One of the most generation-defining TV shows of the last 40 years, Saved By the Bell brought a lot of laughter and general hijinks into the lives of its Gen X and Millennial viewers during its original 1989-1992 run and subsequent Saved by the Bell reboot. The unmistakable '90s fashion, very funky music, and sheer amount of hairspray in sight make this classic teen show a huge nostalgic draw for audiences to this day. A groundbreaking series at the time, it put a group of precocious teens in the foreground and spoke directly to its target demographic.
Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Screech (Dustin Diamond), Lisa (Lark Voorhies), and Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) were introduced to audiences in Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was revamped and then became the Saved by the Bellviewers know and love. With the addition of Kelly (Tiffani Amber Thiessen), Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley), and Slater (Mario Lopez), Saved by the Bell's group of actors was complete, and a phenomenon was created. A hit in its time slot, it thrust its young cast into the spotlight. It's worth remembering though, that certain elements of Saved by the Bell have aged badly. It's very much a product of its time, and what was common practice then looks a little bit different now.
10
The "Rent-a-Pop" Episode
From Season 2
Saved By the Bell was set in the 1990s, and there are a few different reasons why certain storylines wouldn't work today. Some have to do with a more progressive stance on many social issues, and some simply have to do with security and technological advancement. The premise of the episode is pretty simple: Zack is failing and isn't allowed to attend the school carnival, so he hires an actor to play his father. Navigating the layers of improbability, trying to pull off something like this nowadays is unimaginable.
First of all, whenever a child is enrolled at school, all parties involved must go through strenuous background checks. A list of adults who are allowed to pick students up from school must be approved before anyone is allowed to take them off campus, and even if people haven't met in person before, photo IDs are used constantly. The rules may have been slightly more lax in high school, but there's no way a random actor would be able to impersonate a student's parent or guardian in this day and age. Additionally, there should probably be more stringent security precautions when it comes to children hiring adults for any jobs.
9
The "Jessie’s Song" Episode
From Season 2
As one of the most memorable and iconic episodes of the whole show, "Jessie's Song" sees Bayside's favorite outspoken scholar get some pharmaceutical help in order to study for her exams and keep up with her singing group. As Jessie finds that she has too much on her plate, she turns to drugs to help her stay up and cram. Seeing as this was a '90s network show that aired on Saturday mornings, there was a limit as to what those drugs were allowed to be. The writers had settled on caffeine pills and showed Jessie acting in all kinds of erratic ways, oversleeping and having withdrawal symptoms as if she'd been a long-time addict.
While the sentiment of this storyline is understandable, America was in the midst of the "Just Say No" campaign and the message itself wasn't the issue. The main problem was that the plot was meant to be centered around amphetamines instead of caffeine pills, which would have made the over-the-top acting and concern much more plausible. The whole episode feels cringe-inducing, especially the completely earnest portrayal of what was effectively a teenager having too many Venti lattes. Imagining the same '90s demographic attempting to watch an episode of Euphoria seems unfathomable.
8
Screech’s Obsession with Lisa
From Seasons 1-4
This relationship was one of the core ones of the show, but not in the same way as the others. While Zack and Kelly and Jessie and Slater were both serious romantic couples, considered "endgame", the Lisa and Screech pairing was different. Fully played for comedic effect, it saw the "geek" pining over the "popular girl" who'd never give him the time of day. What was intended to be a funny and innocent crush, often took very sinister, borderline, stalker-like turns. Lisa had said no multiple times in every episode, yet Screech never stopped pursuing her.
Moreover, he was often encouraged by his friends not to give up and keep at it. Zack helped him out with various schemes, and Slater was never seen telling him to stop pestering their friend. Lisa was by no means a wallflower, and could very much handle herself. In fact, her retorts and put-downs could be considered bullying in itself. These characters never belonged together, and while a few episodes of back-and-forth banter could be seen as funny, but four seasons of incessant pursuit was definitely too much.
7
Zack Telling Everyone Slater Was Dying
From Season 1
This was a very novel if unconventional way of trying to get rid of a love rival. In the first season of the show, Slater and Zack were both vying for the affections of Kelly Kapowski. The two would bicker and one-up each other, with varying degrees of success. This was before the friendship between the boys was solidified, and Zack and Kelly became the main couple of the show. When A.C.'s family was set for a potential move to Hawaii, Zack decided to start a rumor that he had an incurable disease and had to move to Hawaii for treatment.
Saved by the Bell’s Bayside crew first appeared on-screen over three decades ago; here’s how their stories ended after four seasons and a movie.
The logistics seem weak, as does the execution, and ultimately, Slater was able to turn the tables on "Preppy" as usual. It's surprising how even in the 1990s, terminal illness was something that was joked about in such a callous way. There was no need for such a dark twist in a usually cheery sitcom. It's true, the language used back in the day was much less PC and positive, but the karmic consequences of such a lie should strike fear in anyone who attempts it.
6
Kelly Dating Jeff
From Season 2
While age issues in relationships have always been a topic of many teen dramas, there is more discourse around the topic nowadays. Jeff was brought in as the foil to Zack in his relationship with Kelly in season 2. He was in college and Kelly's boss at The Max, and the two began openly dating. Kelly's age is hard to quantify at the time, and many TV shows tend to constantly change characters' birthdays, but it was likely around 15/16. The fact that he, an adult college student who was also managing the establishment, was going out with his underage employee without any secrecy or sneaking around wouldn't track.
