Kelly Taylor (90210)
Encyclopedia
Kelly Taylor, portrayed by Jennie Garth
, is a fictional character
who was the female lead of Beverly Hills, 90210
for the majority of the show's duration. Initially presented as a "spoiled teen vixen", the role was gradually expanded by producers. Subsequently, Kelly became instrumental in launching the first spin-off
, was written with a more compassionate demeanor, overcame several perils and personal challenges, and attracted many romantic suitors and triangles. Appearing for the entirety of the series' run, the character is noted for her development from youth to adulthood.
Kelly appears prominently in a majority of the shows which compose the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. In addition to her role in launching the spin-off Melrose Place, Garth was the first performer from the original show to be cast in the third spin-off, 90210
. Having appeared in the most series premieres, as well as the most episodes of any figure throughout the continuity, she is the de facto central character of the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise.
Garth's portrayal has earned recognition from critics and co-stars. In a 1995 article on the actress, TV Guide
' s Mary Murphy stated that, "Her signature role—the sensitive, seductive, and tortured Kelly Taylor—tapped into the very essence of teenage angst and brought her a huge cult following." Actors Jason Priestley
, Grant Show
, and Sara Foster
have expressed admiration for Garth's work. In a 2009 article, Nellie Andreeva of The Hollywood Reporter
called the character of Kelly "organic to 90210' s setting."
The reasons for Kelly's behavior first started to reveal themselves in episode 7, "Perfect Mom", when Kelly was forced to confront her mother's drug addiction and alcoholism. Several of her friends, particularly the Walsh family and Andrea Zuckerman, first came to appreciate Kelly's difficulties in life when they saw her handle this problem. During episode 13, "Slumber Party," Kelly revealed that she was essentially date-raped by a senior during her freshmen year in high school, which had led to a promiscuous lifestyle and reputation which deeply hurt her self-esteem. The others then began to realize that Kelly had been through more difficulties than they were aware of, and later, she and Andrea would become close friends. When Andrea was pregnant and was contemplating an abortion in season 4, Kelly was one of the primary people she reached out to.
), an emotionally guarded biker who was slightly older than her. While Jake ultimately resisted their romance, citing Kelly's age, he admitted to admiring her for her heart and kindness. This story line was used to launch the spin-off series Melrose Place. Eventually, Kelly was revealed to have a notable conscience during a summer fling with Dylan McKay, the boyfriend of her friend Brenda, often being the voice of reason during their affair. Kelly went through a period of minor depression during her senior year in high school in season 3. The stress of having feelings for Dylan, someone who she could not pursue because of his relationship with Brenda, added to her struggles. Even when Kelly dated Dylan out in the open, following his relationship with Brenda, it caused her to temporarily lose Brenda as a friend.
Also during this time, Kelly's mother had a new baby, Erin, got married, and put Kelly's childhood home up for sale. Self-consciousness over her figure, along with the anxiety she began to feel, caused her to lash out emotionally, abuse diet pills, and briefly lose control over her life. The character's physical appearance is shown to play a part in her development. At various points of the series, she won the title of Spring Princess at a dance, and was voted her school's most beautiful girl. Kelly is aware of her appeal, but not to the point of conceit; instead, she is sometimes shown to be troubled by it. At one point, she entered a phase where she felt that no one took her seriously, which was heightened when Dylan gave his manuscript to Andrea for review instead of to her. During this time, she began to feel that people only liked her because she was physically attractive.
Creator Darren Star
has commented on the character's progression. In his DVD commentary of the episode "Spring Dance", Star notes Kelly's first attempt to romance Brandon Walsh, in which she'd embraced her role as Spring Princess and used a largely forward and aggressive approach. He goes on to state that in the fourth season, when Kelly was prone to expressing her affections in a more gentle and compassionate manner, she made a greater impression on Brandon. While pursuing Jake on Melrose Place, a confused Kelly eventually asks, "Don't you think I'm pretty?" This contrasts with her attitude one year later, when she becomes more interested in having others appreciate her for what lies beneath the surface. This development is standardized one additional year later, via her aforementioned second pursuit of Brandon Walsh, which ends in success.
reported that the show's creators made a conscious decision to place her character at center stage. An anonymous producer cites "faith in Jennie as an actress," further stating that he and producer Aaron Spelling
"knew she had the chops to do it." This development would gradually lead to Kelly supplanting Brenda as the prominent female lead, as the former received what the producer called "better story lines." Reportedly, these matters became a source of tension between Garth and Shannen Doherty
, who played Brenda. Following Doherty's final appearance on the show in 1994, however, Garth stated, "We were friends at work, and I miss her most of the time."
