''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
created by
Sam Bobrick
Sam Bobrick (July 24, 1932 – October 11, 2019) was an American author, playwright, television writer, and lyricist.
Early life
Bobrick was born to a Jewish family in Chicago on July 24, 1932. His father was a storekeeper and his mother worke ...
for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
. The series premiered, in
primetime
Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United States on Saturday mornings, later as the flagship series in NBC's
TNBC
TNBC (or Teen NBC) was an American teen-oriented television programming block that aired on NBC from September 12, 1992, to September 28, 2002. The Saturday morning block featured live-action series – primarily in the form of scripted teen si ...
lineup. A
retooling of the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
series ''
Good Morning, Miss Bliss
''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' (also retroactively known as ''Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years'') is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 (and later in syndication as part of the ''Saved by the Bell'' ...
'', the show follows a group of high school friends and their
principal at the fictional Bayside High School in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Primarily focusing on lighthearted comedic situations, it occasionally touches on serious social issues, such as
drug use,
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
,
homelessness
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
,
remarriage
Remarriage is a marriage that takes place after a previous marital union has ended, as through divorce or widowhood.
Some individuals are more likely to remarry than others; the likelihood can differ based on previous relationship status (e.g. div ...
,
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
,
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
, and
environmental issue
Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on th ...
s. The series starred
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
,
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond (January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the ''Saved by the Bell'' franchise.
Early life and family
Diamond was born i ...
,
Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies (born Lark Holloway; March 25, 1974) is an American actress, singer, spokeswoman and model. Voorhies rose to fame playing Lisa Marie Turtle on the NBC sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993). Voorhies was nominated for the Youn ...
,
Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor known for his role as School principal, Principal Richard Belding in the teen situation comedy, sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'', which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star ...
,
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress who starred as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993), as Valerie Malone on Fox's ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1994–98), and as Lori on Netflix's ''Alexa & ...
,
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series ''Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role o ...
, and
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Sa ...
. The series ran for four seasons, airing its final episode, again in primetime, on May 22, 1993, a Saturday night.
The show spawned two spin-off series: ''
Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' (1993–1994), a primetime series that follows several of the characters to college, and ''
Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993–2000), a Saturday morning series that follows a new group of students at Bayside High School. The series also spawned two TV movies, ''
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style'' in 1992 and ''
Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas'' in 1994.
In later years, ''Saved by the Bell'' has been classified as
educational and informational. The show was named one of the "20 Best School Shows of all Time" by
AOL TV
AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV.
The product and service were develop ...
.
Characters
In casting ''
Good Morning, Miss Bliss
''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' (also retroactively known as ''Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years'') is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 (and later in syndication as part of the ''Saved by the Bell'' ...
'',
Peter Engel
Peter Engel (born ) is an American television producer who is best known for his teen sitcoms that appeared on TNBC, a former Saturday morning block on NBC which featured all teenage-oriented programs for educational purposes. His most well kno ...
knew the success of the show would not hinge on Miss Bliss herself, but on her students. Engel particularly envisioned one character,
Zack Morris, who "would be that incorrigible kid who could lie to your face, letting you know very well that he's lying, and make you love him for it all the same."
Engel insisted that the show could not go on without Zack Morris, but he turned out to be one of the most difficult characters to cast. Engel's casting director, Shana Landsburg, finally happened across fourteen-year old
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
and was immediately struck by the teen's charisma, charm, and good looks. After a quick read-through, Gosselaar was immediately given the role.
After casting Zack Morris, the next character sought after was Morris's nerdy friend, Samuel "Screech" Powers. Gosselaar was asked to read through the script with a number of kids, and a second audition was scheduled for finalists. It was Gosselaar himself who insisted that
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond (January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the ''Saved by the Bell'' franchise.
Early life and family
Diamond was born i ...
was right for the part as he believed Diamond was Screech in real life. After reading through the script, Diamond was given the part, although Engel later found out that he had misread his head shot and Diamond was considerably younger than the rest of the cast—a fact that, had he been aware, might have prevented Engel from casting him.
