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List Price: $54.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 84473
Released: November 7, 2006 |
| Our Price: $26.17 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE BEAUTIFUL PACK (Includes Beverly Hills 90210: the Complete First Season and Melrose Place: The Complete First Season) *
Description of The Good, the Bad & the Beautiful Pack (Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete First Season / Melrose Place - The Complete First Season):
Beverly Hills, 90210: The Complete First Season
Just as Fox's 21 Jump Street injected the cop drama with a dose of hip, Beverly Hills 90210 infused the primetime soap with youthful energy. Like Aaron Spelling's Dynasty, most characters don't lack for disposable income, except for middle-class twins Brandon
Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place creator
Darren Star reflects on the first seasons of both
shows in this Amazon-exclusive clip.
High Bandwidth | Low Bandwidth |
(Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty, Heathers). Created by Darren Star (Melrose Place), the class-conscious concept scored an instant hit. In the two-part Tim Hunter-directed pilot, the teens have just arrived from Minneapolis. "Nobody knows me," Brenda tells Brandon on their first day at West Beverly High. "I can be anyone I want." The two soon befriend Steve (Ian Ziering), Kelly (Jennie Garth), Donna (Spelling's daughter, Tori), David (Brian Austin Green), and commuter student Andrea (Gabriel Carteris). Then there's Dylan (Luke Perry), who debuts in the second episode ("The Green Room"). A poetry-reading surfer with a shady past, he's the James Dean of the piece, and Brenda falls hard for his bad-boy charms. Guests include Debbie Gibson ("East Side Story") and Matthew Perry ("April is the Cruelest Month"), while recurring characters include understanding parents Cindy (Carol Potter) and Jim Walsh (James Eckhouse) and Peach Pit manager Nat (Joe E. Tata). Beverly Hills, 90210 ran for 10 years. Though it would move away from issue-oriented episodes in the seasons to come--in the first, it takes on shoplifting, cheating, and date rape--without it, there would be no O.C., no Veronica Mars, etc. Just like the 1980s films of John Hughes (The Breakfast Club), it set the standard to which all others must be compared. As nice as it is to have the show on DVD, it should be noted that not all musical selections made the cut, i.e. "Music has been changed for this home entertainment version." Otherwise, this guilty pleasure remains as pleasurable as ever. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Melrose Place: The Complete First Season
It began as a spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210, but this summer replacement quickly established its own unique identity. The connection is creator Darren Star and the character of Jake (Grant Show), who had a fling with Kelly (Jennie Garth) on 90210. In the pilot, she stops by 4616 Melrose to pay a visit (and returns for two more episodes). Jake's neighbors comprise of Alison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Rhonda (Vanessa Williams), Sandy (Amy Locane), Matt (Doug Savant), and married couple Michael (Thomas Calabro) and Jane (Josie Bissett). When Alison's roommate runs out on her, she takes in Billy (Andrew Shue) to cover the rent. Just as 90210 had the Peach Pit, the twentysomethings of Melrose gather at Shooters, where aspiring actress Sandy waits tables. Her roommate Rhonda teaches aerobics. Other professions include mechanic (Jake), receptionist (Alison), social worker (Matt), doctor (Michael), designer (Jane), and writer (Billy). Midway through the season, photographer Jo (Daphne Zuniga) and ad exec Amanda ("special guest" Heather Locklear) arrive to shake things up. What had been a program about work and life issues takes a darker turn as Michael gives in to temptation and Amanda sets out to ruin Alison's career--and her relationship with Billy.
Other troublemakers are waiting in the wings, like Michael's colleague Kimberly (Marcia Cross) and Jane's sister Sydney (Laura Leighton). Both return to stay in the second year. Melrose Place ran for seven increasingly soapy seasons and spawned the short-lived Models, Inc.. Afterwards, Thorne-Smith moved on to Ally McBeal and According to Jim, while Savant and Cross would eventually segue to Desperate Housewives. Other actors had a shorter stay at the infamous West Hollywood apartment complex-- notably, Locane, who makes her exit in the 13th episode ("Dreams Come True") and Williams, who makes hers in the 32nd (two-part season finale "Suspicious Minds"). --Kathleen C. Fennessy
The Good, the Bad & the Beautiful Pack (Beverly Hills, 90210 - The Complete First Season / Melrose Place - The Complete First Season) Reviews:
Put "Models" on DVD, next!! 
