I thought I would ask you a question this morning. Do you remember the night Brandon and Kelly from 90210 were supposed to get married? It was the night of my grandmother’s visitation, but I didn’t have a way to the service because my mom didn’t have time to come get me.
Instead, I curled up in my bed with Kelly and Brandon. This was the first time David came to check on me. I hadn’t seen David in years, but the LORD knew what I needed. So, he brought David into my life at a moment I was feeling lost and overwhelmed.
This is why David doesn’t mind watching 90210 with me. My best friend Richard knew not to call me on the night 90201 was one. It’s also the reason I shared the series with both Charlie and Suzzane to give them a piece of my teenage years.
90210: The Drama That Raised a Generation
Before social media, before Google, before schools had counselors on every corner… there was Beverly Hills, 90210 — the teen drama that didn’t just entertain us, it taught us. It was the High School I wish I could have attended. What about you?
90210 was the show that dared to talk about the things our parents whispered about, the things schools avoided, and the things we were too scared to ask. And now, as Charlie likes to tease me, all of this happened “back in the dinosaur days.” But those dinosaur days shaped us in ways we’re still unpacking.
💗 The Friendships We Rooted For
90210 gave us friendships that felt real — messy, loyal, complicated, and unforgettable.
- Brandon & Dylan
- Brenda & Kelly
- Donna & David
- Andrea & everyone she tried to help
- Stevie & Brandon
These friendships wouldn’t have existed without Brandon and Kelly’s parents The Walsh’s and The Peach Pit and Nate. These weren’t just characters. They were the friends we grew up with and the family we wished we had. Did you have parents like these or friends like those? I’ve been blessed to have both and I hope Charlie would say he did as well.
💔 The Hard Topics 90210 Taught Us About
This is where the show became more than entertainment. It became a teacher.
⭐ Teen Pregnancy– 90210 didn’t sugarcoat it. It showed the fear, the choices, the consequences, and the emotional weight. For many of us, it was the first time we saw this topic handled honestly.
⭐ Alcohol & Addiction– Dylan’s storyline was groundbreaking. It showed addiction as a disease — not a joke, not a stereotype. It taught us empathy long before schools did.
⭐ Death & Grief– The show didn’t shy away from loss. It showed how grief hits, how it lingers, how it changes people. It prepared us for real life in ways we didn’t realize at the time. It even showed us bullying.
⭐ Peer Pressure– Parties, popularity, fitting in — 90210 showed the pressure teens face, even in “perfect” Beverly Hills. It also taught us no, place is perfect.
⭐ eating disorders– The show addressed body image long before social media made it worse. It showed the quiet battles teens fight behind closed doors.
⭐ Mental Health– Anxiety, depression, trauma — 90210 touched on all of it, giving us language we didn’t have yet. This is why the show mattered. It wasn’t just drama — it was education wrapped in entertainment.
🎓 “Donna Martin Graduates!” — A Cultural Moment– If you know, you KNOW.
This wasn’t just a storyline. It was a rallying cry. A moment of justice. A piece of TV history that still makes fans smile. A learning moment for Charlie who struggles with school, friends and seeing a older women ie a Cougar with a younger man Dylan Mikalya’s brother. The show tells teaches children right from wrong.
🎶 The Soundtrack of Our Teen Years
90210 had the kind of music that instantly takes you back:
- 90s radio hits
- mall playlists
- prom songs
- heartbreak ballads
- the kind of music that lived on mixtapes
These songs weren’t just background noise — they were the soundtrack of growing up. They’ve allowed me to share my love of music with Charlie and Suzzane. Now they know the words to the songs we grew up with.
👗 The Fashion We Tried to Copy
Oh, the fashion.
- scrunchies
- chokers
- crop tops
- denim everything
- oversized shirts
- the “California cool” look we all wanted
Even if we didn’t live in Beverly Hills, we sure dressed like we did. The question is did you try and copy these fashion trends? At times I did but not as much as my friends would
🛍️ Mall Culture — When Hanging Out Was an Event
Before online shopping, the mall was THE place to be.
- food courts
- window shopping
- trying on outfits
- meeting friends
- people‑watching
- pretending we were in our own 90210 episode
And yes — malls still hit you in the heart sometimes. Memories live in those hallways.
What goes around comes around. My friend Debbie and even David and I still enjoy going to the mall. Now Charlie is hanging at the mall with his friends but instead of spending all day Saturday at the mall they go on Sunday’s.
📺 Commercial Breaks We Still Remember
90210 aired during the golden age of commercials:
- “My bologna has a first name…” What is it?
- “Mikey! He likes it!” Which Cereal? Do you like it?
- Winchell’s Donut Man Do you know what he is famous for besides Donuts?
- Kool‑Aid Man: This was the kids go to beverage back in the day and it still is in our home.
- “It’s 10 PM — do you know where your children are?”
- The Doublemint Twins? Do you know what commercial this was for?
- Plop Plop Fizz Fizz? How about this?
These weren’t just ads — they were part of the experience.
🤠 Guys’ Corner: What the Boys Were Watching
While we were glued to 90210, the guys had their own lineup:
- wrestling
- Westerns- Rawhide and Gunsmoke
- cop shows Chips & Emergency although it wasn’t a Cop show it was a must-see in my home
- action movies Walking Tall
- early anime Dragon Ball Z
- and eventually… Fast & Furious
And now? Charlie loves Pretty in Pink AND 90210, which makes the nostalgia even sweeter, and it has helped him become the kind caring man he is and taught him how to treat ladies and not to back down from anything.
💗 Why 90210 Still Matters
90210 wasn’t just a show. It was:
- our teen years
- our first crushes
- our first heartbreaks
- our friendships
- our fashion
- our soundtrack
- our education
- our memories
And even now, when life gets heavy or the world feels overwhelming, these shows bring us back to a time when everything felt big, dramatic, and full of possibility. A time when we were growing up — one episode at a time. If you will excuse me, I think I will see if 90210 is streaming anywhere.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
