BH90210′s Brian Austin Green has been doing his “…with Brian Austin Green” podcast with Derek Russell for two years now, but this weekend, he’s taking it live to “West Beverly” — and guests including Tori Spelling will be joining him, along with a performance by Color Me Badd!
What year is it, again?
“…With Brian Austin Green” has been an outlet for the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles actor and Derek Russell (he of Starkville’s House of El fame) to talk about various topics, all of which can be found here.
“When I pitched [the podcast] to him three or so years ago, I just said “I think it should just be like a conversation between the two of us. The show’s called ‘…with Brian Austin Green.’ Whatever we end up talking about with. Cars with Brian Austin Green. Politics with Brian. Whatever it ends up being, that’s what the episode is. He says ‘mountains out of molehills;’ that cannot be more accurate. We talk all the time, we text constantly, so we’re always so it’s not like that’s the only time we talk, when we hit record. But it’s never like, ‘hey, we should talk about this on the show’ when we’re talking through the week. Literally, we just hit record that go,” Derek says of the venture.
“We try to keep it light and fun,” Brian promises.
This isn’t their first live show — last year, the duo recorded in Atlanta, where they were joined by Green’s 90210 castmate Ian Ziering. This was a success. And now, in this Summer of BH90210, as the classic series nears its 30th anniversary, why do a reunion at Torrance High School a.k.a. West Beverly?
“It’s really for the fans,” Green admits. “I’m going to focus on actors and people that were on the show. We’re really going to bring for fans a piece of that history, and let them come to us and visit, and at the end of the day it benefits a charity (Generosity.org – details here). You really can’t lose. It’s going to be fun to be at. It’s going to be a really fun ride for true 90210 fans.
“It hasn’t been hard to get people [to participate] because they they really feel the enthusiasm for it. They understand,” Green says, hinting at some guests beyond Tori Spelling and Color Me Badd. “Also, I’m enthusiastic, and Derek’s enthusiastic, so people will get to see that and experience that and feel passionate about it like we [are.]”
And it all goes back to the reason for this gathering, the live episode of “…with Brian Austin Green.” And while several packages are still available, the VIP tickets went fast.
“For fans of the show, I’m not surprised that VIP tickets sold out because it’s a really cool event,” Brian says. “Derek and I have really brainstormed to try and think of something fun for people, and then we’ve tried to make it a real experience, and a once in a lifetime experience. You can go on tours that Universal Studios or whatever. You can see sets, But to be a fan of a show, like a true fan, and then all of a sudden to be not only seeing the people that that were on the show that you love, but also at the main locations that were used on the show, it’s just a really cool thing. We’re trying to make it really enjoyable for people.” A trip back to Torrance High School will also be a big deal for Green, who before this idea came around hadn’t been to “West Beverly” since the gang graduated in 1993. (Donna Martin Graduates!)
This 90210 live event was planned and conceived over a year ago, before, sadly, a tragedy hit the 90210 family with the death of Luke Perry… and Brian and Derek both want to stress that this event was long in the works before Perry’s passing… and in fact, they hoped to have him be involved.
“The day of last year’s event, we said if we were going to do this, and where, [it would have to be] bigger and better. I contacted Torrance High School the day after last year’s [live show]. It’s literally been a year of planning. I don’t want to speak for Brian, but I think the in the face of tragedy of losing a family member like Luke, it brings people together and brings people closer,” Derek says.
“This is not on the back of that, of that situation. It never has been,” Brian assures. “We’ve been planning it forever. Like Derek said, we had major intentions of Luke being a part of this podcast. But at the same time, this live podcast is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be a celebration. So, to cancel it and not do it because of that just doesn’t feel right. I don’t think it’s what he would have wanted, and I don’t think it’s what anyone would have wanted. The reality is, it is a celebration, and if it’s too soon for someone, then it’s too soon, and I respect that. I think everybody mourns, and has their own ideas about stuff, and so I completely respect that.”
“We’ve thought this through. This is something that we’ve been planning for a while and, and, unfortunately, life happens while you’re planning and doing stuff. If that becomes a much more emotional night for some, which I’m sure it will, then we’ll deal with it. And it’ll be it’ll be a little more emotional. And that’s just what it is,” Green continues.
“And you can’t be at a place that is iconic as that to fans like that show and not feel the loss and and make mention of Luke, but at the same time, like Brian said, it is a celebration, and I hope fans are excited for what we have put together, because I think I’ve talked to enough 90210 fans here in recent weeks, since we made this announcement that are that are saying this is like the pinnacle of 90210 getting to do something like this,” Derek adds.
“For some people it’s literally a dream come true for people, and that’s f**king awesome. As this podcast, and as a cast member, we’re just trying to think of fun things. We’re not trying to think of like, ‘hey, what’s the coolest thing we can do in the world?’ We’re just trying to really make it fun for people, and if at the same time, it becomes that kind of an experience for people, great. Like, if I was a fan of something, we’re trying to think like, ‘if I was a fan of a show, or of a situation what, what would be my wet dream of that situation?; And that’s what we’re trying to provide,” Brian says.
“I grew up going to Universal Studios, and I was a big fan of the Back in the Future movies,” Green reminisces. “They used to take me to the courthouse where the where the clock tower was and all that stuff, bbut this is like one of those experiences like if somebody said, ‘hey, you get to hang out in Michael J. Fox’s trailer for the day.’ That would have been that would have been a different experience. It was fun for me as a kid to see these locations, but it’s another thing to see these locations, with the people I love, not only at those locations, but talking to me and answering questions and talking about things that I’m curious about. You get that piece of their lives for an hour or two, and that’s really cool,” he says.
You can buy tickets for “…with Brian Austin Green Live! II” here.
