Expert: Mel - 8/22/2007

Question
Any rumors swirling if a BH90210 reunion could be coming? Was there really any truth that Jason Preistley only left the show(90210) because Luke Perry came back? Second question, Ok..Brenda leaves show then parents are written off the show then after Brandon leaves to go to Boston but yet they still used the house for the main episod's. Why?

Answer
Hi John,

My expertise is in the contents of the show and not necessarily its media coverage, so what I say here is gathered mostly from my memory of things I've seen and read regarding the rumors you mentioned.  Having said that, it's my understanding that after the non-episodic "10 Year Reunion" special aired in May 2003, the public and a few castmembers were fairly optimistic about an actual reunion show someday.  Then, Aaron Spelling died.  I believe it was TV Guide where Jason Priestley stated that despite his close relations with the cast still (in particular, Luke, Brian, and Tiffani), this pretty much ruled out the possibility in his eyes.

Here's the quote fans often cite for this sentiment: "I see those guys all the time - it's weird how much we still see each other but now that Aaron is no longer with us, the chances of a reunion are gravely reduced unfortunately."

Mr. Spelling died in June 2006, so any further research you do would necessitate looking for articles written in that time period. Also, a major factor in whether a reunion show is developed would have to be the performance of 90210's DVD sales (S2 did well), and the sheer fact that, between the original eight castmembers, there are 10 small children to consider. Many have decided to focus on family life, it seems.  

As for whether Jason Priestley only left the show because Luke Perry came back, well, I'd have to say 'No'.  Luke Perry's return was a decision made much later, and I know they loved working together.

Consider the following excerpt from Soap Opera Weekly, 11/24/98, from the article, "Hills and Valleys for 90210's Dylan", which includes several quotes from Luke.
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"It sucks for me that J. (Jason Priestley, ex-Brandon Walsh; currently an executive producer for the show) is gone. He called me after I left and said, ‘You have no idea how bad it sucks for me without you here.’ And now I know.”

Though rumors about Perry’s return have circulated for years, “it was as recent as two days before we made the deal that I was not coming back,” he said. “I was in photography on a movie, my head was somewhere else. Then this came up. I didn’t have a whole lot of time to preconceive anything about it; I just said yes."
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Still, I have no doubt that the motivation behind bringing old castmembers back was related to the fact that other mainstays were leaving.  There always needs to be a certain number of main characters left in order to hold the audience.  It's my understanding that Jason expected the 8th season to be the show's last (as did the public and those in the industry) and had no original intention of staying on for a 9th.  That's why he left.  All season finales from S5 onward were at some point rumored to be the last for the series or heavily considered for this fate by those in power.  

Regarding use of the Walsh house even after Brandon moved out, the simplest answer is that it was more cost-effective than having to build a whole new set to serve as the living space for remaining characters who's storylines demanded they had a 'grownup' place to live. For instance, we know that Steve moves his wife (Janet) and child (Madeline) into the Walsh house during the later seasons.  It's rather unrealistic to some, but I know that Matt, Kelly's boyfriend, as well as Noah, Donna's boyfriend, also lived there for some time.  The beach apartment experienced a similar rotation of characters moving in, often as they were new to the show, as was the case with Gina and Clare. In Brandon's final episode ("Brandon Leaves", 9.06), he does mention that his parents were considering selling the house (just as they were in the S6 premiere), but that he'd try to convince them not to, as Steve would have to move out.  Valerie actually does so, flying back to Buffalo, in the following episode, but for unrelated reasons.  As a side note, Brandon leaves for Washington D.C. in S9, not Boston.

Hope that helps.  Thanks for the question!

All the best,

Mel