Beverly Hills Teens
| Beverly Hills Teens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developed by | Jack Olesker Michael Maliani Barry O'Brien |
| Directed by | Michael Maliani (supervising director) Craig Zukowski (director) Bruno Bianchi (animation director) Patty Kitsch (voice direction) |
| Composers |
Haim Saban Shuki Levy |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
Andy Heyward (executive producer) |
| Producers | Robby London (supervising producer) |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | DIC Animation City |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | September 21 – December 18, 1987 |
| Related | |
| Maxie's World | |
Beverly Hills Teens is an animated children's television program produced by DIC Animation City. Distributed by Access Syndication and originally airing in first-run syndication in the United States from September 21, 1987 through December 18, 1987 and airing in The Children's Channel in the United Kingdom from March 1, 1994 through February 28, 1998, the series consists of one extended season, comprising a total of 65 episodes, each 30 minutes long. After its original run, the series continued to be broadcast as part of a syndication package featuring rebroadcasts of Maxie's World and It's Punky Brewster, and has subsequently acquired the retronym Beverly Hills Teen Club.
Developed by Jack Olesker, Michael Maliani and Barry O'Brien, and executive produced by Andy Heyward, the series' namesake teenagers reside in the exclusive enclave of Beverly Hills, California and are shown to have exaggerated wealth, exemplified by mansions, yachts, and limousines, while navigating typical teenage concerns, including schoolwork, friendships, and romantic rivalries. In 1989, the series was nominated for the Youth in Film Award (now known as the Young Artist Award) as "Best Animated Series."
Development
In January 1987, the wire services reported that Access Syndication, which was partnered with DIC Enterprises and Coca-Cola Telecommunications, had three new animated children's series in development for the fall of that year. The three series said to be in various stages of production at that time were Tiffany Blake, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force and Beverly Hills Teens.
Described by one columnist as "[s]poiled rich kids who attend classes equipped with Louis XIV antique desks", Beverly Hills Teens was touted by producers as a response to the more violent series aimed at children, maintaining that the new series would be less action-based and more character driven, and would provide "wholesome role models for kids."
President of Access Syndicate, Ritch Colbert lamented the state of children's entertainment at the time, stating "Children's programming these days is dominated by neo-miiltaristic, boy-toy animation." Citing shows like SilverHawks, ThunderCats and G.I. Joe, which were popular animated series of the time, Colbert continued "Where are the Tom and Jerrys, the Flintstones, the rich characters for children to nurture and develop and identify with?"
When questioned as to whether "money-happy" teens residing in Beverly Hills would be the best examples for children, Colbert countered "Well, they may be rather more wealthy than most teenagers, but they have typical teenagers' problems and the important thing is they are fully realized personalities."
While in development, early names for the series' four lead characters were reported as "Troy", "Chrissie", "Raven" and "Pierce". Although the boys' names would remain into the production of the series, the girls' names were subsequently changed, with "Chrissie" eventually becoming series protagonist "Larke", and "Raven" eventually being renamed "Bianca."
Premise
The series takes place in Beverly Hills, California, and follows a fictional "Teen Club", consisting of a group of wealthy teenagers, shown to be approximately sixteen years old. Common settings include the teens' palatial high school, the country club, the local salon and spa, and the shopping thoroughfare on Rodeo Drive. The lead protagonist is Larke, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed high school student and fashion model who is shown to be kind and generous to her friends. Her romantic lead is handsome heartthrob Troy, who, like Larke, is shown to be genial and likable, and is often the object of affection for the other girls.
Providing much of the series' conflict is raven-haired beauty, Bianca, who views Larke as her primary rival for everything from the lead in the high school play, to the title of Homecoming Queen, and, most importantly, Troy's affections. Sharing her disdain for the perfect coupling is Pierce, an effeminate and narcissistic boy who presents himself as a "ladies' man", but resents Troy's relationship with Larke. Storylines frequently involve Bianca or Pierce, or sometimes both working together, plotting and/or manipulating events in an attempt to sabotage Larke and Troy's romance, as well as various other relationships within the Teen Club.
The other girls of the Teen Club include rocker girl Jett, cowgirl Blaze, aspiring actress Nikki, southern belle Tara, Teen Club President Shanelle, and gossip columnist Switchboard. The other boys of the Teen Club include rocker boy Gig, surfer boy Radley, self-promoter Buck Huckster, and Bianca's chauffeur Wilshire. In addition to their peer group, the teens are often accompanied by two youngsters, boy genius Chester and Pierce's little sister Jillian, while the rivalry between Larke's cat "Tiara" and Bianca's poodle "Empress" frequently provides the series with its more traditional slapstick comedy elements.
