For those days when you’re feeling petty, nothing beats a good TV binge-packed with shade, drama, and characters who know how to throw down.

From scandalous romances to epic rivalries and high-stakes power plays, these shows are loaded with the kind of pettiness that makes for addictive entertainment.

Whether it’s elite high schoolers battling for the top spot, feuding Hollywood legends, or ruthless family dynasties, this list has you covered.

So grab some popcorn and get ready for the best shows to watch when you’re feeling a little — okay, maybe a lot — petty.

Succession

Succession takes family drama and corporate warfare to deliciously petty heights.

The Roy family’s billion-dollar empire is matched only by their ruthless ambition and brutal one-liners.

From Logan’s domineering grip on his children to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman’s relentless battles for power, every scene is packed with tension, betrayal, and dark humor.

It’s a masterclass in snark, with every character out for themselves and no one afraid to play dirty.

If you’re in the mood for jaw-dropping moments and epic takedowns, Succession serves up pettiness on a silver platter.

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Revenge

Revenge is all about payback, served ice-cold with a side of high-society flair.

Emily Thorne arrives in the Hamptons with one goal: to destroy the wealthy Grayson family who wronged her.

With every calculated move, hidden scheme, and unexpected turn, Emily turns manipulation into an art form.

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The show drips with drama as allies become enemies and layers of deceit unfold at every corner.

When you’re in that petty kind of mood and craving a good tale of retribution, Revenge is the ultimate binge for high-stakes snark and scheming.

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The White Lotus

The White Lotus takes luxury and privilege and flips it into pure chaos.

Set in a tropical paradise, this show reveals the dark — and often hilariously petty — side of its wealthy guests and staff.

From passive-aggressive insults to jaw-dropping power plays, every character brings their own brand of snark to the vacation from hell. W

With each new guest’s arrival, tensions build, secrets unravel, and the drama escalates to shocking heights.

If you’re feeling petty and craving some top-tier satire, The White Lotus is the perfect getaway…from sanity.

Watch White Lotus Online

Gossip Girl

When it came to scandal, shade, and high society snark, Gossip Girl was the show to tune into.

From Blair’s iconic takedowns to Serena’s endless drama, the Upper East Side turned into a battlefield where pettiness reigned supreme.

Gossip Girl’s anonymous posts exposed everyone’s secrets, ensuring that no one — not even the queen bees — was safe.

This was backstabbing and betrayal with a glamorous twist, where every schemer played to win.

If you’re feeling a little petty, this is your perfect binge.

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House of Cards

House of Cards is political pettiness at its finest.

Frank and Claire Underwood redefine ruthless ambition, clawing their way to the top with calculated manipulation, cutting remarks, and ice-cold revenge.

Every episode is a masterclass in power plays, as the Underwoods pull strings and eliminate rivals without a hint of remorse.

Watching them scheme their way through Washington is thrilling, darkly entertaining, and satisfyingly petty.

If you’re in the mood for a high-stakes game where loyalty is non-existent, House of Cards delivers drama with zero mercy.

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Big Little Lies

Big Little Lies brings all the pettiness of small-town drama wrapped in a gorgeous beachside setting.

Monterey’s seemingly perfect moms have secrets simmering beneath the surface, and as tensions rise, so do the stakes.

From subtle digs to explosive confrontations, every character brings their own blend of snark and shade to the story.

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The layers of friendship, rivalry, and betrayal keep things intense, especially when the truth threatens to unravel.

If you’re craving a binge filled with twists, secrets, and deliciously petty moments, Big Little Lies is calling your name.

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Veep

Veep is the ultimate in political pettiness, following the sharp-tongued Selina Meyer as she navigates Washington with zero filters and plenty of insults.

Her ruthless ambition and her team’s chaotic incompetence turn every episode into a whirlwind of snarky one-liners, cringe-worthy mishaps, and brutal takedowns.

Nothing and no one is off-limits in her quest for power, and every setback is met with razor-sharp sarcasm.

If you’re ready to laugh at some of the pettiest political shenanigans imaginable, Veep serves shade like no other.

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Dynasty

Dynasty is pure, unapologetic pettiness wrapped in glitz and glamour.

The Carrington family’s power struggles, betrayals, and fierce rivalries make every episode a showcase of backstabbing at its finest.

From Alexis and Krystle’s iconic catfights to Blake’s relentless scheming, the Carringtons know how to keep the drama high and the stakes even higher.

With wealth, power, and scandal at every turn, Dynasty is the ultimate binge for anyone looking to indulge in classic soap opera-style shade.

It’s the kind of deliciously petty drama that’s impossible to resist!

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The Real Housewives

The Real Housewives franchise sets the gold standard for reality TV pettiness, with each city bringing its own mix of glitz, feuds, and unforgettable drama.

Whether you’re tuning into Beverly Hills, New York, or Atlanta, these ladies deliver shade with every brunch, charity event, and vacation meltdown.

From epic clapbacks to friendships in flames, Housewives shows that behind every fabulous outfit and perfect manicure is someone ready to throw down.

For jaw-dropping confrontations and a front-row seat to the pettiest disputes, pick your city and watch the chaos unfold because The Real Housewives franchise is OFF. THE. CHARTS.

Watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Online

Fleabag

Fleabag is the perfect binge for anyone craving sharp wit and unapologetic honesty.

The show follows its self-destructive, sarcastic heroine as she navigates love, loss, and one messy family, all while breaking the fourth wall with her signature side-eye.

Fleabag’s petty moments are delightfully relatable, from awkward confrontations to brutally honest observations about everyone around her.

With every glance and cutting remark, she takes viewers on a hilariously raw journey through her missteps and grudges.

If you’re feeling petty and craving dark humor, Fleabag is a must-watch.

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Empire

If you’re craving family feuds and ruthless ambition, Empire delivers the drama with style.

The Lyon family’s power struggles, betrayals, and unfiltered shade turned the music business into a battlefield.

Cookie’s legendary comebacks (and sass!), Lucious’s relentless scheming, and sibling rivalries that redefine petty make Empire the ultimate binge for anyone who loves high-stakes drama with a side of attitude.

Every episode is packed with jaw-dropping twists, lavish performances, and enough family drama to keep you glued to the screen.

So, grab some popcorn — this one’s all about the art of the takedown.

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The Bold Type

The Bold Type serves up drama with style, wit, and a hefty dose of snark.

At Scarlet magazine, Jane, Kat, and Sutton juggle friendships, love lives, and career ambitions, all while throwing just the right amount of shade.

The workplace rivalries and heartfelt moments turn this show into an emotional rollercoaster, blending career highs with personal messes and plenty of office drama.

If you’re in the mood for a binge that’s equal parts snark and inspiration, The Bold Type hits all the right notes for those craving a bit of petty entertainment.

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The Royals

The Royals is royal drama at its absolute prettiest.

This modern monarchy is filled with scandal, betrayal, and enough shade to block out the sun.

Queen Helena rules with an iron fist and a razor-sharp tongue while her kids bring plenty of chaos, secrets, and snark to the palace.

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Every family feud feels like a public spectacle, and every backstabbing moment is pure entertainment.

With its outrageous twists and regal rivalries, The Royals is perfect for when you’re in the mood to indulge your inner drama queen.

Watch The Royals Online

Desperate Housewives

When it comes to petty drama, Desperate Housewives practically invented it.

Life on Wisteria Lane was a soap opera wrapped in suburbia, where no secret stayed hidden and every smile came with a side of shade.

Bree’s icy perfection, Gabrielle’s fierce independence, Lynette’s cunning, and Susan’s knack for getting tangled in everyone’s messes kept viewers hooked.

With every episode, friendships got tested, affairs surfaced, and power plays unfolded, all with a flair that made you want to see what these housewives would do next.

If you’re in the mood for snark and scandal, welcome to Wisteria Lane. 

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How to Get Away with Murder

How to Get Away with Murder is an ultimate showcase of manipulation, secrets, and high-stakes drama.

