Saved by the Bell
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Saved by the Bell is a popular American teen sitcom that is known under varying titles, all episodes of which were originally aired between 1988 and 1993. Its original incarnation Good Morning, Miss Bliss starred Hayley Mills as the goodnatured Miss Carrie Bliss, who oversaw cast members Lark Voorhies, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Dustin Diamond, as well as other students. Dennis Haskins portrayed Principal Richard Belding throughout the entire series. Good Morning, Miss Bliss would later be retitled Saved by the Bell.
While the popular series brought fame to these cast members, 1989 saw the introduction of three additional cast members: Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez. Mark-Paul Gosselaar became a teen idol, making the cover of Tiger Beat and a number of other teen publications. While there were many different actors and seasons and even a different cast once the characters of these actors graduated Bayside High, these actors were the stars of the show during its heyday.
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About the show
The show's original incarnation Good Morning, Miss Bliss was about a teacher and her students at John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indiana. The show starred Hayley Mills as teacher Carrie Bliss, who taught future Saved by the Bell cast members Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack), Lark Voorhies (Lisa), and Dustin Diamond (Samuel a.k.a. "Screech"), as well as other students. Dennis Haskins played the principal of John F. Kennedy Junior High Mr. Belding, a role which he continued throughout the series as principal of Bayside High School. At the end of the show's first season, NBC boldly sold the series off into syndication with the "Miss Bliss" episodes included to pad out the syndication package. The Miss Bliss episodes featured a new opening sequence in line with the Saved by the Bell opening sequence and included introductions by Zack that established the show as part of the Saved by the Bell universe despite the numerous continuity problems and differences.
The reason for the change in setting is because Good Morning, Miss Bliss was originally on The Disney Channel. When the show was cancelled by Disney, NBC acquired it; and the show was reborn as Saved by the Bell. Creator Peter Engel wanted the show to be called When the Bell Rings, but Brandon Tartikoff, then President of NBC, convinced him to go with the title Saved by the Bell.
Because of the change of networks, the only Miss Bliss cast members to appear on Saved by the Bell were Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Lark Voorhies, Dustin Diamond, and Dennis Haskins. When the show returned, it was set at the fictional Bayside High School. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on Channel 4.
In season three, Saved by the Bell had the characters work at a resort by the beach. Characters specific to these episodes were:
- Leon Carosi, played by Ernie Sabella and
- Stacey Carosi, played by Leah Remini.
Issues Addressed
The show dealt with "real teen social issues", such as drug use, drinking and driving, homelessness, financial issues, divorce, first love and love lost, graduating, college, sibling rivalry, taking responsibilites for one's actions, being bullied, death, and environmental issues.
In the episode "Jessie's Song", a stressed-out Jessie resorts to caffeine pill abuse in order to manage her school work and commitment to the singing trio with Kelly and Lisa. Ever the concerned boyfriend, Slater tries to convince her to stop, but only after an emotional (and again, unintentionally comedic) breakdown does Jessie recognize that she has a problem. The episode has been parodied in an episode of the short-lived NBC sketch comedy The Rerun Show (2001). "Miss Bayside" was also parodied on the series in a Star Wars-themed sketch.
Characters
Zachary "Zack" Morris
The character of Zack Morris is played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Zack is a charming and manipulative schemer in the mold of Ferris Bueller. Early episodes of the series feature Zack engaging in Bueller-esque, fourth wall-breaking addresses to the audience as well as freezing everyone around him in their tracks while he offers plot exposition. His best friends since grade school have been Lisa Turtle and next-door neighbor Jessie Spano; Screech Powers has also been tagging along with Zack since they were little.
Kelly Kapowski
The character of Kelly Kapowski is played by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen. Kelly is the cheerleader of the group and love interest for Zack and Slater in the first season. Considered the most popular girl in school, Kelly is introduced as an outsider to the show's core clique. Zack's pursuit of Kelly (he has a cardboard cutout of her in his bedroom) causes her to join the gang before too much time passes. She's cheery, sweet, and athletic, playing on the volleyball and swim teams as well as being crowned homecoming queen in the first season.
Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater
The character of A.C. Slater is played by Mario Lopez. Slater is the token "jock" of the group. He originally was written as Zack's rival for Kelly's affection before becoming Zack's best friend in the show's second season. An army brat, Slater transfers to Bayside at the start of the series and becomes the school's star wrestler/football/basketball player. Originally a suitor for Kelly, Slater later develops an attraction to strong-willed feminist Jessie Spano. The two become a fairly stable couple despite a very rocky start due to their clashing attitudes towards members of the opposite sex.
Jessica "Jessie" Myrtle Spano
The character of Jessie Spano is played by Elizabeth Berkley. Jessie is the show's resident know-it-all crusader. She's often seen pursuing a variety of causes (most of which are feminist in nature) while keeping up her position as Student Body President and one of the smartest students in her class. Like Lisa and Screech, Jessie is Zack's childhood friend (though the first season took place in Indianapolis, not Pacific Palisades) and he routinely climbs into her room via a tree outside their windows. From the second season onwards, her main love interest is Slater, who disagrees with her feminist views. The two routinely fight over this yet remain committed to each other in spite of their views. By the end of the series, Jessie is bound for Columbia University and misses becoming valedictorian by a tenth of a point. However, she is given Valedictorianship, and subsequentially Co-Valedictorianship, after Samuel "Screech" Powers refuses to accept the award over Jessie.
Samuel "Screech" Powers
The character of Screech Powers is played by Dustin Diamond. Screech (whose real name is Samuel) is the skinny and rubbery-faced nerd who benefits a great deal from hanging out with Zack's clique. Screech has been tagging along with Zack since they were in elementary school and is extremely loyal to him. In exchange for doing Zack's homework and being roped into Zack's various stunts, Screech receives protection from school bullies and a general boost in his confidence, but Zack's affection for Screech is evident in spite of this. He's very comfortable with his geekiness and fancies himself a ladies' man. The rest of the gang simultaneously picks on and humors Screech for his eccentricities (e.g. hiding in his locker, wearing extremely loud and mismatched clothes, and obsessing over science and chess). A reccurring gag in the series is his unrequited love for Lisa Turtle. His love interest for a few episodes is Violet, played by Tori Spelling. In early episodes of the series, Screech has a robot named Kevin, but he only makes a limited number of appearances.
Lisa Marie Turtle
The character of Lisa Turtle is played by Lark Voorhies. She is the clique's fashion expert and the gossip queen of Bayside High. She comes from a wealthy African American family, though the character was originally supposed to be white and Jewish; her father and mother are shown to be surgeons. Because of her upbringing, Lisa always has access to the latest fashions and knows when something is in and when it's over. Like Jessie and Screech, Lisa's been Zack's best friend since they were in grade school. Lisa's goal is to become a world famous fashion designer. Lisa's on the cheerleading squad and swim team with Kelly and is elected homecoming queen during senior year. For the majority of the gang's years at Bayside, one of the running gags was Screech's fruitless attempts to woo Lisa. His feelings were never returned. Screech finally gave up on Lisa when she began dating Zack in one episode. Screech moved on to date Violet Bickerstaff (Tori Spelling). Lisa' and Zack's relationship was never referenced or mentioned again. Lisa went on to fashion school in New York and returned for Zack and Kelly's wedding.
Tori Scott
The character of Tori Scott is played by Leanna Creel. Tori is introduced midway through season four as the new girl at Bayside High. Zack likes Tori, and they become a couple briefly. She is seldom seen without her trademark leather jacket.
Principal Richard Belding
The character of Richard Belding is played by Dennis Haskins. Mr. Belding is the principal of Bayside High School and the show's resident authority figure. He's known for his catchphrase "Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?" as well as his high-pitched laugh. Belding has frequent run-ins with Zack and his friends as either a foe to be outwitted or a friend to turn to for help. Dennis Haskins, as Mr. Belding, is the only character to make appearances in all Bell shows (Good Morning, Miss Bliss pilot, Good Morning Miss Bliss, Saved By the Bell junior high (8th grade), Saved By the Bell high school years, Saved By the Bell: Hawaiian Style, Saved By the Bell: The College Years (as guest star), Saved By the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, and Saved by the Bell: The New Class).
