TOP 10: Aaron Spelling Shows
On July 8, 1992, “Melrose Place” debuted on Fox. While the first season of the drama about 20somethings living in an LA apartment complex was a bit of a dud, it eventually exploded (pun intended) and became one of the most popular shows on Fox, and hugely influential to pop culture in the 1990s.
That was nothing new for its Executive Producer, Mr. Aaron Spelling. From the 1950s until the 2000s, Spelling was a TV juggernaut, producing literally dozens of television series, in numerous genres, more than a few of them achieving legend status at the time they aired, and even into today.
While Aaron Spelling died in 2006, he will always be considered TV royalty, and the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast has waited far too long to pay him homage. Below find our picks for the Top 10 Aaron Spelling shows.
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Honorable Mention: “Life With Lucy”
Proof that nobody is infallible, Spelling was the Executive Producer on this 1980s ABC sitcom, intended to be the big comeback project for legendary comedian Lucille Ball. Despite the pedigree of the talent in front of and behind the camera, only 8 of the 13 filmed episodes aired, before the show was cancelled due to low ratings and poor reviews. It was Ball’s final television credit prior to her death in 1989.
10. “Hotel”
“Hotel” was a drama set in — as you might assume — a hotel, this one the luxurious (and fictitious) St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco. It ran on ABC from 1983 to 1988 in the cushy post-“Dynasty” time slot. While “Hotel” is not one of Aaron Spelling’s most impactful shows, it does have some pop-culture cred worth mentioning. The lead for the show was James Brolin, best known today as husband of Barbra Streisand and father of Josh “Thanos/Cable/Bran from ‘Goonies’” Brolin, but in this show, he’s just Daddy AF. The cast also included 80s hair icon Connie Sellecca, Shari Belafonte, and — in the pilot at least — Bette Davis, who played the wealthy aristocrat owner of the hotel. The intention was for Davis to be a regular cast member, but a bout of ill health led to her being replaced by her All About Eve costar Anne Baxter, who played her sister-in-law. Life imitated art, as Baxter pushed Davis out of the show. Scandal! Like “The Love Boat,” “Hotel” was notable for its slew of character-actor guest stars (AKA “oh hey, that guy!”) who would come in and out of the hotel, exploring more dramatic plotlines. Recognizable guest stars include Estelle Getty, Shelley Winters, Gwen Verdon, Robert Stack, Dinah Shore, and Jan-Michael Vincent. Oh, I just love him…
9. “T. J. Hooker”
Surprisingly not a show about sex workers, “T. J. Hooker” was a cop show that aired for four seasons on ABC in the early 1980s before moving to CBS for its final season. “Hooker” is notable for starring William Shatner as the no-nonsense police sergeant looking to rid the streets of dangerous criminals, paired with a squad of mostly younger police recruits, headlined by intended 80s heart throb Adrian Zmed and an effervescent Heather Locklear — who was filming this at the same time she was shooting “Dynasty.” “Hooker” is not great TV, but it was certainly a moment in time, and helped to make stars of both Locklear and Zmed (one did better than the other). While there have been rumors of a reboot, it has yet to materialize.
8. “The Mod Squad”
One of Spelling’s earliest hits was this crime show that ran on ABC from 1968 to 1973, and which gained its fair share of industry accolades, including Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. “The Mod Squad” was a crime/mystery show that also explored the counterculture movement that was at that time transforming America. Its three protagonists were a rich kid rebelling against his rich parents, a politically active black man, and a hippy woman, all of whom were arrested for various crimes and then put to work as undercover agents by by the LAPD. “The Mod Squad” was quite influential for its time, featuring one of the first black leads on American television (Clarence Williams III as Linc), and depicting the counterculture movement even earlier than seminal films like Easy Rider. Much of the lingo — especially Linc’s slang — became engrained in the American lexicon. In 1999 the series was given a feature-film revival, with Claire Danes in the lead female role.
