---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I read the script for '90210,' I…"
description: "\"When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this is very superficial,' and it was. I mean, the pilot was all about the glitz and the glamour o..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png"
---

#  When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this…

![“When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this is very superficial,' and it was. I mean, the pilot was all about the glitz and the glamour of Beverly Hills, the obnoxious kids, and the fish-out-of-water story of Brenda and Brandon Walsh. I couldn't discern from that first script that…” quote by Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png)

> “When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this is very superficial,' and it was. I mean, the pilot was all about the glitz and the glamour of Beverly Hills, the obnoxious kids, and the fish-out-of-water story of Brenda and Brandon Walsh. I couldn't discern from that first script that the show would become very issue-oriented.”

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The writer underestimated the show’s depth, but it evolved into tackling serious social issues.

**In simple terms:** Initial impressions can be wrong; shows can grow.

Key Takeaway

Stay open to unexpected developments.

Themes

media expectations growth social issues television

Mood

surprised curious

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- TV production
- scriptwriting
- audience analysis
- media criticism

Key Concepts

narrative development culture social commentary

Questions to Reflect On

- What signals indicate a show’s potential for depth?
- How to balance entertainment with issue-driven content?

A Different Perspective

Not all shows successfully shift tone; risk of alienating original fans.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beverly hills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beverly-hills/) [Glamour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glamour/) [Hills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hills/) [Pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilot/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/)

## Related quotes

> [I remember, my freshman year of college, sitting in my TV room at the end of my dorm hallway with one other girl watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/i-remember-my-freshman-year-of-college-sitting-in-my-tv-room-at-the/)

[Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/)

> [We barely had cell phones on '90210.' It started in the '90s. That's pretty much when fax machines came into play. When I first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/we-barely-had-cell-phones-on-90210-it-started-in-the-90s-that-s/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I did some commercials and a couple of B movies, then a few pilots that didn't go anywhere. Eventually I did the pilot for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-austin-green/i-did-some-commercials-and-a-couple-of-b-movies-then-a-few-pilots/)

[Brian Austin Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-austin-green/)

> [I think this show can have legs for a long time. That's why it's called 'Beverly Hills 90210' instead of something like 'West Beverly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-think-this-show-can-have-legs-for-a-long-time-that-s-why-it-s/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I just try to do the best job I can with what I'm given. My main focus is the work and not the glamour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-just-try-to-do-the-best-job-i-can-with-what-i-m-given-my-main-focus/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I definitely had a gang influence with friends and family growing up in South Central, and people might think that Beverly Hills definitely shielded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/i-definitely-had-a-gang-influence-with-friends-and-family-growing-up/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [Famous people come up to me, but I don't know who they are because my sight is so bad. It's always at the pool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/famous-people-come-up-to-me-but-i-don-t-know-who-they-are-because-my/)

[Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/)

> [We're not out holding fundraisers in the Hamptons or in Beverly Hills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/we-re-not-out-holding-fundraisers-in-the-hamptons-or-in-beverly-hills/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [“Gillette--The best a man can get." I stared at the screen. What happened to me? I was meant to be one of those guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/gillette-the-best-a-man-can-get-i-stared-at-the-screen-what-happened/)

[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [It dates back to my dad and my uncles. They all got permits to go to Beverly Hills High School back in the '70s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/it-dates-back-to-my-dad-and-my-uncles-they-all-got-permits-to-go-to/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [Me and both my brothers got permits to attend Beverly because two of my uncles and my uncle's wife all taught and coached at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/me-and-both-my-brothers-got-permits-to-attend-beverly-because-two-of/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [Being in a hotel room and watching 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' is one of my great joys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/being-in-a-hotel-room-and-watching-the-real-housewives-of-beverly/)

[Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/)

> [“The major challenge was Navin Johnson’s mansion, which he bought when the Opti-Grab glasses made him rich, and did we get lucky. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-v-picker/the-major-challenge-was-navin-johnson-s-mansion-which-he-bought-when/)

David V. Picker

> [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [I'm just, like, totally normal. The fact that any of this has happened, that we're sitting here at the Beverly Hills Hotel just gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/i-m-just-like-totally-normal-the-fact-that-any-of-this-has-happened/)

[Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/)

## More by Ian Ziering

> [Like every audition I go on, I do my best, but after that, I let it go because, you know, the rejection rate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/like-every-audition-i-go-on-i-do-my-best-but-after-that-i-let-it-go/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [As an actor, you know that every act has a closing curtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/as-an-actor-you-know-that-every-act-has-a-closing-curtain/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [There was such mass appeal for 'Sharknado.' It went over so well - not just here in the United States but globally - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/there-was-such-mass-appeal-for-sharknado-it-went-over-so-well-not/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> ['Dancing With the Stars' has become a phenomenon, and when I look at that type of reality show, it's like a variety show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/dancing-with-the-stars-has-become-a-phenomenon-and-when-i-look-at/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [Dancing isn't easy, and to just jump into three to four hours of rehearsals a day is a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/dancing-isn-t-easy-and-to-just-jump-into-three-to-four-hours-of/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [At my pregnant wife's behest, I took the job for the paycheck and the health insurance, and it turned into 'Sharknado.' I couldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/at-my-pregnant-wife-s-behest-i-took-the-job-for-the-paycheck-and-the/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [There are so many people that say they are actors and they don't spend for 5 minutes a day working on their craft. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/there-are-so-many-people-that-say-they-are-actors-and-they-don-t/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [There's all these summer blockbusters out there, but nobody's talking about them... they're talking about 'Sharknado.' It's amazing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/there-s-all-these-summer-blockbusters-out-there-but-nobody-s-talking/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I've managed to catch lightning in a bottle a couple times. I'm very lucky. But I want to do this forever. I enjoy it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-ve-managed-to-catch-lightning-in-a-bottle-a-couple-times-i-m-very/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [The opening scene from 'Sharknado' I think was better than the original 'Jaws' movie. It was scarier, it was bloodier, and it had more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/the-opening-scene-from-sharknado-i-think-was-better-than-the-original/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [Everyone wanted to be eaten. It seems like it's a badge of honor to have that on your IMDb account when it says, 'Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/everyone-wanted-to-be-eaten-it-seems-like-it-s-a-badge-of-honor-to/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I'm a dad, and that's a job you can't fail at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-m-a-dad-and-that-s-a-job-you-can-t-fail-at/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I like the fact that I'm involved in a career that gives me so many different mediums to perform in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-like-the-fact-that-i-m-involved-in-a-career-that-gives-me-so-many/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I've always been a fan of Fran Drescher!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-fran-drescher/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

> [I can't tell you the deluge of images that were sent to me through all the different social media platforms of families partying together...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/i-can-t-tell-you-the-deluge-of-images-that-were-sent-to-me-through/)

[Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

[Explore all 88 Ian Ziering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/)

## More Beverly hills quotes

> [I'm just, like, totally normal. The fact that any of this has happened, that we're sitting here at the Beverly Hills Hotel just gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/i-m-just-like-totally-normal-the-fact-that-any-of-this-has-happened/)

[Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/)

> [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [“The major challenge was Navin Johnson’s mansion, which he bought when the Opti-Grab glasses made him rich, and did we get lucky. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-v-picker/the-major-challenge-was-navin-johnson-s-mansion-which-he-bought-when/)

David V. Picker

> [Being in a hotel room and watching 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' is one of my great joys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/being-in-a-hotel-room-and-watching-the-real-housewives-of-beverly/)

[Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/)

> [Me and both my brothers got permits to attend Beverly because two of my uncles and my uncle's wife all taught and coached at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/me-and-both-my-brothers-got-permits-to-attend-beverly-because-two-of/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [It dates back to my dad and my uncles. They all got permits to go to Beverly Hills High School back in the '70s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/it-dates-back-to-my-dad-and-my-uncles-they-all-got-permits-to-go-to/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [“Gillette--The best a man can get." I stared at the screen. What happened to me? I was meant to be one of those guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/gillette-the-best-a-man-can-get-i-stared-at-the-screen-what-happened/)

[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [We're not out holding fundraisers in the Hamptons or in Beverly Hills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/we-re-not-out-holding-fundraisers-in-the-hamptons-or-in-beverly-hills/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Famous people come up to me, but I don't know who they are because my sight is so bad. It's always at the pool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/famous-people-come-up-to-me-but-i-don-t-know-who-they-are-because-my/)

[Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/)

> [I definitely had a gang influence with friends and family growing up in South Central, and people might think that Beverly Hills definitely shielded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-paysinger/i-definitely-had-a-gang-influence-with-friends-and-family-growing-up/)

[Spencer Paysinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-paysinger/)

> [I'm living in Beverly Hills. I'm very, very lucky. I wake up every morning and I recognize that I'm blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/i-m-living-in-beverly-hills-i-m-very-very-lucky-i-wake-up-every/)

[Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/)

> [I used to say that winning the Oscar means being back at the Beverly Hills Hotel at 1 A.M. feeling empty. It's the industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/i-used-to-say-that-winning-the-oscar-means-being-back-at-the-beverly/)

[Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/)

> [LAs crazy. When I was younger and watched The Beverly Hillbillies Or Beverly Hills 90210, I used to think it was so far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-game/las-crazy-when-i-was-younger-and-watched-the-beverly-hillbillies-or/)

[The Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-game/)

> [“In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451 I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/in-writing-the-short-novel-fahrenheit-451-i-thought-i-was-describing/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“I'll take a drive to Beverly Hills Just before dawn An' knock the little jockeys Off the rich people's lawn An' before they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/i-ll-take-a-drive-to-beverly-hills-just-before-dawn-an-knock-the/)

[Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/)

[Browse all 172 Beverly hills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beverly-hills/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this is very superficial,' and it was. I mean, the pilot was all about the glitz and the glamour of Beverly Hills, the obnoxious kids, and the fish-out-of-water story of Brenda and Brandon Walsh. I couldn't discern from that first script that the show would become very issue-oriented.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ian Ziering"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thought-boy-this-is-very/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beverly hills"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thought-boy-this-is-very/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/ian-ziering-7744_beverly-hills_when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thoug_520950.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I read the script for '90210,' I thought, 'Boy, this is very superficial,' and it was. I mean, the…” — Ian Ziering",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ian Ziering",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I read the script for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thought-boy-this-is-very/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/when-i-read-the-script-for-90210-i-thought-boy-this-is-very/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
