Saved by the Bell

Saved by the Bell
Image:Savedbythebell.jpg From left: Jessie, AC, Lisa, Screech, Zack and Kelly
Genre	Sitcom
Creator(s)	Sam Bobrick
Starring	Mark-Paul Gosselaar Lark Voorhies Dustin Diamond Mario Lopez Dennis Haskins Tiffani Thiessen (1989–1992) Elizabeth Berkley (1989–1992)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	87
Production
Executive producer(s)	Peter Engel
Running time	22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	August 20, 1989 – May 22, 1993
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Saved by the Bell is an American teen sitcom which originally aired between 1989 and 1992 (with the series finale held over until 1993). The series was a retooled version of the 1987 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was later retconned into the history of Saved by the Bell. The series followed the exploits of several students at Bayside High School, along with their principal. The show starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies and Dennis Haskins, who appeared in Good Morning, Miss Bliss, as well as Tiffani Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez who joined the cast for Saved by the Bell. The show brought fame to the cast members, and launched most of their careers.

The show was popular enough to spawn two spin-off series: Saved by the Bell: The College Years, which followed several of the characters' college experiences, and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which followed a new group of students at Bayside High School. The series also spawned two TV movies and a short-lived comic book series.

History

Good Morning, Miss Bliss

Main article: Good Morning, Miss Bliss

Saved by the Bell originated in an NBC pilot entitled Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was inspired by then NBC president Brandon Tartikoff's teachers from his past. The show was set in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBC decided not to pick up the pilot, but the Disney Channel did, and aired the series for one season. Unlike the series that followed, the intention was to focus on the life of the teacher, played by Hayley Mills, as the main character. The characters of Zack Morris, Samuel "Screech" Powers, Lisa Turtle, and Mr. Richard Belding all originated on the series.

The show was cancelled after 13 episodes, and the rights were acquired by NBC, which had reconsidered the matter. Seeing that it had merit, they decided to revamp and recreate the series. Executive Producer Peter Engel wanted the show to be called When the Bell Rings, but Tartikoff convinced him to go with the title Saved by the Bell.

NBC rebirth - Saved by the Bell

Three of the teens from the original cast, Gosselaar, Diamond and Voorhies, remained on the show, as the same characters with only minor changes to things like their backstories. Haskins also remained as Mr. Belding, but the setting was changed from Indianapolis, Indiana to the fictional Bayside High School in Pacific Palisades, California. The two students dropped from the original series were replaced by three new additions. Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen) and Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) were introduced as longtime friends of the original three characters, and new transfer student A.C. Slater (Mario López) rounded out the group. Max (Ed Alonzo), the proprietor of the local restaurant hangout ("The Max") was also a cast member in early episodes.

The focus of the show was shifted towards the exploits of the students themselves, and Zack became the show's lead character. Several teachers recurred over the course of the series, but Mr. Belding was the only school authority figure to ever be in the main cast, and was typically the only one that the students ever had to answer to.

The show performed well for NBC, and at the end of the show's first season, NBC boldly sold the series off into syndication with the Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes included to pad out the syndication package, despite the continuity problems and production changes. 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. The Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes were edited to include openings to match the Saved by the Bell episodes, as well as introductions by Zack explaining that the episodes occurred in junior high (these episodes are sometimes billed as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years).

The show often 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 responsibilities for one's actions, being bullied, death, and environmental issues. Notably, sexual relationships were alluded to but not actually dealt with. (See also Very special episode.)

The show's popularity on Saturday morning is what led NBC to shift from airing cartoons to live action teen-oriented shows instead (California Dreams, Hang Time, etc.) under the TNBC banner. Each season of the series essentially represented a year of high school for the students, culminating in their graduation. 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 feature a new character, Tori Scott (Leanna Creel) in their place. 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, in which the cast graduated from 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.

