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« The Joy of Sets
9021-Oh My God!
Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete Second Season courtesy Paramount
Look, ya'll! I'm blogging!
OK, seriously how fun is this? I feel so hipster. And so honored that all four of you have dropped in on my first-ever blog. As for the name, I gotta say that this was a tough one. Not much rhymes with Damian — Bahamian, New Canaan, that's about it — and it was stressed to me that Omen jokes were just too weird. (Although I did like the idea of "Channel 666.") But instead, I stuck with what I wanted to write about: the glee one can find revisiting their favorite TV shows on DVD. Hence, "The Joy of Sets."
So once a week, maybe more, I'll be sharing the Joy and shedding some light on whatever TV on DVD set currently devouring my free time. Also, for anyone who remembers the original Watercooler column here on TVGuide.com, there may also be occasional updates on (and input from) Pepito the Wonder Chihuahua, who is right now staring at me with his bug eyes like I owe him scratches. 'Cause that's how he rolls.
And I promise, these entries will be fun-sized, since overly indulgent blogs make me want to shoot my laptop. We cool? Sweet.
So what's up this week? Old-school 90210, people! That's right, I'm digging into the complete second season of Beverly Hills 90210, which is seriously packing the nostalgic buzz. Not only is it the show that got me into writing about TV, it's also still one of TV's guiltiest pleasures. Ever. Last night I nearly passed out like Lindsay in the passenger seat at the sight of Vivica A.Fox — in ginormous earrings and one seriously wacked-out hat — playing the daughter of the black neighbors Jim and Cindy apparently ran out of town, seeing how Fox's Charise and her popcorn-mogul family were never heard from again after this episode. That'll teach 'em to sleaze out on the Cajun Spice recipe!
[WARNING: The scene where Brandon asks Charise's battered beau Devo if the cops "jacked him up" may be one of the single greatest moments in Mortifying Caucasoid Dramatics.]
Now remember, this is Season 2, so we're talking the first summer at the Beverly Hills Beach Club, the arrival of Stephanie Beacham as the New Agey mom-ster who drives Dylan back to the bottle, the start of Donna and David's virginity volley, the "very special" death of that Scott Scanlon nobody and Kelly hitting on the Walshes paraplegic cousin Bobby. But more than anything, even more than Brenda's slow descent into legendary TV bitchdom, is the best reason to revisit these Hills: Emily Valentine.
Oh yessss. Spiky-haired, monotonous and made to pop U4EA and burn down homecoming floats, Christine Elise was Emily Valentine. The O.C.'s Oliver only wished he'd had that much crazy-faced magic up his sleeve. And while Miss Nutjob 1991 is only around for a handful of episodes, she leaves an impression strong enough to warrant a psych-ward visit from Brandon in the Christmas episode... yet one that is also oddly fleeting enough to be a distant memory once Gabrielle Anwar turns up a month later as the ice-skater of B's dreams.
See, this is why some of these old sets are so great. Not only are they time capsules of pop culture, they also give us a chance to play "Spot The Future Stars In Guest Spots." And if they can serve as a reminder as to why tuck-and-rolled jeans should never come back, all the better!
Next week: The 90210 finale that gave us Melrose and why certain Saturday morning shows from the '70s are worth their weight in Sleetsaks.
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Aug 21, 2007 12:20 PM
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Damian - welcome aboard!
This sounds like a lot of fun! Classic TV on DVD.
I was never a fan of 90210 but I did shape up and get hooked on Melrose Place. I never understood the connection - could someone please explain how the 90210 finale evolved into Melrose Place?
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Aug 21, 2007 12:30 PM
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Welcome back Damian! Please give Pepito el Chihuahua Asombroso a few extra scratches from me! Good to see you both back.
I actually caught an episode of 90210 on SoapNet or somewhere last weekend; it was the episode where Brenda thinks she has breast cancer the week that everyone is cramming for their SATs. What I can't quite recall is whether or not Andrea slept with Steve in order to get SAT strategies from the SAT prep class he took that she couldn't afford. (I always thought she had a dark side to her!) I have to admit that every once in a while I'll tune in to this show--but only the early years when Shannon Doherty was still on board. It never fails to amaze me that Jason Priestly looks almost unchanged when you compare him as Brandon on 90210 and Ian on Side Order of Life. What's his secret?!
