Lucky Star (S1, E21 “Spring Dance”)

next live event. You guys. You know we've been talking. We're almost done with season one and it's crazy and we feel like we should celebrate. We should have a rat party, because that's what you do when you finish the season of a show. So we're gonna just bring it into the podcast world. We're gonna have a season one rat party, and we're gonna do it live on April at five pm. That's five pm Pacific Standard time,

which will be eight p m Eastern Standard time. Tickets are available at on location live dot com slash nine O two one zero M and there will be meet and greets, uh surprise guests They're a surprise to even us. I have no idea who it's going to be excited. They're gonna be games and fun and probably some technical difficulties and it'll just be a lot of fun. We like games. So please join us, you guys. Tickets are on sale right now. Don't forget to get your merch.

You can buy that at my fan threads dot com slash nine oh two one O MG, Oh my gosh, you guys, I got the Donna Kelly t shirt. Did you get you got it? Ok? Maybe we should wear those to the to our rat party we have to Maybe could be dazzle them or perfect. Yeah, they're so good. The cuts good. Uh, it's super soft. I'm obsessed with it. Yeah. Well that's really good. Fight. I'm gonna add ansis. I told you guys before today we have a very very

special guest joining us. Uh, the one and only Darren Starr is going to be coming on in a little bit to talk to us about the origination of Beverly Hills nine O two and oh. He's the creator of our show. And I don't know, I kind of feel like God is coming su Yeah, I'm nervous. Yeah, he's our creator. He's he's our he's the big boss and ancho. Oh my gosh. Without him, this show would not exist. And of course, you know he went on to do melrose Place, created that and Sex in the City and

Younger and now Emily and Paris. He is a god amongst god's and we're super psychees coming on to be with us today. We haven't seen him in so long? How long has it been to be so fun? Oh? Years? I really I saw him on a pot Did you see him on your podcast? I saw him on a podcast account. Yeah, I saw him on the computer. That does not it doesn't count, right, that's not jen. Do we look okay, I'm nervous. Wait were you guys nervous around him? Like? What are easy to you? Like? Do

you feel like you owe him your career? Like what are those feelings that you have? I don't know. I feel like, yeah, there's some of that. Like he was such a he was the reason why this show came to life. You know, he created these characters and he created everything about it. So you know, him and Aaron together worked together to make this what it is. And it's I don't know, it's like it's like you're it's like your boss. I can't even explain it any other way.

I was always really I know you had like a really good relationship with him, and you went on to do another show with him afterwards, Like I was always really shy around him. So I'm nervous to talk to him today because I always felt and I'm still feeling it, like, you know, he created the show, but he worked with my dad, and I always felt like, did he feel like he had to cast me? He had to write for me? I mean, he gave me some of my

best comedy. I mean he started off my comedy in Spring Dance, which he also not only did he create the show, but he wrote this episode. He directed it, and he gave don a kind of her first like big dance stuff with the spring, you know dress. So I'm very grateful for him doing that, But I don't know, I just always felt like he was like, oh my god, some people I cast, didn't you suggest some people to

cast for None on two? And no I did. I feel like if you didn't want to cast you, he would have, you know what I mean, Like you had a big part of all of this. I'm sure it is you know he had to, Like, as we've talked about and we've seen, I had like a couple of lines here and there in the first few episodes, and it's just now kind of getting a little bit bigger, um my role. But you know how you feel that way,

it's it's your boss. I wanted to please him. I wanted him to say, like, Okay, I know why I had to cast her, but I wanted to him to be proud of me and approve of me. And you know, it's like a parent type of thing. I think he is proud of you. Yeah, I think he's proud of

all of us. And I love it that you can tell he's still really proud of Beverly Hills nine o two and oh you know, he's gone on to do such huge things like Sex in the City, and he's still like this show just like for us, it has this amazing little part of our hearts that can never be taken away. And I feel that from him too, like that connection. So we're really looking forward to talk to him. So should we Should we talk about episode twenty one Spring Dance? He is Okay? Episode twenty one

Spring Dance air date was May second. Synopsis is it's the big Spring Dance, and the chance of romance is good for Dylan and Brenda, possible for Kelly and Brandon and nil nil and nil zip zero for Steve, who carries a torch that's about as cumbersome as his dates dress. That's me. This episode was actually written by Darren Starr and directed by Darren Starr. This was his first directing job ever. Wow, big undertaking for your first job directing, Like it was like a huge like so many casts,

so many background players. We had a band who was this huge, huge race, The Rave Ups was the band at the dance. They were rad they were I was kind of had a crush on that lead singer Guy High knew Year going to say that musicians, I can't help it. I don't know. She used to love musicians.

Now she loves golfers. You know. I didn't realize. I didn't realize that he directed this until we got our notes, And now it really makes sense because I was just this is my favorite episode so far, Like you could tell the difference that's saying, didn't you feel like it felt like a a big movie, like a nineties rom com, like maybe like a six Yeah, exactly use film. That's what it felt like to me too. It really did. Especially you're dancing. You're dancing at the dance. It was

so good. I thought it was really good too. I was crushing on her like that was not good dancing. Yeah, we're swinging your Oh my god, all the fields of like that's the popular girl. I want to be like like three years that would be weird, but you know what I mean. But I pulled it off. Thank goodness

you did. Yeah, this episode so much happened. It was hugely memorable episode for all the fans, I think, and when it was one of the episodes, it was kind of like a defining uh moment, defining episode for the show moving forward, and I felt like it just defined what the group was all about, like what you know, everybody had their things, but we all came together and I don't know, it just it worked for me, just like a little puzzle. Yeah, they were definitely an ensemble

by the end. By this episode, I was like, Oh, this is the gang that we're gonna now go forward with for the next few years, So why don't we break it down from the beginning because I loved I'd love to do that much. I got to start at the top and I gotta go all the way through over all my o MG moments. First of all, first, first first thing that comes to mind is the uh, the glasses that the guys were wearing in the hallway when they saw the hot girls. First of all, seems

so horny. He's got like it does spring bring that on a teen boy? It makes them especially Randy. Uh hut, Nature's doing this thing. It's turning me into a total dog you. I don't know. I just don't wanna think about that. But it was kind of the theme of the episode because obviously we know happens with Dylan and Brenda. Love is in the air spring um. But speaking of the glasses, so they were looking at Darla Diller, who was played by Sharon Case who had on two episodes ago.

