News Roundup: 9-02-10 Day Coverage

2 09 2010
  • TV Squad wants to know your favorite Beverly Hills 90210 scene or moment.
  • PopEater has a look at Celebs Who Got Their Start On 90210.
  • PopEater also did a roundup of YouTube videos which use the BH90210 themesong.
  • BuzzSugar has a fun trivia quiz. I scored 100 percent.
  • CinemaBlend offers some interesting BH90210 facts and shares the writer’s recollection of watching the show.
  • The Washington Post shared some of their favorite BH90210 moments.
  • RedEye put together a photo gallery of characters from both versions of 90210.
  • Television Without Pity has a 31-page look at the BH90210 pilot. Yes, 31 pages. And it’s pretty humorous.
  • The Big Lead has a look at their favorite characters and moments.
  • Soap Opera Weekly, where I used to intern, put together two slideshows: Where Are They Now? (which has at least one mistake) and 90210/Daytime Crossovers.
  • Legacy.com has a nice post called Remembering Aaron Spelling On 90210 Day.
  • HitFix has a look at one of the show’s continuity errors, though their comment that Scott’s death was “a sweeps stunt” can be refuted by my interview with Charles Rosin (executive producer, Beverly Hills 90210), where he explains how the storyline came about.
  • Check out this collection of Beverly Hills 90210 baseball cards.
  • Nylon compared the original version and the new version, albeit with a few inaccuracies.
  • Go Fug Yourself, which has been very good to me, has a humorous look at some of the show’s fashion.
  • EW.com linked to their oral history of BH90210, which was published circa the series finale. I had never read this before. Do take the time to do so.
  • Yahoo has a look back at Luke Perry (Dylan, Beverly Hills 90210) and Jason Priestley (Brandon, Beverly Hills 90210) participating in a Project A.L.S. event at baseball games in 2002.
  • The Palm Beach Post mentions some of the musical acts that appeared on BH90210.
  • Flavorwire has an interesting look at BH90210-Man Men character parallels.
  • Gawker shared their favorite BH90210 memories, although some of the descriptions aren’t accurate.
  • Variety shared their picks for great moments.
  • MTV has a poll asking which of the guys they list, from both versions of the show, is your choice hottie.
  • Zap2it has a Where Are They Now? photo gallery for the original cast, though not all of the entries are completely up-to-date.
  • Zap2it also has a look at what they’re calling teen-y moments.
  • PEOPLE.com has an interview with Ian Ziering (Steve, Beverly Hills 90210), where he claims he tried to organize a reunion for today. Not sure I believe him. A rep for 90210 told me The CW had no comment.
  • PEOPLE.com also has a list of their picks for most memorable BH90210 moments.
  • The Huffington Post put together a photo gallery of what they’ve deemed to be ridiculous things about BH90210, but at least one of them isn’t accurate.
  • Idolator has a look at some of the songs that were featured on one of the BH90210 soundtracks.
  • The B.S. Report has a humorous and thorough, but not entirely accurate twopart podcast in honor of 9-02-10 Day where they give out 90210 Awards.
  • ESPN has a look at some of the athletes who guest-starred on BH90210.
  • Forbes has a list of life lessons to be learned from BH90210.
  • The Hollywood Reporter has an article about some of BH90210’s cast and crew.
  • Vanity Fair made a list of their picks for best BH90210 cameos.

I’m sure I missed some, so feel free to leave links in the comments.





Cliffnotes: Uncharted terriTORI

20 06 2010

While waiting on line at a book signing for uncharted terriTORI by Tori Spelling (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210), I finished half the book.

It wasn’t that I was bored or anything. I was standing with some great people (hi, Lindsay!) and seething with jealousy at the girl who came wearing a Donna Martin Graduates shirt and a Beverly Hills 90210 pocketbook.

It’s that the book is that easy to read. The conversational tone and style comes as no surprise to someone who has read both of Tori’s prior books, sTORI telling and Mommywood. You breeze through them in part because you feel like Tori’s talking to you and in part because you’re on a journey, Tori’s journey.

sTORI telling took you through Tori’s life as far back as she could remember up to about 2008. Mommywood overlapped slightly but continued telling the story of her life with a focus on the major new task she faced: parenting two children. And uncharted terriTORI invites you into the next phase of Tori’s life, the uncharted territory she ventures into as a wife, mom and businesswoman.

What I noticed as I was close to finishing the book and thinking about what I would write on TDW is that, unlike other times I review books for TDW or plan to look at them in a scholarly way, I did not mark it up. There were no notes in the margins, no sentences underlined and no words circled. I couldn’t figure out why. It’s not as if the books are delicate masterpieces. Was it because they were by Tori Spelling, an actress from my all-time favorite television show? Quite possibly.

And then I realized I didn’t mark up Candy Spelling’s book Candyland either. It reminded me just how god-like I consider Aaron Spelling, the man largely responsible for creating the teen drama genre. I associate Candy and Tori with him, him with Beverly Hills 90210 or Tori with Beverly Hills 90210 and the show with him. No matter how you slice it, The Spellings are a family I feel indebted to.

It’s no surprise then that my favorite parts of uncharted terriTORI were reading about Aaron, Candy and Tori’s brother Randy. As I had in the past, I cried reading about the deterioration of Tori’s relationships with her mom and Randy, her reflections on what was and what they had become.

Of seeing Randy for the first time in two years, Tori writes, “I looked at Randy’s hands: they were hands I’d known for most of  my life, I knew them so well, but I didn’t recognize them anymore. Did his hands change in two years, or had I forgotten them? We’d been so close. We were best friends. Then life went a certain way. It made me sad.” I realize that I have a not-entirely-healthy feeling of investment in this family, but if your heart doesn’t break reading that, you might want to make sure it’s not made of stone. Thankfully, as the title of the next chapter implies, the physical reunion that night was “the start of something.” I hope that something never ends.

Tori, Candy and Randy’s reunion that night takes place inside the Spelling Manor at a Christmas party complete with men dressed as toy soldiers, a Santa Claus and candy room. I never tire of hearing about the mansion, and that’s even after spending a great deal of time pouring over Candy’s descriptions of it in her book. But no matter how vivid the details, I still cannot comprehend it. I’m not sure what it says about me that one of my dreams is to one day see it in person, preferably at a Candy-hosted party. But I digress…

I cannot mislead you: discussion of BH90210 is few and far between, with sporadic references along with a few continuous pages on Tori’s current relationships with some of the cast. As little as there is quantity-wise, there is a lot of quality and I am fighting the urge to reprint everything she said. That, of course, would not be fair to Tori — you should buy the book if you want to know it all! — but I will share some parts. There’s the quote I posted earlier this week, “working on 90210 was an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” and, as teased on the book’s inside jacket, the “I Hate Tori Club.” Now it’s not entirely clear to me that this is an actual “club” in which the BH90210 castmates actually partake, but the phrase is used to demonstrate Tori’s realization that many of her former co-stars have serious beef with her. Referenced are the entire (young) original cast with the exception of Douglas Emerson (Scott) and the inclusion of Tiffani Amber Thiessen (Valerie). It’s sad and surprising to read.