Ultimately, throughout the first five seasons, Kelly gained an increasing degree of screen presence and growth. Amidst her continuing development, her role in launching the spin-off, her prominent triangle with Brenda and Dylan, her later affections with male lead Brandon, and the launch of a second triangle with Brandon and Dylan, Kelly became the character that several major events or changes were based around. Additionally, she was given varying involvement in noted story lines not surrounding her—including Dylan's family trauma, Brenda's acting pursuits, and David's recovery from drug use. Her status would become standardized throughout the course of the series' run.
In addition to Melrose Place, she would later be used to help launch the third spin-off, 90210
(with Garth being the first performer from the original show to be cast). This development would make Kelly Taylor the most prominent figure in the collective franchise, via the most appearances in episodes and series premieres. Shannen Doherty, who returned as Brenda in the third spin-off, reported that she and Garth, like their characters, had renewed their friendship, stating, "Now we’re really good friends—and I love her."
. In overcoming these matters, she was able to become a better person and help others.
Tori Spelling
's Donna Martin and Kathleen Robertson
's Clare Arnold were among Kelly's best friends and roommates. Tiffani Thiessen
's Valerie, who replaced Brenda, became Kelly's nemesis, but right before Valerie's departure, the two women formed a truce.
Kelly's two most prominent romantic relationships were with Jason Priestley
's Brandon and Luke Perry
's Dylan. In season 5, she was faced with making a choice between the two, as a result of Brandon proposing and Dylan confessing his feelings for her and asking her to leave with him on a trip around the world. She ultimately refused to make a decision. In the seventh season, however, she finally stated that she had chosen Brandon. She nearly married Brandon, but the two decided that they were not ready. Following Jason Priestley's departure from the series, Jennie Garth became the officially billed lead, with the character of Kelly further maturing, reuniting romantically with Dylan, and starting her own PR firm.
season 2, Grant Show
played his Melrose Place character Jake, who started a relationship with Kelly which led into early episodes of the spin-off. During Kelly's appearances, her relationship with Jake was largely on-and-off due to his discomfort with her youth. In the end, after weeks of trying to break up with Kelly, Jake pretended to cheat on her, prompting her to leave him. Afterward on both Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place, Kelly, Donna, Jake, and others made occasional comments concerning Kelly and Jake's brief relationship.
, now working as a guidance counselor at her alma mater
West Beverly Hills High School. It was revealed that in the intervening years, she attained a Master's degree and had a son named Sammy with Dylan. She and Dylan ended their relationship soon after. It was also revealed that West Beverly principal Harry Wilson was Kelly's neighbor growing up.
Kelly's tenuous relationship with her mother Jackie (Ann Gillespie) continued in the series' first season, with tension arising due to Jackie's drunken negligence of Erin
, a recurring character in the original series and a regular in the spin-off. She also resumed her friendship with Brenda Walsh. However, their relationship was briefly strained by Kelly's and possibly Brenda's lingering feelings for former boyfriend Dylan McKay, as well as Brenda sleeping with Kelly's ex-boyfriend, Ryan Matthews, a teacher at West Beverly. Following Brenda's discovery that she could not have children, she and Kelly made amends once again.
On the night of Donna's moving-back party, Kelly and Ryan met at a convenience store. She was told by a fortune teller that she would meet a man with a six-pack. In his hands, Ryan was holding a six-pack of beer. Kelly and Ryan then went to his apartment, where they were last seen making out. Ultimately, she and Ryan chose not to pursue a romantic relationship.
In the second season, Kelly began to spend more time with Harry, much to the chagrin of his wife Debbie. It was implied that both Kelly and Harry had begun to develop feelings for each other. However, Garth refused to participate in a proposed story line involving an affair. Upon learning that Jackie was dying of cancer
, Kelly was initially distant from her mother and protective of Erin (who is commonly called by her surname), eventually causing Silver to move out and live with Jackie. The day after Silver's "half-birthday," Jackie was admitted to the hospital. After talking to Silver, Kelly gained the strength to visit their mother. Eventually, Kelly and Jackie made amends before Jackie's untimely death. Garth departed the series following season 2, later citing problems with the newly appointed show-runner, Rebecca Sinclair, and the direction the show took. Although not written out after her last appearance, she was mentioned several times later in the show, indicating that she is still around looking after her sister, just not on screen.