She was so hot in us, like I know, she was like that unattainable beautiful girl. It's still hot, yeah, of course, yeah she is. But that I was happy to see that because I didn't know when I didn't know when she came back for the second episode, is Darla Dillar what that was going to be like? But she she did Darla right yes, Um, I don't do vets. Sorry, I don't do vets. Loved it. That's like the soul

crushing for Steve Sanders to hear something like that. Probably always like anything, it's okay, I'll rent a Ferrari or somebody was like, dag you Yeah, that's an ad lib for sure. The thing that took me, I mean just hearing Brian's voice when he's announcing the queens that are the prince princesses. Right, his voice seemed even higher in other episodes. I was like, oh my gosh, and you

could hear everyone laughing in the hallways. Well David, well he had he had some great stuff in this episode too. But yeah, the whole um nominations for the Spring Princess or whatever. Um, Kelly got very excited when she got nominated. I threw my I threw my notebook like that's how excited I did throw it. And when I was watching, I was like, oh jeez, I like that. Donna and Brenda were supportive. I noticed that right away. There was really kind of no jealousy of you being nominated per

se until the dress part. That was good. Yeah, take us to the Rodeo collection. Oh, my gosh, did they even call it that? Now? That is a actual place on Rodeo and you would go in and they'd have many different stores, which kind of Beverly Hills version of a mini mall or call out dormal. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's still still there Rodeo Collection now but it's definitely on road drive open Monday do Sunday nine am to six pm. There you got, come on in, let's

do it shopping. Okay, Wait, I gotta tell you something which I never realized I just recently. I'm gonna go I'm going to talk about the white black bow dress that um Brenda and Kelly end up both wearing. But did you know this fun fact I recently rewatched Mystic Pizza and Julia Roberts in that movie, do you know what I'm talking about? She's wearing that dress. And that's a movie from the eighties I believe, or was it

early nineties. She comes down, she goes and she buys a dress, leaves the tag on so she can return it to go out on her date. She comes down the stairs wearing it. So not only is that dress iconic on you and Shannon, Julia Roberts as well released in so three years before it was you're our mathematician, good three years. Maybe that's why it was on sale when you guys bought it. Actually good fact checking from

the riders there. But that dress has been I mean, I just that's a moment that will never be forgotten I think by me for sure and a lot of the fans because that when they show up in the same dress, and I love that um Brenda sort of makes it her own with her gloves and her pearls, and I just thought and their hair, everything about it like was prom esque. But it wasn't the prom It was just a dance. I felt like promo. It seemed like prom vegetable corsage? Hello the Radish? Why tell us

some more about that? What the heck was the boutineer thing that Kelly gave Brandon? Why you guys who? She was like, oh, vegetable corsages are really in, but it's a boot near And she did say corsage corsage is what goes on? Is it? Vegetable corsages are very hip? Was that like a thing? Maybe they were like we were setting trends, so they were like, Okay, let's see if people will actually pick up, and apparently that was one that didn't take off. I really thought it was

kind of cute, but very strange, you know what. I can remember. I can remember putting that on him, and I can remember filming with that stupid bunch of vegetables on his jacket, and we had to have so many because it just kept wilting like it was. They had like personally behind it, and then like like three radishes clumped together and the whole thing just kept going blue. Vegetables don't want to be worn on clothes, So it's kind of chic. It's very farm to Talks. I like it.

Let's bring it back farm to Tuck. That scene when Kelly arrives at Brandon's house to give him, you know, she's putting the boot near on him him and then you guys kiss, I screamed like Kelly just went like like no, he had no choice in the matter. Yeah. It literally made me scream. I was like, what about the what about when they made out on the later Yeah, we're not even there yet. I'm sorry, but he got very handsy with you at the wallsh house like that.

That was very Jason, was very Jason and Jenny. Yeah, he had his arms around you, like very comfortable. It was like very familiar, just asked you out. Yeah, and um, I thought it was funny when Brenda said, when I'm already giving you all my favorite lines, sorry, but Brenda says no. Kelly says Brenda, I'm a spring princess. And Brenda says, Kelly, I don't give a damn frink Kelly, I don't. It's so good. Oh my god, Brenda's cheeks were on points, like her cheekbones, gorgeous, youth good. Yeah,

we all appreciate what we had back then. So then what about my dress? Oh, you come in the door and there's the dress. There's the jo g Red dress that we actually made a copy of right for Bho And I was like, there it is, there's the dress. There it is. I wonder where that came from, Like was that in the script or we should ask Darren about the dress? Okay, Like I wonder where that inspiration? Like she can't fit into a dress, like it's too big. I mean it was. It was. It was like gone

with the Wind situation exactly. But your character was really funny this episode. I finally got to do comedy. I was like, yes, okay, this was like gone, this big moment of like doing physical comedy, and I couldn't have been happier to given that writing. Yeah, I mean it was weird that you were going with Steve, but I just really thoroughly enjoyed all of the points when you were like I can't and then you're like, can't quite get the dress. Sit down, You're not comfortable. It's so

cute your little face. I remember filming that in the limo and I was just in my head still like you know me, like very like I hope it's not too much. I hope they're not like, oh this girl, what's she doing again? Like making all these movements, still questioning myself but on the outside acting like no, I'm funny, like whatever, I got this, but like thing myself inside, you know. Wait, and Kelly stuck up for Donna right before Steve's like, I hope she knows it's platonic, and

you're like you as if, Yeah, thanks for staying your dreams. Yeah, Like why was Steve so like Donna such a sed He was a j but he had reasons. He had a lot of reasons to be jerky. Yeah, it's confession about being adopted. Yes, Steve's adopted. Nowhere back to one more thing before that part. Okay, I don't even know how to say this because it's so un PC. But when we're all in the house and we're taking the lineup photo of all of us, like our prom ish dates,

