In short, you’re about to get a crash course on what Jason, Jennie, Shannen, Tori, Brian, Ian and Gabrielle have been up to since 90210 went off the air in 2000. I was a 90210 super-fan back during its original run, so naturally I’m here to help set the record straight on some of the liberties that 90210 took to portray the fictional versions of the real-life actors. The fact that the pilot episode was funny and entertaining is just a pleasant cherry on top of the nostalgia sundae. Plus, it’s anchored by the original cast (minus the very notable absence of Luke Perry, which I’m still not totally ready to talk about) and honestly, I am happy to see them back together. It’s a genuinely funny, satirical take on what being an aged-out teen star in Hollywood is like once your super popular show has been off the air for years, and you’re in your late 40s (or late 50s in one case) in Hollywood. (We know there would be problems, those two were a lot.) So we lucked out when the powers that be decided to reboot 90210 as a meta-take on what the actors who played the core group in 90210 would be up to now, and their struggle to get a fictional 90210 reboot on the air. This is not a straight forward reboot, which I’m grateful for since I’m not sure I want to see David and Donna Silver’s inevitable marriage problems. If you need any further convincing, the premise, which I’ll explain, should push you over the edge. Stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it, you can find it on Hulu. If you haven’t seen the first episode of the new 90210, it’s excellent. This summer has been a little, oh shall we say, bleak, yes?! Spending time with the 90210 crew feels like slipping on a favorite sweater, and it’s exactly what I needed, even if it does feel a little bittersweet.
The West Beverly gang is back, and honestly, I could not be happier about it.