“Why did they all hate me?” Tori writes. “I was the sweet one. If it was high school (which it pretended to be and in so many ways was, I’d have been voted most popular.” At first I found this to be rather cocky and hard to believe but then I remembered what BH90210 writer-producer Larry Mollin told me in our interview: “She became a very good actress and a lovely person. Whereas all the kids kind of got jaded about the show, she always came in ‘Where’s the new script? I can’t wait to read it.’ Lovely, lovely gal. A trooper. We had some great times with her. Really well-liked by everybody. She was a trooper.” (Emphasis mine.)

What changed? I couldn’t begin to tell you. And I’m not sure Tori can either. “It was so weird,” she writes, “when we were in high school we acted like grown-ups, but now that we were grown up, it felt like high school. I thought it would be a good idea for us all to go down to the Peach Pit and talk it out over some sodas–that if is Nat, proprietor of the Peach Pit, didn’t hate me too.” Maybe that meeting will happen eventually (but probably not at the Peach Pit). In the meantime, I was comforted to know that Tori isn’t entirely alone in the BH90210 universe. She cites Jennie Garth (Kelly) as her “sole defendor.” (She also shares, in a different part, that Jennie introduced her to the word “wootle.” But I am definitely not defining it here. Read the book!)

I think we, myself included (especially as I repeatedly try to get interviews with anyone and everyone from the show), forget how deeply personal and life-changing their experiences together were. While I don’t think Tori quite forgot, too, she did experience a bit of a wake-up call. When she sees a doctor in hopes of determining the cause of headaches that have continuously plagued her for years, the doctor wants “to know what happened ten years ago when they started.” Tori writes, “Not to be melodramatic, but I gasped. I knew exactly what had happened ten years earlier: 90210 had ended. Being on the show was the only life I had known for ten years, starting at age sixteen. I went in a girl and was expected to come out a woman. In some ways I did. But it was also kind of like being pushed out of the nest and expected to fly with no safety net. My headaches had emerged then and never gone away.”

Of course, there’s so much more to the book than discussion of the Spelling family and Beverly Hills 90210 but it’s clear how interconnected everything is and you realize that the way family and work impacts all facets of her life is not all that different from the way it does ours. I think we tend to envision celebrities as living a life of leisure. We often forget that they have bills to pay, families to care for and businesses to run. In fact, Tori’s struggles are struggles we all face: the challenge of balancing work and pleasure, the insecurities that come with trying to be the best mother and wife you can be, the stress of earning a steady income, the pressure to be considered beautiful. I’m not going to pretend that Tori is just like me but there are universalities, commonalities to the issues she deals with.

But one of the things Tori and I have in common actually isn’t so universal: a dislike of the tabloids and gossip industry. Much of America relishes the lies those publications, both print and digital, spew, without realizing that they are in fact lies. I love that Tori had the guts to admit how the fabrications and sensationalism made her feel, how they impacted her life. I think if more celebrities came forward and directly addressed it — yes, going against the “all press is good press” and the “if you ignore it, it will go away” mentalities — we’d all be a lot better off.

But back to Tori: another aspect I love about all three of her books are the sections of glossy pages featuring personal photos. I love putting faces to names and seeing snapshots, literal moments in time, featuring the people we’ve heard so much about. Of course, watching Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood is helpful for that as well and may make some of the photos as well as the stories (like the cross-country RV trip) redundant.

But seeing those family photos, learning with such ease the behind-the-scenes of the life of Tori Spelling, realizing you deal with some of the very same issues, you can’t help but finish the book feeling like you know her. The Guncles are your Guncles, Mehran is your gay husband, Dean is…well, nevermind. You feel like you know Tori Spelling and you’re a better person for it.

In her dedication Tori writes, “To everyone reading this book… Find your hope within and let it inspire you on your journey. Write your own happy ending!” Tori spends much of the book sharing how she learned that lesson and I think there are few things in life more worth knowing.

*****

The book signing I went to happened to be on the day uncharted terriTORI was released. I left Gossip Cop quite early in order to make it back to Long Island and about 30 minutes northeast of where I live to the book store that was hosting the signing. I had been there once before, circa 2004, for a signing with Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah. I didn’t know how many people to expect but I recalled that at Sparks’ signing, there was an area for everyone to sit as Sparks read a passage and the brothers took questions and the area wasn’t that big. I concluded that Tori’s signing would be similarly set up and similarly attended. Boy was I wrong.

I arrived about an hour before the event’s scheduled start, and thought I would have time to kill. To my surprise, there was already a line out the door. Inside, I saw that the line snaked much of the store’s perimeter and a cashier told me people had started lining up at 1pm, a good six hours before the signing was supposed to start. Damn, I thought. I promptly purchased the book and joined my mom on line. I spent the next three hours intermittently chatting with the people around me but mostly reading .

As the line slowly moved and Tori came into sight, I become paparazzi-like (lord, forgive me) and started snapping pics. We were not allowed to pose with her, but could have someone snap our photo as we handed her our book to be signed (my photo turned out pretty disastrous but what can you do?). We weren’t supposed to stop and chat either but, hell, I wasn’t going to listen to that. The 30 seconds I spent face-to-face with Tori were the fasted 30 seconds of my life. I can’t tell you what I said exactly — I honestly don’t remember — but I pitched her an interview and gave her my business card. And just like that, it was over. I walked down the stairs, surprised I hadn’t burst into tears but still needing to steady myself and catch my breath. My mom followed (she had gotten my copies of sTORI telling and Mommywood signed) and we left.

I think the smile is still plastered on my face.





Fun Fact

11 06 2010

(Note: “Fun Fact” probably isn’t the best title for this post but I wanted to keep it within my ongoing “teen drama facts” series, where all the posts are titled “Fun Fact.”)

Last month’s 90210 season finale, in which the episode ends with Naomi seemingly about to be raped by Mr. Cannon, got me thinking about the use and portrayal of sexual assault in the teen dramas.

Below is a listing of all the occurrences, to the best of my recollection, with the only full-fledged main character rape thus far occurring during Beverly Hills 90210’s ninth season.