Annalise Keating and her band of law students are tangled in a web of lies, betrayals, and, yes, murder, making every episode a thrilling descent into chaos.

Annalise’s sharp tongue and cutthroat tactics bring the perfect mix of snark and suspense, while each character’s dark secrets add layers of intrigue.

If you’re feeling petty and want a dose of courtroom drama with ruthless ambition, How to Get Away with Murder serves up just the right amount of scandal. 

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Emily in Paris

When Emily lands in Paris, her American optimism clashes hilariously with French snobbery, sparking endless drama and passive-aggressive shade.

From love triangles to workplace rivalries, Emily navigates Parisian culture with a mix of naivety and sass, often rubbing locals the wrong way.

Whether she’s butting heads with her colleagues or stirring up romantic chaos, Emily in Paris is the perfect binge for when you’re in the mood for light-hearted, fashion-fueled drama with plenty of snark.

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Bridgerton

Bridgerton is the ultimate escape into Regency-era pettiness, where courtships, rivalries, and scandal rule high society.

With Lady Whistledown (the Gossip Girl of the Regency era) spilling secrets at every turn, the Bridgerton family and their peers face relentless public scrutiny and juicy drama.

From Daphne’s love life to Anthony’s power struggles, every episode brims with subtle shade, whispered gossip, and enough romantic tension to fill a ballroom.

Bridgerton is for anyone in the mood for lavish costumes, smoldering glances, and the delicious thrill of high-stakes romance mixed with sly, period-perfect snark.

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Sex and the City

Sex and the City is the epitome of petty friendship drama, fabulous fashion, and brutally honest conversations.

Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda navigate love, heartbreak, and career struggles in New York City, serving up shade with Cosmos and support in equal measure.

From Carrie’s dating disasters to Samantha’s legendary one-liners, every episode is packed with iconic moments that blend humor with a touch of snark.

If you’re feeling petty or just want a front-row seat to the highs and lows of single life in the city, Sex and the City has you covered in style.

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Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars is a rollercoaster of secrets, lies, and non-stop drama.

When four best friends start receiving cryptic messages from the mysterious “A,” their lives spiral into a world of manipulation and betrayal.

With each twist, they uncover darker secrets about each other and their town, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

From backstabbing frenemies to scandalous romances, every episode is packed with the kind of pettiness and suspense that make this show the ultimate binge.

If you’re craving mystery laced with a hefty dose of snark, Pretty Little Liars is for you. 

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90210

90210 brings all the high school drama, secrets, and scandal you could want, all wrapped up in Beverly Hills glitz.

The students of West Beverly Hills High are anything but innocent, with rivalries, romances, and power plays keeping things deliciously petty.

From Naomi’s queen-bee attitude to Annie’s constant entanglements, every character brings their own flair for drama and shade.

This show is packed with love triangles, betrayals, and iconic high school moments that make it a binge-worthy classic.

If you’re feeling especially petty, 90210 will deliver all the rich-kid drama you need.

Watch 90210 Online

Feud: Bette and Joan

Feud: Betty and Joan captures the iconic, real-life rivalry between Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

Set against the backdrop of the classic 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, the series dives into the pettiness, power plays, and behind-the-scenes battles that defined their relationship.

With biting dialogue, intense standoffs, and plenty of old-school Hollywood snark, this show brings their feud to life in all its deliciously dramatic glory.

If you’re craving glamorous cattiness and classic shade, Feud: Betty and Joan delivers pure, iconic pettiness.

Watch Feud: Bette and Joan Online

The O.C.

The O.C. is the ultimate in teen angst, wealth, and West Coast drama.

When outsider Ryan Atwood moves into the elite world of Orange County, he stirs up secrets, rivalries, and endless romantic drama.

The show’s iconic characters — like Marissa, Seth, and Summer — bring plenty of snark and shade as they navigate love triangles, family feuds, and friendship fallout.

Every episode has the perfect mix of heartfelt moments and sharp one-liners, making The O.C. an addictive watch for anyone craving rich-kid drama with a side of petty.

And let’s be real, this list has plenty of it!

Watch The O.C. Online

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Curb Your Enthusiasm takes pettiness to a whole new level, thanks to Larry David’s knack for turning minor annoyances into full-blown fiascos.

Whether he’s arguing over the “right” way to park or getting into absurd social squabbles, Larry’s relentless nitpicking and total lack of a filter make every episode a masterpiece of awkward, petty humor.

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His interactions with friends, neighbors, and total strangers spiral into chaos with hilarious, cringe-worthy outcomes.

If you’re in the mood for unapologetic, real-world pettiness, Curb Your Enthusiasm is the perfect watch to indulge your inner contrarian.

Watch Curb Your Enthusiasm Online

Melrose Place

Melrose Place is ‘90s drama at its finest, with outrageous twists, backstabbing friends, and romantic entanglements that never end well.

This classic series is set in a West Hollywood apartment complex where everyone’s lives are intertwined — and nobody’s hands are clean.

From love triangles to betrayal and petty revenge, Melrose Place is packed with all the drama and shade of a prime-time soap opera.

If you’re ready to relive iconic moments and over-the-top feuds, this one is your ultimate blast from the past.

Watch Melrose Place Online

Scream Queens

Scream Queens brings horror and humor together in the pettiest way possible.

At Wallace University, the ruthless Kappa Kappa Tau sorority sisters face a masked killer — and each other.

With sharp one-liners, campy scares, and no shortage of rivalries, Scream Queens is a slasher comedy packed with drama and over-the-top characters.

The show’s hilarious mix of horror and snark makes it the perfect watch when you’re craving something both scary and petty, with enough shade to fill a haunted house.

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BEEF

BEEF brings pettiness to an art form, following two characters whose road rage incident escalates into a full-blown feud.

What starts as a single encounter spirals into a hilarious and dark rivalry, with each one-upping the other in increasingly outrageous ways.

Fueled by revenge and grudges, BEEF explores the lengths people will go to win — even when they’re fighting a completely pointless battle.

If you’re in the mood for petty to the extreme, this show delivers it with a darkly comedic edge that keeps you guessing what they’ll do next.

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You’re the Worst

You’re the Worst is a twisted take on romance where love and snark go hand in hand.

Jimmy and Gretchen are two unapologetically selfish characters who dive headfirst into a relationship full of sarcasm, brutal honesty, and total chaos.

Their love story is anything but conventional, packed with cutting remarks and hilariously bad decisions.

This show is a rollercoaster of dark humor and relationship drama that’s impossible to look away from, and the perfect watch if you’re in the mood for a show that takes petty to a new level!

Watch You're the Worst Online

Embrace the Drama, One Episode at a Time

Now that you’ve got the ultimate guide to petty TV, it’s time to dive in and indulge those snarky vibes.

These shows are here for all your binge-watching needs, packed with shade, secrets, and scandal in every scene.

So the next time you’re in the mood to watch characters scheme, backstab, or serve up some serious side-eye, just hit play.

Because when it comes to drama, sometimes it’s good to be a little petty.

Over to you, TV Fanatics! What’s your go-to show when you’re in a snarky mood? Share your favorite petty picks in the comments!

The post The Best TV Shows to Watch When You’re Feeling Petty appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Think about it.

Every television season nowadays, old shows are revamped and reworked to entice both an old audience and a newer one to indulge in a new set of stories set in a familiar world.

From Saved by the Bell to Gossip Girls to Raven’s Home to And Just Like That… to Night Court to That 90’s show and to Frasier — the list of shows that are changing “endgame” couples goes on and on.

Beloved sitcoms and dramas are returning to the screens with a plethora of new stories to tell, and for the most part, it’s exciting. A continuation of something you once loved so dearly can never be a bad thing, right?

The recent news that One Tree Hill could be returning and an A Different World sequel was in the works got me thinking about the one aspect of all these comebacks that often gets overlooked: the changes to the end of the original story.

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Everyone watches shows for different reasons, and no one should judge you for it. Some people get invested in a series because of a romantic relationship.