[Engel (2016), pp. 161–163]
Lisa Turtle was originally conceived as a rich Jewish princess from
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, spoiled, materialistic, and obsessed with shopping. While still casting for the role, actress
Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies (born Lark Holloway; March 25, 1974) is an American actress, singer, spokeswoman and model. Voorhies rose to fame playing Lisa Marie Turtle on the NBC sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993). Voorhies was nominated for the Youn ...
was brought into Engel's office, and he immediately knew she was perfect for the role despite the fact that it meant rewriting the character.
[Engel (2016), pp. 180–184]
The school principal, Mr. Gerald Belding, as originally conceived on ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'', was an older, humorless man, and was played in the 1987 pilot by character actor
Oliver Clark
Oliver may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and literature
Books
* ''Oliver the Western Engine'', List of books in The Railway Series#Oliver the Western Engine, volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry
* ''Oliver Twist'', a nove ...
.
After the show was retooled for
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
, the character's first name was changed to Richard and he was recast, with
Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor known for his role as School principal, Principal Richard Belding in the teen situation comedy, sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'', which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star ...
ultimately winning the role. Mr. Belding was rewritten to be significantly younger and to have a much different sense of humor.
When ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' was retooled as ''Saved by the Bell'', four actors and their respective characters from the original series were brought over to the new series: Gosselaar, Diamond, Voorhies, and Haskins. The rest of the cast was fired, and Engel sought to replace them with new characters who would complement the old ones.
[Engel (2016), pp. 169–173]
The first of the new characters, A.C. Slater, was conceived as a young
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
type who would be an
army brat
A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revis ...
and wear a leather jacket. He was originally conceived of as
Italian-American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...
. However, when all efforts to cast the character were unsuccessful, Engel asked that the part be opened up to other ethnicities. Two days later,
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Sa ...
, a dancer and drummer of
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
descent from ''
Kids Incorporated
''Kids Incorporated'' (also known as ''Kids Inc.'') is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing well into the early 1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performan ...
'' auditioned for the role. Lopez was judged the best actor who auditioned, and was cast.
For Kelly Kapowski, the love interest of both Zack and Slater, producers were able to narrow the field down to three actresses:
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress who starred as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993), as Valerie Malone on Fox's ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1994–98), and as Lori on Netflix's ''Alexa & ...
,
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series ''Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role o ...
, and
Jennie Garth
Jennifer Eve Garth (born April 3, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Kelly Taylor throughout the ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' franchise and Val Tyler on the sitcom '' What I Like About You'' (2002–06). In 2012, she starred ...
. Engel had originally met Thiessen in 1988 while casting for ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' and was impressed with how much her acting had improved. He wanted her for the role, believing she had the perfect all-American girl appeal for the role, while others felt that Berkley, as the more experienced actress, would be a more reliable choice. Ultimately, Engel convinced the others after a read-through with Lopez, and Thiessen received the role.
Engel and the other producers did not want to lose Berkley, however, as she was the strongest actress they had seen during casting. Berkley originally auditioned for the role of Karen, a love-interest of Zack's on ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'', but lost the role because she was so much taller than Gosselaar at the time. Engel believed that, now that her height was more even with the rest of the cast, she could be perfect. They were not having much luck in casting the third new character, Jessie Spano, who was conceived as a strong,
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
activist and a straight-A student, so Engel suggested offering the role to Berkley, who gladly accepted it.
Rounding out the new cast was real-life
magician
Magician or The Magician may refer to:
Performers
* A practitioner of magic (supernatural)
* A practitioner of magic (illusion)
* Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context
Entertainment
Books
* ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
Ed Alonzo
Ed Alonzo (born July 26, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and professional magician.
Acting career
Alonzo had roles on ''Saved by the Bell'' (20 episodes between 1989–1990), ''Head of the Class'' and '' Totally Hidden Video''. He also ...
as Max, the owner of the gang's frequent cafe hangout, The Max, who frequently performed magic tricks.