Voice cast
- Michael Beattie as Wilshire Brentwood / Buck Huckster
- Karen Bernstein as Tara Belle / Jett Lyman
- Tracey Moore / Terri Hawkes (some episodes) as Bianca Dupree / Blaze Summers / Jillian Thorndyke
- Hadley Kay as Gig's guitar / Radley Coleman
- Corrine Koslo as Nikki Darling
- Mary Long as Larke Tanner / Empress
- Stephen McMulkin as Pierce Thorndyke III
- Jonathan Potts as Troy Jeffries
- Sean Roberge as Chester McTech
- Mark Saunders as Thomas "Gig" Josephson / Pierce Thorndyke Jr. (Jillian & Pierce's dad)
- Joanna Schellenberg as Brenda "Switchboard" Andes
- Linda Sorenson as Fifi
- Michelle St. John as Shanelle Spencer
Episodes
| Nº | Title | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Double-Surfing Double-Cross" | Jack Mendelsohn | September 21, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club competes in pairs for the "Double Surfing Contest", while Bianca and Pierce both attempt to sabotage Larke and Troy's pairing. | ||||
| 2 | "The Dog Ate My Homework" | Mike O'Mahony | September 22, 1987 | |
| Bianca plots for Larke to stay at home doing homework instead of attending "The Midnight Ball" and being crowned "Princess" of the festivities. | ||||
| 3 | "The Makeover" | Jody Miles Connor | September 23, 1987 | |
| After Troy is elected Homecoming King, Larke and Bianca decide to spend a day at Fifi's spa before competing to be Homecoming Queen. | ||||
| 4 | "My Fair Wilshire" | Steven J. Fisher | September 24, 1987 | |
| Upon witnessing Bianca's mistreatment of Wilshire, the Teen Club decides to try to help Wilshire impress Bianca by giving him a makeover. | ||||
| 5 | "Robot Romance" | Tony L. Marino | September 25, 1987 | |
| When Chester finds himself without a date to the "Spring Fling" dance, he designs his animatronic dream girl to be his escort for the evening. | ||||
| 6 | "Casting Call" | Mike O'Mahony | September 28, 1987 | |
| Every girl in Beverly Hills wants to audition when Buck Huckster plans a production of Romeo and Juliet for the high school "Dramatic Society". | ||||
| 7 | "Down & Out in the Teenclub" | Steven J. Fisher | September 29, 1987 | |
| Tara believes she has been left penniless after a long-lost relative mysteriously appears and claims to be the rightful heir to the family fortune. | ||||
| 8 | "Chase of a Lifetime" |
John Vornholt Steve Robertson |
September 30, 1987 | |
| The girls all compete to capture Troy as their date when Bianca comes up with the idea to hold a Sadie Hawkins dance at the Teen Club. | ||||
| 9 | "Downhill Racer" | Alan Swayze | October 1, 1987 | |
| Larke and Bianca compete in a series of winter games in hopes of being crowned "Snow Queen" of the Teen Club's annual winter carnival. | ||||
| 10 | "Radley Wipes Out" | Coslough Johnson | October 2, 1987 | |
| Larke and Shanelle help Radley study for a history test in order for him to remain eligible to compete in the high school surfing championship. | ||||
| 11 | "Shipwrecked" | Troy Schmidt Jeff Holder |
October 5, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club find themselves lost at sea and stranded on a desert island after an ill-fated voyage on the "S. S. Beverly Hills" cruise ship. | ||||
| 12 | "Halloween in the Hills" | Tony L. Marino | October 6, 1987 | |
| Bianca is infuriated when both she and Larke show up to the first annual Bianca Dupree Halloween party wearing exactly the same costume. | ||||
| 13 | "Visit from a Prince" | Emily Dwass | October 7, 1987 | |
| Blaise is the featured cover girl of "Teen Magazine" and attracts the attention of a prince who wants her to accompany him to a Royal ball. | ||||
| 14 | "Camp Camping" | Coslough Johnson | October 8, 1987 | |
| During a weekend camping trip, Wilshire feels obligated to leave Bianca and become Pierce's indentured servant after Pierce saves his life. | ||||
| 15 | "Dream Date" | Jody Miles Connor | October 9, 1987 | |
| The boys all compete when "Teen Scene" sponsors a contest to award the boy who can think of the most creative way to ask Larke for a date. | ||||
| 16 | "The Perfect Gift" | John Vornholt Steve Robertson |
October 12, 1987 | |
| The girls each buy a birthday gift for Troy, while Bianca sends Wilshire on a mission to find the perfect gift for the boy who has everything. | ||||
| 17 | "A Time to Remember" | Calvin Kelly | October 13, 1987 | |
| Bianca becomes uncharacteristically kind and generous after a horseback riding accident which causes her to experience a bout of amnesia. | ||||
| 18 | "Chester the Matchmaker" | Jim Rogers | October 14, 1987 | |