Blazing-hot chemistry and titillating storylines between certain characters have kept viewers engaged for years, and it will be that way for years to come. A good ship, as we commonly call it now, may keep you watching a series long past its expiration date.

But today, when ANYTHING is in danger of getting a fresh update, those beloved endgames we used to celebrate are slowly becoming less “safe” than we once thought they were.

All you have to do is spend a few minutes on any social media platform, and you’ll see so much content surrounding various ships from all kinds of shows. The fans are invested. The actors are invested.

Fans want to see their ships become the last ones standing, meaning when that curtain closes, their ship is together, and they can proudly proclaim that they are officially ENDGAME.

Any fan of a ship will tell you how important it is to know that when a series ends, your ship is together. An ambiguous, open ending may work for some storylines, but a ship should be together or not be together.

And if it’s not definitive, then there should be some serious leaning one way or the other.

Take the ending of Scandal, for example, in which the biggest ship of the series, Olivia and Fitz, didn’t end up living happily ever after making jam in Vermont. But they did end things in a way where you could make up your own ending, leaning more towards a happily after based on their final interactions.

Maybe Olitz wasn’t explicitly shown to be “endgame,” but their riding off together leads one to believe it’s more likely they stayed together than not.

There’s been chatter over the years about a Scandal revival, and what would that do to the diehard Olitz shippers who’d have to deal with whatever may befall their beloved ship?

But there are many straightforward, explicit endgames on series like Sex and the City, which ended with the ladies all in relationships, with many of them no longer in those same relationships after two movies and a sequel.

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Now, there are various reasons why those decisions are ultimately made, including actors being fired or simply choosing not to revisit those characters.

But all the same, the result is that it upends the series finale, which is ultimately now just the end of one chapter of the vaunted series instead of a finite conclusion.

Even if sequels aren’t directly based on the characters from the original, as was the case with the Gossip Girl reboot, the series still exists in the same universe, meaning we get information about the old characters.

This happened with the 2000s sequel 90210, though they did have some of the original characters appear in the early seasons until they shifted toward the younger generation and phased out the old cast.

In the original, one of the central storylines always involved Kelly Taylor’s love life, with her on-again/off-again relationship with Dylan seemingly back on when the series finally ended after ten seasons.

Kelly and Dylan were an extremely popular pairing, and it made sense for them to reconnect and, ultimately, become each other’s endgame.

But when 90210 came on the scene, we found out that Dylan and Kelly were no longer together and that they shared a son Dylan didn’t seem to have a relationship with.

That revelation completely undid so much of the relationship that dominated years and years of the original.

Sure, Kelly and Dylan had a complicated history, so finding out they didn’t make it wasn’t the biggest surprise, but the sequel just felt like a slap in the face to fans of the ship and fans of Dylan as well.

Even outside television, subsequent sequels to beloved films have also changed romantic relationships for various reasons.

Look at the latest entry in the Bridget Jones Diary franchise, which revealed that Bridget was now a widower, meaning the ever-popular Bridget and Mark Darcy relationship had run its course.

No matter how you feel about the follow-ups to the original film, there’s something infinitely special about the ending scene, with Bridget in her underwear and sneakers on a picturesque snowy evening in beautiful London.

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It feels like the start of something magical and the perfect ending to Bridget’s story.

But Hollywood loves a sequel, and now we’re heading into film four, and we have to mourn one of the best endgames of all time.

All this brings me back to the original question: can you call them endgames anymore?

It’s starting to feel like they should be called ‘maybe games’ or endgames with a question mark on the end because no relationship is safe anymore!

At any given time, your favorite television show could come crawling back, and your favorite ships could be ripped apart for any number of reasons, which can taint the whole series and certain characters, too.

If you’re worried about your favorites becoming unrecognizable, many people will tell you not to watch, but curiosity and general nostalgia will often get the best of you.

As someone who counts A Different World among their favorite shows of all time, excitement for a sequel much outweighs any trepidation, but with the series finale being over 30 years old, you have to accept that there will be changes that may be hard to digest.

Like all things, there’s a give and a take. But there’s no harm sometimes in letting good things rest and investing in new and fresh ideas that don’t completely upend the care put into the originals.

The post Endgame? Not Anymore: How TV Revivals Keep Changing Your Favorite ‘Ships appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Luckily, the tides have turned due to writers using experts as reference points to ensure characters diagnosed with cancer have genuine storylines with correct medical details in the fictional cancer narrative.

Not only is it dangerous to spread false narratives, but disseminating valuable information and raising awareness is vital.

Not all specialists agree that TV portrayals of cancer are as accurate as they need to be in terms of actually living with it instead of using it as a tragic plot.

However, seeing characters diagnosed with cancer who aren’t solely defined by it can be good.

That was almost nonexistent a couple of decades ago, and we want to share those stories of strength!

Firefly Lane — Kate Mularkey

In Firefly Lane, Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke) is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of Stage 3 breast cancer, which I did not see coming, while amid a horrible fight with her childhood best friend, Tully (Katherine Heigl).

The two are not even on speaking terms, but of course, Tully is one of the first people she wants to tell and would be the person by her side.

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Naturally, Kate’s whole perspective on life changes, along with her mindset, when it comes to Tully and their argument. Her outlook has shifted, and she follows her instinct to reach out to Tully, who is actually in Antarctica and cannot be reached.

It is one of the most powerful depictions of cancer with a feuding friend’s angle. It shows that when all is said and done, we will always want “our person” when things get tough.

Also, it shows the instinct some may have to downplay what was happening and put on a brave face, knowing her loved ones were worried.

The Summer I Turned Pretty — Susannah Fisher

Susannah Fisher, a mom and best friend, is diagnosed with breast cancer in The Summer I Turned Pretty.

It is a fictional cancer narrative that also shows the crushing hope that comes with being in remission and then having it come back, and, this time, it is unquestionably terminal.

The second time around, we see how someone not only diagnosed with cancer copes but how two teenage sons, an ex-husband, and a best friend cope as well.

She tells everyone that she will continue to fight as best she can but refuses to put any more poison into her body or spend any more time in the hospital. She wants to be with the people she cares about most.

As someone who lost their mom at the age of 23 to cancer, she was done with treatment and hospitals after one visit. And I couldn’t blame her. The side effects, environment, and everything else are just miserable.

It depicts how we can only fight for our lives in the name of our loved ones for so long until something has to give, and we spend our last moments exactly how we want.

Izzie Stevens — Grey’s Anatomy

Izzie Stevens’ fictional cancer narrative on Grey’s Anatomy gave her extremely slim chances of survival. Diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma, she had to have two tumors removed by the one and only Dr. Derek Shepard.

When she thinks she is dying, Izzie decides to marry Alex. It is one of the depictions of cancer on television that highlights a young person struggling with everything that comes along with the disease.

She has to face hair loss, chemo, preserving her fertility, accepting not all of life’s “important milestones” have been hit, and the harsh reality of explaining to her mother how serious her type of skin cancer is.

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She also had the interns diagnose her cancer, and that was one of the hardest-hitting moments from all the TV characters with cancer. It also highlights how much of a toll cancer can take on a relationship.

She leaves Seattle after being fired, writing Alex a letter explaining her departure. Her exit and how she lives her life from then on depicts the renewal that comes with remission. Izzie then becomes a surgical oncologist, which is also an interesting angle.

William Hill — This Is Us

William Hill’s Stage 4 stomach cancer was one of the most emotional storylines on This Is Us. William’s fictional cancer narrative details how life is short and how it needs to be appreciated while it can be because we don’t have all the time in the world.

Unfortunately, after the show ended, Ron Cephas Jones, who played William Hill, died at age 66 from a long-standing pulmonary issue. The series is known for taking big swings, but this may have been the biggest.

However, it adds a depth that makes what he said on the show about his feelings surrounding the fact he was dying even more cogent.

It is one of those TV portrayals of cancer that reveals a hard truth: there is no cure, and treatment is difficult. Sometimes, ending treatments and spending your final moments recounting and sharing the best parts of your life can be the best medicine.

