99 Fun Facts About Beverly Hills, 90210

The Walsh family moved to Beverly Hills from which Midwestern city?

Minneapolis. A promotion for Jim Walsh moved the family west, and in the Season 1 finale a second promotion nearly sent them straight back, to Brandon and Brenda's dismay.

Beverly Hills, 90210 ran for ten seasons on which US network?

Fox aired all ten seasons, from October 1990 to May 2000; a run of new summer episodes in 1991 turned around weak first-season ratings and made it one of the young network's signature hits.

Which young writer created Beverly Hills, 90210 for producer Aaron Spelling?

Darren Star. A 28-year-old screenwriter, he could not legally use the real Beverly Hills High, so his school became West Beverly; he later created Sex and the City.

What was the name of the 1950s-style diner where the Beverly Hills, 90210 gang always gathered?

The Peach Pit. Brandon waited tables there, and when the owner's heart attack put it up for sale in Season 4, Dylan bought a share to keep it open.

Which veteran character actor played Nat, the diner owner and moral compass of Beverly Hills, 90210?

Joe E. Tata. Once a henchman on the 1960s Batman, he was only a recurring guest for five seasons, yet he appeared in more than 200 episodes and outlasted most of the stars.

Who auditioned under the fake surname Mitchell before being cast as Donna Martin?

Tori Spelling read for Kelly as "Tori Mitchell" to dodge her father's name, was recognized anyway, and ended up cast as Donna Martin instead.

West Beverly High's exteriors were filmed at which real campus, later Sunnydale High in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

Torrance High School. The stand-in for the famous 90210 zip code is a public school in middle-class Torrance, in zip code 90501.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 character edited the school newspaper, the West Beverly Blaze?

Andrea Zuckerman. The paper's driven editor was hiding a secret of her own: she lived outside the district and used her grandmother's Beverly Hills address to enrol.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, Donna Martin stayed a virgin until the night of which milestone?

Her college graduation. The show's producer is said to have insisted that Donna wait that long, so her first night with David came seven seasons in.

Which actress played Toni Marchette, Dylan's short-lived Season 6 bride on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Rebecca Gayheart played Toni Marchette, who married Dylan in Season 6 and was shot dead by a hitman her mobster father had sent after Dylan, prompting his exit from the show.

The "Donna Martin graduates!" protest erupted after Donna was caught doing what at the senior prom?

Drinking alcohol. David's father had poured champagne before the prom, and a new rule barred any student found drunk there from graduating, so her classmates walked out of finals in protest.

Parents were outraged when Brenda lost her virginity to Dylan in which first-season episode?

In "Spring Dance", the Season 1 prom episode, Brenda and Dylan slept together in a hotel room; the parental backlash led the writers to give Brenda a pregnancy scare at the start of Season 2.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, Andrea won a place at which Ivy League university, only to stay in Los Angeles?

Yale. Andrea turned it down over the cost and an ailing grandmother, then got there after all: in Season 5 her husband Jesse was offered a post at its law school and she transferred.

Scott Scanlon, who accidentally shot himself at his own birthday party, was whose best friend?

David Silver. The two had drifted apart as David grew popular, so the fatal accident at Scott's surprise birthday party in Season 2 left him with lasting guilt.

What did Kelly's mother Jackie and David's father Mel name their baby girl, the pair's shared half-sister?

Erin. Her birth made family of Kelly and the younger boy who had once chased after her, and as 'Silver' she grew up to be the main link to the 2008 spin-off.

Which former Kelly Kapowski joined Beverly Hills, 90210 in Season 5 as bad girl Valerie Malone?

Tiffani-Amber Thiessen. Hired to fill the gap left by Shannen Doherty, her Valerie even moved into Brenda's empty bedroom at the Walsh house.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, what apparently killed Dylan's father Jack in Season 3?

A car bomb. The blast seemed to kill Jack McKay, but in Season 10 Dylan learned that his father had faked his death and spent seven years in witness protection.

Steve married which Beverly Beat editor in Season 10?

Janet Sosna. Steve, gun-shy after a run of girlfriends had left him, was slow to commit; Janet promised she would stay, and they married in Season 10 with a baby on the way.

Brandon Walsh left Beverly Hills, 90210 in Season 9 for a newspaper job in which city?

Washington, D.C. Brandon joined the New York Chronicle's bureau there, leaving Steve in charge of the paper the two friends had run together.

What was the name of the clothing boutique Donna and Kelly opened after college?

Now Wear This. Kelly spotted an empty shop to let and talked Donna into going into business with her, and its rails carried Donna's own designs.