Beverly Hills 90210

-In Episode 1.09, The Gentle Art of Listening, Brenda works on a “teen line,” where an anonymous girl calls in and reveals she is, essentially, being date raped by two classmates. Brenda starts piecing clues together and figures out the girl is Bonnie, a fellow student at West Beverly, and the attacks are taking place after school events. She informs the police of what’s happening and they save the girl and arrest the guys.

-In Episode 1.13, Slumber Party, Kelly reveals her first sexual encounter happened with Ross Webber, where he led her into a forest and had sex with her on the ground. As she recounts the story during a girls-only slumber party, she cries as she says, “He kept saying, ‘Come on, Kel. I know you want it. I know you want it, Kelly.’ And I did… but not on the ground. He didn’t even bring a blanket. But it was over pretty quick and after that he took me home…and never talked to me again.”

-In Episode 2.13, Halloween, the gang is at a Halloween party where Kelly goes upstairs with an older guy she meets. When she doesn’t want to hook up with him, he calls her a tease and begins to force himself on her but they are interrupted by Brenda and Donna. When Kelly cries and explains what happens, Brenda calls out for Dylan and, with Steve’s help, they drag the guy out.

-In Episode 3.11, A Presumption Of Innocence, Scott’s sister Sue accuses English teacher Gil Meyers of sexual harassment and some of the gang takes sides. Meyers reveals there was an incident at the previous school he worked at, but insists he didn’t do anything then or now. Sue eventually confesses that she actually came on to him and reveals it’s actually her uncle who has been molesting her. Gil resigns anyway.

-In Episode 4.11, Take Back The Night, a one-time hook-up, Laura, accuses Steve of date rape. He is shocked by the accusation as, according to his memory, they were both into it. Kelly tries to help Laura until she learns Steve is the guy in question. Kelly doubts Laura’s story and shortly before she’s set to “go public” at a Take Back The Night rally at CU, Kelly volunteers to speak up instead. Kelly takes the mic at the event and recounts her season 2 experience and notes that Steve was the one who saved her. Afterward, Laura admits the sex was consensual but that she said otherwise because she felt used after he wasn’t interested in seeing her again.

-In Episode 5.23, Love Hurts, much of the CU student body is concerned about a sexual predator after a co-ed is raped in the previous episode. With some help, Brandon discovers the suspect is targeting Clare. Turns out, he was targeting Clare but after meeting Donna, he set his sights on her instead. When Donna returns to her apartment one night, she notices the lights are out and is suddenly grabbed from behind by the rapist, Garrett. He bounds her hands and later proceeds to force himself on her in her bedroom but they are interrupted when they hear David enter the apartment. With Garrett threatening her, she calls out that she doesn’t feel well and insists to David that he leave. But when she calls him “Dave,” he senses something is wrong and storms into her room. Together they overpower Garrett and knock him out.

-In Episode 8.20, Cupid’s Arrow, after each having fights with their significant others, Valerie and Noah end up sleeping together. The next morning, Valerie wakes up with little recollection of the night before and feels very ill. A doctor determines she was drugged with Rohypnol, commonly known as the “date rape drug” or being “roofied,” and Valerie concludes that Noah raped her. In the subsequent episodes, when the District Attorney declines to press charges, she files a civil suit. After a heated trial, the jury rules in Valerie’s favor and awards her a large sum of money. Donna, however, soon discovers that it was Noah’s brother Josh (played by Michael Trucco, aka One Tree Hill’s Uncle Cooper) who actually drugged Valerie’s drink and, due to being distracted by a phone call, was unable to stop Valerie from leaving with Noah instead of him.

-In Episode 9.25, Dog’s Best Friend, Kelly is called by Dylan, who is fearful he will relapse if someone doesn’t come talk to him. They pick a meeting spot and Kelly parks nearby. As she walks the dark, abandoned street alone, she hears footsteps behind her. As she speeds up, so does the other person. Said person eventually grabs her and throws her into an alley where he hits her, threatens her with a knife, rips off her clothing and rapes her. Coincidentally, the actor who plays the rapist had two other roles on the show, including an appearance in the season 2 episode mentioned above where Kelly is almost raped.

Dawson’s Creek

-In Episode 3.06, Secrets and Lies, Andie is dating Rob, an older guy whom Joey worked with until his (mostly non-physical) sexual harassment becomes too much for her to take. One night, a tearful Andie calls Joey (skip to 3:05), asking for help. Joey and Pacey find her, wanting to know what happened. Andie reveals she and Rob were hooking up and he started to take things too far. Pacey, Andie’s ex, angrily confronts Rob, who denies anything happened at all. Joey urges Andie to go to the police but she’s reluctant. Pacey comforts her and they reflect on their relationship. They share a kiss, which Pacey later calls a mistake. Joey speaks with Rob, who is still denying he did anything to Andie, and Andie gets upset with Joey for not believing her. Later, Andie essentially admits she made the story up, without explicitly saying it, noting she will do anything to get Pacey back.

-In Episode 6.04, Instant Karma!, Audrey is upset about her relationship with Pacey and heads to a party with Jen and Jack to blow off some steam. She drowns her sorrows in alcohol and ends up being led upstairs by a guy (skip to 4:55). Jen tries to follow but a different guy won’t let her pass. C.J. pushes past and they head upstairs. They find Audrey in one of the bedrooms and Jen leads her out as C.J. pushes the guy away.

The O.C.

-In Episode 2.21, The Return Of The Nana, while Ryan is out of town, Marissa takes it upon herself to entertain his brother, Trey. While drunk and high, Trey comes on to Marissa at the beach. When she resists, a struggle ensues. She eventually breaks free and runs off.

One Tree Hill

-In Episode 1.08, The Search For Something More, when Brooke and Peyton head to a college party, Peyton retreats into a dorm room with one of the co-eds. They bond over music and he offers her a drink…one that he roofied. She is nearly passed out when he starts to put the moves on her but Brooke senses something is up and is able to rescue her. She calls Lucas, who arrives and confronts the guy about drugging Peyton before bringing her home with Brooke and taking care of her.

Gossip Girl

-In Episode 1.01, Pilot, at the Kiss On The Lips party, Chuck leads Jenny up to the roof and starts to kiss her (skip to 5.50). She’s not into it and slyly texts Dan as Chuck pours them champagne. Cut to Chuck forcibly making out with her as Dan and Serena find them. Chuck abruptly stops as Jenny runs into Dan’s arms. Dan punches Chuck, Serena pushes him and they lead Jenny away. This event is one reason why some people are bothered by Chuck and Jenny’s consensual sex in last month’s season finale.

-In Episode 2.16, You’ve Got Yale, a vengeful and greedy Jack confronts Lily (skip to 1:24), who has teamed up with Chuck to retain control of Bass Industries. Chuck enters as Jack is forcing himself on her and he gets Jack off of her. Lily is shaken, Chuck is pissed and Jack is further exposed as the villain he really is.