| Tara attempts to attract Radley's attention when Chester invents a computer dating program that determines Radley is her perfect love match. | ||||
| 19 | "Who Wears the Pants?" | Jack Enyart | October 15, 1987 | |
| A fashion critic mistakes Bianca for a designer when she models a pair of glittering gold jeans designed by Tara for a high school fashion show. | ||||
| 20 | "Open for Business" | Jody Miles Connor | October 16, 1987 | |
| It is a battle of the sexes when the teens compete in teams of boys versus girls to determine which group has the superior business acumen. | ||||
| 21 | "Operation: Soap Opera" | Jim Rogers | October 19, 1987 | |
| Bianca is unprepared when she is cast as Nikki's understudy for the lead role in the high school AV club's production of "The Rich Get Richer". | ||||
| 22 | "Teenclub Carnival" | Howard Morganstern | October 20, 1987 | |
| Jett becomes jealous when she has to work the dunking booth for the Teen Club Charity Carnival while Bianca and Gig spend the day together. | ||||
| 23 | "Potions of Love" | Katie Ford | October 21, 1987 | |
| Bianca obtains a love potion from Chester in hopes of beguiling Troy into falling in love with her at the Teen Club's Valentine's Day Dance. | ||||
| 24 | "The Teen Cup" | John Vornholt Steve Robertson |
October 22, 1987 | |
| The teens compete against each other in a yacht race to determine the best mariner, with the winner crowned "King" or "Queen" of the Regatta. | ||||
| 25 | "Ghost Story" | Tony L. Marino | October 23, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club investigates after Chester discovers the legend of Count de la Mancha whose ghost is said to inhabit the Teen Club Castle. | ||||
| 26 | "Fairy Tale Flake Out" | Eric Schaeffer | October 26, 1987 | |
| The teens appear as an assortment of legendary fairy tale characters when Bianca slips into a series of daydreams during a literature lecture. | ||||
| 27 | "Nothing But The Gossip" | Mike Kirschenbaum | October 27, 1987 | |
| Switchboard is faced with an ethical dilemma when she is offered the opportunity to become assistant to celebrity gossip columnist Mona Blabit. | ||||
| 28 | "Now We're Cooking" | Joe Glauberg | October 28, 1987 | |
| The teens each work to create gourmet delicacies after they are approached to submit recipes for the cook book, "Recipes of the Super Rich". | ||||
| 29 | "Old at Heart" | Tony L. Marino | October 29, 1987 | |
| Nikki assumes the undercover identity of elderly persona "Flora Belle" after losing the opportunity to portray the role of a senior citizen on stage. | ||||
| 30 | "Death Valley 500" | Durnie King | October 30, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club faces an underhanded opponent when they compete in the "Death Valley 500" charity auto race to benefit homeless children. | ||||
| 31 | "Star Split" | Tony L. Marino | November 2, 1987 | |
| Jett tries her hand at a series of different career paths after she and Gig decide to break up their rock group and go their own separate ways. | ||||
| 32 | "Double Your Trouble" | Steven J. Fisher | November 3, 1987 | |
| Gig has his hands full when he secretly leads both Larke and Tara to believe that they are the exclusive winner of the "Date with Gig" contest. | ||||
| 33 | "Take My Hostage, Please!" | Temple Mathews | November 4, 1987 | |
| Bianca stages her own kidnapping in an attempt to have Troy rescue her, only to find herself held captive for ransom by a real life kidnapper. | ||||
| 34 | "Trouble Times Three" | Emily Dwass | November 5, 1987 | |
| Tara recruits Jett and Shanelle to help her babysit when she is called upon to spend the day watching her mischievous identical triplet nephews. | ||||
| 35 | "Bianca's Dream" | Sindy McKay Larry Swerdlove |
November 6, 1987 | |
| Bianca grows bored with the monotony of the Teen Club and falls into a dream in which everyone is the antithesis of their real life personality. | ||||
| 36 | "Pierce's Hundred Dollars" | Jim Rogers | November 9, 1987 | |
| Pierce's father challenges him to save $100 from his allowance, promising to award him the world's most luxurious automobile if he succeeds. | ||||
| 37 | "Look Deep Into My Eyes" | Calvin Kelly | November 10, 1987 | |
| Chester invents a mind control device, prompting Pierce to use it to hypnotize the Teen Club members into electing him the Teen Club "King". | ||||
| 38 | "The Commercial" | Mike O'Mahony | November 11, 1987 | |