In the Beverly Hills, 90210 finale, who walked Donna down the aisle at her wedding to David?

Nat Bussichio gave Donna away: her father, Dr. John Martin, had died earlier in Season 10, and she had long seen the diner owner as a second father.

The final episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 took its title from which piece by Beethoven?

Ode to Joy. The May 2000 farewell closed ten seasons with a wedding, and departed regulars Andrea and Valerie came back to join the celebration.

Which 1992 Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off was launched through Grant Show's biker Jake Hanson, Kelly's love interest?

Melrose Place. Jake was written into the parent show's second season purely to launch it, and Kelly followed him into the spin-off's first episodes.

The 2008 CW series 90210 followed the Wilson family, who moved to Beverly Hills from which state?

Kansas. The pilot was titled 'We're Not in Kansas Anymore': Harry Wilson came home to be West Beverly's principal and to keep watch over his hard-drinking mother, Tabitha.

The original Beverly Hills, 90210 cast played heightened versions of themselves in which 2019 revival?

BH90210. Their fictional selves spend the series trying to get a reboot made, and the premiere closed with a tribute to Luke Perry, who had died five months earlier.

What caused the death of Beverly Hills, 90210 star Luke Perry on March 4, 2019?

Stroke. Perry was taken ill days earlier and died at 52; at his own wish he was buried in an eco-friendly 'mushroom suit', as his daughter later revealed.

Before being cast as Dylan McKay, which role did Luke Perry originally audition for?

Luke Perry lost the part of Steve Sanders to Ian Ziering and was brought in for Dylan, who was absent from the pilot and planned for a short arc before Aaron Spelling kept expanding the role.

About how many fans mobbed Luke Perry's August 1991 autograph session at a Florida shopping mall?

About 10,000. Mostly teenage girls, they surged at the stage the moment the Beverly Hills, 90210 heart-throb appeared, and he was hurried away after about 90 seconds.

Brenda Walsh was written out of Beverly Hills, 90210 by leaving to study acting in which city?

London. Brenda won a summer place at the Royal Academy at the end of Season 4 and never came home, an exit that followed Shannen Doherty's long strife with cast and producers.

What did Shannen Doherty do mid-episode that caused continuity problems and led the cast to ask that she be fired?

Doherty cut her hair partway through filming a Season 4 episode, so her look no longer matched between scenes; the continuity mess and chronic lateness fed the cast's request that she be let go.

Aaron Spelling later cast Shannen Doherty as Prue Halliwell in which of his other series?

Charmed cast Doherty as eldest sister Prue Halliwell from 1998; she left after the third season in 2001 amid reported friction with co-star Alyssa Milano, and Rose McGowan joined as a new sister.

How old was Gabrielle Carteris when cast as 15-year-old Andrea on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Gabrielle Carteris was 29, born in January 1961, when cast as a 15-year-old; she kept her age quiet during casting and was the oldest of the young cast.

Gabrielle Carteris, Andrea on Beverly Hills, 90210, led which union as its president from 2016 to 2021?

SAG-AFTRA. Carteris was its executive vice-president when president Ken Howard died in office in March 2016; the board chose her to succeed him, and members re-elected her twice.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 star was badly injured in a 2002 race-car crash at Kentucky Speedway?

Jason Priestley. He had joined the Infiniti Pro Series that spring; the practice crash broke his back and both feet, and his team pulled out of the series days later.

Beverly Hills, 90210's Ian Ziering enjoyed a career resurgence from 2013 as Fin Shepard in which film series?

Sharknado. Ziering doubted the script but took the job partly to keep his actors' health insurance with a baby on the way; it grew into six films.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 actor released a 1996 rap album called One Stop Carnival?

Brian Austin Green. He dropped the 'Austin' to record as Brian Green, following the same pull towards DJing and hip-hop that the writers had given his character.

Which comedy legend, known as 'Mr. Television', earned a 1995 Emmy nomination for a guest role on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Milton Berle. He played Saul Howard, a retired entertainer with Alzheimer's disease whom Steve befriends while working off community service at a Hollywood retirement home.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, Kelly broke off her Season 10 engagement to which lawyer over her feelings for Dylan?

Matt Durning. The attorney met Kelly while she was viewing the empty shop for her boutique; he was ready to stay in Los Angeles for her when she called the wedding off.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, how did Kelly respond when Brandon proposed and Dylan offered a round-the-world trip?

Turned them both down. Kelly asked for time, then refused the ring and the tickets alike, and Dylan was soon gone on a hunt for his father's killer.

