#6: Beverly Hills, 90210 – Brandon and Brenda Walsh (1990)
The premise of Beverly Hills, 90210 deliberately places the Walsh family in a wealthier environment than the one they previously knew in Minnesota, so Brandon and Brenda are not supposed to be as affluent as many of their classmates. Even so, the family adapts remarkably comfortably to life in one of America’s most expensive ZIP codes. Jim Walsh has a successful career in accounting and financial management, providing a credible upper-middle-class income, but the family’s spacious Beverly Hills home would still represent a major financial commitment. Brandon and Brenda also participate in a social world filled with restaurants, fashionable clothing, cars, parties, and activities shaped by genuinely wealthy friends. Brandon frequently works part-time, which helps distinguish him from characters such as Steve Sanders, but money rarely prevents the Walsh siblings from remaining integrated into their affluent surroundings. The discrepancy is partly intentional—the family serves as an audience entry point into Beverly Hills privilege.