2008-01-10 - "Melrose" & "90210" were the best shows of the '90s! I was in love with both shows. If you're not too familar with either series, "90210" starts out much better (although, after season 4, it's all downhill) because during the first season the stories can capture the viewer quickly. "Melrose" starts out much slower and is nowhere near as outrageous as later seasons. (I would say that "Melrose" peaked in either season 3 or season 4.)
Maybe one of these days they'll put "Models" on DVD. Do you remember this "Melrose" spin-off? I loved it almost as much as "90210" and "Melrose." Linda Gray played the "Amanda charater," Hilary Michaels; an owner of a modeling agency who had to put up with all the b itchy models, not to mention the evils of Grayson Louder (Emma Samms.) And, all the men on this show were totally hot and totally wordless and witless. Or, maybe SoapNet can start rerunning it again on the weekends? I'd tune in for that!
I was insanely crazy about "90210." This was my all-time favorite show as a tween. Because "90210" really was the very first American TV show that actually spoke to kids and had real issues that everyone could relate to. During the first season we got to meet the entire gang...
Most of the eps either revolved around Brandon (Jason Priestely,) or someone else in the Walsh House. Didn't it almost seem like Brandon had a new girl every other week? Cindy (Carol Potter) and Jim Walsh (James Eckhouse) were such cool parents. I often wished that my parents were as understanding as they were, especially Mrs. Walsh. (I suppose that's what TV writers do best; make the parents look perfect?) As a kid, my favorite character was always Brenda Walsh (played by none other than the original Britney Spears ~ Shannen Doherty.) Brenda was always so forthright and honest about her feelings. Some fans have even said that Brenda was "mean." I tend to disagree. I think she was just a girl who knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to say it. But as an adult, watching this set, I have an entirely new fondness for Brandon. He was such a kind-hearted young man, and always so willing to go out of his way for others and help any way he could. Brandon was a total mensch. And wasn't he so cute, too? I loved when he smiled because he had the most adorable dimples.
Throughout the very beginning of season 1, Kelly Taylor (Jenny Garth) and Donna Martin (Tori Spelling, of course) were portrayed as brain-dead snobs. Donna, especially, came off as such a superficial air-head. But after you scratched the surface a little and got to know them you saw a couple of very sweet girls who were really no different from any other American teenagers.
I always enjoyed Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) and Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering.) Dylan was the quiet loner who was often the voice of reason. He's a lot like Jake Hanson . Like Donna and Kelly, at first Steve came off as very superficial and incredibly spoiled. But once I got to know him I saw a very sensitive young man. I love the ep during season 1, when Steve's Corvette was stolen by those 2 girls and he starts crying and Brandon tries to make him feel better.
Rounding out the cast were the 3 egg-heads, Andrea Zuckerman (Gabrielle Carteris,) David Silver (Brian Green, FKA Brian Austin Green) and the rarely-seen Scott Scanlon (Douglas Emerson.) Out of these 3, Andrea was the only one who was welcomed into the gang during season 1. I was never crazy about her though because she always seemed so needy and a touch on the greedy side. Andrea had somewhat of a chip on her shoulder because she was poor and the rest of the kids weren't. Over the years, David did get cool, but in season 1 he was just a lowly freshman that no one else wanted to hang around with. Except for his bff, Scott. BTW, there's currently a "where are they now" article on AOL which states that Douglas Emerson quit "90210" to go to college in the 2nd season. That is totally false! He was fired from the show when producers realized that his character was about as intriguing as a bag of wet hair.
Here's all the eps from season one:
Class of Beverly Hills
The Walsh's get used to life in Beverly Hills. In syndication, this ep airs in 2 parts. Note: the original title of the series was "Class Beverly Hills."
The Green Room
Brandon meets a new girl at the beach. Note: this is the first ep with Dylan.
Every Dream Has Its Price (Tag)
Brenda doesn't feel like one of the girls while shopping with them.
The First Time
Sheryl, Brandon's girlfriend comes for a visit and stays overnight with him. See what I mean about having cool parents?
One on One
Brandon and Andrea think there is a conspiracy among school officials when they see a student who doesn't appear to be a resident of Beverly Hills.
