Beverly Hills, 90210 (franchise)
A franchise of interconnected teen and young adult dramas.
The Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise is a media franchise created by Darren Star and owned by CBS Studios, comprising six American television series that began in 1990. The franchise is known for its real-time continuity and its focus on teen and young adult dramas set in Los Angeles, achieving worldwide success and launching the careers of several actors and creators.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Beverly Hills, 90210
- Creator
- Darren Star
- Owner
- CBS Studios
- Tv Series
- Beverly Hills, 90210 / Melrose Place (1992) / Models Inc. / 90210 / Melrose Place (2009) / BH90210
- Years
- 1990–2019
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The franchise began in 1990 with the debut of Darren Star's teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, produced by Aaron Spelling and aired on FOX. After its worldwide success in 1991, Star expanded the franchise with Melrose Place in 1992, a drama about young adults in Los Angeles. The third series, Models Inc., aired from June 1994 to March 1995. The fourth entry, 90210, premiered on The CW in 2008, followed by a Melrose Place follow-up in 2009. A revival, BH90210, aired in 2019 outside of the franchise continuity.
The continuity progresses in real time. Some characters have appeared in multiple shows. Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, and Ian Ziering are the only actors who appeared in the entire run of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, while Grant Show appeared in Melrose Place and Models Inc., but not in the original Beverly Hills, 90210. The franchise has been generally well received among young audiences.
Reader's Guide
The Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise is significant for its pioneering of the teen drama genre and its expansion into a shared television universe with real-time continuity. It launched the career of creator Darren Star and brought early success to the FOX network. The franchise introduced several actors who later achieved fame, including Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, and Jennie Garth. Its spin-offs, Melrose Place and Models Inc., further explored adult themes and attracted established stars like Heather Locklear and Linda Gray. The franchise's legacy includes influencing later teen dramas and demonstrating the viability of interconnected television series. The 2019 revival, BH90210, acknowledged the franchise's cultural impact by placing itself outside of continuity, allowing for a meta-commentary on the original series.
Did You Know?
- The franchise comprises six series: Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), Melrose Place (1992), Models Inc. (1994), 90210 (2008), Melrose Place (2009), and BH90210 (2019).
- The 2019 revival BH90210 takes place outside of the franchise continuity.
More in American television spinoffs 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced