Lifetime has been busy beefing up its original programming over the last couple of seasons. This includes unauthorized biographies of famous TV shows. The network has already aired The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story and has The Unauthorized Full House Story in the works. Clearly that’s not enough unauthorized stories, however. On Wednesday, the network gave us the first looks at two more of these types of programs. Ladies and gentlemen, here's all of the information about The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story and the formerly greenlighted The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story.
It’s easy to see what demographic Lifetime is trying to hit with these original movies. Saved by the Bell launched just as the eighties decade was hitting. Full House, Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210 all hit the schedule in the early nineties. Melrose Place was even initially created as a “companion piece” to Beverly Hills, 90210, so in a sense, there’s some symmetry in the fact that Lifetime is giving them companion unauthorized stories. The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story is expected to premiere on Saturday, October 3. The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story will follow one week later on Saturday, October 10.
The casts for each of the new movies have also been announced. The image up top is a photo of the crew playing the original actors and characters from Beverly Hills 90210. This includes Dan Castellaneta, Adam Korson, Samantha Munro, Max Lloyd-Jones, Abbie Cobb, Jesy McKinney, Abby Ross, Alyssa Lynch and more. Peter M. Green and Howard Braunstein will executive produce, while Jeff Roda is writing and Vanessa Parise will direct.
Below, we’ve also made available the first image from The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story, which will also star Dan Castelleneta and Adam Korson, along with Ciara Hanna, Rebecca Dalton, Frank Bailey, Ryan Bruce, Josephe Coleman, Karissa Tynes, Chelsie Hobbs and Lanie McAuley.
Braunstein is also behind this TV movie, but this time Michael Larkin is also executive producing. Dana Schmalenberg is writing and Mark Griffiths will direct.
Honestly, I’m a little surprised that Lifetime is putting so much effort into trying to make these unauthorized stories work. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the Saved By The Bell Lifetime movie when it was initially announced, but when the movie finally premiered, it got dismal ratings. I’m not sure that even the Full House biographical film can bring in big numbers, much less these other nineties throwback products, but we'll have to wait and see.
We’ll find out soon enough. Lifetime's The Unauthorized Full House Story airs on Saturday, August 22, at 8 p.m. ET. The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story airs on Saturday, October 3 at 8 p.m. ET and The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story will be available to view on Saturday October 10 at 8 p.m. ET. Here’s what else is coming up this fall.