Higher Education
Brandon's American History teacher grades the class by an unreasonable curve.
Perfect Mom
Brenda really likes Kelly's mom, Jackie (Ann Gillespie.) But she thinks differently of her when it's revealed that Jackie's just a negligent addict.
The 17-Year Itch
Mr. and Mrs. Walsh celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary.
The Gentle Art of Listening
Brenda and Andrea volunteer at a teen crisis hotline. The girls both try to help a student when it is revealed that she is getting r-a-p-e-d by some of the football team.
Isn't It Romantic?
Brenda catches Dylan taking a shower in her bathroom. Did I say how cool Jim and Cindy are?
B.Y.O.B.
Brandon and Brenda have a party when their parents are away and poor Brandon gets arrested for drunk driving.
One Man and a Baby
Brandon befriends Melissa, a senior with a baby boy who has dreams of going to college.
Slumber Party
This is one of my very favorite eps! The girls have a slumber party. Kelly brings along this total b itch, Amanda (Michele Abrams.) I love it when Bren says to her, "you've been acting like a total b itch since you got here." David and Scott swing by the Walsh home to spy on the girls. Steve and Brandon have a hot evening with a couple of chicks; that is, until Steve's Vette is stolen.
East Side Story
Jim and Cindy allow their maid's friend, Carla to use their address so she can attend West Beverly. But there is more to the story than meets the eye. And Brandon (the little detective that he always was, in season 1,) sets out to find out the truth about Carla.
A Fling in Palm Springs
Everyone except for Brandon and Andrea goes to Palm Springs. Dylan and Brenda get in a big fight.
Fame Is Where You Find It
Brandon gets a part on a popular TV show. He even starts dating the star of the show, Lydia Leeds (Marcy Kaplan.)
Stand (Up) and Deliver
This is another favorite of mine. Brandon decides to run for class president with Andrea as his campaign advisor. Things get out of hand when Kelly Taylor takes over. Meanwhile, Bren housesits for an older friend and learns that being on her own may not be all it's cracked up to be.
It's Only a Test
The gang takes their S.A.T.'s. Brenda finds a lump in her chest.
April Is the Cruelest Month
Brandon interviews Roger (Matthew Perry,) an all-star student, for the school paper and learns some troubling details about him.
Spring Training
This is another favorite of mine because it shows how sweet Bran was. He coaches a Beverly Hills peewee baseball team and learns how competitive and stuck-up some of the parents can be.
Spring Dance
The gang all go to "The Spring Fling" and Kelly becomes "Spring Princess." Meanwhile, Bren and Dylan slip off to a hotel room.
Home Again
The Walsh's may have to go back to MN because Jim is faced with a transfer. Andrea decides to sleep with Brandon as a going away gift. Everything seems to be back to normal when Jim decides not to move back. But at their party at The Pit, Bren reveals to Dylan that she missed her period!
"90210" was on for 10 years, and like many fans, I stopped watching way before that. Unfortunately, after Shannen Doherty left the series it was nowhere near as entertaining. (It's almost like what happened to Three's Company after Suzanne Somers was fired.) Because it just wasn't the same without Brenda. Should they have kept Shannen? Many of the cast members have stated that she was incredibly difficult to work with. Shannen was also famous for starting viscous cat-fights with the other girls on the show. She absolutely despised Gabrielle Carteris with a passion and would verbally berate her any chance she got. I think it was Ian Ziering who went on Arsenio (right around the time she was fired) and had a few choice words to say about her. The show still went on for 6 seasons without Shannen (I think I stopped watching by end of season 6/beginning of season 7) but it was never the same. And, none of the seasons were as captivating or groundbreaking as season 1 always was!
"Melrose Place" is pure '90s excitement! Do you remember this super-cool 90210 spin-off? I sure do. I loved this show. Although, like many fans I didn't start watching until the mid-second season. When I used to watch repeats of the first season I never really enjoyed it. Because it was so different from the rest of the series (it's sorta like the difference between the first season of "The Facts of Life" compared to the rest of that series.) There were different characters and the stories were nowhere near over-the-top. There was no trashy sex or backstabbing. Although, now when I watch the first season I have a whole new fondness for this show. It's almost like looking at baby pictures of an old friend. She may have looked like an "ugly duckling" but I know that she's gonna turn out to be a knock-out!