The Season 2 Beverly Hills Beach Club scenes were shot at a Santa Monica club also used by which show?

The Sand and Sea Club on Santa Monica's beach served as the Beverly Hills Beach Club and, in Saved by the Bell's Malibu Sands episodes, as the Malibu Sands Beach Club.

What family secret did a drunken Steve blurt out near the end of Season 1 of Beverly Hills, 90210?

He was adopted. It spilled out in front of his friends during a drunken outburst, and in the following season Steve set out to find his birth parents.

What is the first name of Donna Martin's formidable mother on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Felice. She fought Donna's romance with David for years, yet in the final season it was Felice who nudged the pair back together before their wedding.

Who played Ray Pruit, Donna's abusive musician boyfriend, written out after angry fan mail?

Jamie Walters, already known for the hit single "How Do You Talk to an Angel", played Ray Pruit from Season 5; after Ray shoved Donna down a flight of stairs, viewer backlash got the character written out.

Which future Oscar winner joined Beverly Hills, 90210 in Season 8 as Carly Reynolds, only to be dropped mid-season?

Hilary Swank played single mother Carly Reynolds, Steve's girlfriend, for part of Season 8 before being dropped; she has said the firing pushed her toward Boys Don't Cry and her first Oscar.

Brenda's last big storyline on Beverly Hills, 90210 saw her fight Kelly for the lead in which campus play?

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Brenda's turn in the campus production won over its visiting director, who then offered her the summer at a drama academy that took her out of the show.

On Beverly Hills, 90210, what was Steve's mother Samantha Sanders famous for?

Starring in a hit sitcom. In Season 2 its producers plan a reunion show, which depends on Steve making peace with the actor who played her television son.

Emily Valentine drugged Brandon at an underground club in Season 2 with a street drug known by which name?

U4EA, said aloud as 'euphoria', gave the episode its title. Brandon broke with Emily afterwards, and her efforts to win him back turned into a dangerous obsession.

Which four actors stayed in the main cast for all ten seasons of Beverly Hills, 90210?

Garth, Spelling, Green and Ziering. Even the two biggest names broke their runs: Luke Perry left in Season 6 to try his luck in films before returning, and Jason Priestley quit early in Season 9.

Which band performed "She Don't Use Jelly" on Beverly Hills, 90210 in a 1995 episode?

The Flaming Lips. Steve books them for the gang's nightclub in Season 5, one of several television spots, Letterman among them, that the surprise hit single earned the band.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 grooming trend made Entertainment Weekly's list of moments that rocked fashion?

Sideburns earned the show a place at number 50 on that list, credited as the "90210 Sideburns". The same magazine ranked the series 20th among the best TV shows of the previous 25 years.

Which animated sitcom spoofed Beverly Hills, 90210 in a 2009 episode set in posh Waverly Hills?

The Simpsons titled the episode "Waverly Hills, 9-0-2-1-D'oh". Its plot sends Lisa hunting for a better school in a wealthy neighbouring town.

Which future sitcom star played tennis ace Roger Azarian in the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210?

Matthew Perry guested in "April Is the Cruelest Month" before Friends made him famous. Brandon reads his character's dark screenplay and fears its events might come true.

Which singer performed as herself at David's surprise birthday party in a 1999 Beverly Hills, 90210 episode?

Christina Aguilera performed at the gang's nightclub in the Season 10 episode "Let's Eat Cake". She had been a Mickey Mouse Club cast member, a show that once parodied the series.

Luke Perry of Beverly Hills, 90210 spent his last years as Fred Andrews, a father on which teen drama?

Riverdale wrote his character's death into its fourth season premiere. The tribute episode guest-starred his old co-star Shannen Doherty.

Shannen Doherty caught the eye of the Beverly Hills, 90210 producer through which 1989 film?

Heathers so impressed a future co-star, the producer's daughter, that she urged her father to see Doherty. The actress had played Heather Duke, one of the film's ruling clique.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 actress was the first person cast, after auditioning five times for her role?

Jennie Garth took Kelly from spoiled teen queen to a guidance counsellor at her old high school. That last job came in the 2008 sequel series, which she left after two seasons.

Which future television Superman appeared in Beverly Hills, 90210 as Rick, Brenda's holiday romance?

Dean Cain played Rick, a young American who mistakes Brenda for a local during her summer abroad. He became famous soon afterwards in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Beverly Hills, 90210 took off in 1991 by airing new episodes while most rival series were showing what?

Reruns filled rival schedules that summer, so the special run of new episodes found a huge audience. The drama returned in the fall as one of its network's top shows.

