Lifetime has been getting a lot of attention for its series of unauthorized biographies that have set out to tell the “true story” behind some of the ‘90s most wonderfully obsessive teenage guilty pleasures – from Saved by the Bell, to Full House and Melrose Place. The idea is to reveal the alleged juicy secrets behind the cameras – as if there weren’t enough on camera with a show like 90210. Forget about the love triangle that was Dylan/Brenda/Kelly. What about all of the drama that has come out over the years about rifts with Shannon Doherty (who played Brenda) and other cast members, back stories behind Tori Spelling (who played Donna) and her father, mogul and show producer Aaron Spelling, rumoured flings between Doherty and her on-screen twin Jason Priestley (who played Brandon) and so much more?
Related: Lifetime’s latest victim for an unauthorized tell-all is Melrose Place
Along with decking the cast out in full ‘90s attire, complete with faded jeans and high shorts, Lifetime has managed to perfectly replicate the hairstyles, too, right down to Steve’s signature blonde curls (originally worn by Ian Ziering), Kelly’s bangs (originally owned by Jennie Garth), and Dylan’s bad boy sideburns (originally popularized by Luke Perry.)
This time around, however, Lifetime has selected a cast of not-so-no-names – some of these actors have had serious roles on TV. Max Lloyd Jones (Switched at Birth) will play Brandon, Samantha Munro (Degrassi) Brenda, Abbie Cobb (Suburgatory) will play Kelly, and Abby Ross (Once Upon a Time) will play Donna. Alyssa Lynch will reprise her role as Tiffani Thiessen, this time in the role of the evil Valerie – she previously played Thiessen in the character of Kelly Kapowski in the Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. Jesy McKiney will play Dylan, David Lennon plays Steve, Michele Goyns as Andrea (originally played by Gabrielle Carteris), and Ross Linton as David (originally played by Brian Austin Green.)
And yes, even Aaron Spelling and show creator Darren Starr will be included, played by Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) and Adam Korson, respectively. Fun fact: this won’t be the first time Castellaneta plays Spelling – he also played the producer and actor in 2004 in the TV movie Behind the Camera: the Unauthorized Story of Charlie’s Angels.
The Unauthorized Beverly Hills 90210 Story will air on Lifetime on October 3, with The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story to follow on October 10. The Unauthorized Full House Story is set to air some time before then. Set your DVRs and remember: Donna Martin graduates!