I think it's Brandon. Is it okay to repeat something if it's a line that's not PC though, to say, yeah, you got your podcast? I don't want to be the one to say it. But it's like we said, everybody fit around the dress, and Brandon says, I think was it Brandon or was it Steve that said it? I think she's hiding an an rvy of midgets under there. No one said that, No one said that, Yes it was said. You know what it was? Said? Who said that? Because you know that was not written. That was an

ad lib, but they kept it. It was totally an ablett. Do you know who said it? I couldn't hear whose voice it was. I was just so shocked when I watched it. It sounds like a Steve line, but I feel like I feel like it was Brandon. So they go to the dance. They go to the dance, and all Dylan wants to do is get Brenda up in that bedroom to get freaky, and uh, he's I love you. He when he said I love you Brenda. Maybe he said I love you Brenda back at the at the house,

I don't remember. No, it was at right when they get there. I think he's like, don't you know I love I love you Brend. You're not just another notch on my belt. Yeah I didn't feel it, sorry, not just in another notch on my belt? Like, who says that? Did you guys feel you felt it? I know? But I mean I was a sucker for Dylan from the very beginning. So yeah, but I feel like you're you sis. You are a die hard Brenda and Dylan fan. I can feel it a little bit. Mmm, just from the

very beginning. That's okay. I don't want to give it away from people who haven't seen it yet, but you know, it gets it gets dicey later, it does. Okay. Okay, Now, now we can't go to your kiss with Brandon. No, no, not yet, not yet. First we have to talk about when he said, um, when she says, I'm nervous, I'm going to disappoint you. And then and then um um, Dylan says something like it don't worry, We're gonna be just two people up in the room enjoying each other.

And I was like, who enjoying each other? Like it wasn't I don't know, Yah, there will be no judgments or something, just enjoying or something. Am I the only one that was into this so into it? I was like, yes, I believe everything you say. Let's go upstairs. I don't remember it that way, like I feel like I was way into it when I watched it when I was young, and now watching it, I don't know. I wasn't. I got into I got more into it once they got into the room, like I was like, okay, I bee.

Their chemistry was more than like some of the lines he was saying didn't feel like the Dylan. I know. We're not haters. The name of this podcast is o MG, and these are just O m G moments for us. Just portrayed the fantasy that every high school girl has if they're in a relationship and they haven't done it yet. That's how they envisioned losing their virginity, Like on A I did and I lost my virginity at homecoming. After

the dance was at someone's house, not a hotel. But it was almost just to have that perfect I don't know, it's just the dance really justified it for me. I feel so much closer to you now that I know where you lost your virginity. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, but I think it was a big issue for the network at the time to show a sixteen something you're all losing her virginity. I think they got a lot of

heat after. Yeah, I mean they had to have yeah, even though it didn't show much, but it didn't show anything. But at the time, like under your age, sex was not something you really saw on TV. Right, No, okay, but yeah, if do you have something to say about the kiss of Kelly and Brandon, because oh, yeah, I do. It was your first experience of him eating your face. That was the first kiss of Kelly and Brandon. I know, Yeah, you're ready for it. It looked like a good kiss,

so I'm not gonna lie. I was into it too. I was really into it. Sorry, more into watching that juicy kiss than Brendan Dylan. Sorry. It just looked like there was just so much chemistry. I enjoyed it too, really did, or maybe the whole rest of the scene it was. I loved that it wasn't TV like, it was real life, Like your lipstick was totally gone. How

you've been mashing face? And I was like, oh, I love that, because sometimes they glossified in TV and they would cut back and need to have pur clipstick and powder and you weren't you go one at it? How many takes did you guys do with that scene at the dance? Who knows? I mean, geez, I don't remember, but I know it was a good kiss. I mean enough for your lipstick to come off. Not just her lipsticks this it was like all around here. It was

like her nose, her cheeks. That's just what happens when you make out on camera usually because you're wearing a lot of makeup right for TV, and then and then you do a kissing scene like that and it gets everywhere. And also usually a guy has like stubble, like beard stubble, and it makes your face all red and rashy. It's not it's not pretty, it's not fun. The actual technical aspect of it, it was good. Yeah, And then he said you were like another sister. Oh, I don't think

he'll think that seasons to come right? What did she say? Can't can't you fake amnische or something? Poor Kelly. I like it that she got denied a little bit though. I made her more human to me. I think so too, and relatable to a lot of people because I think like when some a boy doesn't like you back, you want to try to convince them to and it's not the move. I like you said, ouch, that's the ugliest thing, and you want to say ugliest, ugliest. I love this

episode so much, such a good episode, you guys. And my favorite part though, I love to hold the whole dance and the band and just like all the extras in the background atmosphere, people and just everything. But my favorite favorite part was the very end when um the

camera pulls back and the group is dancing together. Just was gave me all like the warm and fuzzy feels of how how amazing that moment actually was in real life to be standing there with that guy with those people, and I just I sat there watching it last night by myself, and I actually it shook me up quite a bit because it was just one of those moments where I really remember standing right next to Luke and just just that connection was so strong at that point,

and it was just such a moment for me and I was like, oh, I miss him. No, that was an amazing scene. That's I'm sure the whole group there's scenes we don't remember filming, Like I feel like that's one of those scenes that we each remember and we'll always remember because everyone we were each other's best friends like that. You know, it wasn't what you just saw on camera was real in real life. And that was so huge. Yeah, and it had been a whole season already,

so your relationships just probably continued to build. Yeah, definitely at that point for sure. It was just Also that's the big you know, everybody, what does that always happen at dance a school dance, when like a group of people just kind of dances together and takes over little dance floor. I don't know it. Yeah, it made me feel like all those movies that we love, Like, I don't know, I feel like that just happens in the movies. And I loved Iron in this episode. Mm hmmm. We

really like Steve Sanders. You saw a softer side to him. I thought he was so great in the scene with Jason and they're in the hallway in the kitchen. Lighting on Jason was so magical, Um, we found out I was adopted, just such a nice moment. I feel like he played it so well. He really had a balance of emotion and comedy, Like, yeah, it really humanized all the characters too, Like it just made them so much

more relatable, each of them. On Andrea h David with his dancing, the comedy of the skirt, like just the being the date of Steve and not really, I don't know, it just felt Um, Andrea's the chainsaw, that was hilarious. What about Okay, what about when she's watching it and she doesn't she live with her grandma? Isn't that the whole thing with her grandma? I was gonna ask you because then she's like, Mom, can I borrow an evening gown? Yeah? Mom, first of all, but then evening gown second of all?

