If you’ve watched CW network lately (don’t ask), you’ve no doubt been bombarded w/ ads for 90210, the sequel/spinoff of the original Beverly Hills 90210.
The promos point out that the original show had characters that “defined a generation.” Which in my case is perhaps true: I was a high school freshman the same year all the main characters were, which also means I started college when they did. I mostly tuned out after that. I’m sure the show somehow “defined” my generation (everyone I knew seemed up on the show, even if they didn’t “watch” it). Perhaps that’s a very sad statement about my generation.
90210 is very different from 48602. I’m willing to bet it’s very different from most US zip codes. And for all the show’s commercial success, most of the people I knew who watched it did so w/ a cynical view of “our betters” (much as I’m sure they do about Gossip Girl). At least Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was more tongue-in-cheek about it (I’m hoping that this was the intent behind the over-the-top attempt to fit as many black stereotypes as possible into every episode).
But the re-launch of the 90210 franchise reminds me of another “teen drama” sit com I remember fondly that I wish were resurrected instead: Head of the Class. Anyone remember that show? It aired on ABC & remains far superior to any “teen drama” before or after. In large part, because it came closer to reflecting “real” high school experiences than most attempts (including the often insipid Saved by the Bell or Boy Meets World but also The Wonder Years or Freaks and Geeks). Also, unlike most other shows, it was multiracial.
On the surface, the experiences of New York gifted students might not seem “typical” for most students. But this was an inner city school, not a posh Manhattan prep or a top suburban school. Although it aired mostly while I was in middle school, I recognized the setting: the shortage of textbooks, the crummy hallway décor, the graffiti, and the bumbling bureaucratic overlords. I also recognized the fired up teacher who, despite the odds, sought to inspire his students (one of mine was “Rocky” Sherzer).
The cast was also multiracial, but not in a token way (did you notice there’s a black character in the new 90210?). The students in Mr. Moore’s Individualized Honors Program (IHP) were diverse. More than half were either minorities or recent immigrants. Most had dysfunctional families. Some had gang affiliations (at least one regularly carried a switchblade). And while they were honors students, several had low aspirations (resigning themselves to the fact that they were honors students in an inner city school). When they worried about their college prep scores, it was w/ a clear realization that this was their one way out. In short, these were my classmates.
It’s also interesting that the show didn’t revolve around pep rallies, sporting events, out-of-class drama, or “special topics.” The show focused almost entirely in the classroom. It was, in a word, intensely cerebral. And the characters had to convey the story in a tight space (a small, overcrowded classroom), often revolving entirely around Mr. Moore’s lessons. And when the show dealt w/ issues like peer pressure, it wasn’t about drugs or teen sex. The biggest recurring issue was the pressure the students faced to quit the program, to get bad grades, and to stop being “nerds.” The biggest challenge Mr. Moore had was to remind his students that life in the city wasn’t bad, but they could aspire to more.
I’d rather see a show about that, then another show that follows rich kids around as they struggle w/ issues like who their date should be for their coming out ball or whether Monaco or the Greek islands is a cooler spring break location.