Jim and Cindy Walsh left Beverly Hills, 90210 when Jim's promotion sent them to which Asian city?

Hong Kong was the price of Jim's big raise, so the parents left after five seasons. They came back only as occasional guests while Brandon stayed on in the family house.

Jim Walsh, whose promotion brings the family west in Beverly Hills, 90210, has which profession?

Accountant Jim is so loyal to his employers that he often clashes with Brandon, whose causes cut across their interests. He also manages Dylan's trust fund on and off.

Valerie Malone joins the Walshes in Beverly Hills, 90210 after years living in which New York city?

Buffalo is where the Malones moved when Valerie was about ten, and she spent most of her teens there. Before that she had grown up alongside Brandon and Brenda.

Shot at the start of Season 8 of Beverly Hills, 90210, Kelly wakes from surgery with which condition?

Amnesia sets in after a second operation, this one for a blood clot in her lungs. Brandon, meanwhile, picks the gunman out of a police lineup.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 gang first meet Noah Hunter while on a Season 8 vacation in which US state?

Hawaii is where Valerie takes Noah for a poor boat worker. His family later turns out to be very wealthy.

Before senior year in Beverly Hills, 90210, Brenda and Donna spend a summer in which European capital?

Paris was meant to be Kelly's trip, but she stayed home with her newborn sister and Brenda went instead. Brenda's French proves far shakier than she believes.

In Season 4 of Beverly Hills, 90210, Brenda and fiancé Stuart Carson run off to elope in which city?

Las Vegas was their escape from parents squabbling over the wedding plans. Their friends follow them there, and the couple come to their senses before saying any vows.

What name do Andrea and Jesse Vasquez give their daughter, born prematurely on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Hannah needed time in hospital after her early arrival. The writers added the pregnancy because the actress playing Andrea was expecting in real life.

Gina Kincaid arrives in Season 9 of Beverly Hills, 90210 as a former champion in which sport?

Ice skating made Gina money as a child, but she discovers her mother spent most of it. Fired from an ice show, she moves in with her cousin Donna.

Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty of Beverly Hills, 90210 shared a February 1992 cover of which magazine?

Rolling Stone put the drama's three main stars on its cover at the height of the show's popularity. The third face belonged to the actor who played Brandon.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 actress, a real-life twin, auditioned for Brenda before landing another role?

Gabrielle Carteris hoped being a twin would help her play Brandon's twin sister. The producers thought she suited studious Andrea better.

In the Season 5 finale of Beverly Hills, 90210, how does Kelly answer rival offers from Brandon and Dylan?

Kelly rejects both men, turning down Dylan's trip around the world and Brandon's marriage proposal. She decides to put herself first instead.

Dylan McKay, the brooding loner of Beverly Hills, 90210, owns a sports car from which German maker?

Porsche is the badge on the sports car Dylan takes out of storage after one long absence. He sells it and resolves to burn the money.

Kelly's father Bill is arrested at her graduation party in Beverly Hills, 90210 for which crime?

Embezzlement sends Bill to jail just as Kelly finally offers him her forgiveness. He had thrown the lavish party for her himself.

The con artists who steal Dylan's fortune in Beverly Hills, 90210 flee with his half-sister to which country?

Brazil is where Kevin and Suzanne run with the inheritance at the end of Season 4. A note the girl drops at the airport later reaches Dylan through a stranger.

After Scott Scanlon's death in Season 2 of Beverly Hills, 90210, the gang bury what in his memory?

A time capsule goes into the ground at the end of "The Next 50 Years". Budget cuts had prompted the character's exit, and the writers used it to address gun violence.

Which drug does David start abusing in Season 4 of Beverly Hills, 90210 to keep up with a packed schedule?

Methamphetamine helps David juggle college and his other commitments. Donna soon starts to wonder about the sudden change in his behaviour.

Donna's low SAT scores in the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210 stem from which undiagnosed problem?

A learning disability, not laziness, lies behind the scores that set Donna apart from her thrilled friends. She acts out before anyone works out what is wrong.

Which rapper does David try to book for a West Beverly school dance in Beverly Hills, 90210's first season?

MC Hammer is the star David chases in "East Side Story". The same episode sees the Walshes lend their address to their maid's niece so that she can attend the school.

Steve's California University fraternity in Beverly Hills, 90210 has Greek initials spelling which word?

KEG is short for Kappa Epsilon Gamma, the house Steve badgers Brandon to pledge when the gang start college. A rival there later tries to get Steve thrown out.

Law student Jesse Vasquez is working which job when he meets Andrea in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Bartender Jesse is serving at the Walshes' anniversary party when the two meet. Andrea only later learns that he is studying law at Berkeley.