Lynette Scavo — Desperate Housewives

Lynette Scavo finds out she has Hodgkin’s lymphoma after going in for a CAT scan due to a bad fall in Desperate Housewives, which is a surprising and scary moment. It is also how some people end up finding out about their cancer.

She decides to hide her diagnosis because she doesn’t want pity. My mom made the same choice for the same reason, making that decision by Lynette pretty understandable.

Her diagnosis was also one of the first depictions of cancer on television involving lymphoma by a significant character on network TV since Murphy Brown.

It is one of the TV portrayals of cancer that acknowledges how costly treatment can be, especially Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which requires extensive medicare care.

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It also means patients cannot work, creating even more financial strain.

The Scavos end up asking a couple of family members for a loan, which can be considered uncomfortable and challenging but realistic.

Lynette also lives with the fear of her cancer returning even after being cleared, as we see at the beginning of her pregnancy with her twins.

Samantha Jones — Sex in the City

Samantha Jones’ cancer diagnosis is one of the most tragic moments in Sex and the City. She is known for being career-focused, independent, and risqué. However, this means that she has to face this journey alone.

Of course, her friends are there for support, but it’s not the same.

We see her do some self-reflection and analysis of what matters in life, something many characters diagnosed with cancer do because I think it is instinctive.

One unique angle shown by Samantha is that she builds a platform centered around speaking about breast cancer in a humorous manner, which also brings humor and solidarity to the topic.

In one moment, she takes off her wig, revealing her baldness, while making a speech, and the other women are inspired to follow suit. This was big for Samantha because her hair is a distinctive attribute of the character.

Although characteristics like hair don’t mean much at the end of the day when one is facing the battle of cancer, and typically that is quickly realized, it doesn’t make losing something you cherish any easier in those first moments.

Celia Hodes — Weeds

Celia Hodes constantly tries to undermine Nancy and the other characters on Weeds. She is easy to hate for many reasons.

She shipped off her older daughter and is extremely harsh to her younger daughter about her weight. She’s controlling, abrasive, judgemental, and unsympathetic.

However, she brought an element to the show that was sorely missed when Elizabeth Perkins decided to leave the series.

Although she was a character meant for fans to dislike, she did grow on many. Or at least have a love-hate relationship. And for all the horrible things she did, karma gave it back to her way worse.

Some storylines humanized her, one of them being her diagnosis of breast cancer.

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Forced to be one of the TV characters with cancer who had to deeply reexamine her life and attitude, we see Celia go from evil to fun and loving. She wants to relax and change, but that’s a tall glass.

During this time, we saw some of her better parts, like when she tells Shane to let his freak flag fly, that things like having a dead parent [Shane] and having cancer make other people uncomfortable, but why pretend to be normal when you can be your strange self, even if the scenarios are a b**** to deal with.

She embraces having a double mastectomy, saying she is thinking of going freakshow big, 47-triple-Fs, so large that other smaller breasts will want to orbit them.

While her more accepting side doesn’t last, she is one of the few TV portrayals of cancer that shows how even someone as hateful as her can put things into perspective when necessary.

Dr. Mark Greene — ER

Dr. Greene is one of the characters diagnosed with cancer whose journey is full of ups and downs. While stitching a patient on ER, he loses control of his mental and physical capabilities.

A CT scan and biopsy reveal he has an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. Aside from pancreatic cancer, malignant brain tumors have a worse survival rate than all other cancers and have lasting and life-changing cognitive, physical, and psychological impacts.

Dr. Greene’s tumor is deemed inoperable. However, a second opinion gives hope when he is told that it is near a critical part of the brain, but it hasn’t invaded it yet, and the doctor can operate.

He has one of the most vital TV portrayals of cancer because it brings some hope to a very grim diagnosis, highlights how getting a second opinion can be worth it, and just how severe and robust the effects of brain cancer are.

After the successful surgery, it takes a while for him to return to his old self.

Although the tumor regrows and is inoperable this time, he got married and saw the birth of his daughter when he was initially supposed to die a year ago.

Cathy Jamison — The Big C

The Showtime cancer-centered comedy series The Big C is revolutionary in many ways and has been deemed one of the best depictions of cancer on television, even if pairing humor and cancer isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

It brings cancer to the mainstream, raising awareness and conversation. It is one of the best depictions of cancer on television, illustrating the emotional rollercoaster of the diagnosis. Also, part of the series’ soundtrack album proceeds were donated to Stand Up to Cancer.

It begins with Cathy making the understandable decision not to receive treatment for her advanced melanoma because she doesn’t want to get sicker while trying to get better rather than end up dying anyway.

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She spends her time pushing her boundaries despite how uncomfortable the situation is. She is one of the most powerful TV portrayals of cancer in terms of re-evaluating one’s own life.

The relatability comes from how she uses her illness to remind herself how she wants to live. It is spot on with how multifaceted cancer is and how every individual case is, even with the same stage and kind of cancer.

April Carver — Chasing Life

April Carver fights leukemia in Chasing Life, and as the title suggests, it tells the story of how April starts chasing life after her transformative diagnosis.

Italia Ricci takes her role exceptionally seriously as one of the characters diagnosed with cancer in the public eye.

April is a young adult whose life has just begun to improve when she finds out she has leukemia, which she rejects at first, not telling her family.

The show doesn’t boast to be a cancer drama, but it does bring conversation and insight and examines the grimmer side effects of cancer, emotionally and physically.

It has some mixed reviews regarding its representation of cancer, but that also depends on one’s experience.

It does a great job at hammering its message as one of the more powerful depictions of cancer that just because someone is diagnosed with cancer doesn’t mean that is all they are and that life can, and does, go on still.

Gary Mendez & Margaret “Maggie” Bloom — A Million Little Things

In A Million Little Things, Gary Mendez is a breast cancer survivor who is later diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

AMLT does an incredible job of storytelling in its TV portrayals of cancer.

As much as the show is about cancer, it also discusses suicide just as much.

One of its unique angles is the fact that a man is seen battling breast cancer, and it does a good job of showcasing that and how he constantly feared the return of it throughout the entire series.

Unfortunately, it does return, and the side effects of his treatment are not sugar-coated.

His journey is a devastating one, and it is easy to instantly connect to his character and become invested and feel the worry and concern for his health that he does.

It also extends to Maggie, who Gary meets at a cancer survivor group. Her cancer also returns, but she does go back into remission. With the help of Gary and their friends, we see her journey as she battles it.

Through these characters diagnosed with cancer, we get a very realistic, and at times very bleak, look at what it’s like for cancer survivors and their loved ones.

Hunter Cole — Red Band Society

In Red Band Society, we see a different perspective than most depictions of cancer on television since Hunter Cole doesn’t currently have cancer. Still, his liver is failing due to his past leukemia treatments.

Hunter needs a liver transplant and is currently in the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital. The show’s concept is extraordinary, as its focus is on sick teenagers living together as patients dealing with their illnesses and being a teenager.

With Hunter, fans also see how his sister wants to give him part of her liver but is afraid because the surgery has the potential to kill her.

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This is a struggle most can only imagine having to face, but it is a real situation that is hard to understand unless one is actually living it.

Regardless of his health, he still makes trouble and lives life to the fullest, even falling in love.

Its positive message of making the best of your circumstances inspires, and it doesn’t matter how short someone’s time in your life is; their impact can last forever.

Katherine Anne “Kitty” McCallister — Brothers & Sisters

In Brothers & Sisters, powerful depictions of cancer, Kitty McCallister is diagnosed with Non-Hyodgkin’s Lymphoma. One compelling angle portrayed is that while this happens, she and her husband are at odds because of her emotional affair.

However, this makes her husband, Robert, realize how precious life is and forgive her and promise they will fight it together.

It is also one of the TV portrayals of cancer that reveals the harsh physical and psychological tolls treatment takes on a person. She loses her hair and is in a weakened state, but the grim news seems to bring her and Robert closer.

