From the moment the iconic music plays we are transported back to a time when we gathered at the Peach Pit and watched teen drama unfold in that now-famous zip code… but this new take on an old favourite delivers plenty of surprises and lots of laughs.
WARNING: The reboot of Beverly Hills 90210 is a little different to what you might be expecting.
If you’ve read the many stories about the new series you’ll know this is a drama about the actors who portrayed Kelly, Brandon etc. It’s a bit like the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant series EXTRAS in that the actors play heightened versions of themselves. While using aspects of their real lives, the writers have been able to weave new storylines in adding drama and fun.
It can be a little confusing at first while trying to settle into the concept but 15 minutes in you will either be fully enjoying the series or you’ll be switching off. Me, I loved it!
Reprising their roles are Jason Priestley (Brandon Walsh), Shannen Doherty (Brenda Walsh) , Jennie Garth (Kelly Taylor), Ian Ziering (Steve Sanders), Gabrielle Carteris (Andrea Zuckerman), Brian Austin Green (David Silver) and Tori Spelling (Donna Martin).
Luke Perry had been in negotiations for a one-episode appearance before his untimely death in March. The handling of his death in the episode was a beautiful moment that in no way felt forced.
The first episode is set at a convention to mark the shows 30th anniversary. The inter-personal relationships of the actors play out better than anything that was manufactured on the screen back in the day and the cast really seem to be enjoying taking the piss out of themselves.
As a casual fan of the original I learnt new things about backstage shenanigans that I really hope are true and not just embellished by writers of the reboot (although I certainly loved the embellished parts).
While all get a good amount of screen time Shannen Doherty’s scene-stealing moment is worth the price of admission alone. Off-handed remarks by other cast members add fuel to the fire about her reputation but she ultimately comes across as a winner.
The other cast members all have their own issues to deal with which will most certainly play out in future episodes… and an unexpected hook-up will really set the cat amongst the pigeons!
Australia’s Channel 10 confirmed to TV Blackbox it will air locally on their main channel in August/September.
The network still hasn’t announced an air date, but in our exclusive story revealing the network had picked up the series Network 10 Head of Programming, Daniel Monaghan, told us
“Beverly Hills 90210 was a cultural phenomenon on 10 when it aired in the 90’s and ever since, fans have pleaded to have the original cast members to return to the world’s most famous postcode. We are thrilled to have it back and it will air on 10 later this year.”
All I can say is the sooner the better!
Co-Creator and Editor of the TV Blackbox website, Robert McKnight is highly regarded Australian Television Producer, he has worked at SEVEN, NINE and TEN, and is most well-known for creating and producing STUDIO 10. Currently Rob is the host and producer of the TV Blackbox, McKnight Tonight and Monsters Who Murder podcasts.
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