BH90210 REVIEW
I wore the same clothes, I had Brenda’s bangs, I longed for my own Brandon or Dylan or David (sorry, Steve!), and I pretty much lived for Wednesday nights. And here I am, almost 30 years later watching BH90210 on Wednesday night and – well, living for it. The 90210 reboot premiere delivered all that this fangirl didn’t realize she wanted. Do I think your kids can watch this one? Here’s a BH90210 parent review of the first episode to help you decide.
Sometimes when I hear “reboot” I get a little annoyed. Okay, a lot annoyed.
Can’t something- anything– be new and original these days? It was cute at first, but, like, everything is getting a reboot and it’s getting a bit- ahem- old.
And that’s coming from someone who loves nostalgia and all that crap.
But then I heard “reboot 90210 with the original cast” and there was zero annoyance. Zilch. None.
In fact, I fangirled the heck out.
Because this? This was my show.
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On Wednesdays, We Watch BH90210
Before Mean Girls made Wednesdays in pink a thing, my high school friends and I (who were, um, legit mean girls… stories that def don’t need to be on the internet!) gathered together at Erin’s house to watch 90210 together. Every week.
This was our ritual and our time together. And even when everyone went off to college, we’d gather back together at Erin’s to watch the show when we were all in town.
Was I going to watch the reboot this week? You bet your Peach Pit I was!
And it was everything I didn’t know I needed or wanted in a show.
About BH90210
The gang gets back together – minus Shannen and Luke obviously- for a 90210 fan convention celebrating the 30th anniversary. No one is leading a perfect life post 90210 though they are all doing a good job faking it for the fans. They even manage to smile through some questions about Brian Austin Green’s famous wife and the fresh announcement of Jennie Garth’s impending divorce.
Awk- ward!
And then things get worse for the cast when unannounced (and still unloved) Shannen Doherty hijacks the reunion via Instagram Live feed and the panel comes to a close.
The friends decide to drink a little and head out of Vegas and the convention just as soon as they can- and that’s when the drama starts flowing.
Fangirling 90210 and #BH90210
Come on over and fangirl BH90210 with us!
BH90210 Premiere Review
Here’s the thing: I thought it was going to be the characters coming back together and all kinds of shenanigans would happen in the world of Brenda, Dylan, Steve, Kelly, Donna, David, and Andrea. Which- well, I think half my Twitter feed thought that was the case as well.
And don’t get me wrong- it would have been great. I’d still watch that show.
But that’s not what BH90210 is shaping up to be and I think once we got past that initial shock to our system we’re going to be in for a fun ride!
Don’t give up on the weirdness of the first half-hour. The payoff starts to come in the 2nd half.
I wasn’t sure where we were going because I admittedly did zero research on the premise, but I was completely satisfied at where we landed at the end of the first hour.
It’s not perfect- without Luke Perry, it just can’t ever be- but it had my attention and it wasn’t just nostalgia talking. The creative way they blend parts of their reality with their television history made the characters stand out in a fresh way.
It was sweet. Tori and Jennie’s friendship, in particular, had me in my feels and made me want to track down my high school girls again.
BH90210: L-R: Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling in the BH90210 “Reunion” series premiere episode airing Wednesday, Aug. 7 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2019 Fox Media LLC Cr: Shane Harvey/FOX
It was funny. The digs at everyone’s past and meta takes on their real lives is something fangirls and celeb watchers will love.
It was delicious. The Shannen shade from errrryone was worth watching if you didn’t like anything else from the show. For historical purposes, it helps if you know about the issues she caused on (and off) the set and her early exit from the series.
It’s not a reboot- it’s more than that. It’s a show within a show and the real show is just getting started!
BH90210 Parent Review
Is this 90210 version something your kids can watch?
My BH90210 parent review is to pre-watch this one if your kids are in middle school or younger. Ages 14 and up should be ok here, but it’s not completely clean.
These are adults, of course, and not kids in high school anymore.
We had a decent smattering of language, sex & sexual situations, stealing, and excessive drinking- and that’s just the first episode. Nothing too overt in the way of nudity but you do see Jason Priestly only covered by a large well-placed pillow.
But you, my Gen X friend? See you on Wednesday nights for BH90210!
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Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.