obsession on our level. I definitely created TDW for those who are obsessed like us!
-Your "One Tree Hill" routine is so interesting! I know of a couple of people that would always try to rewatch last week's episode before that week's new one. That is a serious time commitment!
-I am so excited for you to one day watch "Dawson's Creek." I love experiencing the teen dramas again through the eyes of first-time viewers so I will be eager for your thoughts!
-I, too, love the season 2 "Beverly Hills, 90210" Christmas episode for Ian's emotional storyline! In fact, if I ever get the chance to speak to him, I've planned to tell him how much I am struck by his "serious" and emotional acting – in this episode, as well as in season 6 when he discovers Rush is his biological father and also in season 10 (no spoilers for you!).
-It's very interesting how your couple preferences have changed as the seasons passed. I think that is a sign of your maturity and growth, versus being narrow-minded and irrationally committed to one couple no matter what. You certainly don't hear of many Donna-Ray fans, even pre-abuse!
-I agree Tiffani isn't given enough credit. She is often overshadowed by a fixation on Shannen and the early seasons. I did love Tiffani's final episode, though, and Val's emotional goodbye scene with David.
-I can't say I was a fan of Carly or her storyline with Steve, but it's pretty unbelievable how Hilary Swank's career took off afterward. Perhaps the only teen drama star with the same level of success (in terms of critical acclaim) is Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson's Creek).
-"Your art matters. It's what got me here." ARE YOU SERIOUS?! What a freakin' honor. I am truly so humbled.
Looking forward to our future discussions,
Shari
" . . . and there were days when I watched at 10:00am and 11:00am on FX and again at 5:00pm and 6:00pm on the same channel." Yessss!
It's so interesting to read how each person got into their favourite TV show! I personally think I would be ok with a child of the age you were watching Beverly Hills, 90210. I haven't seen past mid s5 of this show, but IIRC based on the episodes I've seen: yes, there were drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, etc., but those things were always portrayed in a negative light. I would be more worried about my child watching some more recent shows where those things are portrayed in a nuanced light, or sometimes not even a storyline into themselves, but something "normal" going on without being addressed.
It's also interesting how the age we got into our fav shows influence the way we see them. I got into my 2 all-time favourite TV show, Buffy and Roswell, when I was roughly 13-14, so a few years younger than the characters portrayed. I remember thinking that "The Bronze" in Buffy was sooo cool and I couldn't wait to go to places like this. And I also thought that Liz and Maria' jobs in Roswell (waitresses in a touristy diner) seemed sooo fun and I couldn't wait to be 16 to have a part-time job and maybe work in a cafe/dinner/restaurant myself. But I had watched those shows a few years later, I would have probably laughed at how non-sensical The Bronze was (sometimes it was like a coffee shop, sometimes like an all-age club, sometimes like an actual bar, etc.) and how awful it must have been to work in that diner and serve annoying tourists after a long day at school. And I just started watching Beverly Hills, 90210 in 2019. I'm interested in the storylines and characters, but the issues likely do not feel as life-threatening to me as if I had watched the show as a kid like you or a teenager like I did with Buffy and Roswell.
Talk soon :)
Yes, it's totally fascinating how the age we are affects our viewpoint, as well as what season we start with!
You need to watch past mid-season 5!!!