90210 and Melrose Moving to DVD

Aaron Spelling’s 1990s teenaged and twentysomething primetime successes are finally being released on DVD. "Beverly Hills, 90210" began in 1990, kicking off a new generation of teen television that was borderline soap opera but also something to which teens could all too often relate. Many a series has walked through that doorway since Spelling opened it with "90210," from the more mature and real but sadly short-lived "My So-Called Life" to the popular teen soap to which more primetime shows geared to that age group are compared today "Dawson’s Creek," and beyond to the most current example that is still running, FOX’s "The O.C."

FOX had a huge Generation X hit on its hands so in 1992 it turned to the possibility of a spin-off, which became "Melrose Place." The spin-off was a big success in its own right, appealing to a slightly older crowd as well as teens who were maturing into adulthood while addicted to the tales of the gang who lived in Beverly Hills on "90210." Even as the first series began to decline in viewership and quality, "Melrose Place" kept going strong and had a solid finish for the end of its well-lived run.

Big-time TV producer Spelling died in June, and now his 90s legacy is on its way to the collectible world of DVD box sets. The first season of both shows will be released for sale in stores on November 7th. Apparently, rights and legalities concerning the music that was used on the show were holding up their jump to DVD despite the overwhelming demand received from fans for these two generation-defining primetime soap shows to be released on DVD. This along with another hold-up caused by the joint-ownership of the shows, Viacom and CBS (CBS ended up with home entertainment control), has slowed everything down as most television shows have been making their DVD debuts and enjoying the prominence of the format. Each set of the first two seasons will reportedly run $62 retail, and a combination set of the two called "The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful" will also be for sale.