I like to think of the first season of "Melrose" more as 3 mini-seasons. Because the entire first season is rather diverse and unique. I suppose the producers and writers (not to mention the actors and actresses) were still trying to find their way (i. e. make the show a hit,) which made them retool it more than once during that first faithful season. Let's see... There's the Sandy Era (Amy Locane,) which is the shortest of all season one's mini-seasons. This only lasted 14 eps (technically, 12 since the pilot is actually 1 ep and Sandy wasn't on the ep prior to her last one.) Then there's The Jo Reynolds (Daphne Zuniga) Era, which picks up right after Sandy leaves for NY (actually, 1 ep later.) The Jo Reynolds Era takes us through the end of '92 and the beginning of '93 which is also the start of the third and final season 1 mini-season. Then God said, "let there be Heather" and a "special Guest Star" was born! Of course, I'm talking about Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) who totally assisted in transforming season 1 into it's final incarnation, The Amanda Era!
The Sandy Era was when we got introduced to the entire cast (or should I say residents?) of 4616 Melrose Place. There was Billy Campbell (Andrew Shue) and Allison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith,) the building's sweet and sometimes homely roommates. Dr. Michael (Thomas Calabro) and Jane Mancini (Josie Bissett) were almost like the parents of the apartment. They were like an old married couple that everyone came to for help or advice; after all they were married for almost a whole 2 years! There was the resident hearthrob and cool loner, Jake Hanson (Grant Show.) As you may recall, Jake parlayed his tie-in role on "90210" first. In the first few eps of "Melrose" Jake could often be seen shooing away Kelly Taylor (Jenny Garth.) Then there was Matt Fielding (Doug Savant,) who really didn't have much to say or do during season one. Although this was one of the first times that an (openly) g-a-y character ever had a recurring role on an American coast-to-coast series. The only thing unbelievable about the character of Matt was his sense of style. Wouldn't you think a g-a-y man living in West Hollywood would understand the importance of fashion and dressing well a little better? (It makes me gag to think that poor Matt wore that hideous sandal-sock combo more than once.) Rhonda Blair (Vanessa Williams, not the Miss America) was the token black character. During The Sandy Era her character was very well developed and we got to know Rhonda rather well; she was a sweet and sexy fitness instructor (teaching "cardio funk.") And, finally completing The Sandy Era was none other than Sandy Louise Harling (Amy Locane.) Sandy we hardly knew ya! Sanda is sorta like the Lana Shields of "Melrose Place" because she seemed so sexy, yet rather sexually frusterated. Sandy was an aspiring actress, who got her "big break" and left 4616 for the bright lights of the Big Apple to star on "Forever & Tomorrow." My favorite episode with Sandy is "Lonely Hearts." This is the one when she gets stalked. I always thought that Sandy and Jake would have made a great couple, and they did date, but nothing ever came of it. And, before we got a good chance to get to know her she was gone! Halfway through The Sandy Era, it also seemed like this mini-season changed, slightly. Did you notice how the stories started to get more serious, however insignificant; Jane's pregnancy, Alison's married lover and Billy's attack.
The Jo Reynolds Era is when the series was completely retooled. Gone were the pool parties, barbecues, friendly chats in the laundry room, group parties and fun-loving get-togethers. The arrival of Jo brought a whole new concept to this soapy drama. The eps got more grittier and serious. I also enjoyed Jo because she was like a breath of fresh air. Jo was very beautiful and always managed to add a bit of common sense to the storylines. In the very beginning (for her first and maybe even second ep,) she had somewhat of a rough exterior. But that was just a facade because Jo was petrified of letting people into her life. Once I got to know Jo, I found a new resident at this complex that was just as likeable (if not more,) than all the others! During this mini-season, we learn that Jake has an estranged son. And another aspect that I noticed was that Rhonda was now being fazed out. Did you noticed that Rhonda almost only exclusively had dialogue with Matt or with Terrence Haggard (John Marshall Jones,) who was her future hubby? Also during The Jo Reynolds Era we got to meet some more supporting/recurring cast members. Dr. Kimberly Shaw's (Marcia Cross) character was more developed. You may remember that she actaully spent X-Mas with the other tenants at "Melrose!" And we got to meet Jane's pesky little sister, Sydney Andrews (Laura Leighton.) Although, not much was really learned about Syd during The Jo Reynolds Era, except for the fact that she was obviously a bottle redhead during season 2!