7. “Fantasy Island”
Airing on ABC from 1977 to 1984, “Fantasy Island” is a fascinating show. A serialized fantasy drama, it starred Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke, the mysterious proprietor of a tropical resort where guests came for a three-day stay in which their fantasies would be fulfilled. These fantasies would range wildly from person to person — played by sometimes-recognizable guest stars, including Bill Bixby, Sandra Dee, Don Knotts, etc. — and would sometimes veer into the supernatural, involving ghosts or time travel. The fantasies would often come with a personal cost of some kind, or require the guest to learn an important life lesson. In the original series, Montalban’s Mr. Roarke — who is implied to be supernatural or at least immortal himself — is largely portrayed as a benign force, and sometimes intervenes to help or save the guests. In the series’ subsequent revivals, including a dark 1998 starring Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke, the character is much more morally complicated, even devious. It’s one of the more high-concept Spelling shows, and while there have been several failed revivals already, it’s a fresh concept that could use more exploring. One could argue that HBO’s “The White Lotus” is essentially a more upscale, self-guided, anthology version of “Fantasy Island.” (We would be remiss to not also mention Herve Villechaize’s iconic character, Tattoo, and his catchphrase, “De plane, de plane!”)
6. “The Love Boat”
Possibly the most iconic inclusion on this list, “The Love Boat” was engrained in American pop culture from the 1970s to the 1980s, and continues to be referenced nearly 40 years after it left the air. Broadcast on Saturday nights on ABC from 1976 to 1986, with specials continuing into the 90s, “The Love Boat” was a comedy-drama that ran for 250 episodes, headlined by Gavin MacLeod’s Captain Stubing as he and his crew guided the MS Pacific Princess as it stewarded hundreds of eager passenger on their pleasure cruises. While the ship had its regular cast of notable characters, including bartender Isaac and cruise director Julie, it was really about the guest stars that would come and go each week. This was a literal cavalcade of stars — some hasbeens, some never-weres, and a few soon-to-be superstars. Kathy Bates! Debbie Allen! Tom Hanks! Kirstie Alley! Sonny Bono! Eileen Brennan! Dr. Joyce Brothers! Delta Burke! Richard Dean Anderson! Carol Channing! Zsa Zsa Gabor! Charo — a million times, Charo! “The Love Boat” is a cheesy delight, and we could listen to that theme song on repeat for hours and never tire of it. There have been a few revival attempts, including a reality competition version in the 2020s. But I’m not sure you can recapture the magic of the original in these cynical times.
5. “Charmed”
It’s important to understand, first off, that the “Charmed” fandom is extremely passionate, to this day, nearly 20 years after its final episode aired on CW in 2006. “Charmed” hooked into the supernatural young-person drama that became the WB (and later CW) bread and butter in the 1990s and 2000s, spurred by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Smallville,” and other related shows. Centering on the Halliwells, sister witches Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), the show started out as a monster-of-the-week smorgasbord before evolving into a soap steeped in supernatural storylines. The show is possibly better known for its off-screen drama, which climaxed with Doherty’s character being killed off at the end of Season 3, and replaced by half-sister Paige (Rose McGowan), who remained until the end of the show’s 8-season run. As of 2024, what really went down behind the scenes remains a hot topic, as the various cast members continue to take shots at each other via social media, podcasts, and fan conventions. Regardless, “Charmed” was an incredibly influential series, and remains a popular sci-fi/fantasy drama, and launched or reignited the careers of several of its core cast, including Julian McMahon (who went on to “Nip/Tuck” and played Dr. Doom (!) in the Fox Fantastic Four films) and Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory,” “The Flight Attendant,” pushing William Shatner out of that Priceline gig). The CW tried to revive the series centering on Latina sister witches in the 2010s, but as with most Spellingvision revivals, it had a much shorter shelf life than the original.
4. “Melrose Place”
For several of its earlier seasons, “Melrose Place” was appointment television for young women (and gay men) of the 1990s. The defining primetime soap of that decade, “MP” launched the careers of Marcia Cross (“Desperate Housewives”), Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”), Doug Savant (“Desperate Housewives”), Courtney Thorne-Smith (“Ally McBeal”), and others, and continued Heather Locklear’s literal two-decade dominance as one of American soap-opera leading ladies. An edgier, grittier drama than 1980s predecessor “Dynasty,” this spinoff from “Beverly Hills, 90210” became a ratings smash after the introduction of Locklear’s Amanda Woodward character at the end of Season 1, and would become so popular that it would have its own spinoff in the late, lamented “Models Inc.” (PS we will totally do a Top 10 Failed Primetime Soaps list, and you better believe “Models Inc.” will be a high ranking on that one.) While “Melrose” started dull and ended messy, seasons 2 through 4 are peak 90s television. The show was spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” and featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. It WAS the 90s. A mid-2000s revival on the CW landed with a thud (kind of like Sydney on the hood of Brooke’s windshield…), although a new 2020s revival is allegedly in the works with many of the original core cast. Just keep Dr. Kimberly Shaw away from the laundry room!
