Season 5

Season 5 of Beverly Hills, 90210 aired on FOX television network.

Synopsis
This season follows the gang during their sophomore year in college. Dylan's problems with alcohol and drugs return, as Brenda decides to stay in drama school in London, leaving her room at the Walsh's house vacant. Cindy and Jim take in their friend's daughter Valerie Malone, an old family friend of the Walshes, who arrives in Beverly Hills seeking refuge after her father's suicide. Valerie almost immediately becomes the love interest of both Steve and Dylan and displays a penchant for smoking pot in the Walsh's house and shooting pool in comically seedy pool halls in the middle of the day. The two other new romantic storylines feature Clare Arnold, first seen as Brandon's stalker and eventually as David's rebound girl after he is dumped by Donna; and working-class Ray Pruit, the new boyfriend of Donna. Brandon ran and won California University student body vice-president but after Josh (the president) died in a car crash Brandon became president but had to deal with a lot of hate stories.

Starring

 * Jason Priestley as Brandon Walsh (31 episodes)
 * Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor (30 episodes)
 * Ian Ziering as Steve Sanders (31 episodes)
 * Gabrielle Carteris as Andrea Zuckerman (28 episodes)
 * Luke Perry as Dylan McKay
 * Brian Austin Green as David Silver
 * Tori Spelling as Donna Martin
 * Mark Damon Espinoza as Jesse Vasquez (26 episodes)
 * Tiffani Thiessen as Valerie Malone
 * Carol Potter as Cindy Walsh (31 episodes)
 * James Eckhouse as Jim Walsh (30 episodes)

Special Guest Stars
 * Kathleen Robertson as Clare Arnold (30 episodes)
 * Joe E. Tata as Nat Bussichio (27 episodes)
 * Jamie Walters as Ray Pruit (25 episodes)
 * Caroline McWilliams as LuAnn Pruit (7 episodes)
 * Stephanie Beacham as Iris McKay (4 episodes)
 * Christine Elise as Emily Valentine (2 episodes)
 * Noley Thornton as Erica McKay (2 episodes)
 * James Handy as Tom Rose (2 episodes)
 * Milton Berle as Saul Howard ("Sentenced To Life")
 * Howie Long as Himself ("What I Did On My Summer Vacation And Other Stories")
 * Cobi Jones as Himself ("Under The Influence")
 * Paul Caligiuri as Himself ("Under The Influence")
 * Jade as Themselves ("You Gotta Have Heart")
 * The Flaming Lips as Themselves ("Love Hurts")
 * Dick Dale as Himself ("P.S. I Love You: Part 1")

Recurring cast

 * Ryan Brown as Morton Muntz (9 episodes)
 * K.E.G. member and friend of Steve's


 * Jeffrey King as Charley Rollins (8 episodes)
 * A guy Dylan meets in rehab


 * James C. Victor as Peter Tucker (7 episodes)
 * A doctor who Andrea works with


 * Nicholas Pryor as Chancellor Arnold (7 episodes)
 * The CU Chancellor and Clare's father


 * Casper Van Dien as Griffin Stone (7 episodes)
 * A KEG guy who Donna dates

FAMILY


 * Katherine Cannon as Felice Martin (7 episodes)
 * Donna's mother


 * Jed Allan as Rush Sanders (7 episodes)
 * Steve's father


 * Ann Gillespie as Jackie Taylor (6 episodes)
 * Kelly's mother


 * Matthew Laurance as Mel Silver (4 episodes)
 * David's father


 * Michael Durrell as Dr. John Martin (3 episodes)
 * Donna's father


 * Bess Meisler as Rose Zuckerman (2 episodes)
 * Andrea's paternal grandmother


 * Josh Taylor as Jack McKay ("The Dreams Of Dylan McKay")
 * Dylan's father


 * Caroline Lagerfelt as Sheila Silver ("A Song For My Mother")
 * David's mother

Guest starring

 * Alan Toy as Patrick Finley (5 episodes)
 * F.J. Rio as Alex Diaz (5 episodes)
 * Natalie Belcon as Janice Williams (4 episodes)
 * Gregg Daniel as Dean Whitmore (4 episodes)
 * Sara Melson as Alison Lash (4 episodes)
 * Wings Hauser as J. Jay Jones (4 episodes)
 * Jane Daly as Dr. Molly Campbell (4 episodes)
 * Jonathan Gries as Dope Dealer (4 episodes)
 * Cress Williams as D'Shawn Hardell (3 episodes)
 * Denise Dowse as Mrs. Teasley (3 episodes)
 * Tim Lounibos as Walter Chen (3 episodes)
 * Valerie Wildman as Christine Pettit (2 episodes)
 * Joshua Beckett as Josh Richland (2 episodes)
 * Kerrie Keane as Suzanne Steele (2 episodes)
 * David Hayward as Kevin Weaver (2 episodes)
 * Kristen Dalton as Jamie Young (2 episodes)
 * Larry Sellers as Sheriff Al Whitefeather (2 episodes)
 * Tracy Fraim as Lenny Zeminski (2 episodes)
 * David Bowe as Garrett Slan (2 episodes)
 * Miranda Viscoli as Amy (2 episodes)
 * Ron Fassler as Chad ("What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories")
 * Claudia Lonow as Hairdresser ("What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories")
 * Vance Valencia as Juarez ("What I Did on My Summer Vacation and Other Stories")
 * David Dean as Travis Farnham ("Under The Influence")
 * Nancy Sorel as Gloria Richland ("Life After Death")
 * Cheryl Miller as Nanette Stone ("Life After Death")
 * Barry Cullison as Security Guard ("Life After Death")
 * Aki Aleong as President Ferdinand Quintero ("Homecoming")
 * Reamy Hall as Kaye Whitney ("Homecoming")
 * James Calvert as Ben Lerner ("Homecoming")
 * Ladd York as SCU Mascot Guard ("Homecoming")
 * Burke Byrnes as Fire Marshall ("Who's Zoomin' Who")
 * John Voldstad as Clerk ("Things That Go Bang In The Night")
 * Marc McClure as Teacher ("Things That Go Bang In The Night")
 * James Noah as Dr. Parker ("Intervention")
 * Mackenzie Phillips as Counselor Ellen Marks ("Intervention")
 * Kaitlin Hopkins as Lisa Murchinson ("Intervention")