Cast Changes
1989
When the original incarnation Good Morning, Miss Bliss was cancelled by The Disney Channel in 1989, it was adopted by NBC and underwent various alterations in production. For one, the title was changed to Saved by the Bell, and all episodes prior to 1989 were retitled Saved by the Bell (the original Good Morning, Miss Bliss titles are now lost). Also, all cast members were replaced, with the exceptions of Lark Voorhies, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, and Dennis Haskins.
In 1989, the new cast members introduced were Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie), Mario Lopez (A.C.), and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Kelly). There were no prominent teachers like Miss Bliss, but there were various teachers shown briefly in certain episodes. The setting for the series also changed; the students now attend Bayside High School in Pacific Palisades, California rather than John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indiana, but Belding remains the principal.
1992
In the show's final season NBC doubled the number of episodes ordered, despite the fact that they would have to re-sign the entire cast to new contracts in order to film them. Thiessen and Berkley refused to sign a new contract for these new episodes, resulting in a block of episodes that featured Zack, Slater, Screech, Lisa, and a new character played by actress Leanna Creel called Tori Scott. Ultimately Thiessen would return for several final episodes under a deal that she made with NBC which included several made-for-TV movies that the actress would star in.
The final episode of the series aired in prime time on May 22, 1993. The episode, on which the cast graduated high school, was filmed before Thiessen and Berkley left the show. The series finale was followed by a special airing of the Saved by the Bell: The College Years pilot episode, to set up the next phase of the characters' lives.
Spinoffs
The show was popular enough to warrant two spinoffs, both of which premiered in 1993.
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
When the actors from the original series got too old to be playing high school students, a second spin-off series was created, entitled Saved by the Bell: The College Years, which showed the cast dealing with college life at the fictional California University.
Due to low ratings, Saved by the Bell: The College Years only lasted one season. Unlike the original series which aired on Saturday mornings, The College Years was shown in primetime. The series aired from September 14, 1993 (though the original pilot aired on May 22, 1993) to February 8, 1994.
Originally, the six main characters on the College Years were Zack Morris, A.C. Slater, Screech Powers, Leslie Burke (Anne Tremko), Alex Tabor (Kiersten Warren), and Danielle Marks (Essence Atkins). After the pilot, Tiffani Thiessen decided to return to play the role of Kelly Kapowski. Essence Atkins' character was written out of the show as having transferred to another college.
Zack's original love interest was Leslie at the beginning of the series, but after Kelly transferred to "Cal U," Zack later developed feelings for both girls. Eventually, Kelly became Zack's sole love interest. However, his plans to win Kelly back were put to a halt somewhat when Kelly started dating her professor Jeremiah Lasky (Patrick Fabian). Zack, Kelly, Slater, Leslie, Screech, and Alex's dorm advisor was Mike Rogers (Bob Golic), a former San Francisco 49ers player who came to college, and during the latter part of the series, Dean Susan McMann (Holland Taylor) joined the series.
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
When the show ended with the main characters graduating from high school, NBC created a spin-off called Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which featured a new set of characters anchored by Dennis Haskins, and later Dustin Diamond, whose character Screech became Principal Belding's personal assistant. While Saved by the Bell: The New Class ran for seven seasons, it suffered numerous cast changes (including a second season cast purge that only left Haskins and three other cast members) and never gained the popularity of the original Saved by the Bell. The series aired from September 11, 1993 to July 29, 2000.
Many of the New Class episodes were actually "recycled" versions of episodes from the original Saved by the Bell. The Max remained as the hangout for the Bayside High students. But in one episode, the place accidentally caught fire and burnt down but was rebuilt.
The New Class is the only one of Saved by the Bell incarnations not to currently be syndicated.
Made-for-TV Movies
In 1992, Saved by the Bell 's first made for TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style aired. In the movie, Kelly's grandfather, played by Dean Jones, invites the kids to stay at his hotel in Hawaii. However, someone else is out to buy his land and build an apartment complex, and the group has to save it.
The show ended with a two hour movie Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, in which Zack and Kelly got married. The movie included cast members from both the original series and the College Years series, sans Anne Tremko. Elizabeth Berkley has a brief cameo appearance at the end of the film.
