RIP Luke Perry

Little James Dean, up on the screen
Wond'rin' who he might be
Along came a Spyder and picked up a rider
And took him down the road to eternity

James Dean, James Dean, you bought it sight unseen

You were too fast to live, too young to die, bye-bye
You were to fast to live, too young to die, bye-bye
Bye-bye, Bye-bye, Bye-bye, Bye, bye

 

Imagine if James Dean lived long enough to appear on the Love Boat or Murder She Wrote.
I remember thinking that the best thing that happened to Christian Slater's career was River Phoenix dying. I'd also say Lindsey Lohan's career crash helped Emma Stone out a ton.
Dean? Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Duvall all probably ended up with roles that would have been Deans if he were still alive.

 

Sounds like Luke Perry needed yo borrow a coat from James Dean?

 

He always came across really well in interviews and never seemed to take himself too seriously. I mostly made fun of 90210 when I watched it with my girlfriend at the time, but he was easily the best actor of the bunch.

 

I always loved the "Friends" arguments on this site.
A dopey show that never would have thrived in any other slice of time than the '90s.
You could say the same of 90210.

 

Don’t underestimate how many people watch Riverdale.

 

Every generation has its own 90210. Room 222, Friday Night Lights, Glee, The OC, Saved By The Bell, The White Shadow....

 

Easy on "The White Shadow." Watched the first-season episodes again not too long ago. Ken Howard was good. Writing was strong. Excellent show ... sure, it was "for its time," but they were willing to go places that many were not at the time.

 

I wasn't dismissing them - I was highlighting that every era has a show that captures a generation for better and/or worse.

 

What about “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”?

 

As a teenager of the time of 90210, I'll say Perry was absolutely a cultural touchstone of my generation. Damn near the entire male populace of my school grew sideburns because of him. I didn't really get into the show, but my sister loved it, so I was forced to watch (we were a one-TV household). There was no bigger teen idol of the time apart from maybe that cute guy from New Kids On The Block, probably John.