3. “Charlie’s Angels”
“Charlie’s Angels” arguably became even more culturally important after the show wrapped up its initial run on ABC, where it aired from 1976 to 1981. It was still groundbreaking at the time, trying to comment on the women’s liberation movement of the 60s and 70s by taking three women police officers and turning them into a covert private-eye force. Of course, from a 2020s perspective, it’s still a little problematic to have these strong, independent women take orders from not only a man, but an unseen, heavily paternalistic figure (voiced via the speaker by “Dynasty” lead John Forsythe). Still, the show’s intentions were good, it was a blast to watch, and it launched the careers of its three original leads, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and especially Farrah Fawcett, who became a worldwide sex symbol and a well-regarded actress after departing the show at the end of Season 1. The property went on to have even more success with the 2000s film reboots starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu. There was a flop TV revival attempted in the 2010s, and a flop film revival in 2019 starring Kristen Stewart that is honestly way better than people gave it credit. Bottom line, everyone likes to see beautiful women kicking ass, and we have Aaron Spelling to thank for the concept.
2. “Dynasty”
Aaron Spelling’s “Dynasty” was not the first nighttime soap, but it is arguably the greatest (its contemporary “Dallas” is probably the other major contender). Like several other shows on this list, “Dynasty” was not a hit out of the gate. Inspired by the success of “Dallas,” the show was initially an exploration of the haves vs. the have-nots, as Denver’s wealthy Carrington clan is infiltrated by Krystle, patriarch Blake’s former employee and new bride. While class distinctions remain a constant element for the series, the more serious and — frankly — dull plotlines involving many of the working-class characters were written out by Season 2, and more fantastical and dramatic plots took their place, spearheaded by the addition of Joan Collins’ iconic Alexis Morell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan Dexter, as well as bad-seed son, Adam Carrington, played by Gordon Thomson. For its prime seasons, “Dynasty” leaned into its soapier elements, with shocking plotlines, delicious villains, and those jaw-dropping catfight sequences. It became the No. 1 show in America, and I genuinely wonder how much of our current obsession with wealth and luxury was at least partially inspired by this show broadcasting what real money looks like to average Americans. “Dynasty” was so culturally pervasive in the 80s that it was referenced by Prince in one of his most popular songs, its characters were aspirational to the subjects in films like Paris is Burning, and the show launched fashion dolls and fragrances long before merchandising would become common for TV shows. The show had its own much-hyped spinoff soap, “The Colbys.” The CW did a “Dynasty” reboot in the 2010s, which got a lot of things right (Liz Gillies may actually be THE best Fallon Carrington, fight me on that), but it ended after five seasons, compared to the original’s nine. Simply put, “Dynasty” was squarely in the 1980s American zeitgeist.
1. “Beverly Hills, 90210”
But if you want to talk zeitgeist, you can’t not immediately go to “Beverly Hills, 90210.” There were teen shows before “90210.” “21 Jump Street” predates it slightly — although I would argue that has more in common with “The Mod Squad” or “Charlie’s Angels” than most of the teen-centered dramas that would follow. But would we have the absolute explosion in teen-centered programming in the 1990s and 2000s without “Beverly Hills, 90210”? I submit that we would not. “90210” defined for an entire generation what it looked like, sounded like, felt like to be a teenager, and broadcast that to the entire country. Now, was that a highly skewed interpretation that was almost blindingly white and upper class? FOR SURE. But it captured Gen X in a way that no other TV show had before, and more than that, it commodified that demographic in a way that has been replicated for every subsequent generation. “90210” defined teen fashion in the early 90s (even though the stars were largely in their 20s at the time). “90210” helped to create the concept of a TV show that could launch pop-music songs and acts. More than anything, with the explosion in ratings with the second “summer” season, “90210” proved that teenagers were a prime advertising demographic, and boy did TV networks take notice (movie studios had already gotten that memo thanks to the 1980s teen films and the Brat Pack). “90210” would go on to inspire literally dozens of other teen soaps; even to this day, new shows on the CW and Freeform owe a significant chunk of their DNA to “Beverly Hills, 90210.” There have been numerous reboot attempts, including a decent 2000s CW reboot, and a disastrous quasi-reality series featuring the original cast a few years ago. And who do we thank for that? Ultimately, Aaron Spelling. We salute you, sir.
Disagree with our rankings? Which Spelling shows did we forget? Drop a comment below!
