[1] During her career in film and television, Doherty played a number of notable characters, including Jenny Wilder in Little House on the Prairie (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985); Kris Witherspoon in Our House (1986–1988); Heather Duke in Heathers (1989); Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–1994), 90210 (2008–2009), and BH90210 (2019); Rene Mosier in Mallrats (1995); and Prue Halliwell in Charmed (1998–2001).

("A Sense of Debt"), followed by an early episode of Airwolf ("Bite Of The Jackal"), for which she was nominated as Best Young Actress: Guest in a Series at the 6th Youth in Film Awards in 1984.

[7] In 1985, Doherty starred as Maggie Malene in the teen movie comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun alongside actresses Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Doherty was cast as the oldest Witherspoon sibling, Kris, on the family drama Our House, which ran from 1986 to 1988, a role which garnered her a Young Artist Award nomination.

She garnered worldwide attention and fame for her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in the Aaron Spelling–produced TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1990.

[11][12] Doherty's career afterward primarily constituted made-for-TV movies, although she also had a lead role in Kevin Smith's 1995 film Mallrats and later cameoed in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

In 1998, Spelling again cast her in another of his television series, Charmed, in which she played one of the lead characters, Prue Halliwell, the oldest of three sisters who are witches.

[17] From 2004 to 2005, in a return to her prime-time soap roots, Doherty starred as a regular on the short-lived TV series North Shore, as Alexandra Hudson.

In the show, Doherty carried out the "dirty work" for members of the public, including dumping boyfriends or telling people what their friends really think about them.

She first appeared in Kiss Me Deadly: A Jacob Keane Assignment for the Here TV network and followed up with a starring role in the holiday film Christmas Caper for ABC Family.

After her initial guest spot was completed, Doherty stated she was open to returning to the series later in the season[24] and eventually agreed to appear in three additional episodes, including an airing in May 2009.

[29] In late 2008, Doherty was announced to co-star alongside Dylan McDermott in the independent film Burning Palms, a satire based on Los Angeles stereotypes told through five intertwining storylines.

[36] On July 21, 2011, WE tv announced that Doherty would star in a one-hour reality series that would follow her and her fiancé, Kurt Iswarienko, as they planned their wedding.

[38][39] The six-episode series followed the pair traveling across southeastern United States, with stops in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

[40] Viewers were able to vote on activities in which Doherty and Combs engaged at each destination on Great American Country's official website.

[40] In November 2016, Doherty joined the cast of a Heathers television series, originally set to air on Paramount Network in March 2018.

"[59] During the time she was working on Beverly Hills, 90210, Doherty gained a reputation in the media for bad behavior that dominated her public image for many years.

[63] This reputation gained further ground during her three seasons on Charmed, when tabloids fueled rumors of a feud between Doherty and her co-star Alyssa Milano.

In both instances, Doherty acrimoniously departed from the shows after a few seasons; on Charmed, she was allegedly fired by producer Aaron Spelling after he received an ultimatum from Milano.

[68] Doherty, for her part, admitted to making mistakes, blaming her behavior on the pressures of fame, her youth, and problems in her personal life.

"[71] Her dysfunctional reputation inspired the Billy Bermingham–written satirical farce Shannen Doherty Shoots a Porno: A Shockumentary, which featured Alexandra Billings and was performed at Chicago's Torso Theatre from 1994 to 1997.

[80] On February 4, 2020, Doherty announced that her cancer had returned a year earlier, which had metastasized in her liver, and had advanced to stage IV.