With regard to Garth's long-running portrayal, Nellie Andreeva of The Hollywood Reporter
acknowledged the character of Kelly as being "organic to 90210' s setting" in a 2009 article. On November 24, 2008, SOAPnet
aired a Beverly Hills, 90210 marathon titled "Kelly's Leftovers", dedicated to the character's love life. While discussing the Melrose Place spin-off
in a 2009 interview, Grant Show, who played Jake Hanson in the original, stated that he would be open to appearing if Jennie Garth did so as Kelly Taylor. After being confirmed to direct a season 1 episode of the spin-off 90210
, Jason Priestley commented that he hoped Jennie Garth would be among the actors present. Sara Foster
, who was cast as Jen Clark in the spin-off, has stated that she was excited and nervous about meeting Garth, who she'd watched in the original series.
In its biographical article on the actress, Yahoo!
states that "playing the popular tramp-turned-good girl Kelly through the years afforded Garth the opportunity to not only grow up on camera in front of America, but to fully develop her character and improve her acting chops each season." Additionally, Kelly Taylor has been cited by the media as an inspiration for the character Naomi Clark
(AnnaLynne McCord
), introduced in 90210. On September 2, 2010 (9/02/10), Reuters
.com featured an article on the original series, quoting a Twitter
message in which Garth stated, "Love to the original cast and crew. And the new kids too."
Jennie Garth
Jennifer Eve "Jennie" Garth is an American actress and director, best known for starring in the prominent role of Kelly Taylor throughout the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, is a fictional character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who was the female lead of Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
for the majority of the show's duration. Initially presented as a "spoiled teen vixen", the role was gradually expanded by producers. Subsequently, Kelly became instrumental in launching the first spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
, was written with a more compassionate demeanor, overcame several perils and personal challenges, and attracted many romantic suitors and triangles. Appearing for the entirety of the series' run, the character is noted for her development from youth to adulthood.
Kelly appears prominently in a majority of the shows which compose the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. In addition to her role in launching the spin-off Melrose Place, Garth was the first performer from the original show to be cast in the third spin-off, 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
. Having appeared in the most series premieres, as well as the most episodes of any figure throughout the continuity, she is the de facto central character of the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise.
Garth's portrayal has earned recognition from critics and co-stars. In a 1995 article on the actress, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
, Grant Show
Grant Show
Grant Alan Show is an American actor best known for his role on Melrose Place as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997.-Early life:...
, and Sara Foster
Sara Foster
Sara Christine Foster is an American actress. She was previously a fashion model before moving to the film industry. She is best known for her role as Jen Clark on 90210.-Career:...
have expressed admiration for Garth's work. In a 2009 article, Nellie Andreeva of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
called the character of Kelly "organic to 90210
Introduction
Throughout the course of the first series, Kelly became one of the show's most developed characters. When introduced in 1990, she was presented as, on the surface, a stereotypical spoiled type who placed high value on posh appearances and material possessions. However, the character would become increasingly layered as the series progressed.The reasons for Kelly's behavior first started to reveal themselves in episode 7, "Perfect Mom", when Kelly was forced to confront her mother's drug addiction and alcoholism. Several of her friends, particularly the Walsh family and Andrea Zuckerman, first came to appreciate Kelly's difficulties in life when they saw her handle this problem. During episode 13, "Slumber Party," Kelly revealed that she was essentially date-raped by a senior during her freshmen year in high school, which had led to a promiscuous lifestyle and reputation which deeply hurt her self-esteem. The others then began to realize that Kelly had been through more difficulties than they were aware of, and later, she and Andrea would become close friends. When Andrea was pregnant and was contemplating an abortion in season 4, Kelly was one of the primary people she reached out to.
Progression
Toward the end of the second season, Kelly met a man named Jake Hanson (played by Grant ShowGrant Show
Grant Alan Show is an American actor best known for his role on Melrose Place as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997.-Early life:...
), an emotionally guarded biker who was slightly older than her. While Jake ultimately resisted their romance, citing Kelly's age, he admitted to admiring her for her heart and kindness. This story line was used to launch the spin-off series Melrose Place. Eventually, Kelly was revealed to have a notable conscience during a summer fling with Dylan McKay, the boyfriend of her friend Brenda, often being the voice of reason during their affair. Kelly went through a period of minor depression during her senior year in high school in season 3. The stress of having feelings for Dylan, someone who she could not pursue because of his relationship with Brenda, added to her struggles. Even when Kelly dated Dylan out in the open, following his relationship with Brenda, it caused her to temporarily lose Brenda as a friend.