Main characters

Zack Morris

Main article: Zack Morris

Played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Zack is a charming schemer in the mold of Ferris Bueller. Early episodes of the series feature Zack engaging in Bueller-esque, direct-to-camera addresses to the audience as well as freezing everyone around him in their tracks, offering plot exposition. His best friends since grade school have been Lisa Turtle and next-door neighbor Jessie Spano; Samuel "Screech" Powers has also been tagging along with Zack since they were little. Zack is also constantly pining for Kelly, with each episode coming up with new ways to try and win her over, oftentimes battling for her affections with his on-again off-again best friend A.C. Slater. Upon matriculation, Zack was slated to go to Yale University, having scored the highest of the gang on his SATs, but he ultimately attended Cal U with Slater, Screech and Kelly.

Kelly Kapowski

Main article: Kelly Kapowski

Played by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (now known as Tiffani Thiessen), Kelly is a cheerleader 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. At times Kelly and Jessie had arguments due to their differences. Jessie hated cheerleaders although she became one for many episodes. 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 is on the volleyball and swim teams. Both Elizabeth Berkley and Thiessen (as well as Jennie Garth) auditioned for the role of Kelly Kapowski.

A.C. Slater

Played by Mario López, Albert Clifford Slater is the token "jock" of the group. An army brat, he was an outsider, having transferred to Bayside in the first filmed episode (though it was aired later as a flashback). A. C. also mentions that he is from Bolivia. He becomes the school's star athlete in such fields as wrestling, football, and basketball. Slater was originally written as Zack's rival for Kelly's affection before becoming Zack's best friend in the show's second season and developing an attraction to strong-willed feminist Jessie Spano. López is a drummer and dancer, and some episodes include Slater showcasing these "hidden talents." Slater has a sister who makes an appearance in one episode. His father appears in two episodes, but his mother, though mentioned throughout the series, never appears. In the College Years episode "Slater's War", Slater reveals that his real last name is actually Sanchez. He says that his dad changed it to get into the Army. He receives a wrestling scholarship to the University of Iowa, but ends up going to Cal U.

Jessie Spano

Played by Elizabeth Berkley, Jessica Myrtle ("Jessie") Spano is the show's resident know-it-all crusader. She's often seen pursuing a variety of causes (many of which are feminist in nature) while keeping up her position as Class President and one of the smartest students in her class. Like Lisa and Screech, Jessie is Zack's childhood friend (despite discontinuity with Good Morning, Miss Bliss), and he routinely climbs into her room via a tree outside her window. From the second season onwards, her main love interest is Slater, who disagrees with her feminist views. Jessie's parents are divorced. She has a step-brother named Eric from New York. Jessie fully expected to be crowned valedictorian, but finished a fraction of a point behind Screech, and reluctantly settled for salutatorian status. Upon matriculation, Jessie attends Columbia University after being rejected from Harvard and Yale. She is rejected from her dream school, Stansbury, which offers Zack a scholarship much to Jessie's dismay.

Samuel "Screech" Powers

Played by Dustin Diamond, Screech (whose real name is Samuel) is the awkward nerd. 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). Though clumsy and goofy, Screech is very smart. A recurring gag in the series is his unrequited love for Lisa Turtle. In several early episodes of the series, Screech has a anthropomorphized robot named Kevin, which he built. Diamond was three years younger than most of the cast who he was supposed to be the same age as. Screech was the valedictorian of the high school class, but gave it to Jessie as a sign of goodwill, which she then returned on the graduation date. He received acceptance to Duke University, Emerson College, Clemson University, University of California, Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology, Emory University, University of Southern California, and Princeton University. Yet he is rejected from an all-women school that was his number one choice. He also was the only cast member to star in every incarnation of Saved by the Bell, as he joined the cast of "The New Class" as an aide to Mr. Belding. He chose to go to the fictional Cal U after graduation, and shared a dormitory suite with Zack, Slater, and Kelly.

Lisa Turtle

Played by Lark Voorhies, Lisa is trendy and intelligent. She is the clique's fashion expert and the gossip queen of Bayside High. She comes from a wealthy family; her father and mother are shown to be surgeons. Originally, her character was written to be a Caucasian, Jewish American princess, however, Lark portrayed the role so well, they awarded her the role. 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 has been Zack's best friend since grade school, and some episodes hinted that she harbored a small crush on him. Lisa's goal is to become a world famous fashion designer. For the majority of the gang's years at Bayside, one of the running gags was Screech's fruitless attempts to woo Lisa. While his romantic feelings for her were never returned, and often rejected with insults and jokes, eventually she realized she had developed a soft spot for Screech. Upon graduation she receives acceptance into the Fashion Institute of Technology after a successful fashion show.

