Lifetime Greenlights ‘Unauthorized’ Pics About ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ & ‘Melrose Place’

Apparently not satisfied with turning only ’90s-era sitcoms into behind-the-scenes original movies, Lifetime now is going the primetime soap route. The network that brought you the “unauthorized” telepic about Saved By The Bell last year and is doing the same with Full House next month has lined up The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story and The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story. The projects, which look at the off-camera goings-on at the popular series, are set to premiere on consecutive Saturdays in the fall.

Unauthorized 90210 stars Dan Castellaneta as producer Aaron Spelling, Adam Korson as series creator Darren Star and — as the various original actors and their onscreen characters — Samantha Munro as Brenda Walsh/Shannen Doherty, Max Lloyd-Jones as Brandon Walsh/Jason Priestley, Abbie Cobb as Kelly Taylor/Jennie Garth, Jesy McKinney as Dylan McKay/Luke Perry, Abby Ross as Donna Martin/Tori Spelling, David Lennon as Steve Sanders/Ian Ziering, Michele Goyns as Andrea Zuckerman/Gabrielle Carteris, Ross Linton as David Silver/Brian Austin green and Alyssa Lynch as Valerie Malone and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, the actress she also played in The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story). That’s them in the top photo.

Set to bow October 3, the fake 90210 is executive produced by Peter M. Green and Howard Braunstein and produced by Christian Bruyere. It’s written by Jeff Roda and directed by Vanessa Parise. The original series premiered on then-nascent Fox in 1990 and ran for a decade. Its companion soap Melrose Place, which Jerry Seinfeld’s alter ego was embarrassed about finding so irresistible on Seinfeld, debuted in 1992 and wrapped in 1999.

Castellaneta and Korson reprise their roles for Lifetime’s Melrose Place pseudo-biopic. Joining them are Ciara Hanna as Amanda Woodward/Heather Locklear, Rebecca Dalton as Allison Parker/Courtney Thorne-Smith, Frank Bailey as Billy Campbell/Andrew Shue, Ryan Bruce as Jake Hanson/Grant Show, Chloe McClay as Jane Mancini/Josie Bissett, Ali Cobrin as Jo Reynolds/Daphne Zuniga, Teagan Vincze as Kimberly Shaw/Marcia Cross, Joseph Coleman as Matt Fielding/Doug Savant, Brandon Barash as Michael Mancini/Thomas Calabro, Karissa Tynes as Rhonda Blair/Vanessa A. Williams, Chelsea Hobbs as Sydney Andrews/Laura Leighton and Lanie McAuley as Sandy Louise Harding/Amy Locane.

Got all that? Here’s how they look:

Unauthorized Melrose Place, which premieres October 10, is executive produced by Braunstein and Michael Larkin, produced by Bruyere, directed by Mark Griffiths and written by Dana Schmalenberg.

Lifetime didn’t exactly score huge ratings with its first toe-dip into these waters. The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story premiered in September with just 1.6 million viewers, despite much chatter on social media. The network might do better when The Unauthorized Full House Story bows August 22, thanks to recent headlines generated by Netflix’s upcoming series sequel Fuller House.