The
Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise comprises the ongoing timeline and shared characters which link the American television series Beverly Hills, 90210; Melrose Place;
The continuity, which progresses in
real time,
was introduced in 1990 with the debut of
Darren Star's teen drama
Beverly Hills, 90210, which was produced by
Aaron Spelling and initially aired on the
FOX television network in the United States. After this series became a worldwide success in 1991, Star expanded the franchise with 1992's
Melrose Place, a drama about young adults in
L.A. which would also grow into a famous hit.
The third series,
Models Inc., has thus far been the least successful of the shows to air, having lasted only one season (June 1994 to March 1995).
The fourth entry, simply titled
90210, was the first show in the franchise to not debut on FOX in the United States. Developed by
Rob Thomas,
Gabe Sachs, and
Jeff Judah, the series premiered on
The CW Television Network on September 2, 2008.
[ On September 8, 2009, the fifth series, a follow-up to Melrose Place, also debuted on The CW.]