Richard Belding

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. Mr. Belding seems to genuinely care about what the students, particularly Zack, think of him.

Other main characters

• Max, played by magician/comedian Ed Alonzo, is the owner of The Max, the favorite hangout of the gang. He is known for his quirky sense of humor and his array of magic tricks. He starred in the first season, and recurred in the second, and then stopped appearing without explanation. The Max continued to be featured without him.

• Tori Scott, played by Leanna Creel, was introduced near the end of the series as the new girl at Bayside High. She is initially portrayed as a "tough girl" and is seldom seen without her leather jacket and drives a motorcycle to school. She at first is an antagonist to Zack, often getting the better of him, but eventually becomes a love interest of Zack. She disappears without explanation, and the previously taped episodes of the gang's final days at Bayside are aired, containing Kelly and Jessie, but no Tori. Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley had moved on in order to pursue other acting careers.

• Stacey Carosi, played by Leah Remini, was introduced in the Malibu Sands Beach Club episodes where the gang took jobs over the summer (the exception being Lisa who was a guest at the Resort). Stacey attends school on the East Coast and the owner of the club is her father, Leon Carosi, played by Ernie Sabella. Stacey is initially disgusted by Zack and refers to him sarcastically as "Dude" and often remarks that his being "Californian" is quite annoying, but a few episodes in, she becomes Zack's love interest. They must hide their affair from Leon, as Zack and Leon are at odds from the very beginning of the summer. Their romance ends when Stacey must go back to New York for school and in the final summer episode, even Leon, who finds out about the romance, grows a liking to Zack.

Spin-offs

The show was popular enough to warrant two spin-offs, both of which premiered in 1993.

Saved by the Bell: The College Years

Main article: Saved by the Bell: The College Years

Saved by the Bell: The College Years continued with several of the characters dealing with college life. It aired in the season following the original series' last, and was also set in the following school year. The series sported a continuity problem in that the characters who ended up at the fictional California University were set to go off to different universities at the end of the original Saved By The Bell.

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 prime time. The series aired from September 14, 1993 (though the original pilot aired on May 22, 1993) to February 8, 1994.

Saved by the Bell: The New Class

Main article: Saved by the Bell: The New Class

Saved by the Bell: The New Class was created to continue the story of Bayside High School in the Saturday morning timeslot after the original cast graduated. The series featured a new set of students anchored by Dennis Haskins, and later Dustin Diamond, whose character Screech became Principal Belding's administrative assistant on a work-study program from California University (a reference to Screech's college in "The College Years"). 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 series. The New Class aired from September 11, 1993 to July 29, 2000. Many of the New Class episodes were actually "recycled" plots from the original Saved by the Bell. Slater, Lisa, and Zack had a cameo in one episode in Season 2 while trying to keep Bayside from being bought and destroyed. The Max remained as the hangout for the Bayside High students, although a fire burned it down in one episode and it was given a new look. The New Class is the only Saved by the Bell incarnation not to be currently syndicated, although all seven seasons have made it to DVD.

Made-for-TV movies

In 1992, Saved by the Bell's first made-for-TV movie, Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style aired. This movie occurred during the continuity of the original series, during a summer holiday. 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 a hotel/resort complex, and the group has to save it.

After the College Years spin-off was completed, a second movie was aired entitled Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. The plot of the film was based upon the wedding of Zack and Kelly, which had been set up at the end of the spin-off series. The movie included most of the cast members from both the original series and the College Years series. This was the final appearance for Kelly and Lisa from the original series (Jessie also appears briefly toward the end of the movie), and Alex and Mike from the "College Years" series.

Guest stars

Several future-celebrities had appearances as Bayside students. Scott Wolf appeared as a member of the glee club in one episode and as a waiter at the Max in two others. Tori Spelling (Beverly Hills 90210) had a recurring role as Screech's girlfriend, Violet, during Seasons 2 & 3. Bridgette Wilson (Billy Madison) played Zack's ditzy girlfriend Ginger in a few episodes during Season 4. Also appearing in one of the beach episodes is future Grey's Anatomy regular, Eric Dane. Popular radio DJ and personality Casey Kasem made two separate guest appearances on the show ("Dancing to the Max" and "Rockumentary").