She said, your evening gown? Like there's only one. Mom has an evening gown up in the closet there and it magically fits her perfectly with ginormous puff sleeves. Sound the style though, those puffy sleeves and they were large like and in charge. Those sleeves it fit her like a glove. Well, ladies, Darren stars in the waiting room. It's now, it's happening, it's happening. But we should take a break. Okay, everybody's yeah, I can't wait. M h

Hello handsome, Hello, god, you guys are gorgeous. Why do you get more and more handsome as you? Greatness? Boy and boys get more handsome with age and us women just you guys like you guys look amazing, you look amazing. We're so excited to talk to you. I know me too. I saw you, but for a second on that nine O thing we did a while ago, I just gotta I didn't have my glasses on. I couldn't see you. Sorry. I loved, loved the show you did with Chessa and Alborghini.

Oh my gosh. I thought it was so good and you guys were so good at it. I mean, everybody was. It was like a blast. We had a great time doing it. It was certainly a challenge. Oh my god. Oh yeah, I didn't look like it didn't It looked like it didn't look like a challenge. It look fun. We'll get together and tell you the story, but I couldn't even was shot in Canada that I don't know how you pulled it looks so real. Really, why does the beach scenes, no beach scenes stuff look pretty good?

It really all felt you would never know that was crazy when they told me they was shot there. Remember that day, Jen, they were like carting and like plants and palm trees. Yeah, we were like, okay, it was everything I thought. I thought the castle looked amazing. He's all looks so good. It was so fun to be back together with everyone, and we completely all regressed to our younger selves within like moments. It was crazy old behaviors kind of bubbling right back up. Every fun right,

I can imagine. But I thought, you I got you nailed it. I thought, thank you. That means a lot to us. Thank you. Yes, I just have to tell you. I watch it with my kids, Emily and Paris is so amazing. We love it. It's so fun to watch it. Really, remember your Paris episode? What did you have to eat when you went to Paris? Brains brains brains? Yeah, you're all of your you know you You've created some of

the most iconic, most colorful like I don't know. The shows that you make just sort of transport you to like another time where things are just better and uh easier like this. It's fantastic, you know. I love that about your shows. Thank you well. Starting with the one we all did together, I mean that was the o G. That was your first first show with unbelievable. I don't know if you don't even know the story that no

tell us. I can't remember exactly how We're so young, Tory you Yeah, you were so young, you were like fifteen, I think, Um, did you hear that Jen? I had I had written some I had written a a number

of teenager in the movies. A producer I read a film for when I was in my twenties went to Fox to start work in drama, this guy Paul Stupid and they were developing with Karen a show based on Beverly Hills High for a writer, and they he thought of me and he I met I met Dad at the Old Old at the Old House, and we just clicked. And he saw some film, this awful movie that I made called Doing Time on Planet Earthing. Liked it. That

was terrible, and he's like, great, do it? And like we just I just wrote the pilot and then I don't know, at the beginning, it was just like me and him. There was like it was so like it was so um fun and I don't know, it was just like one of those things where I thought, this is so great. Does anybody realize how good this show is. We made the pilot and I was like, this is amazing, and and Fox was kind of like, well, we don't know.

And then it tested through the roof the pilot the roof because they and they um teenagers could be actually successful. And I think Tori recommended some actors. I remember that we hadn't cast we had not cast, uh Jason's role, And so the very last minute and I think you knew. You mentioned that, you mentioned Shannon, you mentioned Jason. You like you knew all these acts. It was such a like a TV fan. Shannon I knew from our house, and Heather's from and you came into read. Okay, Jenny,

you came in to read. I was so green that you did this audition. And during the audition, like it was it was that you waved and said a lot of people and I thought you were waving at me. She's in a character's doing the role. He wanted be wigging out, like to be making this show with Aaron Spelling and like testing through the roof, like I would have been freaking out if I was you, like with happiness to say he made it. He was not intimidating. He made it really fun. He really was Your dad

was just so um he he was. He was very creative, so it felt like working with somebody like creative and or another writer, not like, uh, you know, the executive. And he was what I loved this. He was always so nervous about everything. And I would say, Tom, why are you nervous going to the studio and pitching things? I'm like, what do you miss about where spellings? He would be like, I have spilkus yeah were yeah exactly. He would still get nervous and and be like, I

can't believe you're getting nervous about anything. So where did the title come from? So originally it was Class of Beverly Hills that was the title, and then Barry Diller had this idea to call it Girls nine or two and O, which I thought was the worst time I

ever heard of. I thought, that's horrible. You know, zip code like and he was smart because I I thought, like, to me, it was a show about high school and he's like, no, it's more than that, and he I just thought, Okay, that's the beauty of collaborating, right, because you don't have all the answers. Nobody has all the right answers, And it's so great when a group of people come together and make a show, especially like this where I don't know, everybody just kind of chimed in

and helped out and it made it so wonderful. I have a question. Did Shannon and Jason do a chemistry read together? Yes? Yes, okay, Jason read with Shannon. Wasn't actually chemistry, but it was like for the from the first time Jason read, it was already cast and she read with him, and afterwards he walked out and she was like yeah, Like she was like, I like them. Was there anyone else up for the role of Brandon that we would know? Uh? I don't know they were.

I just remember there were a couple of actors that I don't remember the names, nobody that went on to big like stardom or anything that that we looked at. But nobody like really clicked and really the role wasn't cast since the very last moment. He was the last role cast in the pilot. Yes, he was on another show that was getting canceled, and when that show kind of like they that show, he was suddenly available. Was that, sister Kate? Yes? Wow? Yeah, yeah, yeah, So you directed

the first step? No, you directed this episode we're talking about today. I directed the Spring Spring episode of the first season. Yeah, it's the episode that we're talking we're rewatching today and talking about. So we're seeing masterful directing. And actually the first thing I directed was it. Were you excited? Were you nervous? Like, that's a big step. I think I was definitely more nervous than anything else. It's not, you know, like one of those things we

watch what else do it? But until you're doing it, you don't know what they really to do it, until you call that first action. Yeah, a big episode for your directorial debut. That was. It was a lot happened in that episode stylistically. It was so beautiful though. Yeah, it's not like a John Hughes film, kind of like I feel like I was watching a nineties wrong call.

