Teen Drama Links for March 23, 2021

It was another dramatic week in the world of “Beverly Hills, 90210” — and I’m not done getting some feelings off my chest.

As I previously detailed, last Monday’s “9021OMG” podcast devoted a significant chunk of time to Jennie Garth (Kelly, Beverly Hills, 90210) and Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills, 90210) reacting to comments from Vanessa Marcil (Gina, Beverly Hills, 90210) about her time on the show during seasons 9 and 10. Marcil had revealed in an Instagram Live interview that she didn’t have the greatest experience working on the series, and on their podcast, Garth and Spelling didn’t have the most supportive reaction to her comments, which included accusing Garth of saying something questionable to her.

Not only did this back-and-forth light up fan groups, but more than a dozen media outlets picked up Garth and Spelling’s comments, turning it all into a full-blown celebrity feud narrative. Marcil hasn’t directly responded to their remarks, but her recent Instagram post about female friendships, getting along with people on set, and taking responsibility certainly seemed to be a “subtweet” about the situation. She wrote in part:

“I’m still friends with almost every woman I’ve ever worked with from producers to crew members. Women are the heart of our planet.... Not all women have been living in a competitive world. I’m only speaking of my own experience and it is our job as decent human beings to LISTEN to each other. I love women. I was raised in this industry working for women producers, directors and with female co stars & crew of all ages & every level of success who created an atmosphere of support, help & celebration of each other. I have, 99 percent of the time felt love, admiration & community among women. The very few times I haven’t felt this support & professionalism among other women. I LEFT. We are who we surround ourselves with and we always have the choice to leave the party. Always. I stand with all honest, grown up, self reflective women. We all make mistakes but it is only those of us who can be honest about our shortcomings and apologize that are offered peace and grace in this life.”

That certainly seems to be alluding to the situation with Garth and Spelling and how they acted / reacted on their podcast. I was on Friday’s “9-OH! News” discussing it all, but some of my remarks were cut out, so I wanted to share my full comments with you all here.

“As many fans already know, this week’s ‘9021OMG’ podcast was a doozy for two reasons: one, Jennie and Tori reacted to some negative feedback they’ve received from listeners and, two, they reacted to recent comments from Vanessa Marcil about her time on the show in seasons 9 and 10.

So here’s what went down: Last month, Vanessa did an Instagram Live interview with a fan, during which she spoke about leaving ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and feeling unliked amid alleged ‘cattiness’ on set. She specifically alleged Jennie said something to her in particular about not walking around like someone who isn’t liked.

Now several weeks later, Jennie and Tori were informed of Vanessa’s comments, though they didn’t actually watch the interview. To Jennie’s credit, she didn’t outright deny saying something like that to Vanessa. Rather, she admitted she didn’t remember saying it — we know she doesn’t have the greatest memory — and said that she actually doesn’t see the alleged comment as something bad.

Tori, though, flat-out denied it on Jennie’s behalf and also rejected the idea that Vanessa had an unpleasant experience on set and even that she quit the show because of it. It got a bit heated, with Tori even admitting she was ‘riled up.’

Various media outlets picked up their comments, and discussions ignited among fans in different groups on Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, etc., and a lot of the comments were attacking Jennie and Tori and bringing up other allegations about what it was like working with them back in the day.

Here's my take: None of us was around back then when all of this stuff with Vanessa or Tiffani or any other cast member did or didn’t take place. We did not witness it. I wasn’t there. Were you there, Pete? Were you there, Melanie? We weren’t there so we can't possibly know what’s true and what isn't. All of these stories over the years are she-said, she-said and we know there are three sides to every story: her side, HER side, and the truth. They are each entitled to their recollections, of course, but we have to acknowledge each person’s recollection is probably biased, even just subconsciously. And because we weren’t there, we won’t ever actually know the truth. So I don’t feel any of us are in a position to pass judgment on allegations we didn’t actually witness. We can’t possibly know who is right and who is wrong and who is exaggerating and who isn’t. 

BUT what we can do is react to the public behavior we are witnessing today. And I think the way Jennie and Tori conducted themselves on their podcast this week and the things they said reflected very poorly on them. It doesn’t change my love of the show or my love of Kelly or Donna. It doesn’t change the fact that they are gigantic parts of my all-time favorite television show. But it does affect how I view them personally, and I am hoping they will take the high road going forward. I understand responding to something that’s said about you — Jennie had every right to respond to Vanessa invoking her name — but she and Tori could’ve just gone about it more maturely and respectfully instead of raising the temperature.