Syndication
In the United States, Saved by the Bell, along with the repackaged Good Morning, Miss Bliss series and Saved by the Bell: The College Years are syndicated via CBS Paramount Television, although the closing logos shown after the closing credits state that it's distributed by Rysher Entertainment (which was owned by Cox Enterprises until Paramount absorbed the company in the late 1990s). The series is syndicated on individual television stations around the country (depending on the market) and is shown for two hours daily starting at 7:00 A.M. ET/PT on TBS with the College Years episodes airing on Fridays.
In the United Kingdom, the series is broadcast on cable television network Nickelodeon UK.
On April 9, 2006, [adult swim] annouced that Saved by the Bell would air starting April 17 at midnight as a two week special, despite the fact that the show is not an adult comedy nor is it animated. The channel has temporarily changed their [adult swim] logo in the corner to [crappy 1980s live action tv show network] . It should be noted, however, that this was done by [AS] as a reaction to both a riot on their message boards and a fanmail read on the air that stated that they should either change their name or not show Saved by the Bell at all, so the choice is clear. It's believed that the airings of Saved By The Bell on Adult Swim is basically a late April Fools joke to the fans of Adult Swim
Continuity Errors
Some of the biggest continuity errors are between Saved by the Bell and its Good Morning, Miss Bliss series. In an episode of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Zack's father is a single, swinging bachelor with a laid-back attitude. On Saved by the Bell, Zack's dad is married and is a lot more serious and mature. In one episode of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, it's also mentioned that Zack and Screech each have a sister. But they're only children in the Saved by the Bell series.
The name of Zack's father also changes from Good Morning, Miss Bliss to Saved by the Bell. On Good Morning, Miss Bliss, his name is Peter, while on Saved by the Bell, it is Derek. In addition, the actors who portrayed his dad had changed.
In another example, in one two-part episode, Jessie's stepbrother Eric is introduced; although he makes a menace of himself and intends to return to his home in New York, the gang convinces him to stay in Palisades. He is never seen again. In another episode, Kelly performs a song at the rehearsals for the "Miss Bayside" pageant, and her singing is way off-key. However, in other episodes, especially "Jessie's Song", Kelly can sing very well. She's even shown as one of the lead singers of the band Zack Attack.
Another continuity error involves the relationship of Zack and Lisa, who in one episode wind up kissing each other and decide to become a couple. This upsets Screech when he sees Zack and Lisa kissing each other before a fashion show that Lisa organized to get into a fashion school. Screech decides to fight for Lisa's heart but is convinced by Zack (and more effectively, by Lisa herself) to get over her. Lisa and Zack become a couple, but it is never referenced to ever again.
Saved by the Bell: The College Years also has continuity errors. In the episode "Wedding Plans", Leslie, Lisa, and Alex vow to be the maid of honor at Zack and Kelly's wedding, but in the movie Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, only Alex and Lisa attend the wedding. Similarly, in one of the Saved By the Bell episodes where the gang all have summer jobs at a beach resort, Slater translates on behalf of the Spanish-speaking kitchen staff, but in the episode of The College Years "Slater's War", he tells his activist classmate Theresa that he doesn't speak it because he took French, "the language of love."
The character Tori was added in later episodes as an annoyance and later girlfriend for Zack. She was meant to be a replacement for Kelly during the gang's senior year, as Kelly had begun modeling in France. However, the last episode of the "Bayside High era" featured the gang graduating with Kelly and Tori was neither seen nor mentioned. This is due to the fact that the graduation episode was shot earlier with Kelly, but the network ordered more episodes. At that point, Kelly had already left the show. Hence the need for a new love interest for Zack.
DVD releases
All four versions of the Saved by the Bell series are available on DVD. In the United States, Region 1, the first two seasons of Saved by the Bell were released on September 2, 2003. Seasons three and four were released on April 27, 2004, and Season 5 was released on July 19, 2005.
Saved by the Bell: The College Years was released on DVD on August 17, 2004.
