What Is 'BH90210'? Stars Explain the 'Confusing' Premise of New '90210' Reunion Show (Exclusive)
It's time to go back to our favorite ZIP code!
BH90210 premieres this Wednesday, August 7 on Fox, and it's going to tug on your '90-loving heartstrings! But before you tune in, you need to understand exactly what this reunion show is all about.
Beverly Hills, 90210 alums Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Gabrielle Carteris are back, but not exactly in the way you'd expect.
According to Fox, the upcoming reunion series "follows the original cast playing heightened versions of themselves in a brand-new serialized dramedy showing the making of a show within a show.“
So is this a reboot? A reality show? Mockumentary?
Settle into your favorite booth at the Peach Pit and get ready for a gossip sesh, because ET is breaking down everything fans can expect to see from this "confusing" show.
Keep reading for exclusive answers to your biggest BH90210 questions, straight from the stars of the show!
What Exactly Is BH90210?
First and foremost, fans should know that BH90210 is the brainchild of long-time friends and former 90210 co-stars Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth.
"It came from [the fact that] Jennie and I wanted to work together. We've been best friends ever since the show, so we've been best friends for 30 years," Spelling admitted with a smile to ET's Kevin Frazier on the set of BH90210 in Vancouver, Canada, last month. "We raised our kids together! Our kids hang out, and we were like, 'We just want to continue to work together! We want our kids to be able to come to set, so what can we do?'"
"We were like, '[Reboot] 90210? Hmm, I don't know. No one will ever do that!' And then we were like, 'Wait, what if we do it a different way? What if it wasn't a straight reboot?'" Spelling continued. "'What if we did an entire ensemble cast playing a heightened [and] fictitious version of themselves?' Everyone would be like, 'Is it real? Is it not real?' And then the show within the show -- coming back together as a family, as friends -- to do the reboot."
If you're a bit befuddled by BH90210's premise, take comfort in the fact that you're not alone!
"It's quite a confusing concept to grasp at first, I understand," Garth revealed with a laugh to our cameras on set. "People were very confused, so we had to break it down for people and explain it slowly. At first they thought, 'Oh, this is reality show! You're playing yourselves?' But no, it's not a reality show -- and no, it's not a straight reboot."
Similar to Larry David's Emmy-winning performance on Curb Your Enthusiasm or Matt LeBlanc's role on Showtime's Episodes, BH90210 is taking heightened reality one step further, because, according to Garth, this is the "first time an entire cast has played themselves in an ensemble."
"I like to look at it as if we're playing characters that we're creating that have the same names as us," Garth clarified, "And we're also taking people's perceptions and images that they think they know about us, and using that to create these characters. [We're] poking fun at it and sort of flipping it upside-down and inviting people to look at things different, but at the same time familiar."
So Beverly Hills, 90210 Is Getting a Revival?
The short answer: Kind of!
As you now know, BH90210 is a mockumentary-esque show starring the heightened versions of former Beverly Hills, 90210 cast members as they embark on a quest to revive the beloved '90s drama.
"We're going to be shooting the show within the show -- the remake, eventually. So you'll be seeing Kelly and Donna and David and Brandon and everyone as you think you wanted to see them -- but only older, so it might freak people out. It freaked me out!" Garth explained with a laugh.
"So, we're trying to definitely honor the old show and honor our original fans. It's those people, it's the fans that have supported us as a show still to this day and each of us individually in all of our own careers through the years. Those are the people that we're doing all of that for."
Who's in This New Reunion Show?
The gang's getting back together! Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty,Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Gabrielle Carteris will all be returning to the Peach Pit -- but this time as fictional versions of themselves and a bit of their former 90210 characters.
"I don't really know what Kelly's up to yet. I've only gotten to play with that a little bit in a dream sequence so far," Garth shared. "But Jennie is a woman in her mid-40s, and she's struggling with relationships and trying to find her rhythm, sort of get back on her feet."
"So there are some very similar similarities between me and my real life and me as Jennie on the show, but they're all a little different or maybe not true at all." The actress added with a coy smile: 'We're really trying to keep people guessing."
There will also be some fresh faces on the show!
Get ready to see Vanessa Lachey and La La Anthony playing the characters of Camille and Shay, respectively. Most recently, Spelling revealed on Instagram that her friend Denise Richards will also be joining in all the West Beverly fun!
Will Luke Perry's Absence Be Addressed?
Luke Perry, who played Dylan McKay on the original 90210, passed away at the age of 52 on March 4 after suffering a massive stroke. His former co-stars have said that prior to his death, the actor expressed that he was very much interested in appearing in the much-talked-about 90210 reboot, even though his role on Riverdale prohibited him from participating in the project full-time.
Ziering says the Beverly Hills, 90210 revival will find the perfect way to honor the late actor.
"That's very challenging. It's a personal thing," Ziering told ET's Kevin Frazier at Comic-con last month. "We all were very close to him. Luke was a best friend to me, not just when we were on 90210 but even before that. I knew him from when we were doing soap operas in Los Angeles."
"So, it continues to be challenging and it's always very difficult, but we will find a way to do it right," he added.
Be sure to watch Entertainment Tonight this Wednesday, August 7 for an entire episode devoted to Beverly Hills, 90210! Get ready for exclusive interviews with the stars, a behind-the-scenes look at BH90210 and plenty of secrets and surprises! Check your local listings.
BH90210 premieres Wednesday, August 7 at 9 p.m. EST/PST on Fox.
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