And just one other thing to note. I wrote an essay a few months back on the subject of meeting your idols. I wrote about how I spent years seeing [‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ executive producer] Chuck’s name on my television screen and viewed him as some kind of mythological figure. And when I met him and got to spend time with him on a few occasions, I realized he’s human like everyone else. He has flaws like everyone else. I discovered the same thing with Jennie — the person I met on a red carpet interview was very different than the person I imagined in my head.

The lesson here is that we shouldn’t be putting people, celebrities, on pedestals. They are complicated, multi-faceted people like everyone else and they may let us down at times. We can love their projects, we can be fans, but we should be very careful about idolizing.”

On yesterday’s “9021OMG” podcast, Jennie and Tori were on their best behavior and acted like nothing happened last week... or perhaps they were on their best behavior because of what happened last week. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Now, onto the rest of the week’s news…

Teen Drama Links for March 23, 2021

• Hulu created a “Best of Brenda and Dylan’s Relationship” montage. (YouTube)

  • Oddly, the description says they were “two strangers who met at a house party,” which is, uh, not accurate.

• Spelling has revealed what she was filming in Georgia last fall: a guest-starring role on the BET+ series “Bigger.” (Instagram)

• Ian Ziering (Steve, Beverly Hills, 90210) posted a throwback photo with Jason Priestley (Brandon, Beverly Hills, 90210), which appears to be from the season 2 finale of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” (Instagram)

• Tiffani Thiessen (Valerie, Beverly Hills, 90210) is making the media rounds to promote the new season of “Deliciousness,” which premiered last night.

  • “Tiffani Thiessen: From ‘SBTB’ & ‘90210’ to ‘Deliciousness’” (E! Online)

    • Asked to share a secret about “Saved by the Bell” or “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Thiessen said in regard to “Beverly Hills, 90210” that it’s not really a secret, but “I wasn’t loved by some of the females on that show at first.”

      • Oh, Tiffani. You are either making the same mistake Vanessa just made by opening a can of worms… or purposely making a point to back her up.

  • “Tiffani Thiessen on hosting the MTV ‘Ridiculousness’ spinoff ‘Deliciousness’” (KTLA)

  • “Tiffani Thiessen On MTV’s ‘Deliciousness’: ‘It’s Mind-Blowing What People Are Doing’” (CBS Los Angeles)

• Thiessen will appear on “Celebrity Sleepover.” (NBC New York)

• Lindsay Price (Janet, Beverly Hills, 90210) wrote a moving post about how anti-Asian hate is affecting her family. (Instagram)

• I should’ve mentioned this last week: Babyface, who appeared on the season 4 finale of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” received the Trustees Award at the Grammys. (Instagram)

• Lindsey Rosin, daughter of Charles Rosin (executive producer, Beverly Hills, 90210), is mentioned in the March issue of Entertainment Weekly for writing the pilot for a Cruel Intentions sequel series. The article focused on buzzed-about pilots that fans never got to see.

• This article describes the start of “Genera+ion” as “an absurd, tone-setting moment that feels like Cruel Intentions meets ‘Dawson’s Creek’ meets ‘Freaks and Geeks.’” (GQ)

  • “Freaks and Geeks” starred Busy Philipps (Audrey, Dawson’s Creek) and Seth Rogen (Bob, Dawson’s Creek). This recent article makes the case that the short-lived series is a “hilarious, moving and endlessly quotable teen show for the ages.” (The Guardian)

• Joshua Jackson (Pacey, Dawson’s Creek) and Rogen are included in this list of “21 Canadian Celebrities Whose Nationality Shocked Me A Tad Bit.” (BuzzFeed)

• Rogen is in talks to join Michelle Williams (Jen, Dawson’s Creek) in a movie loosely based on Steven Spielberg’s childhood. (Deadline)

  • Rogen and Williams previously starred together in Take This Waltz.

• Katie Holmes (Joey, Dawson’s Creek) will star in and produce an adaptation of The Watergate Girl, a memoir by Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks. (Deadline)

• He’s All That, with Rachael Leigh Cook (Devon, Dawson’s Creek) will be released on Netflix. (Deadline)

• Jason Behr (Chris, Dawson’s Creek) will recur on “Supergirl,” which is executive-produced by Greg Berlanti (executive producer, Dawson’s Creek) and Jessica Queller (co-executive producer, Gossip Girl). (Deadline)

• Jane Lynch (Mrs. Witter, Dawson’s Creek) has been cast in the ABC comedy pilot “Bucktown.” (Deadline)

• Paula Cole (theme song artist, Dawson’s Creek) is previewing her new album. (Rolling Stone)

• Adam Brody (Seth, The O.C.) says of his continued association with “The O.C.,” “It’s an honor to have been part of the culture and pop culture in such a distinct way.” (The A.V. Club)

  • In the above interview, Brody also reveals a fun fact: the inspiration for Volchok’s name.