Two new up-and-coming movie stars also had roles on Saved by the Bell: Casper Van Dien who was an extra in two episodes, and Denise Richards who played a girl rescued by Slater in a Malibu Sands episode. As noted before, Leah Remini was in the summer episodes as the girl who Zack falls in love with. She played the character Stacey Carosi in eight summer episodes. She became famous years later for the CBS sitcom The King of Queens.

Syndication

Saved by the Bell is syndicated in what appears to be two syndication packages:

• The original series, with the repackaged Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes, and the Hawaiian Style TV movie, broken down into four standard-length episodes.
• The College Years and the Wedding in Las Vegas TV movie, broken down into four standard-length episodes).

Produced by NBC Productions (now operating as NBC Universal Television), Saved by the Bell's United States distribution rights are currently handled by their distribution arm, NBC Universal Television Distribution. Until recently, it was syndicated via Rysher Entertainment (CBS Paramount Television would take over distribution after purchasing Rysher, although the Rysher logo was retained on most episodes). 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 same time slot.

In the United Kingdom, the series is broadcast on cable television network Nickelodeon UK.

On April 9, 2006, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim 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 due to "[t]he popularity of the show thanks to the fans of Adult Swim."^[1] A week later, the announcement was exposed as a joke.^[2] Despite the nature of the hoax, Adult Swim has reportedly been in talks with several former cast members, who sources say have expressed genuine interest, in hopes of producing new episodes of the series that will pick up where the finale ended.

Continuity errors

The series was generally not one to take itself too seriously, and as a result, it contains a significant number of continuity errors, due to oversight or plot convenience.

Some of the biggest continuity errors are between Saved by the Bell and Good Morning, Miss Bliss:

• In an episode of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Zack's father is a single, swinging bachelor named Peter with a laid-back attitude. On Saved by the Bell, Zack's dad, Derek, is married and is a lot more serious and mature, and is played by a different actor.
• In one episode of Good Morning, Miss Bliss, it's also mentioned that Zack has a sister and Screech has a brother, but neither has siblings in the Saved by the Bell series.

Good Morning, Miss Bliss took place at John F. Kennedy Jr. High in Indiana while Saved by the Bell is set at Bayside High in Pacific Palisades, California.

In one two-part episode ("Wicked Stepbrother"), Jessie's stepbrother Eric Joshua Hoffman 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 ("Miss Bayside"), 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" and "Rockumentary", Kelly can sing very well.

"The Last Dance" episode spawned two continuity errors: beginning with that episode, Kelly was usually waitressing at The Max. However, on the episode called "The Teacher's Strike", Jessie was waitressing for that episode. Also in "The Last Dance", Jessie was the lead vocalist for the band Zack Attack; "Rockumentary" (11/30/1991), however, had Kelly as lead singer. (It should be noted that Thiessen and Berkley were absent in "The Teacher's Strike" and "Rockumentary", respectively; thus the switch for the remaining actresses was necessary.)

Another continuity error involves the relationship of Zack and Lisa, who in one episode ("The Bayside Triangle") wind up kissing each other and decide to become a couple. This upsets Screech when he sees them kissing 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 again referenced. The reason for the relationship never blossoming is unknown.

On Saved by the Bell Zack had intent to attend Yale, and A.C. had intent to attend Iowa on a wrestling scholarship; however both Zack and A.C. ended up being roommates at California University.

Saved by the Bell: The College Years also has continuity errors. In the episode "Wedding Plans", Leslie, Lisa, and Alex vie 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 ("Boss Lady"), 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."

As mentioned above, the character of Tori Scott (Leanna Creel) was added in later episodes as an annoyance and later girlfriend for Zack. She was meant to be a replacement for Kelly and Jessie during their senior year after Thiessen (Kelly) and Berkley (Jessie) left the show. However, the last episode of the show featured the gang graduating with Kelly and Jessie while Tori was neither seen nor mentioned. This is due to the fact that the graduation episode was shot earlier with Kelly and Jessie, but the network ordered more episodes. At that point, Thiessen (Kelly) and Berkley (Jessie) had already left the show; hence the need for a new love interest for Zack. Due to the "Tori Episodes", the gang actually had two final senior proms.