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When she learns that the treatment isn’t working, she doesn’t want to tell her family since she thinks it would ruin her brother’s wedding.

Unfortunately, she passes out, resulting in her being brought to the hospital where they are told her cancer has not only advanced but has spread, and she is now in need of a risky bone marrow transplant.

The only match is her half-brother, who doesn’t want to donate because he blames their family for his mother’s suicide. This complicated family dynamic brings an interesting viewpoint that we do not often see in depictions of cancer on television.

Raj Kher — 90210

It’s not too often that teenagers are diagnosed with cancer, but in 90210 Raj Kher is one of the characters diagnosed with cancer at a very young age.

Raj’s storyline hits numerous beats, from treating the chronic pain with medical marijuana to marrying his current girlfriend Ivy to then the two not being able to afford experimental treatments.

It also shows how hard it is to deal with the fact that death looms when Ivy’s school’s prom theme is The Future is Ours. He starts to drink and pushes Ivy away because he doesn’t want her to have to deal with what he is going through.

In a moment of true solidarity, their friends host a talent show to raise money for the treatments, which is met, and after treatment, he is cancer-free. Still, a whole new set of drama between the couple ensues until he finds out that his cancer didn’t go away.

Instead of telling Ivy, he breaks up with her and leaves until his friends find him sick in a hospital, at which point the two reunite.

His frustration with his illness is understandable, and even though his toxic behavior rubs some fans the wrong way, who’s to say how anybody should act when facing what Raj is?

Kristina Braverman — Parenthood

Kristina Braverman’s fictional cancer narrative on Parenthood is one centered on family. She finds out she has breast cancer after sending her oldest child to college and shortly after having her youngest.

The series’ family-centric dynamic is truly emotional. They all rally around her. Her oldest daughter, Hattie, leaves school and takes a semester off to help where she can.

She surprises her parents with her arrival in a very tear-jerking scene.

While she’s sick, Christina records videos for her kids to watch in case she does die, and regardless of how many times the show is rewatched, it gets viewers every time.

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I, too, was in college when I found out about my mother, and I dropped everything to take care of her, so this is one of the powerful depictions of cancer on television that is emotional and touching, especially if there is a connection.

Sonya Rebecchi — Neighbours

In the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Sonya Rebecchi is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Compared to Days of Our Lives, the TV portrayals of cancer and medical storylines are much more realistically handled.

The most heartbreaking one they’ve ever had was Sonya’s fictional cancer narrative. Its harrowing nature stems from how realistic it is, starting with her stomach pains she isn’t taking seriously until she can’t ignore them anymore.

By this point, she is in Stage 4, and she doesn’t have much time left. Everyone blows off stomach pains, and they are easy to ignore, which is why it hits she is one of the characters diagnosed with cancer that hits home so well.

From her diagnosis to the decisions she has to make to her death, the show’s commitment to being true to life doesn’t stop.

Even after her death, the storyline isn’t dropped like many soaps tend to do. Her husband has maintained a foundation named after her, which educates people about cancer.

We even see how important raising awareness about cancer is when a younger character learns he has testicular cancer, which was another of its characters diagnosed with cancer that was depicted matter-of-factly.

The period from Sonya’s diagnosis to death is so real and powerful that it is almost hard to watch.

Maggie Lockwood — Chicago Med

In an interesting twist by Chicago Med, Maggie Lockwood is diagnosed with breast cancer after an old friend who she donated a kidney to comes back to the hospital and is diagnosed with cancer herself.

As in many TV portrayals of cancer, Maggie doesn’t want to worry the people around her, so she receives chemotherapy at a nearby hospital and even wears a very convincing wig to keep it a secret until she decides to reveal her diagnosis to the nursing staff.

Thankfully, the treatment works, which brings an even more interesting twist: She meets someone while receiving chemo.

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We see how, even during these nerve-racking times and difficult treatments, one can still flirt and bond over a distressful shared experience.

There is also so much hope as the two eventually get married and share a healthy and loving life.

Depictions of cancer on television can go so many different ways, and regardless of the outcome, the ability to bring conversation and awareness is vital.

Everyone’s experience is different, and we hope the TV industry only continues to show characters diagnosed with cancer in an educational, accurate, and compelling manner.

Over to you, TV fanatics. Can you recall a particularly moving cancer storyline that we may have missed?

If so, please share it with us in the comments.

The post Stories of Strength: Powerful Depictions of Cancer on Television appeared first on TV Fanatic.

If you grew up in the ’90s, you might recognize Shannen from the teen coming-of-age drama Beverly Hills, 90210 as Brenda Walsh. But for this viewer, she was another claim to fame for our fair city of Memphis. Greatness grows in the 901 of Tennessee.

While Beverly Hills, 90210 might have given Doherty her biggest acting break, she didn’t stop there once her career took off. We’re here to remember the magic left behind by Shannen’s forty years in the filming industry with this Shannen Doherty career retrospective.

Shannen Doherty Career Retrospective

Shannen Doherty may have been born in the M, but she moved to LA at the tender age of seven, which led to her scoring several smaller gigs before finding success in roles that launched her career.

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Her charm and talents helped her get her first shot at acting in Father Murphy, a two-year family western-style series where Shannen played in two episodes. It gave her the cred to get her first big recurring role in our favorite book-turned-TV series.

Little House on the Prairie

Before the success of book to film adaptations like Harry Potter and 50 Shades of Grey, TV execs got inspiration from anthology books like Little House on the Prairie.

The TV adaptation of the book featured our beloved Doherty as the cheerful and strong-willed Jenny Wilder in the series’ ninth and last season, which consisted of 18 episodes. She reprised the role in three TV movies made after the series ended.

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Headliners Michael Landon (Charles Ingalls) and Karen Grassle (Caroline Quiner Ingalls) left the show after the eighth season, making the ninth season technically a series sequel named Little House: A New Beginning.

Our House

After her success on Little House on the Prairie, Shannen did some random one-off appearances on various TV shows and movies for several years before scoring her next recurring role as Kris Witherspoon on Our House.

Fans spent two seasons appreciating the acting chops of a young Shannen as she and her two siblings moved with their mother to live with their paternal grandfather after her father’s death.

She excelled at the role of a coming-of-age preteen struggling with drastic life changes, like a deceased father, a mother recently jumping back into the dating pool, a new school and home, and living with a grandfather she barely knows.

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Heathers

Among Doherty’s many movie appearances, she had roles in several popular classics, including Heathers. Shannen played Heather Duke, a member of the popular high school clique at Westerburg High.

Among big names like Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, Doherty and her friends, all named Heather, rule the school as the clique everyone wants to belong to and hates if they don’t.

Heather was the perfect role for Shannen to portray, breaking her out of the role of the sweet, curious young girl and putting her on the path to landing some of her most successful roles as a young woman.

Years later, Shannen joined the single season Heathers TV series remake for three episodes. She played Dr. Destiny, the mother of JD, the head jock of the It group.

Beverly Hills, 90210

Brenda Walsh was Doherty’s biggest breakout role, putting her on the map for all generations. Beverly Hills, 90210 is one of those series that takes you back to the amazing times of the last century when things were so much simpler.

Not that the crew from the 90210 would agree that things were easy. The coming-of-age drama was full of teen angst, relationship hardships, and friendship frustrations. It captured everything about the teen years for the nation to love.

Brenda was part of a Beverly Hills group of eight high school friends exploring the complexities of young adulthood. During the four years and 111 episodes where Doherty played Walsh, her character had an on-and-off relationship with Dylan McKay, played by the late Luke Perry (Riverdale).

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Beverly Hills, 90210 jumpstarted numerous careers of the young up-and-coming celebrities of the ’90s, including Shannen’s on-screen twin brother, Brandon, played by Jason Priestley. Other names included Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Jenny Garth, Ian Ziering, and Gabrielle Carteris.

