Greatest Holiday Ever

As Good As It Gets

Today is Official Beverly Hills 90210 Day (because it's 9-02-10). Let's all pause a moment and soak in how amazing it is that we live in a society wise enough to celebrate the vital cultural impact of this awesome show. I have seen every episode and don't even know where to begin...

Of course at the center of it all was the lovable Walsh family. There's no T.V. family that stands up to the Walshes when it comes to inappropriate closeness, moms with voices like howler monkeys, and forgiveness of utterly crackpot antics pulled by their children. And oh, what children....

Brandon. His investigative work with the high school newspaper coupled with his reputation for kindness to all (as long as they are among the only 6 friends he's shown to have) make him a true icon. And let's not forget his prowess with the ladies. How many other men would drive a girl to try and set a homecoming float on fire like Emily Valentine did?

Brenda. All of her little capers, from sneaking off to Mexico with Dylan (and forgetting her passport) to faking a French accent to entice "Reek" (played by Dean Cain) to attending college in Minnesota for one week were simply delightful to me.

The masterful character development did not begin and end with the central family. Consider if you will Kelly Taylor. Kelly who was a slut, then a reformed slut, became Spring Queen, slept with her best friend's boyfriend, had a diet pill addiction and crashed in the bathroom of the Peach Pit, slept with her boyfriend's best friend, got burned in a fire, experimented with lesbianism, joined a cult, called off her engagement to Brandon at the wedding itself, got addicted to cocaine, thought she had AIDS, had a pregnancy scare only to find out she was actually infertile, was raped, killed her rapist, and (we're led to believe) wound up happily ever after with Dylan in the end? I am sorry, but say what you want about the ladies on Gossip Girl - nobody comes back from a crisis like Kelly.

And of course, there was everybody's favorite rebel and heartbreaker Dylan McKay. Who at age 16 lived alone, was a recovering alcoholic, drove a priceless vintage sports car, and rocked a receding hairline. Between watching his father blow up on a boat ("Jaaaccckkk!!!") to having his wife - who he only married to get revenge on his father's killer - get shot after she was mistaken for him, he stayed stone-faced and smug while facing challenges.

The B list characters were also strong. On no other show will you find a girl as stupid and ugly as Donna permitted to hang out with the cool kids. Where else is there a character like the multi-talented David Silver (who was based on Vanilla Ice!)? Or a mousy yet earnest 30 year old newspaper editor with a secret like Andrea Zuckerman. And Steve Sanders? Enough said.

I'm aware that other characters - the abusive Ray Pruitt, faux-Brendas Valerie and Jeana, the irritating Claire, and the anti-Dylan lawyer Kelly almost married - were added later, but for me the glory days of the show were when the kids were in high school. Eating Mega-burgers at "The Pit", learning how to be tolerant of those that are different from you (a cousin in a wheelchair, an African-American kid determined to come to your prom), and facing the "realistic" problems all kids have: your dad going to jail for insider trading, getting your mom into rehab after she ruins the school fashion show, and having a breast cancer scare right before the SATs. Those were the days.

PS: Remember when Color Me Badd was on?!