90210

-In Episode 2.22, Confessions, Naomi’s car won’t start, so she heads into West Beverly for help. She finds Mr. Cannon, whom earlier in the season, she accused of sexually harassing her after he accused her of offering to sleep with him in order to earn her spot back on the Blaze staff. They talk for a bit about different things, including Naomi’s false accusation. He later takes her hand and kisses her. She pushes him away, but he says he knows she wanted him to do it and she doesn’t need to feel guilty. He tells her to stop teasing and that she has a harassment fantasy and is trying to provoke him. She is appalled and pushes him away, leading him to slap her and grab her. She threatens that she will tell and he asks who she would tell because she is “the girl who cried wolf.” Coincidentally, that was the name of one of the episodes in Beverly Hills 90210’s eighth season, during the aforementioned rape storyline with Valerie and Noah.

Thoughts?





Gossip Girl Evaluation Results

30 05 2010

Thanks to all who voted in the second annual Gossip Girl Evaluation.

The winners of each of these will face-off against the winners in the One Tree Hill and 90210 polls.

FAVORITE CHARACTERS

Winners: Blair, Chuck

Noteworthy: Each essentially creamed the competition, with none of the other girls even able to get double-digit percentages, though the boys fared a bit better. Still, they were a long way behind Chuck’s 64.8 percent.

Last Season’s Winners: Blair, Chuck

Thoughts: Fully expected this given the loud fanbase I see on nearly every site covering Gossip Girl. But I expected Chuck to totally destroy the competition as Blair did. Guess she really still is Queen Bee.

FAVORITE COUPLE

Winner: Blair and Chuck

Noteworthy: The only couple to come close–and by “close,” I mean not close at all–was Serena and Nate. Serena-Tripp and Vanessa-Scott were the only couples not voted for at all.

Last Season’s Winner: Blair and Chuck

Thoughts: If you didn’t see this coming, I don’t know what to tell you. And that’s not to say the couple doesn’t have its detractors (see below).

WORST CHARACTERS

Winners: Jenny, Dan

Noteworthy: Vanessa narrowly “lost,” receiving just five votes less than Jenny. There was a smaller margin on the male side, with Chuck actually getting a decent percentage of vote.

Last Season’s Winners: Vanessa, Dan

Thoughts: Personally, I think the different between Jenny and Vanessa–this season at least–is that Jenny some people have hatred for and no respect, whereas Vanessa simply doesn’t entertain. Similarly and dissimilarly, with Dan and Nate (who came in first and second, respectively), I think it’s just a case of who bores and annoys more, as opposed to actual disgust or exasperation with the characters.

WORST COUPLE

Winner: Vanessa and Dan

Noteworthy: Vanessa and Dan didn’t win by much at all. They were closely followed by Serenate, Serena-Tripp and Dan-Georgina. All couples received at least one vote, with Blair and Chuck getting four.

Last Season’s Winner: Vanessa and Nate

Thoughts: Can’t say I’m surprised V/D won but I could’ve seen the title going to several other couples since there were so many pairings (and lackluster ones at that) this season, in my opinion. Serenate clearly divides people. I imagine there’s more dislike for Blair-Chuck out there than people are willing to admit (even in an anonymous poll), or perhaps it’s just, as I feel most of the time, indifference.

FAVORITE SUPPORTING CHARACTER

Winner: Dorota

Noteworthy: Dorota and Georgina were neck-and-neck last year but a fair distance apart this time around. Dorota’s competition was actually Eric, although he still only had half the votes Dorota got. After Eric, Lily had the next strongest showing. Quite a few didn’t receive any votes, but Cameron, K.C. and Maureen each received one. Really, folks?

Last Season’s Winner: Georgina

Thoughts: I think Dorota is the “break-out” character of the show, a semi-hidden gem if you will, and am eager to see what they do with her next season given she has a child now. I was quite surprised by Eric and Lily doing so well, mostly since they are seen pretty off-and-on throughout the season (though nearly all of the supporting characters are) and I don’t think I’ve ever really heard someone say they like Lily. Good to know now that some people do! Jack also received one vote, which surprised me, as I assumed he would do well under the “character you love to hate” theory. I realized I probably should’ve included Gossip Girl her/himself as an option.

BEST STORYLINE

Winner: Blair and Chuck’s relationship

Noteworthy: “Chair” or “Bluck” (whatever you prefer) had the most votes by far, with about equal numbers voting for them overall or focusing on the break-up/Jack storyline. Much to my surprise, the next highest amount was for Dan and Olivia’s relationship. Serenate’s relationship followed closely. There were a few votes for Georgina’s storylines, particularly in the beginning of the season, as well. The most blunt answer: “Jenny GONE (at least for now). Nothing else this season was all that good.”

Invalid Others: None

Last Season’s Winner: Blair and Chuck’s relationship

Thoughts: Kudos to people following the stipulation of focusing on this season only. Boo to those who selected the wrong option (though it happened significantly less than in the OTH evaluation). While the storyline with Chuck and Evelyn/Elizabeth received more than one vote, I expected to have more support.

WORST STORYLINE

Winner: Jenny

Noteworthy: Strong dislike for Jenny all around this season, from the character in general to specific storylines, such as trying to be Queen Bee, messing with Serenate and, of course, sleeping with Chuck. Example answers: “Only 1? There were a few… Anything involving Jenny for sure,” “Damien and Jenny The Drug Dealer – what a useless waste. and i LIKE Kevin Zegers” and “the chuck and blair break up 😦 and well..everything with jenny.” The next highest vote-getter was the season-long storyline with Serena and William.

Invalid Others: None

Last Season’s Winner: Multi-way tie due to all single votes

Thoughts: Can’t say I didn’t see this coming, though I expected it to be rivaled by votes for Blair and Chuck’s break-up, which didn’t even end up coming close. On the flipside, I know there are lots of Jenny fans out there, especially Jenny-Nate fans. Guess they just don’t read TDW!

BEST CLIFF-HANGER

Winner: Georgina telling Dan she’s pregnant with his baby

Noteworthy: This one nearly toppled the competition, although Chuck getting shot wasn’t far behind. Together, they had a significant majority of votes. There were three other single responses: whether Blair and Chuck will reunite, Chuck finding a woman at his father’s grave and “none.” Most interesting responses: “Georgina’s pregnancy, fo’ sho’,” “Chuck being shot even though he is not dead,” “Georgina! Holy Crap!” and “chuck getting shot and georginas pregnancy, although cwtv.com ruined it!”