Also during this time, Kelly's mother had a new baby, Erin, got married, and put Kelly's childhood home up for sale. Self-consciousness over her figure, along with the anxiety she began to feel, caused her to lash out emotionally, abuse diet pills, and briefly lose control over her life. The character's physical appearance is shown to play a part in her development. At various points of the series, she won the title of Spring Princess at a dance, and was voted her school's most beautiful girl. Kelly is aware of her appeal, but not to the point of conceit; instead, she is sometimes shown to be troubled by it. At one point, she entered a phase where she felt that no one took her seriously, which was heightened when Dylan gave his manuscript to Andrea for review instead of to her. During this time, she began to feel that people only liked her because she was physically attractive.
Creator Darren Star
Darren Star
Darren Bennett Star is an American producer, director and writer for film and television. He is best known for creating the hit TV shows Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sex and the City.-Career:...
has commented on the character's progression. In his DVD commentary of the episode "Spring Dance", Star notes Kelly's first attempt to romance Brandon Walsh, in which she'd embraced her role as Spring Princess and used a largely forward and aggressive approach. He goes on to state that in the fourth season, when Kelly was prone to expressing her affections in a more gentle and compassionate manner, she made a greater impression on Brandon. While pursuing Jake on Melrose Place, a confused Kelly eventually asks, "Don't you think I'm pretty?" This contrasts with her attitude one year later, when she becomes more interested in having others appreciate her for what lies beneath the surface. This development is standardized one additional year later, via her aforementioned second pursuit of Brandon Walsh, which ends in success.
Rise in prominence
The evolution of Kelly's character led to developments both on-screen and off. In a 1995 article on Garth, TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported that the show's creators made a conscious decision to place her character at center stage. An anonymous producer cites "faith in Jennie as an actress," further stating that he and producer Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
"knew she had the chops to do it." This development would gradually lead to Kelly supplanting Brenda as the prominent female lead, as the former received what the producer called "better story lines." Reportedly, these matters became a source of tension between Garth and Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Maria Doherty is an American actress, producer, author and television director, known for her work as Heather Duke in Heathers , as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 and its spinoff series 90210, and as Prue Halliwell in Charmed .-Early life and career:Doherty was born in Memphis,...
, who played Brenda. Following Doherty's final appearance on the show in 1994, however, Garth stated, "We were friends at work, and I miss her most of the time."
In addition to Melrose Place, she would later be used to help launch the third spin-off, 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
(with Garth being the first performer from the original show to be cast). This development would make Kelly Taylor the most prominent figure in the collective franchise, via the most appearances in episodes and series premieres. Shannen Doherty, who returned as Brenda in the third spin-off, reported that she and Garth, like their characters, had renewed their friendship, stating, "Now we’re really good friends—and I love her."
Adulthood
Kelly faced several difficult issues and obstacles, often with the assistance of loved ones, including her occasionally difficult home life, being trapped in a fire, being tricked into joining a cult, and becoming temporarily addicted to cocaine. In addition to many other matters, she endured getting amnesia, shooting her rapist in self-defense, becoming unexpectedly pregnant and having a miscarriage, and learning that it would be difficult for her to have children because of a condition called endometriosisEndometriosis
Endometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
. In overcoming these matters, she was able to become a better person and help others.
Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
's Donna Martin and Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson
Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Clare Arnold in Beverly Hills, 90210 .-Career:Robertson started taking acting classes when she was ten, and had roles in local theater productions...
's Clare Arnold were among Kelly's best friends and roommates. Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
's Valerie, who replaced Brenda, became Kelly's nemesis, but right before Valerie's departure, the two women formed a truce.
Kelly's two most prominent romantic relationships were with Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
's Brandon and Luke Perry
Luke Perry
Luke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
's Dylan. In season 5, she was faced with making a choice between the two, as a result of Brandon proposing and Dylan confessing his feelings for her and asking her to leave with him on a trip around the world. She ultimately refused to make a decision. In the seventh season, however, she finally stated that she had chosen Brandon. She nearly married Brandon, but the two decided that they were not ready. Following Jason Priestley's departure from the series, Jennie Garth became the officially billed lead, with the character of Kelly further maturing, reuniting romantically with Dylan, and starting her own PR firm.
Melrose Place
For the launch of the series Melrose Place in 1992, Jennie Garth made a multi-episode special guest appearance. During the final episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
season 2, Grant Show
Grant Show
Grant Alan Show is an American actor best known for his role on Melrose Place as Jake Hanson, which he played from 1992 to 1997.-Early life:...
played his Melrose Place character Jake, who started a relationship with Kelly which led into early episodes of the spin-off. During Kelly's appearances, her relationship with Jake was largely on-and-off due to his discomfort with her youth. In the end, after weeks of trying to break up with Kelly, Jake pretended to cheat on her, prompting her to leave him. Afterward on both Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place, Kelly, Donna, Jake, and others made occasional comments concerning Kelly and Jake's brief relationship.