You know. Well, that was like the whole idea behind that for me was the that there had been these great John Hughes movies, but no one had done it for television, and quite that John Hughes way, I felt like captured that for TV. Yeah, he's got chills. I love that. It's so true though, So back to the original, uh uh, the onset of the show. You said before that your sister was the sort of music for inspirations for Brenda. I was just thinking about when I wrote

just think of my sister so great. You guys were close, right, yeah, we were close. And then so we follow a lot for which character was most like you. I guess Random was most like me, you know, um, the sort of like you know, Jason made it more interesting than I was in high school. But but I guess that's a character because I guess that I could relate to the most. You was the first episode, the pilot episode. It was was it meant to be a movie or was it

just meant to be a two hour situation? You know, I had only written movies up to that point, so that's all I knew how to do. So I wrote it in a two hour movie, and I think it ended up being closer than ninety minutes or something like that when it aired, when it was cut and everything. Yeah, how do they do that? How they don't know how they did that? How they what made it ninety minutes? Yeah? Like how do they air ninety minutes back then? Back then?

I think they did air as ninety minutes back then? I said, nothing else to air? Was just starting out. Yeah, I remember we were always on the verge of cancelation that first season. It wasn't that. Yeah, is that the truth? It wasn't a hit, right, wasn't a hit? With the episodes you get like dribbled in, dribble in like three episodes, and we first got twelve, and they ordered four and they ordered three. Oh. Air was always on the phone beating them up and trying to get them to order more.

You know what would have happened if they didn't order more. We wouldn't all be sitting here talking to each other. I know. It's so scary to think about how things gonna go on. And and then you remember we came back in the summer that first season and it was

it was like a good news bad news thing. When Chuck Rosen and I went to meet the network, they're like, great news, you guys are doing so well, and we kind of made it through that first season, which was still episodes at right, and then we're thinking that we're gonna take this break. I'm not sure even knew this, but they told us in like April or May that, you know, just as we finished production that were that

we were going to get renewed. They wanted us to come back in the summer, which meant that we couldn't take a break. So that was the second season was Summer the Beach. Oh my gosh, already we started. We started filming like immediately. I think it aired in five so we were like filming in May. We never really barely No, it is for the no ite is for the right. But Chuck Rosen was going on vacation with his family me to Hawaiian. The only way to keep going was I had to go on vacation with him

and his family to Hawaii. So good how that the four seasons on Maui, I'm like, I've never been there, and I was there with Chuck and his family and his little kids and were standing by the pool drinking and figuring out the next season. And matter to know, that's hilarious. That's a perfect way to figure it out. I think, yeah, it was. It was. It's a crazy memily that we have actually did I wanted to know because we have memories of how it went down. The

story of the casting of Luke I don't think. I guess I don't remember being that complicated. You know, we felt like we didn't have this sort of bad boy character from the was on the pilot, and so we kind of as we got together as a writing staff, we kind of thought, we need character. And I don't know if it's a network idea where it came from, or was you know, Aaron's idea, But so we developed a character of Dylan and then we I don't remember

reading anybody except for Luke. I just remember Luke coming in and thinking like, oh my god, he's perfect and he was paving parking lots at the time, and and then like the next day he was like one basically. And in the first season we feel like he's not in it that much. Was he only cast like seven out of or how did that go? He probably was, but he was in it. He had the he was had an affair with Brenda, and in that first episode that he was in, he and Brandon were surfing and

I don't remember. I guess I remember Luke a bunch of the first season, but he probably was instead out of thirteen. Basically, you know, he wasn't in He wasn't meant to be in all of them because it was like a new character, we're gonna shook out. But had some good episodes that first season. Are you like me, like you don't like to watch your work back? Do you have you watched? Well, I have to say I have. I haven't watched Spring Dance, but I've seen I don't.

I saw a Slumber Party recently, which I think is so good. There's two episodes I saw in both of them, but you're both and all you're both in both of them, slumber Party and the Perfect Mom episode. I don't know why. I went back to see it, and it's like, have you seen that one lately? We did? We watched that. It's good? Isn't it really good? I mean like I watched and I was like, wow, it was better than I even remembered it being it stands the test of time.

I love it. And the and you're the woman that plays your mom is like fantastic. I know she's so great. She lives like somewhere else now and she's a minister, you know. I googled her and I found that out like really, just like about a month ago. I watched it just I think it was because it was I just saw that nine of when it was on the original series on Hulu. So once I saw it, and I was like, I just randomly clicked on that episode to watch it. I thought I thought I was gonna

watch it for five minutes. I just like watched the whole thing. You get sucked in, right, Ye. We hadn't rewatched since we filmed it, so rewatching it now, it's so relevant except for like the cell phones that are like huge bricks. Other than that, the clothings up to date, because it's all around again. It's so fun though, to watch it for the first time and we're kind of fanning out, like we're watching it as fans, like somehow

removing ourselves from from it all. I mean, I'm watching an episode like I wrote that episode and I'm watching it and I don't even remember I don't remember me, I don't remember the story. So I'm like kind of like getting surprised as I'm watching it, like you know, I don't remember. I literally could not remember the storyline. So it's kind of all surprised. Do you find that when you're watching them, like you don't even remember the story? Yeah, definitely,

I have a really bad memory. Tory has to fill me in on everything. But um, it's so good to watch it because it kind of like refreshes, it brings it all back a little bit. Yeah, and you were there, Yeah, you were there? Well, I mean melrose Place? Come about that? They that box was like, we want to spin off? Or did you guys think of it? Come to wait? Wasn't it the construction guy in the backyard, wasn't it right?