Invalid Others: None

Last Season’s Winner: Serena finding out where her dad is/Georgina requesting to room with Blair at NYU

Thoughts: I wasn’t surprised here, either, as the Georgina reveal and Chuck shooting essentially came out of nowhere in the final minutes (seconds?) of the finale. Not sure what the “cwtv.com ruined it!” comment is referring to.

RATE THE SEASON OVERALL

Winner: 7.5

Noteworthy: There were equal votes for 7 and 8, so I thought it was fair to average them. All values were voted for, with the next highest value being 5.

Last Season’s Winner: 8

Thoughts: Critics and fans alike have complained of a drop in quality this season, though I was kind of expecting an even lower rating to win, especially given the decisiveness the finale has caused.

RATE THE SHOW OVERALL

Winner: 10

Noteworthy: Again, all values received at least one vote with 7 and 8 again faring well. But 10 came out on top, just as it did for One Tree Hill. Will 90210 pull off a perfect score as well?

Last Season’s Winner: 9

Thoughts: So much for that drop in quality. Or perhaps the increase in value for the show as a whole is just a product of more people–or different people–voting this year.

Don’t forget to vote in the 90210 Evaluation if you haven’t already.





Second Annual Gossip Girl Evaluation

27 05 2010

With the One Tree Hill evaluation now complete (results will be posted later today), we move on to Gossip Girl.

You have until Saturday at 11:59pm eastern to vote in these polls.

**Please remember your answers should be based solely on the season that just ended, except for the last question, which is about the show overall.**

Note: The format is wonky for the open-ended questions.  Please put your answer in the “other” space.





News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and The O.C.

24 03 2010
  • Last night’s 90210 (1.5 million viewers) dropped quite a bit in the ratings compared to last week, hitting a new season- and series-low. If you recall, two weeks ago was a season/series-low of 1.7 and now the show has sunk even lower.
  • Love TVGuideMagazine.com’s recap/pop quiz about last night’s 90210. It’s quite funny and quite accurate, IMO.
  • About.com has an interview with Tristan Wilds (Dixon, 90210).
  • The Wild Girl, starring Brian Austin Green (David, Beverly Hills 90210) will premiere on the Hallmark Channel April 24. They also reiterate that Shannen Doherty (Brenda, Beverly Hills 90210) will be in one of their movies later this year.
  • At work today, Gossip Cop and I busted a story about Doherty supposedly feuding with her Dancing With The Stars co-star Kate Gosselin.
  • Douglas Emerson (Scott, Beverly Hills 90210) is included in TVGuide.com’s photogallery of ’90s Stars We Want Back on TV.
  • Trevor Donovan (Teddy, 90210) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) are part of the new Op campaign. They previously featured AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) and Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill).
  • The Austin Post-Bulletin has a surprisingly well-written piece by a male teenager explaining his love of Gossip Girl.
  • The Jewish Journal has an interesting feature on Bryan Greenberg (Jake, One Tree Hill).
  • Melinda Clarke (Julie, The O.C.) makes her first appearance on The Vampire Diaries tomorrow night.




Spoiler: Watch With Kristin

2 03 2010

RELEVANT QUESTIONS–DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW!!!

Jackie in San Antonio, Texas: So what’s the news about One Tree Hill?
Stephen Colletti
is back! He told us at the Lucky for Lupus event, “I’m actually working on One Tree Hill right now. I just got done shooting an episode today, in fact. And we’re getting up to the finale, which takes place in Park City. We shoot that next week, and there are some changes in relationships and changes in peoples’ lives. We’re going to blow it up. It’s going to be awesome.”

Melody in North Hollywood, Calif.: What’s the latest with Serena’s dad on Gossip Girl?
I just talked to Stephanie Savage and will bring you couples scoop in a jiffy! In the meantime, “When you think about the Humphreys and Van Der Woodsens and that extended family that they have, [Serena’s father] coming back really lands on everybody in a great way. It definitely causes drama for Serena and Eric and the other kids, and there’s an adult component with Rufus and Lily, because there’s some backstory there.” And according to Matthew Settle, Billy Baldwin as Papa van der Woodsen is a great addition to Gossip Girl. Settle told us at the G-Star Raw event in New York City: “It’s a great love triangle. Billy’s got a great energy; he’s a good actor. It’s believable that he would be Serena’s father, and he’s a great fit for the show. It’s really good casting.”

Gregory in Minneapolis, Minn.: Will Rufus and Lily’s son Scott be around when Gossip Girl returns?
We’ve seen the last of Scott for now, Stephanie said. “[He’s] done for this season, but he can absolutely come back next season.”

Diana in Memphis, Tenn.: I’m so ready for 90210 goodness. What’s coming up the next couple of months?
For AnnaLynne McCord, it’s going to be a lot of 90210 badness! We chatted the actress up at the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation event and she told us, “The finale is always brutal for Naomi. It’s always the worst thing in the world. She has it horrible! The last thing of the finale is Naomi’s face, and it’s really bad. What happens to her is awful. So I kinda feel like there will be some downward spiral in a way for Naomi’s character, but she’s good at covering, so she’ll still have that façade. But you’re really gonna feel bad for her at the end of this episode.”

Perry in Milwaukee, Wis.: Naomi and Liam are my favorite 90210 couple. Any scoop on them together?
Yes! AnnaLynne told us there’s a lot of Naomi-Liam goodness to come on 90210. She said, “Matt Lanter and I have so much fun together. We love working together. There are some hysterical moments that I don’t recommend 16-year-olds doing at home, one of which where Naomi shows up with a trench coat and, well, nothing else…’cause that’s smart.” Does that work out for her? “It works out! Oh, it works out quite well.”

Pam in Kentwood, La.: I can’t wait for 90210 to finally return, and I’m really interested in the Rumer Willis-Jessica Lowndes storyline. What can we expect?
When it comes to the budding Gia-Adrianna romance, you can expect tons of good things. Rumer and Jessica actually have loads of chemistry, and while their attraction to each other seems to develop a little quickly, this is one 90210 storyline we’re fully onboard with. Adrianna and Gia bond over mutual sobriety, then music and movies and ice cream, and pretty soon, they’re in young love. Before the two move ahead, Ade will question her sexuality and turn to her besties for help. The consensus? She’s not gay, just has a connection with Gia.

Credit: E! Online





Top 10 Most Shocking Deaths

23 11 2009

In memory of last week’s loss of the one and only Jackie Taylor, I thought the next few days should be reserved for revisiting other shocking deaths in the teen drama genre.

Some of these death scenes were shocking because they came out of nowhere.

Others blew us away simply because of who it was that died.

In other cases, it was the pure tragedy that chilled us to our bones.

This week, we pay tribute.