90210
In 2008, Kelly Taylor returned in the spin-off 9021090210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, now working as a guidance counselor at her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
West Beverly Hills High School. It was revealed that in the intervening years, she attained a Master's degree and had a son named Sammy with Dylan. She and Dylan ended their relationship soon after. It was also revealed that West Beverly principal Harry Wilson was Kelly's neighbor growing up.
Kelly's tenuous relationship with her mother Jackie (Ann Gillespie) continued in the series' first season, with tension arising due to Jackie's drunken negligence of Erin
Silver (90210 character)
Erin Silver is a fictional character on The CW television series 90210, the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. Portrayed by Jessica Stroup, the character was originally introduced in Beverly Hills, 90210 as Kelly Taylor and David Silver's sister.- Season 1 :Silver in introduced in...
, a recurring character in the original series and a regular in the spin-off. She also resumed her friendship with Brenda Walsh. However, their relationship was briefly strained by Kelly's and possibly Brenda's lingering feelings for former boyfriend Dylan McKay, as well as Brenda sleeping with Kelly's ex-boyfriend, Ryan Matthews, a teacher at West Beverly. Following Brenda's discovery that she could not have children, she and Kelly made amends once again.
On the night of Donna's moving-back party, Kelly and Ryan met at a convenience store. She was told by a fortune teller that she would meet a man with a six-pack. In his hands, Ryan was holding a six-pack of beer. Kelly and Ryan then went to his apartment, where they were last seen making out. Ultimately, she and Ryan chose not to pursue a romantic relationship.
In the second season, Kelly began to spend more time with Harry, much to the chagrin of his wife Debbie. It was implied that both Kelly and Harry had begun to develop feelings for each other. However, Garth refused to participate in a proposed story line involving an affair. Upon learning that Jackie was dying of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Kelly was initially distant from her mother and protective of Erin (who is commonly called by her surname), eventually causing Silver to move out and live with Jackie. The day after Silver's "half-birthday," Jackie was admitted to the hospital. After talking to Silver, Kelly gained the strength to visit their mother. Eventually, Kelly and Jackie made amends before Jackie's untimely death. Garth departed the series following season 2, later citing problems with the newly appointed show-runner, Rebecca Sinclair, and the direction the show took. Although not written out after her last appearance, she was mentioned several times later in the show, indicating that she is still around looking after her sister, just not on screen.
Reception
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
acknowledged the character of Kelly as being "organic to 90210
SOAPnet
SOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
aired a Beverly Hills, 90210 marathon titled "Kelly's Leftovers", dedicated to the character's love life. While discussing the Melrose Place spin-off
Melrose Place (2009 TV series)
Melrose Place is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network from September 8, 2009 to April 13, 2010. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s Fox prime time drama of the same name, featuring a group of young adults...
in a 2009 interview, Grant Show, who played Jake Hanson in the original, stated that he would be open to appearing if Jennie Garth did so as Kelly Taylor. After being confirmed to direct a season 1 episode of the spin-off 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, Jason Priestley commented that he hoped Jennie Garth would be among the actors present. Sara Foster
Sara Foster
Sara Christine Foster is an American actress. She was previously a fashion model before moving to the film industry. She is best known for her role as Jen Clark on 90210.-Career:...
, who was cast as Jen Clark in the spin-off, has stated that she was excited and nervous about meeting Garth, who she'd watched in the original series.
In its biographical article on the actress, Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
states that "playing the popular tramp-turned-good girl Kelly through the years afforded Garth the opportunity to not only grow up on camera in front of America, but to fully develop her character and improve her acting chops each season." Additionally, Kelly Taylor has been cited by the media as an inspiration for the character Naomi Clark
Naomi Clark
Naomi Clark, played by AnnaLynne McCord, is a fictional character from the CW primetime drama 90210, the fourth series of the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
(AnnaLynne McCord
AnnaLynne McCord
AnnaLynne McCord is an American actress. Known for playing a range of vixen-type roles, McCord first gained prominence in 2007 as the scheming Eden Lord on the FX television series Nip/Tuck, and as the pampered Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress...
), introduced in 90210. On September 2, 2010 (9/02/10), Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
.com featured an article on the original series, quoting a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
message in which Garth stated, "Love to the original cast and crew. And the new kids too."