Alonzo's role, however, would ultimately only last through the end of the first season, and he left after a single guest appearance during season two.
In 1992, ''Saved by the Bell'' unexpectedly received an order for an additional eleven episodes to be shot after the graduation episode. However, Thiessen and Berkley had already decided to leave the show. Though producers knew they could not replace Kelly and Jessie, they also knew they could not leave Lisa as the only girl on the show. A new character, Tori Scott, was created as a cool but pretty biker girl who would also serve as a love interest for Zack and also act as a nemesis for him initially.
Leanna Creel
Leanna Creel (born August 27, 1970) is an American actress, film producer, film director, screenwriter and photographer.
Biography
Creel is an identical Multiple birth, triplet who, along with her sisters, Joy Creel and Monica Lacy, started ac ...
was cast for the part. Rather than develop a second new character, the producers decided to rely more on minor recurring characters such as Ginger, Ox, and Big Pete.
[Engel (2016), pp. 220–224]
Production
''Good Morning, Miss Bliss''
In 1986,
Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who was the president of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as ''Hill Stre ...
, then-president of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, asked
Peter Engel
Peter Engel (born ) is an American television producer who is best known for his teen sitcoms that appeared on TNBC, a former Saturday morning block on NBC which featured all teenage-oriented programs for educational purposes. His most well kno ...
to develop the pilot for a new
prime time
Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
series, ''
Good Morning, Miss Bliss
''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' (also retroactively known as ''Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years'') is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 (and later in syndication as part of the ''Saved by the Bell'' ...
''. Tartikoff had been inspired by his sixth grade teacher, Miss Bliss, and had long wanted to make a show about someone like her. The series would focus on Miss Carrie Bliss, a recently married sixth grade teacher at the fictional John F. Kennedy Junior High School in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
. Though
Sandy Duncan
Sandra Kay Duncan (born February 20, 1946) is an American actress, comedian, dancer and singer. She is known for her performances in the Broadway revival of ''Peter Pan'' and in the sitcom ''The Hogan Family''. Duncan has been nominated for thr ...
was originally considered for the titular role, the series ultimately became a vehicle for former British child star
Hayley Mills
Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...
. Veteran writer
Sam Bobrick
Sam Bobrick (July 24, 1932 – October 11, 2019) was an American author, playwright, television writer, and lyricist.
Early life
Bobrick was born to a Jewish family in Chicago on July 24, 1932. His father was a storekeeper and his mother worke ...
was brought on to write the episode and the cast included future stars
Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis (April 13, 1976 – November 12, 2003) was an American actor. Beginning his career as a child model, Brandis moved on to acting in commercials and subsequently won television and film roles. Brandis made his acting debut ...
,
Brian Austin Green
Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, television personality and podcaster, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000). Green was al ...
, and
Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White (born November 27, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel on the sitcom ''Family Matters''.
The character was originally intended to be a one-time guest appearance on the show; however, he wa ...
.
[Engel (2016), pp. 157–159]
The pilot aired on June 11, 1987, but NBC had decided not to pick up the series even before it was shown. Tartikoff did not want to give up on the show, though, and made a deal with the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
to air thirteen episodes of the series in prime time. If the initial order did well, Disney was prepared to order an additional seventy-seven.
The show was completely retooled, with Mills the sole remaining cast member from the pilot. Miss Bliss's class was changed from the sixth grade to the eighth grade, and the kids would be more central to the story.
[Engel (2016), pp. 169–171]
''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' aired from 1988 to 1989. However, the show failed to pick up a following and did poorly in the ratings. By the time the last episode aired, Disney had already decided against ordering more.
[Engel (2016), pp. 164–166]
''Saved by the Bell''
Tartikoff felt there had been strong elements to ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' and wanted to try the show again with a different time slot and a different approach. The elements featuring the kids had been well-received, so Tartikoff wanted to drop Miss Bliss from the show altogether and focus entirely on the teens. NBC had been losing the high end of their animated audience, kids from ten to twelve, so the idea was to create a live action comedy to air on Saturday mornings, a new idea at the time.