Other continuity errors include:

• In the episode "The Election" when A.C. Slater finds Mr. Belding working out in the locker room, they can both be seen wearing shirts that say "Bayside Jr. High School", even though Bayside is a high school. The mascot on the shirt is also a bird instead of a tiger.

• Despite the fact that his door opens directly to the hallway, Mr. Belding is often contacted by a secretary via intercom who announces his visitors.

DVD releases

In the United States, Region 1, Saved by the Bell was released on DVD for the very first time by Lions Gate Entertainment. Seasons 1 and 2 were released on September 2, 2003. Seasons 3 and 4 were released on April 27, 2004, and Season 5 (with the 'Tori episodes') was released on July 19, 2005. Several episodes from the first two seasons are the syndicated versions, and not the original broadcast versions.

In Ireland, a three-disc DVD boxed-set was released with the two feature-length TV movies, as well as several episodes of the series.

To date, there has been no DVD or home video release of Good Morning, Miss Bliss.

Cultural references

• The episode "Jessie's Song" was parodied in an episode of the NBC sketch comedy The Rerun Show. "Miss Bayside" was also parodied on the series in a Star Wars-themed sketch.
• In his 2004 collection of essays on popular culture Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto, writer Chuck Klosterman devoted a chapter to Saved by the Bell entitled "Being Zach Morris." He wrote that the show "is like this little generational secret that's hyperfamiliar to people born between 1970 and 1977, yet generally unremarkable to anyone born after (and completely alien to all those born before.)"
• Popular freeform hardcore producer and DJ AC Slater took his name from the Saved by the Bell character of the same name.
• Bayside High is the same school that Raven, Eddie, and Chelsea go to in the Disney Channel series That's So Raven. Also the schools sets look oddly similar.
• On December 1, 2002, the E! network used the show's history as a segment for its E! True Hollywood Story. The special revealed facts and contained interviews with the cast and crew.
• Details magazine reunited Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen for a special-edition photoshoot in the August 2006 issue.
• Saturday Night Live also parodied Screech in a satire of Inside the Actor's Studio. James Lipton (played by Will Ferrell) interviews Screech's actor played by Tobey Maguire.
• In The Simpsons episode "The President Wore Pearls", Martin organizes a casino night, claiming he got the idea from an episode of Saved by the Bell. But the night is a disaster, in which Martin says the same thing happened in Saved by the Bell.
• A common term for large cellphones in the 1980s and early 1990s is the Zack Morris Phone showing the shows immense popularity and cultural significance.

Trivia

• The Bayside Tigers school logo was actually a knockoff of the Detroit Tigers logo from the 1980s (it was colored maroon and said "Bayside" instead of "Detroit").
• At the end of the opening credits Kelly completely misses the group high five.
• One of the degrees in Mr. Belding's office is for kung fu. It is above the filing cabinet next to his desk.
• The nerd characters usually have a last name that contains the word "nerd" or some synonym of it. ("Nerdstrom", "Poindexter", "Geekman", etc.)
• Two classroom sets were used; each set was rearranged based on the subject of the class.
• The exterior of Bayside High School is seldom seen throughout the series. It was shown in a hand-drawn form in the opening credits and the whole exterior is shown in "Wedding In Las Vegas", before the gang immediately left to Vegas. The parking lot of Bayside is seen in the two-part episode "Wicked Stepbrother" when Mr. Belding buys a new car for his wife and asks Zack and Slater to install a CD player for him.
• The episode "Day of Detention" was the last to be filmed for the original series.
• Mr. Belding's wife, Becky Belding (Louan Gideon), appears in one episode: "Earthquake!"
• The three video games at The Max are Mr. Do! (1982), Time Pilot '84 (1984), and Pulsar (1981). The location of the games against the wall changes throughout the episodes.
• In Season 3, in the episodes where the characters work at a beach resort, exterior scenes were mostly shot on film.^{[citation needed]}
• There are two flags hanging in Ms. Bliss' classroom: The United States of America and Indiana.
• Tiffani Amber Thiessen was originally presented in the opening credits as "Special Guest Appearance" in the first season, even though she had appeared in every episode. It wasn't until the show's second season where she became recognized as a regular cast member. In reruns, the second season's credits are used for the first season and include Thiessen as a regular.
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar had to dye his hair blonde every two weeks while shooting the show.
• From 1992-1993, Harvey Comics published two specials and a short-lived comic book based on the series.
• The following are the SAT scores for the gang:
  • Zack - 1502
  • Screech - 1220
  • Jessie - 1205
  • Lisa - 1140
  • Kelly - 1100
  • A.C. - 1050
    • SATs are scored in intervals of ten which makes it impossible for Jessie and Zack to get the scores they got.
• Lisa's favorite drink was a "Mango-Tonic with a Kiwi Twist."