Jeff was clearly intended to be an antagonist in the eyes of the audience, and this age gap just added to the reasons to not like him. However, the fact that nobody batted an eyelid at this was very much a sign of the times. Any self-respecting current teen show would at least attempt to conceal the relationship and utilize the secrecy for dramatic purposes. All in all, the whole storyline would have been handled differently if the show had been set in a different time period.
5
The Lisa Card Episode
From Season 1
Lisa Turtle was a fashion icon and self-confessed shopping aficionado, as she often topped up her enviable wardrobe. In one particular episode, she ran a large bill on her dad's credit card and was afraid of getting in trouble for overspending. Zack decided to help by raffling off a kiss from Lisa, with absolutely no discussion or consent. This wasn't the first, nor indeed last, time that Lisa or the other girls had become fodder in one of Zack's schemes, but this felt particularly pointed. When the raffle doesn't raise quite enough money, he turns to selling her clothes. Again, with no prior discussion.
Saved by the Bell star Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris on the classic '90s show, reveals regrets over an early episode of the show.
Blatant disregard for boundaries and personal space aside, this borders on assault. It also shows a complete lack of respect between people who are supposed to be friends. The show tries to explain it away by making it seem that Lisa is so shallow that she doesn't know what's good for her, but Lark Voorhies' performance when she says she feels cheap has a twinge of truth to it.
4
The Zack Tapes Episode
From Season 1
There is a lot to unpack about this episode. First of all, the way that it utilizes subliminal messaging as this magical workaround to getting people to do whatever their heart desires is actually quite laughable, but seeing as it's a lighthearted teen show, that can be expected. But using it for such dastardly purposes is far from lighthearted. Zack tries to manipulate his fellow classmates to go out with him using specially crafted subliminal messaging tapes. It works at first, but his plan soon gets foiled.
As the female population of Bayside get their revenge on the young Mr. Morris, the teacher who introduced them to the whole subject gets involved as well. This is highly inappropriate and should have been seen as such even then. While manipulating people to get what one wants isn't new at all, but the scale to which it was used in this storyline was highly over the top and would most likely get shut down nowadays. Or at least it would demand to see some severe repercussions on the perpetrator.
3
The Tori Situation
From Season 4
In its final season, Saved By the Bell had filmed all the planned episodes with the core cast, but was then given an order of an extra 10 to fill in the time slots. With Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley both unavailable for any additional shoots, the creators decided to get creative. They introduced the character of Tori Scott (Leanna Creel) to replace Jessie and Kelly and join as a regular for those extra episodes. She was an interesting character, different from the other Bayside students, with a leather jacket and a bit of '90s edge. She became Zack's new romantic interest and was part of some memorable storylines.
The problem was, there was absolutely no explanation given as to where Jessie and Kelly were when Tori arrived. Additionally, after her departure, the originally planned graduation episode aired, with Thiessen and Berkley back. Again, no explanation as to where they were, why they were gone, or where Tori had now gone. Scheduling issues like this are inevitable, but it's unfathomable nowadays to have main cast members disappear and reappear with no explanation at all. It's still a very strange arc to navigate during a re-watch.
2
The "Running Zack" Episode
From Season 2
There were many instances of insensitive language and culturally inappropriate references made throughout the show, but none were as bad as this particular runner. During a family history assignment, Zack finds out he has some Native American heritage. What ensues is a mishmash of cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and backward thinking. The students emulate clichéd portrayals of Native Americans, and Zack himself wears a full headdress, complete with face paint and "authentic" clothing. This lack of sensitivity and awareness was, sadly, abundant in the 1990s and, truthfully, until not that long ago.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar has himself said that he was mortified by this storyline, and has dreaded re-watching it for his Zack to the Future podcast. It's safe to say the state of television still isn't perfect, but at least it's come a bit further than the representation shown in this episode. There is no way the hero of any modern program would be shown acting this way nowadays.
1
The Girls of Bayside Calendar
From Season 2
So many wrong things happen in the episode "Model Students". Firstly, Zack and Screech take candid, unsolicited pictures of the girls' swim team. These are fully illegal images of teenagers in bathing suits. Then, they make a calendar using these pictures that they then sell to the student body in the school shop. The male population is shown to queue up for these "unofficial" calendars and when the girls find out, they're understandably incensed. There are also life-sized cardboard cutouts of these teenage girls in swimsuits placed around the store for all to see.
When they go to Mr. Belding, he seems to care more about the fact that the boys had used his face superimposed on Jessie's body for one of the months. The girls change their tune when a professional photographer shows interest in showcasing them in a teen fashion magazine. There's also an additional subplot of Zack manipulating Kelly not to go to Paris for another shoot, but it fades in comparison to the egregious actions the boys displayed earlier. The multitude of issues with this storyline include various counts of felony, complete breach of trust, and unabashed exploitation. It's undoubtedly one of the more jarring Saved By the Bell episodes to watch.
An iconic sitcom of the early 90s, Saved By The Bell follows six students (Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski, A.C. Slater, Jessie Spano, Samuel "Screech" Powers, Lisa Turtle) and their years at Bayside High School in Palisades, California.
Release Date
August 20, 1989
Finale Year
November 30, 1991
Cast
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
, Mario Lopez
, Mark-Paul Gosselaar
, Lark Voorhies
, Dustin Diamond
, Elizabeth Berkley
, Ed Alonzo
, Dennis Haskins
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
English (US) ·