Engel was skeptical of the new format at first, and did not want to make children's programming. However, his wife convinced him that making the show would be a worthwhile endeavor, and he soon told Tartikoff he would do the show.
Engel felt, however, that Indianapolis was not exciting as a location, and moved the show to a semi-fictional part of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, "the Palisades." The main locations of the show would be the teenager's school, Bayside High, and The Max, a fictional eatery they frequent. In addition, they would film before a live studio audience.
[Engel (2016), pp. 166–169]
The majority of the cast was replaced, and Tartikoff gave a seven episode commitment for the show. In a meeting with Engel and Tartikoff, senior producer Tom Tenowich suggested the name ''Saved by the Bell''. Though Engel hated the name, Tartikoff loved it. The name stuck, and filming commenced, with the first episode, "Dancing to the Max," airing in prime time on August 20, 1989.
[Engel (2016), pp 184–187]
Episodes
Theme song
The theme song for ''Saved by the Bell'' was written by composer Scott Gayle against the implicit instructions of Engel. Though Engel had not been able to keep the show from being named ''Saved by the Bell'', he was determined to prevent the phrase from showing up in the theme. He gave explicit orders to his team of composers that he would not accept any theme that referenced the title, and the group agreed to leave out the phrase.
A week later, Engel listened to the first four composers and, though they followed his instructions, the songs were flat and nothing special. Gayle played his song next and, though he explicitly violated Engel's instructions, Engel couldn't help but admit it was the best and perfect for the show. Engel would later comment that he was glad Gayle had not followed his instructions.
Films
''Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style''
In 1992,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
approved the production of a feature-length made-for-television ''Saved by the Bell'' film to air in prime time. Titled ''Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style'', the film followed the six teenagers from the show as they vacationed in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
with Kelly's grandfather, Harry Bannister (
Dean Jones). They soon discover Mr. Belding also happens to be there, and the seven are caught up in a plan to save Harry's resort from a greedy developer.
[Engel (2016), pp. 211–216]
The film was written by Bennet Tramer and directed by
Don Barnhart. Due to budget constraints, much of the film was shot in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, with only location shots that could not easily be faked shot in Hawaii. The shooting schedule in Hawaii turned out to be massive, even after Engel and Barnhart scouted the location. Real-life lifeguards were hired as extras during beach scenes to ensure the safety of the cast.
''Variety'' said, "The Clearasil demo will eat it up, older viewers may choke on the realization that Dean Jones is old enough to be a grandfather".
''Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style'' was successful in the ratings, and paved the way for ''
Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' airing in prime time.
''Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas''
Following the cancellation of ''Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' on a cliffhanger in 1994,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
President
Warren Littlefield
Warren W. Littlefield (born May 11, 1952) is an American television executive.
Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Littlefield attended Montclair High School and graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, where he was award ...
commissioned a second ''Saved by the Bell'' film to both conclude the story started in the final episode of ''Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' in which Zack and Kelly become
engaged
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
, and acts as a series finale for the original ''Saved by the Bell''. The story features Zack, Kelly, Slater, Screech, and Lisa traveling to
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
so Zack and Kelly can
elope
Elopement is a term that is used in reference to a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting ma ...
after their parents disapprove of their impending marriage.
[Engel (2016), pp. 229–231]
Home media
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...
released all four seasons of ''Saved By The Bell'', which contains 86 episodes, broken into five seasons (season 4 split in two) on
DVD in Region 1. However, the episodes on these and all subsequent releases are the edited versions as used in syndication, with scenes cut for time. Lionsgate released the two feature-length TV movies on DVD, in Region 1, on August 7, 2007. On March 13, 2012, Lionsgate (distributed by
Alliance Films
Alliance Films (formerly Alliance Entertainment, Alliance Communications, Alliance Atlantis Releasing Ltd, Motion Picture Distribution LP and also known as Alliance Vivafilm in Quebec and also known simply as Alliance) was a Canadian motion pictur ...
