The Powers of a Zip CodeDefining Beverly Hills 90210

as a Cult Television Show

Octavia SilvaMedia 399.34

The 411

• First aired on Thursday, October 4, 1990 on FOX.• It stayed on the air for 10 seasons, until its series

finale on Wednesday, May 17, 2000.• Centering around the lives of affluent teenagers in

posh Beverly Hills, California, it provided a gateway for audiences of all types, rich or poor, young or old, to witness and experience how the other half lives and to realize that all of us, despite the size of our bank accounts, can be subjected to even the harshest experiences life has to offer.

• Original main characters: Brandon Walsh, Steve Sanders, Brenda Walsh, Kelly Taylor, Donna Martin, Dylan McKay, and David Silver.

The Faces of Beverly Hills 90210

Brandon Walsh

the whole ol’ gang

Thesis

• Even though it was perceived as a popular, mainstream show right off the bat, teen melodrama Beverly Hills 90210 has been able to reach cult status because of the relatability its characters have, the relationships thus created within the text of the show, and the worlds fans create as a result of these relationships.

What’s “Cult” About It?

• “Rich people cry too.” – contributed to relatability of the show, giving it a cult following in addition to a mass following.

• Even though it was cancelled nearly 10 years ago, Beverly Hills 90210 is still totally accessible thanks to cable network Soapnet.

• “so bad, it’s good” – College period of the show that seemed more like a soap opera.

• “nostalgic appeal” – new 90210 watchers and people who never saw it when it aired.

One Future Cult Fan: Self-Proclaimed “sucker for old-school television”

• “I think that Beverly Hills 90210 is a show everyone has at least heard of once or twice, but unless you were a teenager during the 90s, you [probably] never watched it. Well, the same was true for me.” (Mary-Elizabeth)

• “I never imagined I would enjoy a soap-opera from another decade more than an OC-type drama aimed at my own age-group. BH 90210 is for the twenty-somethings; 90210 is for me. But I fell for what wasn't meant to be mine.” (Mary-Elizabeth)

The Relationships of Beverly Hills 90210

Love triangle madness that is

Kelly Taylor, Dylan McKay, and Brenda

Walsh

The Timeless David & Donna

Slight difference between pictures

Television’s Greatest Bromance

Steve Sanders & Brandon Walsh

Impressive Fan Art

In Conclusion…

• Once again, Beverly Hills 90210 can be defined as a cult television show because of its unparalleled relatability in terms of the characters and relationships within a seemingly unrealistic context. It effectively creates cult audiences based on the idea that “rich people cry too,” especially if these rich people happen to be involved in scandalous love triangles and/or are sporadically involved in relationships for ten years. Beverly Hills 90210 certainly made a cult fan out of me.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

• Bromance at its Finest