10. Scott accidentally shoots himself (Beverly Hills 90210, Episode 2.14: The Next 50 Years)

9. A drunk Abby falls from a pier and drowns (Dawson’s Creek, Episode 2.18: A Perfect Wedding)

Come back tomorrow for another drunk fall and a car accident!





Exclusive: Executive Producer Charles Rosin Reflects on 90210’s Early Years

4 10 2009

Today is a huge milestone in the world of teen dramas.  It is the 19th anniversary of the premiere of Beverly Hills 90210, the show that started it all.

In honor of this momentous occasion, 90210 executive producer Charles Rosin, who now runs showbizzle,  revisited the show’s early years and development thereafter.

TeenDramaWhore: What was your reaction when Aaron Spelling contacted you to be part of this show, then-called Class of Beverly Hills?

Charles Rosin: Curiosity.  Mr. Spelling was a legend in this business whose deal with ABC had ended and who was struggling to re-invent himself and his company for a new generation of TV watchers.  Truthfully, I was not a big fan of his most  popular shows –“Dynasty,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Love Boat”  — which all seemed very old fashioned and predictable.  My taste was much more oriented to a more challenging and thought provoking television like “St.Elsewhere,” ” thirtysomething,” and “Northern Exposure,” of which I was the supervising producer for the first season and was working on when I first met “The Mister” in his office at the Warner Hollywood Studios.

TDW: As an executive producer, what exactly was your role?  How were you involved in the episode process?

Rosin: In the TV business, a creative executive producer is known as a showrunner, who literally runs all the creative aspects of a show while being responsible for its financial vitality. On 90210 I would either come up with the ideas, or approve ideas brought to me; make sure my partners (The Spelling Company and Fox) approved of these ideas; supervise my staff in writing the story and scripts (or write the stories or scripts myself) based on these ideas; re-write scenes, etc. in my capacity as “the last typewriter” if I felt the material needed punching up; incorporate legal clearances and network notes into the scripts; have a concept meeting with the directors (who I hired); cast the actors for that week’s show; supervise a production meeting with all the department heads (wardrobe, art. etc);  be available during production to deal with whatever situations might occur; work with the editors to cut the film which might require dropping scenes, changing the act breaks, changing the order of the story, etc.;  then get notes from my partners; then work with my associate producer in getting the locked film ready for airing by adding music, sound effects, correct color, dub voices — and then being the final “ear” when the show is mixed….all while developing three-five scripts simultaneously and prepping for the next episode in line to shoot.

TDW: 90210 essentially started the primetime teen drama genre.  What kind of challenges were you up against?

Rosin: Fox was all about edgy/raunchy guy-humor like “Married With Children” while 90210 was a show that not only celebrated girl-empowerment but had this wonderful character named Brenda Walsh [Shannen Doherty] who represented the notion that a teenager could be sexually active and not be a slut, but actually a role model. Unfortunately, my first set of network executives did not see the world as I did . Someday I will write a long article about the censorship that occurred after Brenda lost her virginity at the Spring Dance [ed. note: Episode 1.21, Spring Dance] to her boyfriend (who had been AIDS tested) because she was happy and not full of remorse.

TDW: When do you think 90210 crossed over that ‘initial hump’ and started achieving success?

Rosin: When the Gulf War started in February, 1991 the three networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) suspended all commercial activity to cover the invasion. Fox didn’t have a news department back than (hard to believe; wish they didn’t have one now. ha!) so Fox broadcast whatever was on their schedule. The 90210 episodes that aired during this time included “BYOB” and “Slumber Party” [ed. note: Episodes 1.11 and 1.13].  By the time commercial activity started up again some three weeks later with the re-activation of the Nielsen ratings, our show was no longer a bottom feeder. The network took notice; gave us an extended order for season two with the understanding that we would be producing summer episodes — and we were off.

TDW: In an interview last year with The New York Times, you said you went to Beverly Hills High.  How did it compare to the fictional West Beverly?

Rosin: I graduated Beverly Hills High School in 1970 which makes me a child of the 60’s! Even though it was a time of political activism and emerging youth culture,  there were many traditions from the 1950’s that were a vital part of my high school culture — and which ultimately were incorporated into the series.  We meet Emily Valentine [Christine Elise, ed. note: see related interview] in season two at “Hello Day” where each class welcomes new students through parodies and funny skits [ed. note: Episode 2.8, Wildfire]. The dance where the cheerleader is date raped by a football player in “Teenline” in season one was called The Pigskin Prom, which was a big thang back in the day [ed. note: Episode 1.9, The Gentle Art of Listening].  And, of course, episodes in the third year season dealing with ditch day and the senior yearbook poll all were part of school life at BHHS [ed. note: Episodes 3.26 and 3.25 respectively, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window and Senior Poll]. Oddly enough,  I played baseball for Beverly against Torrance High School, which was our location for “West Beverly” and which later became the high school location for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”  [ed. note: click here for photos of Torrance/West Bev] One other odd connection — we filmed our summer episodes at the same beach in Santa Monica Bay where the kids from Beverly Hills High School used to hang out — which was known as Tee’s, not the Beverly Hills Beach Club which was filmed at the old Sand and Sea Club right after it got condemned.

TDW: Let’s talk about the episode where Scott [Douglas Emerson] kills himself (Episode 2.14, The New Fifty Years). Was that a product of Douglas wanting to leave the show or was it precipitated by the direction of the storylines? Was there backlash to that episode?

Rosin: Given our low license fee from the network, we were always trying to cut costs — and Doug Emerson was a nice young man, but not a gifted actor. I still wanted to find a memorable way to write him off the show — and that was when I read about an accidental killing of a high school student on Prom Night in a hotel room at the Disneyland Hotel.  So while David Silver [Brian Austin Green] was getting cool and into the Brenda/Kelly/Steve Beach Club crowd, I sent Scott to hang at his grandparents house in Oklahoma off-camera for six episodes as a way to show these two old friends drifting apart before our eyes. It should be known that this was the only story line that the network and Mr. Spelling worked together to try to squash — but they could sense my passion for the story, were very supportive of [our] script and were very satisfied with the episode, which also was highly promotable and did well in the ratings.

TDW: You were there during the high school to college transition, which all the teen dramas are doing these days.  What do you think that change added to the show?

Rosin: Not only was I “there” for the transition from high school to college, but I must take credit — along with my late producing partner, Paul Waigner — for spearheading the drive to move on and let these kids grow up. Part of the problem was that our cast looked to old/were too old to play believable high school students anymore — and I convinced network president Sandy Grushow that doing a high school show that did not deal with the prospect of college was bogus. Aaron was nervous about the change, of course. He was nervous about everything.  But once I agreed to let all the kids go to the same college, he let them graduate — which allowed me to write a senior year in “real time”. You ask what this added to the show? How ’bout four-five seasons worth of new episodes that would probably wouldn’t have been ordered if they stayed in high school.