Amid the many nostalgic reboots, The CW launched the remake, titled simply 90210, which did not have as much success as its predecessor. During the reboot, Shannen delighted us as she returned as Brenda for seven of the 114 episodes.

Beverly Hills, 90210 was such a big hit that it even inspired a single-season spinoff, BH90210, about the original seven cast members working on a reboot in an exaggerated reality show setting.

Everyone was as themselves considering resuming their previous 90210 identities, including Doherty as Brenda.

Mallrats

In the ’90s, hanging out at the mall was the thing to do if you wanted to look cool. Those who spent all their free time at the mall came to be known as mall rats.

Comedic genius Kevin Smith decided to create a movie portraying this generation of adolescents and Shannen made the perfect ex-girlfriend of Brodie (played by Jason Lee), Rene.

A melting pot of who’s who, Mallrats was a stepping stone for many stars, including the comedy duo Clerks royalty Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Kevin James. It also featured Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jeremy London as Quint, as the second male main character.

Young adult audiences loved the slapstick comedy and the unique humor of the best friends as they take refuge in a mall with a ragtag group of friends after getting dumped by their girlfriends.

Charmed

While 90210 was Shannen’s foray into coming-of-age teen dramas, her next largest recurring role caught the interest of a broader audience of supernatural fanatics.

Doherty spent three seasons and 67 episodes playing the role of Prue Halliwell, one of three charmed sister witches who spent their lives protecting the world from evil forces using the Power of Three.

Shannon’s character got killed off at the end of the third season, leaving the show to fill her role with a new sister, played by Rose McGowan, for the remainder of the broadcast.

Doherty addressed her problematic attitude with those she worked with — including her on-screen sisters, Piper and Phoebe, played by Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano — in her 2010 book, “Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude.”

North Shore

Shannen did a short stint of the briefly running romantic drama North Shore for eleven of the show’s 21 episodes. Her role was Alexandra, one of the beautiful, rich, and famous in Hawaii.

Shannen’s character was a snarky bitch estranged sister of Nicole Booth, played by Brooke Burns.

The Fox network hoped bringing Shannen onto the show would help save its fledging ratings, despite a cast of beautiful people, like Kristoffer Polaha, Corey Sevier, Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore), Dominic Percell (Prison Break), and Jason Momoa (Aquaman).

Unfortunately, her contributions were not enough to extend the show past a single season.

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Made for TV Movies

When Shannen wasn’t playing recurring roles on the series, fans enjoyed her talents in several Hollywood films and made-for-TV movies.

As with many TV celebrities, Doherty did several TV film Christmas movies during her career. In Christmas Caper, Cate Dove is a criminal thief who returns to her hometown at Christmas time to lay low and hide from the cops.

But with the Christmas spirit in full effect, combined with the magic of family, Cate changes her naughty ways just in time to make it a Christmas miracle.

Another Christmas movie that featured Doherty in a Christmas capacity was All I Want for Christmas. She is Brenda Patterson, the mother of a young boy who makes the Christmas wish of having different parents for the holiday.

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But once his wish comes true, he wonders if it’s worth all that he’s lost. His new version of parents and life isn’t all he’s expected.

Other than Christmas films, other TV movies include His & Hers (1984), Freeze Frame, Obsessed, A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story, Sleeping with the Devil, Another Day, Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay, Kiss Me Deadly, No One Would Tell, and List of a Lifetime.

Shannen Doherty Single Time Appearances

Like most stars, Doherty appeared on various TV series on a one-off basis. We saw her on classic shows like Voyagers!, Magnum, P.I., Highway to Heaven, The New Leave it to Beaver, 21 Jump Street, Rebel Highway, and Riverdale.

It’s always fun when you know a celebrity so well that you can spot them in cameo roles on random shows in simple roles.

Shannen’s first cameo was in 1992 on a largely unknown TV series, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. She played herself again in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in 2001.

She also loved popping up in music videos like Slaughter and The Bellamy Brothers. She has a few uncredited roles, like Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and Love, Inc.

Gone But Eternally Glorified in Everything

While Shannen may no longer be here, fans will continue to remember her in spirit and with all of her work.

Share your thoughts about Shannen’s career in the comments below.

The post Shannen Doherty Career Retrospective – Admiring The Charms of a Good One appeared first on TV Fanatic.

He was 85.

A cause of death has not been revealed, but Deadline says the beloved actor was under the care of his daughter Kelly after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

“In the last few months we’ve lost Jessica Klein, one of 90210‘s most prolific writers and producers, Denise Dowse, who played Mrs. Teasley, and now I’m very sad to say Joe E. Tata has passed away,” Ian Ziering wrote on Instagram.

“Joey was truly an OG. I remember seeing him on The Rockford Files with James Garner years before we worked together on 90210."

"He was often one of the background villains in the original Batman series."

“One of the happiest people I’ve ever worked with, he was as generous with his wisdom as he was with his kindness,” Ziering continued.

“Though the Peach Pit was a 90210 set, it often felt like the backdrop to the Joe E. Tata show."

"The stories of days gone by that he would share, incredible experiences in the entertainment industry that he was a part of, would keep us all captivated," the emotional statement continued.

"He may have been in the back of many scenes, but he was a leading force, especially to us guys, on how to appreciate the gift that 90210 was."

"My smile dims today, but basking in fond memories moves him from my eyes to my heart where he will always be."

"My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, and everyone else he was dear to.”

Tata appeared in all 10 seasons of the FOX primetime soap, appearing in almost 240 of the 293 episodes of the original series.

He reprised the role in 2008 on The CW's update of the series, which itself lasted five seasons.

Nat was a key player on the original series, being the owner of one of the most popular locations in the show.

He reunited with Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth back in 2014 for an episode of Mystery Girls.

That ABC Family comedy is listed as his final credit.

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A post shared by Ian Ziering (@ianziering)

The star did not appear in the 2019 quasi reboot BH90210, which featured the cast playing heightened versions of themselves.

Additional credits include Lost in Space, Mission: Impossible, Wonder Woman, The A-Team, and more.

May Joe E. Tata rest in peace.

Beverly Hills 90210 Cast: Where Are They Now?

Open List

The post Joe E. Tata Dies; Beverly Hills, 90210 Star Was 85 appeared first on TV Fanatic.

More than seven years after audiences said goodbye, the cast of 90210, The CW’s spinoff of the iconic drama, is reuniting for an original news special ET Presents…9021OMG! The Cast Tells All.

The reunion show will be available to stream on CW Seed, The CW’s streaming-only network, free and without subscription or log-in beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, November 25.

Hosted by ET correspondent Matt Cohen, who has also guest starred on 90210, ET Presents…9021OMG! The Cast Tells All features new cast interviews from Annalynne McCord, Michael Steger, Shenae Grimes, Matt Lanter, Tristan “Mack” Wilds, Trevor Donovan, Jessica Stroup, and Jessica Lowndes who dish about the on-set drama, guest stars, “that” ending and more from television’s most famous zip code.

90210 Season 1 premiered September 2, 2008 to record ratings, becoming the highest rated premiere on The CW in viewers and in Adults 18-49 at the time. 

It was filled with soapy plots, relationships, and everything you would expect from a series associated with Beverly Hills, 90210. 

It even had stars of the original, including Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, and Shannen Doherty back. 

But it all came crashing down for the series when it experience a downturn in the ratings during its fifth season, prompting The CW to cancel it without a conclusive ending. 

As a result, fans were left confused by the conclusion, and maybe this event will shed some light on it. 

The cast was taken by surprise by the sudden demise of the show, we know that much. 

The franchise made a splashy return in 2019 with the original series cast getting together for a meta reboot that refused to acknowledge that The CW's update existed. 

That show was canceled, despite strong ratings. 

What are your thoughts on the news?

Hit the comments. 

Remember you can watch 90210 online right here via TV Fanatic. 

The post 90210 Cast Reunite for Entertainment Tonight Special appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful — they all make us who we are. 

Read on as we discuss TV characters who allowed themselves to grow and become stronger, not only despite but because of, the pain and tragedy of their pasts. 