• Promising Young Woman, which features Brody, won one of the top prizes at the WGA Awards. (Deadline)

• Olivia Wilde (Alex, The O.C.) — jokingly? — revealed the inspiration for Alex’s look on “The O.C.” (Us Weekly)

• Chris Carmack (Luke, The O.C.) and wife Erin Slaver did a joint interview about their music duo, Life on Eris. (Wide Open Country)

• Nicholas Gonzalez (DJ, The O.C.) will star in a new NBC series called “La Brea.” (Deadline)

• Chris Pratt (Che, The O.C.) and Sebastian Stan (Carter, Gossip Girl) are highlighted in “18 Actors Who Starred In Teen Movies And Shows Before They Were Marvel Superheroes.” (BuzzFeed)

• “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl” are featured in “13 Romantic TV Shows Streaming on HBO Max Right This Second.” (Popsugar)

  • Also on the list is “Sex and the City,” which was created by Darren Star (creator, Beverly Hills, 90210), and other shows with teen drama stars.

• Weird headline, but characters from “The O.C.,” “One Tree Hill,” “Gossip Girl,” and “90210” are included in “10 Guys From Teen Dramas That Made Me Go ‘Yuck’ And 9 That Made Me Go ‘Yum.’” (BuzzFeed)

• “One Tree Hill” is featured in “19 Series Finale Callbacks That Are So Damn Clever But Went Over A Lot Of People’s Heads.” (BuzzFeed)

• Another weird headline, but Chad Michael Murray (Lucas, One Tree Hill) is included in this: “Self-Proclaimed 2000s Girls And Gays Will Have A Hard Time Choosing One Movie Or Show Per Actor To Save.” (BuzzFeed)

• Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill) opened up about her “eco-conscious shopping destination, Fashionkind.” (Vogue)

• “Everyone is Doing Great” producer Rocque Trem discussed making the show with James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill) and Stephen Colletti (Chase, One Tree Hill). (Record-Courier)

• Lafferty says there are “One Tree Hill” “Easter eggs” in “Everyone is Doing Great,” but noted, “We obviously don’t ever want this to turn into the ‘One Tree Hill’ spinoff any more than it already has... I think we really want to walk that line of paying homage to where we come from, and leave the actual ‘One Tree Hill’ reunion for whatever the future decides that could be.” (Mashable)

• There is a Q&A with Shantel VanSanten (Quinn, One Tree Hill) in the March 22 issue of People.

• Stan’s relationship with Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl) is the subject of this look-back titled, “Sebastian Stan and Leighton Meester Once Made Out at a Basketball Game in Front of Chace Crawford.” (InStyle)

  • An odd story to do when Meester is now married to someone else (the aforementioned Brody).

• The revelation of just who was Gossip Girl on, er, “Gossip Girl” is included in this poll series, “Here Are 17 Polarizing TV Show Opinions — Do You Agree Or Disagree With Them?” (BuzzFeed)

• “No more re-runs! These are the modern equivalents of your favourite cult TV shows” offers “Elite” as an alternative for “Gossip Girl.” (Now to Love)

  • Also mentioned on the list is “Firefly Lane,” which was created by Maggie Friedman (producer, Dawson’s Creek).

• Margaret Colin (Eleanor, Gossip Girl) will recur on “Chicago Med” in a storyline that will have her working as mother-and-daughter with Torrey DeVitto (Carrie, One Tree Hill). (Deadline)

• This piece looks back at “Great Outfits in Fashion History: Taylor Momsen in Dress Stolen Straight from Blair Waldorf’s Closet.” (Fashionista)

• Sarah Ramos wrote an essay reflecting on auditioning to play Jenny on “Gossip Girl” and how the experience affected her. (Los Angeles Times)

• Armie Hammer (Gabriel, Gossip Girl) is now under investigation for sexual assault. (The New York Times)

• The new “Gossip Girl” is included in this roundup of “25 TV Shows Rebooting in 2021.” (Newsweek)

• Elizabeth Lail, who starred on “You” with Penn Badgley (Dan, Gossip Girl) has joined the cast of the “Gossip Girl” spinoff. (Deadline)

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