College choices

The following is where the gang decides to go to college.

• Zack - Yale University
• A.C. - University of Iowa
• Screech - University of California, Berkeley
• Jessie - Columbia University
• Lisa - Fashion Institute of Technology
• Kelly - Community College
• Tori - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

However Zack, A.C., Screech, and Kelly end up at Cal U in Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

• Zack had extremely good extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and very high SAT scores. Even though he barely graduated a day before graduation and hardly studied, his credentials more than qualified him for Yale.

• A.C. was offered a wrestling scholarship to Iowa and took it after he also received the congressional nomination to West Point. After speaking it over with his dad, he received his dad's blessing and chose Iowa.

• Screech was offered admissions to Duke, Princeton, USC, Cal, and others but chose Cal. As the valedictorian of the class, it was no surprise he received admissions to top universities.

• Jessie was rejected from Princeton and Harvard but got into Columbia. As the salutatorian of the class as well as leadership roles and extracurricular activities, it was fitting she received admissions to the Ivy League. Her dream was to go to Stanford, but in Season Five, she didn't even apply.

• Lisa got into FIT after the result of a successful fashion show.

• Kelly couldn't afford university so she attended a community college to save money. On the back cover of the Season Five DVD set, it shows Kelly with a CSUN sweatshirt. The "C" isn't exactly clear, but based on the colors and the LA basin connection to the show, It's safe to say it represents California State University Northridge.

• On the back cover of the Season Five DVD set, it shows Tori with an Illinois sweatshirt.

Ties to California Dreams

California Dreams was a sitcom about a California-based band made up of teenagers. The show was created by Saved by the Bell writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomom with Peter Engel serving as executive producer.

• Actor Jake Grace played a 'hippie surfer' character named Stingray on both California Dreams and Saved by the Bell: The College Years.
• A cozy, romantic beach hangout called "Paradise Cove" exists on both California Dreams and Saved by the Bell. It is first mentioned on the SBTB episode "My Boyfriends Back" when Zack asks Staci on a date to Paradise Cove. On California Dreams episode "Heal the Bay" Tony Wicks mentions Paradise Cove as a spot he likes to take dates. In that same episode Paradise Cove gets temporarily closed down due to pollution.
• The schools on California Dreams and Saved by the Bell are both Coastal Schools as insinuated by their names, Pacific Coast High (California Dreams) and Bayside High (Saved by the Bell). The shows do exist in the same continuity as proven in an episode of Saved by the Bell: The New Class titled "Belding's Baby" where Scott Erikson dates a girl from Pacific Coast High named Ashley.
• Both shows are set in Los Angeles suburbs right outside of Los Angeles with California Dreams taking place in Redondo Beach and Saved by the Bell set in the fictional city of Palisades (which could be based on Pacific Palisades, a district of Los Angeles).
• Pacific Coast High is mentioned by Screech as one of Baysides rival schools in an episode of Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
• The character Gem Diamond, played by Gary Beach, appeared in both shows. In Saved by the Bell, he sold shoddy class rings. In California Dreams, he was a used car salesman.

See also

• List of Saved by the Bell episodes
  • List of minor characters in Saved by the Bell

References

1. ^ http://www.adultswim.com/williams/news/articles/news087.html
2. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1529564/20060426/index.jhtml

Wikipedia information about Saved by the Bell This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Saved by the Bell". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.