| Larke's cat Tiara is selected to star in a television commercial, prompting Bianca to devise a scheme to have her poodle Empress cast instead. | ||||
| 39 | "Hold the Anchovies" | Mike O'Mahony | November 12, 1987 | |
| Larke and Bianca lead competing teams for "The Big Whiz Kids Pizza Biz Contest" to win a 40 foot yacht and a week-long vacation in Tahiti. | ||||
| 40 | "From Rad to Worse" | Ken Kahn | November 13, 1987 | |
| Radley becomes brilliant and arrogant after Chester performs a genius brain transfusion on Radley in an attempt to help him with his homework. | ||||
| 41 | "Scene Stealer" | Tony L. Marino | November 16, 1987 | |
| Nikki attempts to take center stage when the Teen Club participates in the television program "Lifestyles of the Young and Disgustingly Rich". | ||||
| 42 | "A Splitting Image" | Temple Mathews | November 17, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club searches for a birthday gift for Pierce, while Chester invents a cloning machine, believing a twin will be Pierce's ideal companion. | ||||
| 43 | "Diet, Please" | Tony L. Marino | November 18, 1987 | |
| Things get out of hand when Tara embarks on a strict diet/exercise regimen so that she can meet the weight requirement for eligibility in the "Miss Magnolia" beauty contest. This very special episode is followed by a lecture from Larke about the dangers of crash-dieting and over-exercise. | ||||
| 44 | "Jillian's Lesson" | Temple Mathews | November 19, 1987 | |
| The girls give Jillian advice for getting the attention of her crush, which results in a series of embarrassing mishaps for her big brother Pierce. | ||||
| 45 | "What the Hex Happening?" | Calvin Kelly | November 20, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club is plagued by misfortune after Bianca finds a diamond pendant and refuses to return it to its rightful owner, a gypsy fortune teller. | ||||
| 46 | "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover Girl" | Pat Allee Ben Hurst |
November 23, 1987 | |
| Bianca schedules an impromtu Teen Magazine modeling assignment for Larke so that she and Troy can spend the evening studying together. | ||||
| 47 | "Private Club – Ghosts Only" | Susan J. Leslie | November 24, 1987 | |
| The teens decide to investigate a series of unexplained phenomena after a ghostly apparition begins haunting the corridors of the Teen Club. | ||||
| 48 | "Poll Climbers" | Howard R. Cohen | November 25, 1987 | |
| Larke and Troy campaign to get Shanelle re-elected student body president while Bianca stages an extravagant campaign to elect Pierce. | ||||
| 49 | "Rampage" | Paul Aratow | November 26, 1987 | |
| The Teen Club attempts a rescue after rock 'n' roll gorilla, "Prince Monko" escapes his cage and abducts Bianca during a circus charity benefit. | ||||
| 50 | "That Winning Smile" |
Jack Hanrahan Eleanor Burian-Mohr |
November 27, 1987 | |
| Bianca endures a treacherous day of filming her own stunts after sabotaging Larke's appearance in a "Winning Smile" toothpaste commercial. | ||||
| 51 | "Eye of the Tigress" | Jack Olesker | November 30, 1987 | |
| The girls attempt to help Chester pass his physical education exam so that he will be eligible to help them compete in the "Teen IQ Quiz Show". | ||||
| 52 | "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" | Pat Allee Ben Hurst |
December 1, 1987 | |
| It is a battle of the sexes when the girls challenge the boys to a softball game on the condition that they be allowed to join the team if they win. | ||||
| 53 | "The Slumber Party" | Susan J. Leslie | December 2, 1987 | |
| A power outage causes the teens to become uneasy after Larke decides to host a slumber party for the girls while her parents are in Paris. | ||||
| 54 | "Roughing It" | Doug Molitor | December 3, 1987 | |
| Larke and Troy find themselves unexpectedly joined by the entire Teen Club during a camping trip in Silver Valley to study for their biology final. | ||||
| 55 | "The Buck Stops Here" | Lydia Marano | December 4, 1987 | |
| Bianca attempts to impress society photographer Ace Face after Buck Huckster sells her a new cosmetic which has unintended side effects. | ||||
| 56 | "The Kindest Cut of All" | Jack Hanrahan Eleanor Burian-Mohr |
December 7, 1987 | |
| The girls devise a plan to teach Bianca a lesson about generosity while the boys each befriend Wilshire hoping to get his vanity license plates. | ||||
| 57 | "Bianca's Diary" | Ken Kahn | December 8, 1987 | |
| Bianca and the teens devise a plan to teach Pierce a lesson after Pierce uses Bianca's diary as blackmail to persuade her to agree to a date. | ||||
