Produced by Aaron Spelling, who has seemed to have his finger on the pulse of popular television taste since the 1960s, Beverly Hills 90210 was the first in a string of programs on FOX geared toward adolescent and young adult audiences. As fans were attracted to the show’s glamour and attention to certain issues, 90210’s popularity soared. Cast members were interviewed regularly on other television programs and in such magazines as TV Guide, Seventeen, Rolling Stone, and Ladies’ Home Journal. Soon, Beverly Hills 90210 dolls, books, and fan clubs were everywhere. The show set clothing and hairstyle trends for both male and female youth. Young women regularly sent letters to the character Brenda, asking her advice on their dating and other personal problems. Addressing topics of concern to adolescents in a way unlike any other teen drama to date, the series was soon taken seriously by parents, educators, and scholars as well. Plots involved learning disabilities, prejudice, divorce, date rape, sexuality, alcoholism, and drug use. In the first season it was revealed that one of the main characters, Dylan, had recurring drug and alcohol problems, while another, Kelly, had a drug- and alcohol-abusing mother in recovery. Donna overcame a learning disability, and several others struggled through parental divorce and remarriage. Many of the show’s adolescent characters were sexually active, and issues concerning safe sex and contraception were openly discussed on the program.

However, not everyone considered 90210 realistic. Some critics charged that the show offered unreal or stereotypical representations. The characters were almost all white and upper class. Nonwhites appeared almost exclusively in episodes dealing with prejudice or difference. They were also almost always lower income, from a zip code outside Beverly Hills. Of the main characters, Andrea was the only Jewish female, and she was portrayed as the brainy, less-attractive female, whereas Kelly, Donna, and Brenda were sexier and less intellectual. Most viewers could not identify with the high-income, mostly WASP background of the Beverly Hills teens. Yet in spite of criticisms and differences, Beverly Hills 90210 retained a diverse youth audience.

Hoping to capitalize on the early success of 90210, other FOX-Spelling collaborations followed. The first, The Heights, which was less glamorous but featured the same age group, did not last. Neither did the later Models, Inc., set in the fashion industry, nor Malibu Shores, another show about rich adolescents, which lasted only nine episodes in 1996. However, 90201 spin-off Melrose Place, did become a hit. That program, also set in southern California, featured a cast in their 20s, working on careers and later-life issues such as marriage and divorce. Melrose Place differed from Beverly Hills 90210 by being far less sincere or moralistic in treating issues. Melrose Place relationships and plots were more sensationalized, in a manner reminiscent of early 1980s prime-time serials, Dynasty and Dallas.

The rise of Beverly Hills 90210 and its ilk coincided with changes in broadcast network television in an era of increased competition from cable television. Network program “narrowcasting” to the youth market represented an attempt to remain competitive with other television distribution outlets. It also signaled a renewed effort to take seriously issues of importance to young people, a large and lucrative niche market.