 * Clayton Rohner as Dr. Fox ("The Dreams Of Dylan McKay")
 * Carole Ita White as Nurse Bethany ("The Dreams Of Dylan McKay")
 * Robert David Hall as Beggar ("The Dreams Of Dylan McKay")
 * Richard Reicheg as Doctor ("The Dreams Of Dylan McKay")
 * Jon Kean as Noah Levy ("Hate Is Just A Four-Letter Word")
 * Judy Ann Elder as Nora Touissant ("Hate Is Just A Four-Letter Word")
 * Frantz Turner as Roland Turner ("Hate Is Just A Four-Letter Word")
 * Julie Cobb as Group Leader ("Rock Of Ages")
 * Jack Heller as Aaron Derschenbaum ("Rock Of Ages")
 * Allan Wasserman as Tom Hackman ("Injustice for All")
 * Milton James as Ray's Uncle ("Injustice for All")
 * William Fuller as The Judge ("Injustice for All")
 * Gina Gallego as FBI Receptionist ("Christmas Comes This Time Each Year")
 * Nick Angotti as Santa ("Christmas Comes This Time Each Year")
 * Sam Scarber as Special Agent Cobb ("Christmas Comes This Time Each Year")
 * Kenneth Tigar as Mr. Warren ("Sentenced To Life")
 * Kari Wuhrer as Ariel Hunter ("Little Monsters")
 * Terri Hawkes as Adrienne ("You Gotta Have Heart")
 * Michael Whaley as Felix ("You Gotta Have Heart")
 * Stan Cahill as Greg Jarret ("Stormy Weather")
 * Mark Taylor Mr. Brennan ("Unreal World")
 * Joey Slotnick as Tuck ("Unreal World")
 * Tom Knickerbocker as Scott McPhearson ("A Song For My Mother")
 * Vicellous Reon Shannon as Juwan ("Squash It")
 * Benjamin Kimball Smith as Warren Gruzin ("Squash It")
 * Keith Brunsmann as N/A ("Squash It")
 * Harvey Silver as Stephan ("Squash It")
 * James Whitmore, Jr. as Stagecoach Passenger ("The Real McCoy")
 * Michele Maika as Dixie ("The Real McCoy")
 * David Anthony Marshall as Zeke ("The Real McCoy")
 * Peter Sherayko as Stagecoach Guard ("The Real McCoy")
 * Mark Kiely as Gil Meyers ("Hello Life, Goodbye Beverly Hills")

Production
The most popular zip code of the '90s changes dramatically in the fifth season, the halfway point of the show's 10-year run. With the departure of one of the primary characters -- Brenda Walsh -- multiple new faces arrive (and stick around) on Beverly Hills, 90210 for the first time. This is Tiffani Thiessen's first season as Valerie Malone and this is the last season for Gabrielle Carteris, Mark Damon Espinoza, Carol Potter and James Eckhouse as series regulars as their characters Andrea Zuckerman, Jesse Vasquez, Cindy Walsh and Jim Walsh, respectively.

Trivia

 * Alyssa Milano was offered the part of Valerie Malone, but turned it down.
 * Heidi Lenhart, who would portray Ellen in Season 10, was on the short-list to portray Valerie.
 * A common rumour that is false is that Drew Barrymore was offered the part.
 * Tiffani-Amber Thiessen had just finished working on Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Both shows were set at the fictional California University, so she ends SBTB at the end of her freshman year at CU and now joins 90210 in her sophomore year.
 * This season introduces the Peach Pit's after-hours club, Peach Pit After Dark, initially run by Steve.
 * The fifth season aired Wednesday nights at 8/9c in the United States averaging 14.7 million viewers a week.
 * The season was released on DVD as an eight disc boxed set under the title of Beverly Hills, 90210: The Fifth Season on July 29, 2008 by CBS DVD.
 * Tiffani-Amber Thiessen played a character named Kelly on Saved By The Bell and Valerie on Beverly Hills, 90210, while Jennie Garth portrayed Kelly on the series and later starred on What I Like About You... as Valerie.

Photos

 * Season 5/Gallery