That's how it Melrose Place. They wanted to spin off. First, they wanted a college show, and I I said, you guys, we can't do a college show because these characters are gonna go to college. And they didn't really think about that there. They didn't have this. They didn't realize that the cast of nine or two and oh in orders for the show too Ball was going to like leave

high school. And I think when they you know, you know that we were in high school for two seasons Junior year Two's basically, Um, and I had lived in a building like that. So I had this idea for this show, and we kind of shoehorned it in. It wasn't you know. It was sort of like it wasn't the most organic spin off, but we kind of found a way to kind of incorporate. You remember Jake and he was the handyman at your mom's wedding? Was that what it was? And you had an affair with him?

That story would not fly today. It was basically statutory rate. He was a little older. He was a little older. Yeah, yeah, you were very precocious. Kelly was very precious. So many of the stories don't wouldn't work now. I mean, but I find on our show that there aren't a lot of storylines where I say to myself, I don't think that would fly today. There are a few moments we've had so far in the first season where you know, things are so different now, and uh, I haven't found

myself thinking that very often. Yeah, but yeah, that that was one of them. That was one of them, for sure. I look back, I'm like, wow, even nobody likes so a word at that time. Nope. Yeah, And and Brenda was notoriously always going for older men in the first episode. We feel like every episode in the pilot you had affair with our college kid or something like that. Yeah, the creepy college by Yeah, he's so creepy. Yeah yeah,

and I'm crying. You have always your shows are always, like I said before, very um beautiful to the eye. And a big part of that's fashion, right, Like I know that you said that that wasn't something that you were really concerned about in the beginning, but then you realize, I you know, Aaron was always very concerned about fashion. Your dad was always very in wardrobe and everything like that always, And I never thought of nine o two and I was like, I mean, you think about Dynasty,

that's such a fashion show. But to me, I just thought, like, who cares what everybody's wearing? But um, you know, and that's place. But he would always have Aaron would always have like, um, wardrobe coming to office and you look at everything, and first I thought, well, how does he even know? But he had an eye, he knew. He had a real sense of like what people wearing, with

characters wearing, and also how important wardrobe would be. Um, wardrope and hair and makeup was something I really didn't think about so I definitely learned a lot about that

from Aaron and even on that episode Perfect Mom. I remember showing friends and episode when it aired, and they were just like looking at the clothes because it was a fashion it really the clothes, And I thought, but like, aren't you like paying attention to the story of the characters, But my beautiful writing, people do I mean people watch TV for the clothes, and they watch it for the interior, and they watch it for the set. I really feel like they do. She used to come home with polaroids.

My dad always had polaroids in his briefcase. Yeah, and from his office, and he'd be like, what do you think the skirt? And it was always in the hair. Do I think I want to change it? He would ask my opinion, but he had the opinions as well, and it was I used my friends and I would laugh. They'd be like, your dad's into that. I'm like, yeah,

who knew? Well he knew? No, well he knew was all part of Like look, that's part of in a real old school way, like that's part of making movies, you know, old Hollywood, Like you look at all the hair and makeup and wardrobe tests and everything like that, though they always would do those. Um, so yeah, I saw how important it became, especially on our shows, you know. Yeah,

it became a huge part of your shows. I mean Sex in the City was just like that was the show for fashion to watch, and now Emilia in Paris just the same. Well you're still working with Pat right, Yeah, I work at Field, so that's yeah, that's a big part of why that happens because of her. She's just a genius and she just goes you know, and she goes out there and I feel like she entered like

the clothes become entertaining and people watch for them. And you know, when I was doing Sex and the City with her at the beginning, I would I would sort of get annoyed, like, you know, we can't hear the dialogue because the closures speak are so loud. Yeah, it's like you can't, like, who's gonna like listen to what they're saying. They're just staring like kind of basically in

shock at what some of these characters are wearing. And um but I know that the audience loves and I you know, I gave her a lot of rope, and I trust her and some I realized I look at stuff and I'm like, it's crazy, but it's fun, you know, and it's like, you know, we're not doing a documentary. Not doing a documentary, right? Yeah? Have you? I was curious, you know, have you ever gone to the darker side? Have you ever wanted to explore like creating something not

quite so colorful? And I don't know, I I like a Gritt've done very glasses show. I've always done pretty glasses shows. I mean, I actually like, um, I don't know. I would. I think if the material is right and if I could really connect to it. You know, I actually love science fiction. I love watching science fiction. But you know, I think they but I think they could have fashion in the future also or on the board like space. I don't like horror, no do you loves

I can't watch it. I just can't. It disturbed me too much. Yeah you know nightmares. Yeah, well, because you know, like as actors, like you get tired of just doing a drama and you want to go try comedy and then you want to go to a western like you want to try to I would like to. I would, I mean, I I you know, side over yet so it would be fun to try to do different things

for sure. You know, it's really just for me. It's about what I can write and really connect to as a writer that I can that I can do it justice. But yeah, I would. I think it'd be cool to do with I love thrillers. I don't love horror, but I love thrillers, you know, mysteries that sort of stuff. Right. Can we go back to Sex Mas City? For sure? Fan? So I have to ask you, the character is on Sex of the City, who would you like in Kelly

and Donna to the characters? Okay, I have to say, And I know this is like not you know, maybe that's like a the answer you want, But I just think there's so I think Kelly and Donna are so different. I think there there are some the own people. I don't think of them in comparison to other characters, you know what I mean, Like, I can't. I just think they're they're Kelly and Donna. I don't I think that, like you know, I think I would. I think you're

just both Samantha House that do you want to be Samantha? No, that's you, I know. And I'm not like pro I'm not like, you're not no in real life wherein Kelly was I feel like the great the great thing is I feel like every woman and man has a side of every character on Sex. Yes, exactly, we all have a little bit of that totally. There's always a little Miranda, a little Charlotte, little carry exactly, you're not. No One's everything exactly exactly one of those Yes, no one's exactly

one of these people, totally totally. Who would you be though, from Sex in the City. You know, I'd probably be to carry Mr Big, No, I would I don't know. Mr Big was a little like, I'm not like that emotionally distant. He's pretty emotionally, you know, emostly cut off. I'd probably be carry. I mean, she's a writer, she's writing about stuff. I think she had a great sense of humor. I mean, you know, I think I would just most identify with her only because she's like the

writer character of the group. You um, you film Emily in Paris in Paris, Yeah, and we start filming. It was great. I mean, we start we go back in the third we start filming the second season. Are you going back to Paris? We started the south of France and then I know, you know, we gotta do it still if you ever need some cameos were available. All right, we can hold your script if you'd like, I mean, would really just get your glasses. You can see the sides.