) released ''Saved By The Bell: The Complete Collection'' on DVD in Canada. The 13-disc set features all 86 episodes of the series as well as the two
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
s.
On November 5, 2013, Lionsgate released a complete-series set in the United States. It does not contain the reunion movies but does include some bonus commentaries.
On October 16, 2018,
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
re-released the complete series on DVD in Region 1. Unlike the previous releases, the set includes season four in its entirety, rather than having it being broken up into two parts. Bonus features include selected episodes commentaries by pop culture historian Russell Dyball, executive producer Peter Engel, and cast members Dustin Diamond, Dennis Haskins, and Lark Voorhie
In Region 2, Fabulous Films has released all 5 seasons on DVD in the UK.
Contender Entertainment Group released the 2 reunion tele-films on DVD in the UK in 2004.
In Region 4,
Shock Records, Shock Entertainment released Season One on DVD in Australia on February 10, 2010.
Spin-offs
The show was popular enough to justify two
spin-offs
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
, both of which premiered in 1993.
''Saved by the Bell: The College Years''
Following the conclusion of ''Saved by the Bell'', an idea came out of a focus group for ''
Saved by the Bell: The New Class'', in addition to creating a new cast of characters, to continue the story of the original ''Saved by the Bell'' cast. The new show aired in prime time and feature only Zack, Slater, and Screech from the original cast attending the fictional California University and living in a suite with a new cast of girls. Kelly later joined the cast after the pilot.
[Engel (2016) pp. 224–229]
Although the premiere garnered decent viewership, ratings quickly declined against the competition of ''
Full House
''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...
'' and ''
Rescue 911
''Rescue 911'' is an American informational docudrama television series that premiered on CBS on April 18, 1989, and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments (and occasionally real footage) of e ...
'', two well-established, popular shows in prime time. ''Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' was ultimately cancelled after only one season of nineteen episodes. The events of the final episode would lead directly into the second ''Saved by the Bell'' film: ''
Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas''.
''Saved by the Bell: The New Class''
In 1993,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
decided it wanted to extend the ''Saved by the Bell'' franchise with a new show, ''
Saved by the Bell: The New Class''. Also set at Bayside, the show would follow a new cast of characters as they navigate their high school years. Reprising his role from the original series was
Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor known for his role as School principal, Principal Richard Belding in the teen situation comedy, sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'', which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star ...
, once again as their principal, Mr. Belding. Following the cancellation of ''Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' in 1994,
Peter Engel
Peter Engel (born ) is an American television producer who is best known for his teen sitcoms that appeared on TNBC, a former Saturday morning block on NBC which featured all teenage-oriented programs for educational purposes. His most well kno ...
asked
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond (January 7, 1977 – February 1, 2021) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the ''Saved by the Bell'' franchise.
Early life and family
Diamond was born i ...
to reprise his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers, who was returning to Bayside on a work-study program as Mr. Belding's administrative assistant.
[Engel (2016) pp. 231–234]
''Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' ran for seven seasons and 143 episodes, from 1993 to 2000. The cast was constantly revolving, with Haskins as the only constant throughout all seven seasons. The show was not generally well-received, and some believe that it failed to recapture the charm of the original series.
Reunions
On April 9, 2006,
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
's
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
announced that ''Saved by the Bell'' would air at midnight as a two-week special starting April 17. On April 19, 2006, Adult Swim also posted on their website that ''Saved by the Bell'' was back in production. A week later, the announcement was exposed as a joke.
On March 27, 2009,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
'' launched a campaign to get the cast on board for a ''Saved by the Bell'' reunion. Fans signed an online petition and pledged their support for the cast to reunite on the show.
Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor known for his role as School principal, Principal Richard Belding in the teen situation comedy, sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'', which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star ...