Ranger--I can answer your question. The 90210 finale didn't spin off into Melrose Place; in fact, if I'm remembering correctly, Melrose might even have been canceled before 90210 was. However, Kelly on 90210 was dating this older guy, Jake Hanson (played by Grant Show), and the Jake character was spun off onto Melrose Place. MP wasn't the only spinoff from 90210; there was also Models, Inc. (I only know all this because it was on one of Sassafras's weekly quizzes!)
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Aug 21, 2007 2:37 PM
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Damien - reading your blog is the most fun I've had on tvguide.com in a LONG time. It was great! I found myself laughing and reminiscing. Thanks!
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Aug 21, 2007 3:03 PM
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I need to buy the 90210 dvds. I never saw it when it originally aired, but I watched a lot of reruns in high school. (I was only 9 in 1991)
And I've never seen melrose place, but I might get those dvds too.
The only reason I've been holding off is they'll probably eventually release a complete series set and I will want it and having 2 copies would be pointless. (except in the case of buffy where I have 2 copies of the chosen collection and all the single seasons except 5)
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Aug 21, 2007 3:26 PM
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Damien,
I remember you from the original Watercooler - I always LOVED when you did the review! Great job on your blog. 90210 has been my guilty pleasure for several years now watching the reruns on SoapNet. Thanks for the entertainment - I'll be looking for your updates!
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Aug 21, 2007 3:57 PM
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Yay Damian!
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Aug 21, 2007 4:54 PM
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Great idea for a blog, Damian -- and a great name!
Let me clear up some of the 90210/Melrose questions that have come up:
On the second season finale of 90210 in May 1992, Jake Hanson was a contractor who was doing some repairs or building a gazebo or something at Kelly's mom's house. He was only in a couple of episodes, but he and Kelly did start something romantic.
Then, when the story continued on the new series Melrose Place in July 1992, Kelly, Steve, David and Donna from 90210 appeared in a few of the early episodes, before Jake and Kelly (and the two shows) split up for good.
90210 last aired in May 2000, and Melrose last aired in May 1999.
And, finally, Models Inc. wasn't a spin-off from 90210. It was a spin-off from Melrose Place. (Models' Hillary, played by Linda Gray, was Amanda's mom.) It only lasted from June 1994 to March 1995.
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Aug 21, 2007 6:31 PM
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Chappy wins the prize!
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Aug 21, 2007 6:56 PM
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Thank you, Damian!
What can I say -- I was a big 90210 & Melrose fan back in the day!
But, as much as I liked those, my major dorkdom is reserved for the show that I've been watching for the last week on DVD -- Dynasty.
Season 2 came out last Tuesday, and I am just in '80s nirvana watching these episodes again!
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Aug 21, 2007 7:14 PM
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Welcome back! (I remember you from the original Watercooler, too. There certainly a lot of us "old timers" around.) I love the idea of your blog and I look forward to more of them.
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Aug 21, 2007 8:05 PM
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Hey Damian are you going to start blogging on any shows. Since we've lost Raven, Angel and Sabrina we need you!! Plus I noticed that Walter's name doesn't have TVG next to it anymore. So I guess we lost him too. Add in Daniel and Dan Manu we have taken a huge loss in our TVGuide people.
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Aug 22, 2007 12:35 AM
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damian holbrook = hero
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Aug 23, 2007 9:37 PM
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yeah, I'm pretty sure that Oliver Trask was alot more nuts over Marrisa than EMily over Brandon. To add, the Oliver episodes of The O.C. were about a million times more intense than the Emily Valentine episodes of the second season of BH90210... BH90210 is a classic show, but nowhere in the range of The O.C.
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Aug 29, 2007 2:27 PM
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Greetings from Columbus, Ohio! So glad you are blogging, I missed your watercooler column.
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Sep 11, 2007 2:09 PM
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