Just come on over and visit anytime. We can do that. We can do our podcasts from there. There you go, BTS. We could do behind the scenes for you. That's right. I love I love that. Oh my god. Lily Collins was on the reboot of nine or two and that was her first job. What, Oh my god, I didn't remember that. Oh my god. Wait, so the woman with the young people, the new young people, Yes, the one with the young people. What were you you young when?

But when they rebooted it, I wasn't young anymore. They got young again. Yeah, oh I didn't know that. I didn't know that Lily. She'd be a good guest for you guys. Talk about that. When they did the reboot of nine, did they come to you. No, No, not at all, not at all, because you know, it was just owned by them, and I think they didn't want after hey meum, but they just went off and did it. Yeah, we have issues with that one, even though Jen's started it.

I kind of read about in Variety like all of oh my gosh, they killed your mother off, Like that's the thing I didn't like because I was like, that's an original nine character. They shouldn't mess with that, right. Yeah, yes, I read about Variety while I was doing a show for the c W. Oh my god, were you like what we Yeah? Um, yeah, I think we all were.

I think we all were. Y Yeah, definitely. And then the crazy movies they did on the c W. No, no, on Lifetime, Lifetime, but the real life of the did you did you like the person that played you? I thought, you know what I looked at At first I was appalled, and then I just laughed. I mean you have to laugh, right, you had to laugh at that? Yeah, you just have to laugh. The only one that looked the girl that played me looked just like me, Like I feel like

I could hire her as my double for something. She was. She was good. Yea. It captured a little bit of the beginning, it did, I have to say, yeah, it did. It captured a little bit at the beginning. I don't know where they got it all from, but it did sort of like, yeah, I heard that they just compiled that from um all of our interviews or books that we had written, Like Jason wrote a book, I wrote a book. You've written books. So they took a lot

of that material and pasted it all together. And I just don't how do you come to us and asking because they went a little bit differently fact checked a little bit right, that would have been nice. And you know what, I'm curious because your shows are so stylized. I'm going to keep the in that upset it like eight times. But is that like when you're writing, when you're Darren sitting down to write something, is that how you see the world like sort of through those beautiful lenses?

You know? I keep thinking I'm writing something realistic and then people come and tell me it's stylized, So it is that's how you see the world sort of sort of, I guess so to a degree, Yeah, that's such a fun way to see the world. Though, Yeah, I mean I feel like emotionally, I think the characters have a lot of emotional truth to them. That's important. That's the

important thing. And I think people, yeah, but do you have a lot of characters are just basically all these shows are in a way characters in a room talking to each other. So it's basically like the settings become visually have to say pull you in, because ultimately the shows are just about people talking, all of them and personal drama. So yeah, I mean that's the thing people

always say. What that's the number one question that I've always been asked on interviews and I'm sure you tutor is um, why do you think it struck such a chord with people? Why do you think people loved Beverly Hills nine o two one oh so much? And why is it standing the test of time? And that's the answer. Like it was this fantastic, amazing world that no one had ever seen before Beverly Hills and that lifestyle, but it was just it's so much more about the characters

and the integration of the characters and like the relatability. Yeah, I mean, it wasn't. It was all about the characters. It wasn't as people can say, oh, it's superficial and shallow, but it really wasn't, because the characters had depth to them and they were relatable. I mean, it's all and it was like the window dress is great, but that's not when the show was utual takes you so far. Yeah, it only takes so far exactly because that anybody can

do that show. Anybody can shoot a show that looks great. But it's really all about the cast, the characters, the um, the emotion, and it all has to click, you know, the writing and the cast. You gotta get so lucky for all to come together. It's kind of amazing when it does. Like on our show, it's like you think all the little things that might not have happened if you didn't have exactly the cast that we had, you know, like it might not have worked. You know, it all

has to come together. You know. It's cant of making me get a little misty eyed because I thought that because you directed this episode Spring Dance, and at the very end, when the whole gang starts dancing on the dance floor, it stirred something in me that I couldn't deny.

You know. It was like, oh, those people in that moment and just yeah, and you guys you had that you did sort of have that like real camaraderie with each other and that real, that real connection, and it came through you know, it was like you were able to you really were able to kind of like get it on the screen, that feeling of what it's like to sort of like have these best friends in high school together because you sort of also felt that way about each other. Yeah at the time, you know, they

call it lightning in a bottle, right, yeah, I know. Yeah, it's just you gotta get you do have to get lucky. You can work so hard, but you gotta get lucky. I remember, I really remember that. I remember that shot. It was like for me, it was so exciting, you know, it was like I was working with a crane that was like, you know, exciting. The big guns came out. Yeah, right, yeah, the toys Darren, Do you have a favorite episode of Original? Yeah?

Oh god, that's a hard question. Do I love Donna Graduates, Donna Martin graduates who knew? Oh my gosh. Um, you know, because I was there so much in the first few years, I was a by the ones that are most top of my mind. That's when I was there ad the time. I love Swint Dance, I really do. Maybe because I directed it was the first had directive, But I just I just like I love the episode. I love all the emotion that I love. Like just um, I love

the comedy. I remember you Tory, like wearing that crazy hoop skirts and coming out of a limo. How funny you were and trying to sit down. I don't know, just all these things that were there, just like we're just so excited to have that fun for me. Yeah, that was funny and just had had emotion and it was I think great. I was like a little John Hughes movie and it kind of captured the ensemble so well. I thought Iron was so good in this episode. He