,
Lark Voorhies
Lark Voorhies (born Lark Holloway; March 25, 1974) is an American actress, singer, spokeswoman and model. Voorhies rose to fame playing Lisa Marie Turtle on the NBC sitcom ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993). Voorhies was nominated for the Youn ...
,
Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Sa ...
,
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series ''Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role o ...
, and
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
agreed to a reunion. Gosselaar reprised his role as Zack Morris in a skit on ''Late Night'' on June 8, 2009, while promoting his then current
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
drama, ''
Raising the Bar''. The spoof interview closed with a performance of "Friends Forever," originally by Zack Attack, where Zack played guitar and sang with backing from Fallon's house band,
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
. Tiffani Thiessen posted a parody video to the website
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a reg ...
, where she claimed she was too busy to join the reunion.
The cast reunited in August 2009 for a
photo shoot
A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a Model (person), model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location.
A photo shoot is a series of images ...
in ''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
''. Diamond was not invited to participate in the photo shoot because of poor relationships with the rest of the cast. Diamond's image was also edited out of the 1989 cast photo that was used on the cover inset of an issue of ''People'' to show how the cast looked 20 years later.
The cast convened again when Haskins, Diamond, Gosselaar, Voorhies, and Lopez did their own voices in a ''Saved by the Bell'' ''
Saw
A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, wire, or chain with a hard toothed edge. It is used to cut through material, very often wood, though sometimes metal or stone. The cut is made by placing the toothed edge against the material and mo ...
'' parody, called "Sawed by the Bell", on "
Boo Cocky", a season three episode of ''
Robot Chicken
''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
''. Gosselaar also provided audio commentary for the episode on the DVD.
On February 4, 2015, the cast appeared on a skit on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' while episodes of the program were taped in Los Angeles. Haskins, Gosselaar, Lopez, Berkley and Thiessen all participated, though Voorhies and Diamond did not, with Thiessen's real-life pregnancy, Lopez's involvement with ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' and Berkley's film ''
Showgirls
''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama pulp noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera.
Produced ...
'' the targets of some of the humor.
Revival
On September 17, 2019, it was announced that a
single-camera
The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, also known as portable single camera, is a method of filmmaking and video production.
The single-camera setup originally developed during the birth of the classical Hollywood cinema i ...
revival of the series was in development for NBC's planned streaming service,
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
, with
Tracey Wigfield
Tracey Wigfield (born June 19, 1983) is an American comedy writer. She created, produced and appeared in the NBC sitcom ''Great News''. She also developed the Peacock teen sitcom ''Saved By The Bell'', a revival of the original series of the sam ...
serving as showrunner. The series will center around a new group of Bayside High students from "overprivileged" and working-class families, among the latter of which were transferred to the school as part of a plan by now-
California Governor
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
Zack Morris—whose administration experiences controversy for closing too many low-income high schools—to send lower-income students to the highest-performing schools in the state.
Berkley and Lopez were initially announced as the only cast members of the original series to be reprising their roles,
though by January 2020, it was confirmed that
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...
(who was confirmed to appear in three episodes of the revival series' first season as well as receive an executive producer credit) and
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress who starred as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993), as Valerie Malone on Fox's ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1994–98), and as Lori on Netflix's ''Alexa & ...
—both of whom were confirmed by Gosselaar in separate September 2019 interviews with ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' and
TMZ
TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
to have not been initially approached to reprise their characters—would also be returning in some capacity; however, it is currently unclear as to which of the other cast members would return. Lark Voorhies reprised her role as Lisa Turtle for one episode and Ed Alonzo also returned as Max. Other actors confirmed to appear as new characters in the series are
John Michael Higgins
John Michael Higgins (born February 12, 1963) is an American actor and comedian whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's '' The Late Shift'', and a starring role in the American versio ...
(as Principal Toddman, who took over Mr. Belding's role as the head of Bayside High) and
Josie Totah
Josie Totah (born August 5, 2001), formerly known as J. J. Totah, is an American actress. She is known for her recurring role on the Disney Channel series '' Jessie'' and supporting role on the 2013 ABC comedy series '' Back in the Game''. Tot ...