How does the wedding of Brandon and Kelly end in the Season 8 finale of Beverly Hills, 90210?

Called off at the altar, the ceremony ended with both admitting they were not ready. The actor playing Brandon left the series early in the following season.

After years of waiting in Beverly Hills, 90210, Donna first sleeps with David on the night of which event?

College graduation, in the Season 7 finale, ended a vow of abstinence that had tested the couple for years. David had earlier cheated on her while she held to it.

At the height of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame, Luke Perry played Pike in which 1992 horror comedy film?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer gave him a supporting role in the original film version, years before the story became a television series. He followed it with the rodeo drama 8 Seconds.

Forbidden by her father in Beverly Hills, 90210, Brenda sneaks off with Dylan on a trip to which country?

Mexico is where the secret unravels, because trouble at customs alerts Jim to her disobedience. The Season 2 episode is titled "Mexican Standoff".

Shannen Doherty, Brenda in Beverly Hills, 90210, had a recurring childhood role in which family drama?

Little House on the Prairie cast her at eleven as Jenny Wilder for its final season. She appeared in 18 episodes before the show was cancelled in 1983.

Which R&B group do the Beverly Hills, 90210 gang track down at a hotel in a Season 2 episode?

Color Me Badd made a special appearance in "Things to Do on a Rainy Day". The friends play groupies for a day after failing to win concert tickets over the radio.

Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills, 90210 married which actress in 2010 after they met on a sitcom?

Megan Fox met him when he made a cameo on the sitcom Hope & Faith, and they began dating in 2004. The couple had three sons before they divorced.

Steve plans to sell which sports car to help pay for a minivan in the final season of Beverly Hills, 90210?

Corvette pride wins at first, and the reluctant seller backs out of the deal. His angry partner then lets David sell the car anyway.

Clare Arnold's father holds which post at California University in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Chancellor Milton Arnold runs the campus where the gang study. His daughter, known for her high IQ, first appears while she is still in high school.

Which star of Dynasty and The Colbys played Dylan's mother Iris in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Stephanie Beacham, who had played Sable Colby, was reunited on the show with producer Aaron Spelling. Iris is an estranged, New Age-minded mother who visits only occasionally.

Ian Ziering, Steve in Beverly Hills, 90210, reached the 2007 semi-finals of which celebrity contest?

Dancing with the Stars paired him with professional Cheryl Burke in its fourth season. He scored three perfect 10s for one semi-final dance but missed out on the final.

Trying out as school DJ in Season 1 of Beverly Hills, 90210, Donna is given which surname instead of Martin?

Morgan is the name used in that one early scene, and she is Donna Martin for the rest of the run. Her mother changed too, from Nancy in the first season to Felice in the second.

Which actor became Jim Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 after the pilot's original choice was cut and reshot?

James Eckhouse replaced Lyman Ward, whose scenes as the Walsh father were cut from the pilot and filmed again. He stayed as a regular for five seasons.

The seaside apartment shared by Kelly and Donna in Beverly Hills, 90210 stands in which real coastal city?

Hermosa Beach supplied the house used for the roommates' home. Most interiors, by contrast, were shot in a warehouse complex in Van Nuys.

Lucinda Nicholson, Brandon's married lover in Season 4 of Beverly Hills, 90210, works in which field?

Anthropology is her field at the gang's university. Her husband takes their divorce out on Brandon and is fired after trying to get him thrown out of college.

Which R&B star does David impress with his keyboard playing at a Season 4 carnival in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Babyface, the singer and producer Kenneth Edmonds, appears at the university's Mardi Gras carnival. His recording manager Ariel later comes between David and Donna.

Which rap duo parodied Beverly Hills, 90210 with an EP titled Beverly Kills 50187?

Insane Clown Posse aimed the title song at the drama's wealthy characters, accusing them of prejudice against poorer people. It was the group's first EP, released in 1993.

Which future Starship Troopers star played Griffin Stone, Donna's boyfriend, in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Casper Van Dien had a recurring role as Griffin, the fraternity man Donna's mother sets her up with. Donna soon drops him for the musician Ray.

Which US cable network aired the 2015 behind-the-scenes film The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story?

Lifetime's film follows the making of the drama through its first four seasons. Voice actor Dan Castellaneta plays producer Aaron Spelling.

Which 1960s pop singer played Valerie's mother Abby Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210?

Michelle Phillips, a founding member of the Mamas & the Papas, took the role from 1997. Abby is estranged from Valerie and comes close to marrying Kelly's father.