Beverly Hills, 90210

Set amid the palm-lined streets and chic shopping of Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, 90210 follows a circle of friends juggling school, family expectations, fledgling romances and the social pitfalls tied to money and fame. Beginning at the made-up West Beverly Hills High, episodes show how friendships and rivalries shift as characters graduate and attend the fictional California University. Minor crises and big, public scandals complicate ordinary teenage choices, and the cast copes with loyalty, mistakes, and changing identities while careers and family pressures intrude. The series blends soap-style melodrama with topical teen issues, letting emotional dynamics and character conflicts drive the story instead of relying on gimmicks. Over time, plotlines broaden to include adult concerns, professional setbacks and relationship fallout.

Premiered in 1990, Beverly Hills, 90210 was created by Aaron Spelling and Darren Star, and it became a flagship teen soap for its era. The show ran for multiple seasons, developing long-running character arcs and launching a pop culture brand.

The show became a cultural touchstone for 1990s youth, helping launch several cast members into mainstream fame and seeding the glossy teen soap template that later shows emulated. Iconic character pairings, hairstyle trends and 90210 references still pop up in pop culture and nostalgia-driven media. Reunions and reruns sustain interest.

Audiences gave it a strong following, the show holds a 7.319/10 average from 794 votes. Critics' responses shifted across seasons, with praise for cast chemistry and complaints about soap-style excess. Storylines address class, identity, peer pressure and family conflict, while publicity amplified the stakes of growing up in the spotlight.

Over its run the series picked up a mix of industry and fan-voted nominations and a handful of wins at television and youth award ceremonies. While it didn't dominate major industry prizes, it earned recognition from audiences and specialist TV groups. Cast performances and certain storylines were singled out repeatedly.