(as Lexi, described as a "beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High who is both admired and feared by her fellow students").
Other media
Soundtrack
A CD and
cassette tape
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
was released on April 11, 1995. It contained songs used throughout the series. The track listing is as follows:
# "Saved by the Bell"
# "Don't Leave With Your Love"
# "Go for It!"
# "Love Me Now"
# "Make My Day"
# "Friends Forever"
# "Did We Ever Have a Chance?"
# "Deep Within My Heart"
# "Surfer Dude"
# "Gone Hawaiian"
# "School Song"
# "Saved by the Bell"
List of ''Saved By the Bell'' novels
There have been 21 novelizations based on the show, released by the publisher Boxtree Ltd, all written by Beth Cruise. The books all feature the main cast, and have the same storylines that relate to the main-plots in the TV shows.
Several unofficial books relating to the show have also been published.
Comic books
In 1992,
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfr ...
published a short-lived ''Saved by the Bell'' Comic series. Seven issues were released, including a Christmas and a Summer special. The comic was generally not well-received, with comic book critic Matt D. Wilson saying "its character likenesses for the show's starts were rough at best."
In 2014, Lion Forge Comics announced that its new all-ages imprint, ROAR Comics, would publish a new ''Saved by the Bell'' comic. Set initially during the gang's freshman year of high school, the comic serves as a modern update to the classic series. It premiered in March 2014 alongside ROAR's adaptation of ''
Punky Brewster
''Punky Brewster'' is an American sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes). The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and again in syndication from Octobe ...
''.
''Behind the Bell'' book
In 2009, Dustin Diamond published an inside story of the show's cast and crew from his point of view, entitled ''Behind the Bell''. The book paints an unflattering portrait of many of Diamond's colleagues and their alleged backstage behavior. Some of Diamond's claims have been refuted by colleagues and questioned by critics. Diamond also alleges in the book that he had sex with 2,000 women, one of them being NBC's Vice President of children's programming, Linda Mancuso, who was 18 years his senior. Diamond later disclaimed responsibility for much of the book's content, blaming his ghostwriter for fabricating salacious stories.
''
The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story
''The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story'' is a 2014 American television film that aired on Lifetime on September 1, 2014. It was directed by Jason Lapeyre, produced by Harvey Kahn and written by Ron McGee. The teleplay for the film was based ...
'' aired on
Lifetime on September 1, 2014.
''Bayside! The Musical!''
In September 2013, ''Bayside! The Musical!'' an unauthorized parody of ''Saved by the Bell'', opened at NYC's Theatre 80. ''Bayside! The Musical!'' was named a ''New York Times'' Critics' Pick. ''Bayside! The Musical!'' was written and directed by Bob and Tobly McSmith, the same creative team behind ''Showgirls! The Musical!'' In contrast to the wholesome nature of ''Saved by the Bell'', ''Bayside! The Musical!'' contains strong language and adult situations throughout. The show's run has been extended 6 times.
Bayside! originally debuted in 2005 under the title ''Bayside! The UnMusical!'' The following year a sequel was produced called ''Bayside 2! Electric Screechio'' The show then took several years off, reopening in 2012 at NYC's Kraine Theatre with a revamped script and new cast Following the success of ''Showgirls! The Musical!'' the show's creators Bob and Tobly McSmith revisited their script and reworked it from the ground up.
The show has had appearances from original ''Saved by the Bell'' cast members such as Dustin Diamond and Dennis Haskins.
See also
*
List of ''Saved by the Bell'' episodes
References
Sources
*
External links
*
''Saved by the Bell''on
TBS.com
{{Authority control
1980s American high school television series
1980s American teen sitcoms
1989 American television series debuts
1990s American high school television series
1990s American teen sitcoms
1993 American television series endings
English-language television shows
NBC original programming
Television franchises
Television series about teenagers
Television series by Universal Television
Television shows set in Los Angeles