The Amanda Season was the final and very best mini-season of "Melrose's" season 1 because the storylines got so much deeper and more serious. The actors were also much more polished and they seemed more confident. As it's been said many times before, Amanda Woodward was what "Melrose" was all about! She really helped make this show! During this era, we saw a rather entertaining love-triangle develop between Billy, Alison and Amanda. Of course that was after Alison left her on-again/off-again lover, Keith Gray (William R. Moses.) (Keith is actually introduced to Alison during The Sandy Era, but the most interesting eps with him are during The Amanda Era.) Alison even quit her job and moved to Seattle to be with Keith! I loved it when Amanda said to Alison, "and when it was obvious that Billy wasn't going to run to Seattle to chase after you you came back!" During this time, the character of Lucy Cabot (Deborah Adair) was also more prominently seen. Yes, Lucy was the typical cliche of the "modern American professional lady" but she also showed a lot of compassion to Alison. During this era, Jake and Jo have an AIDS scare when one of Jake's former lovers contracts the virus. We also got to see another transformation during The Amanda Season. This was when Jane and Michael's marriage started to unravel. It was also around this time that Michael turned into the sneaky snake that he was known for in following seasons. Of course Michael carried on an illicit affair with Kimberly. And when Alison confronted him (she caught the 2 kissing at the hospital,) he arragantly said to Jane, "this is just malicious gossip." By the way, am I the only one who thought Michael was much more sexier when he was nice? I never found him attractive in following seasons because he just came off as such a dirty cheat.
Everyone always talks about Billy and how he was such a dreamboat. I tend to disagree. I was never crazy about Billy. To me, he seemed like a big kid who was still somewhat immature. My "Melrose" dreamboat was Jake. Jake was the perfect man because he was the perfect balance of sweet and tough. Remember how he cared for Matt and took him to the hospital during the "Dreams Come True" ep; I loved it when the cop assumed that Jake was Matt's lover and Jake said, "he's not my lover" because Jake would have done this for anyone.
Another season 1 character who I enjoyed was Joan Campbell (Salome Jens.) Even though Mrs. Campbell (Billy's mom) was hardly seen, she always managed to make a big splash. She almost reminded of Bea Arthur a little. And Joan absolutely loved Alison. Seeing Joan on season 1 always reminds of Billy's second marriage to Samantha Reilly (Brooke Langton.) (I never could stand Billy's second wife, I probably hated her the most out of all the "Melrose" girls.) Anywho, during the reception, Joan had a little too much to drink (after all, it's a party, right!) and the old thing starts shooting her mouth off to Samantha telling her about Alison and how much she always liked her. Then Joan brings up Billy's first wife, Brooke (played by none other than Kristen Davis whom I love!!) which caused Samantha to really pout. And Joan said to Samantha in her husky Greta Garbo voice, "don't tell me I can't talk about Brooke now."
"Melrose Place" really was the very best nighttime soap. In my humble opinion it was way better than "Dynasty" and even the granddaddy of all nighttime soaps, "Dallas" because all the stories and characters were always so captivating (even during season 1!) If you want to see how it all began, I recommend getting season 1, you won't be disappointed! By the way, does anyone know when season 4 of "Melrose" will be out? As of Jan. '08 this set was taken down from Am@zon. Has season 4 of "Melrose" been discontinued? According to Wikipedia, it is supposed to be released on April 15, 2008. However I have not seen any other e-commerce sites offering it for pre-order.
...Always remember that you are what you watch!
LOVED IT
2007-03-22 - I'm so glad they finally put these two shows on DVD. Can't wait for season 2 for these shows.
love they way they package it
2007-03-10 - I just love that they package these together these are two of the greatest shows so glad to have them on dvd
90210/Melsore - 1st Seson
2007-01-30 - This is an awesome video for those who used to gather on Wednesday nights to watch these two series back to back. So great to see future stars in cameo rolls. Matthew Perry as a high school teenager. Get out the popcorn and settle in for a great weekend of fun.
90210
2007-01-11 - I'm so glad 90210 finally came to dvd. Can't wait for the next seasons!!
