Jason Priestley Returns to Television with 'Side Order of Life'

Child superstars tend to fall hard. Their careers hit roadblocks and never reach the heights of their first run in the business. Jason Priestley's career has been no exception. In the nineties he was the megastar of the teen soap opera 'Beverly Hills, 90210.' With that came superstardom. He appeared in all of the teenybopper magazines that are now occupied by the likes of Chris Brown. He has worked consistently since 90210, but his star has faded considerably.

Priestley is still most known for his role as Brandon Walsh on the nineties Fox hit 'Beverly Hills, 90210.' His character was the ladies man that wrote for the school newspaper and was on the Chancellor's task force in college. Priestly remained with the show for eight of its ten seasons before leaving in 1998 to pursue other ventures.

Priestley has also appeared in a number of feature films. While Priestley was still on '90210,' he appeared in 'Calendar Girl' in 1993. Despite the fact that his status as a star was still firmly in tact, the film didn't fare so well at the box office. Priestley's shining moment as a film star came in 1997's 'Love and Death On Long Island.' The film received critical acclaim and gave Priestley the type of credibility his previous roles could not. The transition from teenage drama star to movie star is difficult for anybody and Priestley found that out.

Since the end of the nineties, Priestley has appeared in numerous television movies and guest appearances on television shows. In 2002 he appeared in 'Warning: Parental Advisory,' a movie that aired on VH1 and documented Tipper Gore's crusade against raunchy music. His television guest spots have included appearances on '8 Simple Rules,' 'What I Like About You,' and 'Without a Trace.' Priestley was cast on the critically acclaimed, but short lived 'Love Monkey' in 2006.

Priestley is taking another shot at television success with Lifetime's 'Side Order of Life,' which airs Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern. It is a 'dramedy' that centers on the lives of four professional adults. Priestley plays the role of Ian, a man engaged to a woman who is battling depression.

Seeing Priestly on the small screen is a very familiar sight for many people, especially those that grew up in the nineties. Although 'A Side Order of Life' will not propel Priestley's star to the levels that 90210 did, it is a solid role. Former 90210 fans should definitely check the show out, for the nostalgic feeling alone.