Dean and Sam Winchester – Supernatural

Their tragic lives started with the loss of their mother at the hands of Yellow Eyes. Mary Winchester's death set in motion a chain of events that shaped Dean and Sam's lives. The brothers were dealt blow after blow.

From John dragging them into the hunting business instead of letting them live normal lives, to Sam's fiance Jess being murdered by the same demon who killed their mother, to John dying, and that was all before the second episode of Supernatural Season 2.

All of the loss that was thrown at them by the supernatural world only served to make Sam and Dean the strongest hunters around. 

Dex Parois – Stumptown

We are just starting to get to know Dex, but we already know that Dex has been through a lot in her life. 

Her ex-boyfriend Benny's mother drove them apart. After joining the military, Benny followed her in hopes of winning her back, only to get killed in the line of duty. 

Benny's death, and her experience in the military in general, Dex suffers from PTSD, but her experiences led to an inner strength that has made her the badass that we already love. 

Meredith Grey – Grey's Anatomy

There aren't many people on television that have gone through as much trauma as Meredith Grey.

After Meredith's parents split up, Meredith was left to be raised by Ellis alone. Ellis was an absentee mother who left Meredith feeling inadequate, even in her adult years. 

As a child, Meredith found Ellis after what appeared to be a failed suicide attempt, but what Meredith later realized through therapy was a cry for help. 

As a young intern her streak of bad luck continued. 

Finding out the love of her life was married, having her hand on live ammunition, and surviving a near-drowning experience to name a few. 

It isn't until Ellis dies and her spirit gives Meredith the push to be extraordinary, that Meredith becomes the strong woman that we see today. 

Meredith continues to face obstacles but she always manages to come out stronger. 

Jason Street – Friday Night Lights

Jason had everything going for him. He was good looking, popular, and on the way to being a professional football player. Everything changed in an instant, though.

After an improper tackle, Jason is left paralyzed from the waist down, ending his football career and changing his life forever.

Jason's struggles pushed him to the lowest place he had ever been in, but he was eventually able to grow from it and realize that just because he can't play football anymore, doesn't mean that his life is over.

This realization allowed him to become a strong adult and an incredible father to his child.

Veronica Mars – Veronica Mars

Veronica was just a normal teenage girl before her best friend Lily was murdered.

Lily's murder set her on a much different path than she ever could have imagined.

While grieving the death of Lily, she also becomes the victim of sexual assault. 

Veronica became hardened by her losses, but as her best friend Wallace reminds us, she is just a marshmallow. 

Veronica is arguably one of the strongest female characters ever on television, but that would have never been possible without her tragic past.

Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel

Angel was turned into a vampire when he was in his mid-twenties.

For over 100 years he killed countless people and was one of the most notorious vampires in existence.

After being cursed with a soul by a gypsy clan, Angel was forced to live with the guilt of the horrors of his past. 

For years, Angel let this guilt hold him back from the world before finally finding his calling in being a force of good. 

Ryan Atwood – The OC

Ryan enters the lives of the Cohen family after being put in jail thanks to being there when his brother stole a car. 

After getting out of jail, Ryan is abandoned by his mom, leaving him with nowhere to go.

Being raised by an alcoholic mom, with no father in the picture, forced Ryan to be independent. 

Ryan showed us, though, that sometimes showing that you're strong doesn't mean doing everything alone, but instead being willing to let people in, which he slowly can do with Cohens. 

Dylan Mckay – Beverly Hills, 90210

An abusive father raised Dylan due to his absentee mother. 

Dylan fended for himself the majority of the time, which wasn't always a bad thing because things were less than perfect when his father was around.

After spending time in prison, Dylan's father fakes his death and joins the witness protection program — a fact that Dylan doesn't learn until years later.

Despite Dylan's upbringing, Dylan was mature beyond his years. 

Caleb Rivers – Pretty Little Liars

Caleb got abandoned by both his mother and his father as a child. Caleb spent his life in the foster system, and when he meets the Liars he is living out of the school after a foster situation goes wrong. 

Caleb spent his time hacking as a means to an end and even spied on Hanna for Jenna to get money. 

Caleb eventually rose above his past, though, and became one of the best assets the Liars had. 

Jo Wilson – Grey's Anatomy

Jo spent her youth in foster care and then homeless. 

In her early adulthood she ended up married to a man who was so abusive that she had to change her name and flee to get away from him. 

Jo's past lead her to be incredibly independent. 

The recent revelation that she was the product of a sexual assault threw her into a depression. Her storyline showed that no matter how strong someone is, we all can use help sometimes.

It takes real courage to admit that you need help and Jo showed that courage when she checked in for an inpatient psychiatric stay. 

Shawn Hunter – Boy Meets World

Shawn's parents went in and out of his life with no sense of responsibility for him whatsoever. 

Shawn was never really alone, though, and was taken in as an unofficial member of the Matthews family. 

After Shawn's dad's death, Shawn considers running from his life, but eventually, realizes that between the Matthews and his half brother Jack he has everything he needs to stay strong. 

Shawn never believed he would amount to much, but we learned in Girl Meets World that he is a successful photojournalist, proving that we do not have to be the products of our upbringing. 

Alex Karev – Grey's Anatomy

Alex was raised by a drug addict father and a mother with significant mental health issues. 

Alex was not the greatest person when Grey's Anatomy began.

However, after going through what he has on the show like dealing with Ava having a mental breakdown and helping Izzie through cancer only to later be left by her, Alex grew so much as a person. 

Alex is one of the rocks of the show now and holds things together. 

Sansa Stark – Game of Thrones

When we met Sansa, she was an unlikeable spoiled brat who felt entitled to the world.

After watching her father get killed on the orders of Jothri, her betrothed, she was effectively held captive by his family, eventually getting forced into marrying his uncle Tyrion. 

Once she finally escapes the clutches of the Lannisters, she thought her troubles would be over, but they were only beginning.

Forced into yet another marriage, she is raped and tortured. 

The Sansa we knew during Game of Thrones Season 1 would have never been able to handle such horrors, but Sansa rose like a phoenix from the ashes and eventually become the Queen of the North. 

Jessica Davis – 13 Reasons Why

Hannah may have been the focus of 13 Reasons Why Season 1, but she wasn't the only one who had been hiding a secret that was leading them to terrible pain.

Bryce had raped Jessica, and Justin had let him do it. 

Fueled by the loss of Hannah, Jessica found the strength to fight back against her attacker. 

Even though Jessica didn't get the retribution she had hoped for in going after Bryce, her experience changed her and she became a leader and a voice for change. 

Kelly Taylor – Beverly Hills, 90210/90210

Kelly's mom Jackie was a drug addict alcoholic who didn't do much parenting. 

Kelly may have had her fair share of ups and downs, even facing her problems with addiction.

However, she came out the other side as a strong woman and wonderful role model to Silver, who she ends up taking in even though she is already a single mother. 

Zoe Benson – AHS: Coven

Zoe's gift that she is cursed with is the ability to make a man die from a hemorrhage during intercourse. When she loses her virginity, oblivious to her gift, she kills her boyfriend. 

Zoe is then ripped out of her home and brought to New Orleans to get trained in the ways of witchcraft. 

Because of Zoe's powers, she is unable to be physically intimate with anyone unless she wants them to die at her hands. She finds inner strength in her witchcraft, though, and goes on to train the next generation of witches. 

Alison Dilaurentis – Pretty Little Liars 

Alison may have started as Rosewood's resident mean girl, but she went through her fair share of nightmares. 

After being tormented by Mona under the guise of "A", Alison is buried alive by her mother. Scared to let her attempted murderer know she is alive, Alison is forced to stay on the run. 

Once she returns she is framed for Mona's "murder" and is even found guilty of the murder and goes to jail. 

She is then lied to by Charlotte, making her believe that she is her sister. Charlotte's boyfriend Archer tricks Alison into marrying him, and then he has her locked up in a psychiatric institute, and her money gets stolen by Archer and her aunt Mary. 