TDW: Your wife also worked on the show, right?

Rosin: Karen’s first professional writing credit was for “Isn’t It Romantic?,” the AIDS episode where Brenda and Dylan [Luke Perry] first go out — and where an enraged Dylan slams the flower pot into the pavement before chasing after Brenda [ed. note: Episode 1.10].  Although Karen was never offered a staff position, chances are she wrote, or co-wrote your favorite episodes, including all the ones set in Paris [ed. note: Episodes 3.3-3.5], the condom in school episode [Episode 2.21, Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout It ], the one where Scott  accidentally shoots himself, the one where Dylan meets his inner-child [Episode 3.22, The Child Is Father To The Man], the Christmas episode with the angels answer Donna’s [Tori Spelling] prayers by preventing a school bus from crashing bus [Episode 3.16, It’s A Totally Happening Life], and the graduation episode [Episode 3.29, Commencement], which we wrote together. You can hear our commentary for “Commencement” on the third season DVD. Karen,  a former actress and playwright,  has a great ear for dialogue. My strength as a writer was (and is) always story and story structure — so we were great collaborators. If Mr. Spelling and I had anything in common it was our love and appreciation of nepotism.

TDW: Your daughter is just a bit older than me.  Did she watch the show growing up?  What does she think knowing her parents played a big role in one of the biggest shows of the 90s?

Rosin: My eldest daughter Lindsey was five when I started working on the 90210. She’s the cutie-pie who asks Brandon to dance the hookelau at the end of summer luau at the Beverly Hills Beach Club [ed. note: Episode 2.6, Pass/Not Pass]. Growing up she never bragged about my job, in fact, didn’t tell her teen-aged camp counselors about me until the last day of the session. Lindsey knew at a young age she wanted to be a director, and is currently developing an hour pilot with CBS Paramount — in addition to be the creative force behind showbizzle.

TDW: You have said you left the show because it was “killing” you.  Can you elaborate on that?

Rosin: For the first two seasons, Beverly Hills 90210 had the lowest license fee in broadcast television — meaning that Fox paid the Spelling Company less money to make our show than any other show in prime time.  One of the ways we cut costs was to assemble a small writing staff composed of mostly new writers,  but once our production orders increased to anywhere from 28- 32 hours a year (a standard network order for a hit show is anywhere from 13-22 episodes a year; a cable show much less than that) the lack of a big staff took its toll and I found myself working 12-16 hours a day, 6 1/2 days a week, 11 1/2 months a year.  Six weeks after I mixed my last episode, “P.S. I Love You” [ed note: Episode 5.32], one of my arteries shut down. I was 43 years old.  We caught it early. I dodged a bullet. And 15 years later, I catch waves and feel great.

TDW: Did you keep up with the show after you left?

Rosin: I was a non-exclusive script consultant for the 6th season where I read outlines and offered my suggestions — most of which weren’t followed.  I do remember watching one episode that year where NFL star quarterback Steve Young was a guest star [ed. note: Episode 6.12, Breast Side Up] because it was written by Larry Mollin and directed by Dave Semel, who both remain good friends today.   I did not watch after that — and felt that show lost much of its cultural currency and degenerated into a more pedestrian and predictable soap opera– the kind of show more aligned with the traditional Spelling aesthetic.

TDW: Your last season–the fifth–was also Carol Potter’s last.  Did you agree with the decision to get rid of Jim [James Eckhouse] and Cindy?  (Ed. note: see my related interview here.)

Rosin: Reluctantly, yes. Creatively, the show no longer evolved around the Walsh House — and although we certainly could have come up with new storylines that included the parents in a supporting capacity, both Carol Potter and Jim Eckhouse were taking home a fairly big pay check — and by writing them off the show, those monies could be applied to other things — like paying Jason Priestley [Brandon] and Jennie Garth [Kelly] to stick around.

TDW: I have to ask:  Brenda and Dylan or Kelly and Dylan?

Rosin: Brenda was our favorite character to write; the scene where Dylan and Kelly hook up the night Jack McKay was released at the pool at the Bel Age in season three [ed. note: Episode 3.19,  Back in the High Life Again] was perhaps the hottest scene we ever shot — in other words, it’s a draw…

TDW: Kelly and Dylan or Kelly and Brandon?

Rosin: I’ll always be partial to Kelly and Steve.

TDW: What was your reaction when you found out the season 10 storyline (Episodes 10.18-10.20) that Jack McKay (Josh Taylor) was alive?

Rosin: Well, I first found out about Jack McKay when I opened your e-mail. (Like I said, I didn’t watch the show once I left). But we purposely filmed the sequence in such a way as to leave this “return from the dead” storyline available. I guess they had to wait until Luke Perry returned to the series to revive this plot.

TDW: What was your reaction when you found out David and Donna were marrying in the series finale?

Rosin: It seemed about right; Karen and I and our three kids visited the set at the Beverly Hilton the day they were filming the wedding — and it was the first time I visited since I left the show five years earlier.

TDW: Do you have a favorite storyline?

Rosin: Lots of them — my favorite episode was Commencement because with all the clips that were incorporated into the two hour episode, it felt like a retrospective of the high school years.

TDW: Do you have a favorite memory from working with the cast? A favorite guest star? (There were a lot of them!)

Rosin: I loved watching Jason directing the episode “The Time Has Come Today” from the 4th Season [ed. note: Episode 4.25] where Brenda discovers a diary from the 1960’s in her bedroom. My favorite guest star would be my wife Karen, who played a lesbian in the episode “Girls On The Side,” [Episode 5.28] which she also wrote. Also Marcy Kaplan, who played TV star Lydia Leeds in the episode in which Brenda worked at the Peach Pit and became Laverne [Episode 1.16, Fame is where You Find It]. Karen and I wrote that one together.

TDW: What surprised you most while working on the show?

Rosin: Like most writers I have an active imagination — and there have been times that I thought that the script I had just written would catapult me onto a podium for an awards ceremony. But I never could have imagined being a creative force behind an international television sensation! Or that you would be asking me these questions almost 20 years from the time that I started work on the show…

TDW: Do you have any regrets or anything you would do differently?

Rosin: Biggest regret is that I didn’t establish a relationship with media executive (and visionary) Barry Diller when he was running Fox. As far as doing things differently, I would have tried to take better care of my health, and maintain a sense of humor when dealing with the network instead of getting caught up in a war zone.

TDW: Looking back on the show today, what do you think is its place in television history?

Rosin: A footnote.

