REVIEW: ‘Beverly Hills 90210: The Ultimate Collection’ on DVD
Image courtesy of CBS / Provided by official site.
Beverly Hills 90210 was a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, ushering in a new wave of young adult and teenage-oriented soap operas that continue to rank among the most-watched series on networks and streaming platforms. Riverdale, Melrose Place and pretty much everything on The CW have a debt of gratitude to 90210. The landmark show is now being celebrated with The Ultimate Collection featuring the 10 seasons of the flagship series and even BH90210, the 2019 reboot that last one season.
On these 74 discs — yes, 74! — all of the company members are present and accounted for. The back of the DVD bills them as BFFs: Brandon (Jason Priestley), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Dylan (Luke Perry), David (Brian Austin Green), Steve (Ian Ziering), Donna (Tori Spelling), Val (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), Brenda (Shannon Doherty), Clare (Kathleen Robertson), Noah (Vincent Young), Janet (Lindsay Price) — breath, this list is long — Matt (Daniel Cosgrove), Gina (Vanessa Marcil) and Carly (Hilary Swank).
With only a few exceptions — Swank, for example — this show proved to be the defining career moments of these actors’ lives, and that should be celebrated. Many of them went on to honest, worthy work, but there is a love and admiration for Beverly Hills 90210 that has withstood the test of time. For those coming of age in the 1990s, it was appointment television, with the relationships and breakups on the series proving to be fascinating water-cooler talk. So what if these actors are known more for these 10 seasons than anything else; it’s better to be remembered for quality television like this.
There was a comfort and familiarity with the storylines and characters. They touched upon important and difficult issues, and along the way the cast and crew succeeded far more than they tripped up.
The heart of the series will always be Brandon and Brenda, siblings who move rom Minnesota to trendy Beverly Hills. Their admission to West Beverly High is achieved via baptism by fire. They need to learn the ins and outs of the local culture and keep their head about them in the hallways of this prestigious school, but they soon learn that not everything is sunny in sunny California.
The DVD set, which will take up a lot of space on one’s shelf, has some special features, but a few more would have been appreciated. There is behind-the-scenes footage, plus some interviews and season recaps. Perhaps the best of the bunch is an Entertainment Tonight segment (that gossip show covered the ups and downs of this series like it were the Watergate scandal) and gag reel from BH90210. And, yes, let’s be blunt: The reboot is not as solid as the original series, but that’s to be expected.
In this era of nostalgia, when binge-watchers love nothing more than to take a trip down memory lane, this Beverly Hills 90210 retro rewind is a perfect gift and will fill up hours and hours and hours of entertainment. Have fun, and join the couples at West Beverly High.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Beverly Hills: The Ultimate Collection is now available on DVD. Click here for more information.