Alison still, after everything that she was put through, ended up coming out as the most changed and most improved Liar. 

Daenerys Targaryen – Game of Thrones

Daenerys started Game of Thrones as an orphan who was being married off to a man much older than her to a secure an army for her power-hungry brother. 

After losing her husband, who she grew to love, and bringing to life three dragons, Daenerys finds herself the ruler of her own people.

Daenerys faces many threats and betrayals over the years, but all her hardships hardened her and made her a fearless leader. 

Say what you will about Daenerys by the end of Game of Thrones, but she was one bad bitch. 

Carter Wilson – Finding Carter

Carter spent the majority of her life thinking she was being raised by a loving mother, Lori, only to find out that she had been abducted as a child by her.

Carter is forced back into her birth family where she feels like a stranger and struggles to bond with them. 

Just when she finally starts to feel like part of the family, Lori kidnaps her again and reveals she is her biological mother as she was a surrogate for Carter's parents. 

To add to Carter's troubles, she witnesses her boyfriend shoot her best friend accidentally, almost killing him, giving her no choice but to help turn him in to the police.

So many other people would have crumbled under the stress of Carter's dramatic life, but Carter remains a strong independent woman. 

Jon Snow – Game of Thrones

Jon was raised as a bastard and spent his whole life being treated as such.

After going to the Nightwatch he felt like he had a sense of purpose, but still, he found himself suffering more pain. 

Jon had not one, but two of the woman he loved, die in his arms, one at his own hands.

Jon rose from the dead after being murdered by his men. The betrayal only made him an even greater leader though. 

As King of the North, he showed his strength, and even would have probably become the King of Westeros if he hadn't been the one to put an end to Daenerys. Not bad former bastard. 

Emily Thorne – Revenge

Emily, also known as Amanda, had the only person she loved ripped away from her when her father went to prison for a terrorist act that he got framed for. 

Emily finds herself in and out of foster homes and even spending time in juvie. 

As strong as she may have felt as a rebellious teenager, her real strength comes when she finds out the truth about her father and his set on a path to avenge his name. 

Maeve – Westworld 

Maeve may be an AI, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have feelings.

Living the story of a mother — one who saw her child murdered — left an imprint on her that she couldn't shake, and aided in her becoming aware of her reality.

Maeve's new found consciouness forces her to live out the horrors of being a host. 

Maeve finds power in this though and eventually helps to lead a rebellion. 

Callie Adams Foster – The Fosters/Good Trouble

Callie spent her childhood being tossed around various foster homes.

Through it all she is forced to be a mother figure to her brother, as just a teenager herself. 

During her time in foster care she is faced with abuse. 

As she finally finds a safe place to land with the Adams Fosters, she is allowed to deal with her trauma and becomes an advocate for other foster children. 

Over to you TV Fanatics! What other characters on the shows that you love are stronger because of their pasts? Comment below! 

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That required a bit of a change to the comments, though, and now you have to click the blue "comments" bar at the bottom of an article to access them. 

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The post These Characters Found Strength From Their Tragic Pasts appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The long-in-the-works Beverly Hills, 90210 quasi-revival is coming to Fox aka the home of the original 1990-2000 series. 

The network confirmed the news on Wednesday, and there's not long to wait for the new series to get underway. 

It's set to premiere with a six-episode first season this summer. Yes, we get that summer is just a few months away, so we're totally freaking out about this. 

The network is billing the new series as an "event series," possibly confirming it will not air every season, and that it could be brought back every few years. 

Related: Beverly Hills, 90210 Revival: In the Works

Granted, that would depend on how the series fares with both viewers and critics. 

Original cast members Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, and Tori Spelling are slated to return, while Luke Perry is expected to appear in as many episodes as he can while Riverdale is on a production hiatus between seasons. 

No word on whether Shannen Doherty will be appearing, but given that the series premieres in the summer, there's not long to lock the actress down. 

"Having gone their separate ways since the original series ended 19 years ago, Jason, Jennie, Ian, Gabrielle, Brian and Tori reunite when one of them suggests it’s time to get a Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot up and running," reads the official logline.

Related: Beverly Hills, 90210 Revival: Everything We Know

"But getting it going may make for an even more delicious soap than the reboot itself. What will happen when first loves, old romances, friends and frenemies come back together, as this iconic cast – whom the whole world watched grow up together – attempts to continue from where they left off?”

It's certainly a different direction to take things, but it could be a great way to get fans excited. 

“Beverly Hills, 90210 left an indelible impact on pop culture and an entire generation,” said Fox entertainment president Michael Thorn in a statement.

“Its powerful legacy is an important part of our network’s DNA — bold stories not told anywhere else and bigger-than-life-characters — and we’re honored to bring back the beloved original cast members for 90210.”

Okay, Beverly Hills, 90210 Fanatics. 

What are your thoughts on this new series?

Will you watch?

Hit the comments. 

Beverly Hills, 90210 Reboot: Everything You Need to Know

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The post Beverly Hills, 90210 Revival Ordered to Series at Fox! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

One of the caveats is that Shannen Doherty may not be part of the project in any capacity. 

Tori Spelling appeared on Access Live and fielded questions about the series, and that's when she broke her silence.

“There is no status right now but… we would love to have her,” Spelling offered which sure makes it sound like Doherty has A) not been approached or B) not ready to commit to the project. 

Related: Beverly Hills 90210 Revival in the Works

If there is any skepticism from Doherty's camp, then it's warranted. This new series is not a straight-up revival with some of the original cast members. 

Instead, it features the actors as heightened versions of themselves. They're desperate to get a reboot of the original series off the ground. 

It all sounds pretty bizarre, especially when you consider that The CW's attempt at a reboot was not as well received as they probably hoped. 

Granted, that show did break ratings for the network when it premiered. It was likely down to the curiosity factor more than anything. 

This new edition taking on the mockumentary approach could work in theory, but viewers would need to lay eyes on it first. 

Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Gabrielle Carteris are already signed on to appear. 

Related: New Beverly Hills Revival is not a Revival or a Reboot

Luke Perry is currently a regular on The CW's Riverdale, but he will “do as many [episodes] as he can do.”

That's a positive, we guess, but adding Doherty to the cast would propel this would-be series to something that fans could actually be excited about. 

Spelling confirmed that no network is currently attached to be the home of the series, but we should be getting word very soon about where it's going to end up. 

Okay, TV Fanatics. Are you on board with this reboot?

Hit the comments below. 

Beverly Hills, 90210 Reboot: Everything You Need to Know

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The post Beverly Hills, 90210 Reboot: Who’s Not Returning? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

At the time, there was no word about what the series would actually be about, but the consensus was that it would serve as a second revival of the series. 

However, TV Line is now reporting that this new entry to the franchise would be more like a mockumentary featuring former 90210 cast members Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Gabrielle Carteris as themselves. 

It would follow these actors in their efforts to get a second revival of the series on the air, and we're willing to bet there will be some jabs thrown in about The CW's 90210 which followed a largely new cast. 

Related: Beverly Hills, 90210 Revival in the Works

It did have some connections to the original, with Jennie Garth appearing, and some other OG actors stopping by in the first two seasons. 

That show only lasted five seasons and had a rush job of a series finale because The CW opted to cancel it as ratings cratered during its final season. 

The decision to have these actors playing heightened versions of themselves could be a recipe for disaster, or it could serve as a comedic look at how the public perceives these actors to be. 

In these days of reboots and revivals, this is certainly a different approach to take, and time will tell whether one of the streaming or cable destinations apparently interested will actually produce the series. 

For now, however, Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry are not attached to appear. It could be difficult to get the latter to sign on the dotted line because of his series regular status on The CW's Riverdale. 

The original series aired on Fox from 1990-2000, and while the ratings were initially low, Fox aired a special summer season that helped the show rise dramatically in the ratings. 

What are your thoughts on the format of this series?

Hit the comments!

13 Reboots That Ruined Everything

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