TDW: Are you still in touch with any of the cast?

Rosin: Yes — Jason Priestley is a buddy. James Eckhouse too. And Ian Ziering [Steve] is a great guy with whom I recently chatted about his early years in the business which we posted on Inside The Bizzle at showbizzle. Check it out. It is a must see for 90210 fans. [Ed. note: I linked to one of the Ian interviews here but there are many more here, including ones with BH90210 producer-writer John Eisendrath]

TDW: Have you watched the new 90210? Do you have any thoughts on it?

Rosin: I watched it once. It’s a good looking cast. But to do a show called 90210 and not allow your young characters to have any socio-political context in the age of Obama speaks to the cynicism and cowardice of commercial broadcasting.

TDW: You also worked on Dawson’s Creek a bit. How did your role differ there?

Rosin: I was more involved with the business side of producing than the writing of scripts — though I certainly had a hand in the creative development of the first episodes.

TDW: How do you think the shows themselves differ?

Rosin: I leave that for your community of readers to comment.

TDW: You’re now working on a site called showbizzle. What is it, and how did it come about?

Rosin: showbizzle is a digital showcase and destination website I created with daughter Lindsey (the Hookelau girl) for emerging talent away from the immediate pressures of the market place. We created a cool show featuring 29 young actors performing 141 two-minute scripted monologues about what they are doing to jump start their careers in Hollywood as told to Janey, a fictitious blogger who hangs out at an LA coffee house. Our goal here to create a vibrant community of young actors, writers, comedians, and performers around our showbizzle content where members are encouraged to upload their original videos with the chance to be paid $$ to perform on our digital showcase. So check showbizzle.com, become a member, work with us, tell your friends — and see why Cynopsis Digital said that it “should be required viewing for kids thinking of moving out to LA LA land to chase their dreams of stardom as it delves into the frustrations of being on the outside looking in.”

TDW: Anything else you want to add?

Rosin: Hard to believe the show’s 20th anniversary is coming up . To get to know what the early days were like check out Rolling Stone Magazine’s article “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (issue 624) originally published February 20th, 1992.

For more on showbizzle, head over to the site.

Come back next Sunday for another exclusive interview!

TDW Interview Index





Fun Fact

24 09 2009

Did you know many characters on our teen dramas have the same names?

Keep reading for tons of examples:

David: a main character on Beverly Hills 90210, and Jack’s boyfriend on Dawson’s Creek

Scott: a main character on Beverly Hills 90210 and a last name on One Tree Hill

Matt: a main character on Beverly Hills 90210, Joey’s mural-wrecker on Dawson’s Creek and Sandy’s partner on The O.C.

Zach: Carly’s son on Beverly Hills 90210 and Summer’s boyfriend on The O.C.

Nikki/Nicki: Brandon’s girlfriend on Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson’s classmate on Dawson’s Creek and Jake’s babymama on One Tree Hill

Samantha/Sam: Steve’s mom on Beverly Hills 90210 and Brooke’s “foster kid” on One Tree Hill

Abby: Valerie’s mom on Beverly Hills 90210, Jen’s friend on Dawson’s Creek and the witness to Keith’s murder on One Tree Hill

Emma: Brandon’s cheatee on Beverly Hills 90210 and Pacey & Jack’s roommate on Dawson’s Creek

Henry: Brandon’s boss on Beverly Hills 90210 and Jen’s boyfriend on Dawson’s Creek

Tracy: Brandon’s girlfriend on  Beverly Hills 90210 and Naomi’s mom on 90210

Cliff: Donna’s suitor on Beverly Hills 90210 and Dawson’s classmate on Dawson’s Creek

Sophie: David’s girlfriend on Beverly Hills 90210 and Sandy’s mom on The O.C.

Lauren: Matt’s wife on Beverly Hills 90210 and Jamie’s teacher on One Tree Hill

Allison/Alison: Kelly’s fellow fire victim on Beverly Hills 90210 and Dan/Jenny’s mom on Gossip Girl

Elle: the transvestite on Beverly Hills 90210 and Chuck’s mystery woman on Gossip Girl

Jen: a main character on Dawson’s Creek and Naomi’s sister on 90210

Jack: a main character on Dawson’s Creek, Dylan’s dad on Beverly Hills 90210 and Chuck’s uncle on Gossip Girl

Oliver: Dawson’s film partner on Dawson’s Creek and Marissa’s friend/suitor on The O.C.

Alex: Pacey’s boss on Dawson’s Creek and Seth/Marissa’s girlfriend on The O.C.

Eddie: Joey’s boyfriend on Dawson’s Creek and Theresa’s boyfriend on The O.C.

Ty: Jen’s boyfriend on Dawson’s Creek and Adrianna’s babydaddy on 90210

Ryan: a main character on The O.C. and 90210, and Steve’s brother on Beverly Hills 90210

Taylor: a main character on The O.C. and Haley’s sister on One Tree Hill

Jimmy: a main character on The O.C. and Mouth/Lucas’ friend on One Tree Hill

Anna: Seth’s girlfriend on The O.C. and Lucas’ girlfriend on One Tree Hill

Carter: Kirsten’s business partner on The O.C. and everyone’s frenemy on Gossip Girl

Lindsay/Lindsey: Ryan’s girlfriend on The O.C. and Lucas’ girlfriend on The O.C.

Theresa: Ryan’s girlfriend on The O.C. and the gang’s classmate/friend on One Tree Hill

Lucas/Luke: a main chacter on One Tree Hill and Marissa’s boyfriend on The O.C.

Nathan/Nate: a main character on One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl

Haley/Hailey: a main character on One Tree Hill and Kirsten’s sister on The O.C.

Dan: a main character on One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, and Andrea’s boyfriend on Beverly  Hills 90210

Keith: a main character on One Tree Hill and Steve’s fraternity brother on Beverly Hills 90210

Karen: a main character on One Tree Hill and Pacey’s co-worker on Dawson’s Creek

Deb/Debbie: a main character on One Tree Hill and 90210

Rachel: a main character on One Tree Hill, Sandy’s colleague on The O.C. and Serena/Blair’s teacher on Gossip Girl

Cooper: Nathan’s uncle on One Tree Hill and a last name on The O.C.

Chuck: a main character on Gossip Girl and Jamie’s classmate on One Tree Hill

Jenny: a main character on Gossip Girl and Jake’s daughter on One Tree Hill

Lily: a main character on Gossip Girl, Dawson’s sister on Dawson’s Creek and Lucas’ sister on One Tree Hill

Ethan: a main character on 90210 and Jack’s boyfriend on Dawson’s Creek

Dixon: a main character on 90210 and Lucas’ director on One Tree Hill