The first season of Saved by the Bell: The New Class was released on January 25, 2005. Season 2 was released on March 8, 2005. Season 3 was released on June 14, 2005. Season 4 was released August 16, 2005. Season 5 was released on October 18, 2005, and Seasons 6 and 7 were released on December 6, 2005.
Trivia
- The Miss Bliss episodes are sometimes shown in reruns as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years.
- The Bayside Tigers school logo was actually a cheap knockoff of the Detroit Tigers logo from the 1980s (it was colored maroon and said "Bayside" instead of "Detroit").
- At every possible opportunity, Slater spontaneously breaks into dance. This can be evidenced during an episode where Zack and Slater are both pursuing the new girl in school and later get into an altercation at The Max over a bowl of punch. When Zack pours punch down Slater's shirt, Slater shows his surprise by pop-locking as the punch runs down his back.
- Berkley and Thiessen (as well as Jennie Garth) both auditioned for the role of Kelly Kapowski. The execs behind the show wanted both girls on the show, so they wrote the role of Jessica Spano for Berkley.
- Zack often breaks the fourth wall, ostensibly freezing time by proclaiming, "Time out!" and making a "T" gesture with his hands. The other characters on screen "freeze" while Zack directly addresses the audience on whatever is happening and even occasionally manipulates the scene. One instance involves him using his cell phone to order flowers, seemingly suggesting that time only freezes for those present in the room.
- Popular freeform hardcore producer and DJ AC Slater took his name from the Saved by the Bell character of the same name.
- Although it is never explained, Slater's mom never appears on any episodes.
- Brian Austin Green, Jonathan Brandis, Jaleel White, and Jennie Garth were all considered for main character roles during initial casting. Green and Brandis appeared in the Saved by the Bell: The College Years episode "A Thanksgiving Story."
- Popular celebrities such as Denise Richards, Scott Wolf, and Casper Van Dien had small parts in some episodes of the show during the run.
- When the show was at the height of its popularity, the show did many road tours to different malls and places for the cast to make appearances and sign autographs.
- Dustin Diamond was three years younger than most of the cast who he was supposed to be the same age as. He also was the only cast member to be in every incarnation of Saved by the Bell.
- Mario Lopez is a talented drummer and dancer, and some episodes center around his character A.C. Slater showcasing these "hidden talents."
- The show's popularity on Saturday morning is what led NBC to inevitably cancel cartoons on Saturday mornings and run live action teen-oriented shows instead (California Dreams, Hang Time, etc.) under the TNBC banner.
- Popular radio DJ and personality Casey Kasem made two separate guest appearances on the show.
- In an episode where Screech participates in a chess championship, he plays a foreign opponent portrayed by Mark-Paul Gosselaar. While playing the opponent, Gosselaar's character mumbles in Dutch. Gosselaar speaks fluent Dutch.
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar's and Tiffiani Thiessen's characters of Zack and Kelly are a couple on screen; they also had a relationship in real life.
- One of the degrees in Mr. Belding's office is for Kung Fu. It is above the filing cabinet next to his desk.
- During an episode where the girls talk to Kelly about going to France, Jesse mentions "And you will meet cute guys named Mark-Paul." Mark-Paul Gosselaar is the actor that plays Zack.
- Throughout the show, Screech has different lockers. In the first two seasons, his locker is near Belding's office; in the later seasons his locker is near the stairs.
- The nerd characters usually have a last name that contains the word "nerd" or some synonym of it. ("Nerdstrom", "Poindexter", "Geekman", etc.)
- The same classroom was used in every episode; the set was merely rearranged, based on the subject of the class.
- During the episode where Screech invents a secret sauce, the gang are seen filming a commercial for the product. In the commercial, Jessie, Zack, Lisa, Kelly and Slater play an Italian family. Slater's character is called "Mario" which happens to be the actor's real name. Also during this commercial, the doorbell rings and Slater remarks "Hey, we're saved by the bell!" (A reference to the show's title)
- The exterior of Bayside High School is never seen throughout the series. It was only shown in an hand-drawn form in the opening credits and the whole exterior is shown in "Wedding In Las Vegas", before the gang left to Vegas. The name of the school is used in another sitcom, That's So Raven.