| 58 | "Go with the Flu" | Doug Molitor | December 9, 1987 | |
| A flu epidemic sidelines the boys before a competition with Valley High to determine which school's students will be the first teenagers in space. | ||||
| 59 | "Nikki's Big Break" | Lydia Marano | December 10, 1987 | |
| The teens mistake a talent scout for Nikki's practical joking cousin and attempt to prevent him from attending the opening night of her play. | ||||
| 60 | "McTech, P.I." | Phil Harnage | December 11, 1987 | |
| Chester becomes a private investigator when Bianca implicates Larke in the mysterious disappearance of the "Star of Rodeo Drive" diamond. | ||||
| 61 | "The Tortoise and the Dare" | Ken Kahn | December 14, 1987 | |
| The world's wealthiest teens descend on Beverly Hills to compete in the Silver Spoon Olympics, beginning with the Millionaire's Marathon. | ||||
| 62 | "Greens with Envy" | Ken Kahn | December 15, 1987 | |
| The world's wealthiest teens continue to compete in the Silver Spoon Olympics, which proceeds with the team golf and team polo events. | ||||
| 63 | "Troy Triathlon" | Ken Kahn | December 16, 1987 | |
| The Silver Spoon Olympics concludes with its main event, a triathlon which comprises ice skating, downhill skiing, and, dive and dash events. | ||||
| 64 | "Miracle at the Teen Club - Part 1" | Doug Molitor | December 17, 1987 | |
| The teens envision themselves as the players in a Christmas Carol allegory while snowbound during Buck Huckster's Christmas Eve Party. | ||||
| 65 | "Miracle at the Teen Club - Part 2" | Doug Molitor | December 18, 1987 | |
| The teens envision themselves as the players in a Christmas Carol allegory while snowbound during Buck Huckster's Christmas Eve Party. | ||||
Reception
In the 21st century, Beverly Hills Teens garnered a resurgence of attention from entertainment websites and newspaper columnists reminiscing about their childhoods in the 1980s. BuzzFeed writer, Brian Galindo playfully touted the camp appeal of the cartoon as "embodying '80s decadence", describing the series as "the original Beverly Hills, 90210, but way, way more ridiculous."
Dilshan Boange, columnist for the Sri Lankan newspaper The Nation cited the series (and, in particular, its theme song) for exporting American "epicurean" ideals, writing "The Beverly Hills Teens sing out the status quo of monopoly over 'style' and how it's 'done right'. It is a message to lesser mortals to take note. The center tells you what is 'in' and what's not. [...] Have you given much thought to how many US TV shows market their lifestyles to us on a daily basis through TV shows that speak of the 'American dream'?"
In Bulgaria, the show was first broadcast in 2002 on bTV as a part of the FoxKids block along other '80s and '90s shows such as Masked Rider and Inspector Gadget. Thus, the age cohort that grew up watching the show there were teens born from the late '80s to children born in the '90s. This introduced the '80s TV show to a much younger audience, including both Millennials and Generation Z members.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Youth in Film Award (now known as the Young Artist Award) |
Best Animated Series | Beverly Hills Teens | Nominated | |
| Best Young Actress in a Voice-over Role | Joanna Schellenberg | Nominated |
Home media
During the series' lifespan, select episodes were released in the NTSC VHS format by Golden Book Video. In 1990, select episodes were released on single episode VHS tapes by Celebrity Home Entertainment as part of their Just for Kids Mini Features line.
On April 26, 2007, Déclic Images released a Volume 1 DVD box set featuring the first 23 French dubbed episodes of the series - known as Bécé Bégé (BCBG...short for "Bon Chic, Bon Genre" or "Good Style, Good Class") in France - in the Region 2 format. On November 28, 2007, Volumes 2 and 3, containing 20 and 22 episodes respectively, were released. On May 17, 2010, all 3 Volumes were made available for purchase as a 3-box set of the entire series.
On February 19, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment released a Volume 1 DVD set featuring the first 32 episodes of the series in the Region 1 format. On October 1, 2013, Volume 2, featuring the remaining 33 episodes, was released.
Broadcast UK history
- The Children's Channel (March 1, 1994 – February 28, 1998) (Programmes: Beverly Hills Teens After Jem On The Children's Channel in 5 September 1994)
Related media
A video game had been in development by Tomahawk, but was cancelled.