Beverly Hills, 90210 - TV-PG

Classic '90s teen soap with famous a zip code.

TV Rating: TV-PG Network: SOAPnet Cast: Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestly Genre: Drama
Available on: DVDDownload

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that while producer Aaron Spelling's soapy 1990s teen melodrama was about as realistic in its depiction of everyday teen life as The Brady Bunch was back in the '70s, it did address some serious topics, including alcoholism, drug abuse, premarital sex, gambling, teen pregnancy, and teen suicide. Characters are constantly coping with the dramatic ups and downs of their friendships and romantic relationships. Many of them are wealthy, and few have strong or even positive relationships with their parents. Parents may want to preview before allowing young tweens and young teens to watch.

Families can talk about how teenagers are presented on television. How realistic are the lives of the teens you see on television vs. the teens in your family or at your school? How have TV teens changed over the years? What do Brenda, Brandon, and co. have in common with today's TV teens? How are they different? Do you think real teens' lives would be as much fun to watch on TV? Why or why not? Families can also talk about some of the difficult issues teens have to deal with today. Who are the people you can go to if you or someone you know has a problem?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Melissa Camacho

Earning a place in the Aaron Spelling hall of fame, BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 is a guilty pleasure soap opera about a group of teenagers in the upscale Southern California suburb of Beverly Hills.

Created by renowned TV producer Spelling (Charlie's Angels, Melrose Place) and Sex and the City creator Darren Star, this popular 1990s series follows twins Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty), who move to L.A. from Minneapolis and attend the fictitious West Beverly High School. Their circle of friends includes pretty Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth), insecure Donna Martin (Tori Spelling), ambitious Andrea Zuckerman (Gabrielle Carteris), aspiring musician David Silver (Brian Austin Green), happy-go-lucky Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering), and rebellious Dylan McKay (Luke Perry).

Over its 10-season run, 90210 delved deeply into the (mostly) privileged but often-troubled lives of its core characters. While full of teen-oriented storylines about friendships, deep-seated rivalry, and troubled romance, the series was first and foremost a prime-time soap; consequently, characters frequently schemed, cheated, and manipulated their way through the world of high school and beyond.

That said, 90210 did address some very serious issues faced by teens of any decade, including coping with peer pressure to smoke, drink, abuse drugs, and have sex. The series also dealt with subject matter that was controversial for its time, including teen suicide, physical abuse at the hands of a boyfriend, surviving rape, and struggling with alcohol- and drug-dependent parents.

By the show's fifth season, many of the original gang had transitioned to college life and other pursuits, leading to the departure of some characters and the introduction of new ones, including the Walshes' conniving cousin, Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen). As a result, the problems became more sophisticated to the point of being contrived, and the show lost much of its original appeal. Nonetheless, the series will forever be remembered as a cultural phenomenon that defines the 1990s.

The show still airs in syndication and is available on DVD. Fans may also enjoy the also-classic but more realistic Degrassi, Old School, or more-contemporary teen dramas like One Tree Hill.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Frequent scenes of teens kissing and "making out." Frequent references to sexual activity. Discussions about teen pregnancy and sex are also featured, including discussions about virginity (particularly Donna's) and unexpected pregnancy (Andrea's). The episode in which Dylan and Brenda had sex for the first time was a big deal when it first aired.
Violence Some of the plotlines feature characters surviving violent crime, including physical abuse, shooting, and rape. A character is murdered in a later season.
Language Pretty mild: "Damn," "hell," "bitch," etc.
Message
	Social Behavior This series presents an unrealistic portrayal of teenagers, but it deals with the very real issues that teens face. Discussions about socioeconomic class are frequent, since some characters aren't as wealthy as others. Some members of the group do work and participate in volunteer activities. Not all characters are good or nice, and not all bad behavior is presented as having negative consequences. Characters frequently cheat, scheme, and manipulate. Despite the large ensemble cast, there are only a few characters of multicultural background featured, including Jesse Vazquez, Andrea's Latino boyfriend/husband.
	Commercialism Many (but not all) of the characters are presented as wealthy, materialistic members of the upscale Beverly Hills community.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Teen cigarette use (accompanied by a clear discussion of their consequences). Alcohol and drug abuse (including steroids) are shown to have clear negative consequences. But the underage characters still do plenty of drinking outside the context of abuse.