was so good. Yes, I remember Brandon in the little kitchen hallway and lighting on them. Oh my god, was gorgeous. But his emotions were so great. You directed him so beautifully, like thank you, thank you, piece for me him. I thought Iron was great in the reboots. He was so he looks he looks amazing, he looks fantastic, he's so built. He's a handsome, handsome devil. Yeah. Yeah, everyone, I mean everyone's everyone's held together pretty good. Yeah, Brian looked amazing. Yeah,

it's really true. Everybody looks so. Everybody looks so good. We're doing our best to make you proud of you. You have to keep it up for you do well. All the fans out there that you that still watch the show and see you and they're like, wow, it still looks like you in my school. You know, we've got a few more years in us. Yeah, a lot more than a lot, more than a few. I don't know. We boasted further back right right. You are so fun to talk to. I feel like, oh my God, should

be great to see you in personally. Do it. We'll do it. Let's do it in l A. Let's find each other. I'm here. I go back to France and like to like a week and a half to do this next season in Paris, son, are you there for how long? Till till the end of till the end of July? And right now they have a lock they have a lockdown, which is a little weird. Um, they're not doing so well, but you do the quarantine two weeks. Then when you get there one week, one week, one week,

and then it doesn't have start filming. Yeah we're able to film. But you know, we filmed Younger, the series I've doing in New York. The last season just finished and we thank you. We filmed um in during the pandemic and you know we have to amass on set the whole time. I don't know if you guys have worked at all during this period, but it's like you have to wear masks on the set and it's just, you know, it's not fun, but at least it's worth doing.

It's worth doing. It's not fun, yeah, of course. Yeah. Yeah. Um, So which eisode? How many episodes have you done on the podcast? Now? This is our spring dance, so it's twenty one. You really have one more. Every episode we've done since the beginning of the show. It's fun for us. We're just reliving it. It's like it's such a gift to be able to go back and watch all of this from one. So what's your favorite show between one and now that you've seen the first season? Do you

have favorites? Were ones that are surprising that you're like, I didn't realize that was so good, Or I don't realize that was so bad that happened that happened that was Yes, there was an episode that we found out that the network throughout like the weekend before everything started the Baseball one training I was training. We heard that. Yeah,

it was like one or two episodes ago. Yeah, and they told us that it was We don't know if this is true, but we heard that this was an episode that they threw out the script about Brandon meeting a veteran and having like a whole thing with a vet. Uh, and then they had to come up with something over the weekend, and this is what they came up with, the baseball one. Yeah, it was a fun episode. It wasn't our favorite, but it felt difference a little bit.

Did it feel like it was written over the weekend? Basically a little bit? A little bit. It was a little bad news bears. It didn't feel like right as much. So. Which one from the first season so far towards your favorite? Oh my gosh, I still it's the iconic ones. It's Sleepover, superber Parties, was slumber Party sorry, and and Spring Dance for sure. I always say my favorite was the Pilot because you do that. Oh my god. I loved everything about the Pilot, the way it looked and the way

it was shot, and just it blew my mind. That I also said, look like a John Hughes movie, Like it was just perfect. Hunter director at the time directed that, And No, I thought the Pilot when I saw it was was like, this is amazing. This is so good, and I and the network was like, yeah, we'll see and I'm like, don't you guys get it? But they did eventually because I thought the pilot was like you

did that was like really strong. Yeah, we hadn't seen it before, not on TV now and then, but now I like the pilot and I think this one is a close second. All right, thank you, thank you, good job, good job, thank you. Yeah, thank you for spending time with us, for doing this. Let me reiterate, for all those people out there that are there, they're listening to it, they're not watching on zoom. How gorgeous you guys look, you look amazing. Thanks, you'd be safe over there, all okay, okay,

bye bye, thank you. I was super nervous. It's like talking to your creator, like the like the men that made you. It's so funny talking to him. I still revert it back in my head. I was like, careful what you say, Like I don't know, it's the creator. I'm just like daughter. He was forced to cast Like I felt that way and like I wanted to say something but I couldn't. And I'm just like God, all these years, I've wondered, was he like, oh, I have to cast her, like I'm still wondering I have to

cast her. I don't think you said that's how I feel like. You know, you have to get you have to let go of that feeling. Lady, I didn't go to get What is it? They say? Cord cutting? Okay, we need to we need to extract him with me. Yeah, we needed to go to like a healer in like ally or something. Okay, let's go. It sounds like a good episode. What a genuine, kind, down to earth human being with so much success, so humble mm hmm. He doesn't have to be humble, he's a genius, but he is.

But he was great and and so um. It's so great to have his perspective too, because we were so young and green at that moment and we didn't know what was happening, and we were just on the set doing the work and he was back there, you know, with the strings, the puppeteer. He was making it, making it all up. What a mind. I love it. It's funny when he said that he was excited for the crane, because that was like a yeah, yeah, for sure, his

first episode directing. I wonder I didn't ask him, but I wanted to ask him if he had gone on to direct more shows or direct on his other shows. I wanted to know, but I didn't have time. Well, when when we joined him in Paris, we'll ask him. All right, yes, he's booking the tickets, right, Oh is he okay? I think so? Yeah? Like insight as to have their starting production for Emily in Pairs season two. I don't even think that info is out yet, so people will be season three or season two mm hmm.

But that's it for today. That's it for this episode, you guys, so we should we should wrap it up, I say, speaking of wrapping it up. Rap party, Oh yeah, wrap good one. Nice tie says, Let's see how you did that? Are big Rap Party is coming up in two weeks. What's the date on that tour? That'll be on April at five pm Pacific Standard time eight p m Eastern Standard time, and you can join us for our live rap party. Yeah, come hang out. We have to really try to make it like a rat party.

I don't know how we're going to pull that off, but we gotta. We got a brainstorm. You can get your tickets on location live dot com slash nine o two one zero. Well, I'll just make it like our original rap party, and I'll get drunk and puke and you hold my hair, get wasted and throw up in a garbage again somewhere, and then it'll be like about party here you got beforehand, colassie or classy gals? All Right, you guys think so much for joining us this week? Uh?

Next week coming up is the season finale of season one, which is very excited, exciting episode twenty two Home Again, so everybody watch in the whole season. Yeah, I love it. It's been so much fun. But I'll save that for next week. Okay, see you next week, you guys, Love you one Love