SAVED BY THE BELL (1989)

SAVED BY THE BELL (1989)

(NBC, August 20, 1989-May 22, 1993)

Peter Engel Productions, NBC Productions, Rysher Entertainment

MAIN CAST:

Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Zack Morris

Tiffani-Amber Thiessen – Kelly Kapowski

Dustin Diamond – Samuel “Screech” Powers

Lark Voorhies – Lisa Turtle

Mario Lopez – Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater

Elizabeth Berkley – Jessie Spano

Dennis Haskins – Richard Belding

Ed Alonzo – Max (seasons 1-2)

Leanna Creel – Tori Scott (season 4)

            In case you didn’t get enough school during the week, NBC was proud to bring you more on the weekends. Created by Sam Bobrick, Saved by the Bell was a live-action sitcom about life at the fictional Bayside High School in California. However, the series had a very different beginning.

The show originated as the Disney Channel production Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988. The first show produced by a major network for cable TV (in this case NBC, who passed on airing the show themselves), it focused on Carrie Bliss (Hayley Mills) and her students at John F. Kennedy Junior High in Indianapolis. Miss Bliss, as the students knew her, was often the center of moral dilemmas and the only person her students could turn to. She provided an introductory narration for the episodes highlighting the pending plot. The pilot episode aired on July 11, 1987 and the supporting roles were heavily re-cast before the series began the following November. 

The cast of Miss Bliss: Voorhies, Heather Hopper, Diamond, Mills, Max Battimo and Gosselaar.

The series lasted only 13 episodes (not including the original pilot) when Disney dropped it. NBC decided to give the show another chance and had Peter Engel retool it extensively. NBC President Brandon Tartikoff wanted a title for the show with the word “bell” in it and suggested Saved by the Bell. Engel hated the name and was convinced someone would have owned the rights to the phrase. When NBC’s legal department debunked that belief, Engel’s office was covered in large banners with the titles. Engel relented, and Saved by the Bell debuted the following year.   

The bustling halls of Bayside High.

The focus of the show changed to the students, specifically a group of six friends. Held over from Miss Bliss was Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who dyed his hair blonde every two weeks for the role after auditioning with it from a previous part), the wise-cracking conniver who always had a scheme at the ready, became the lead character of the ensemble cast. He often broke the fourth wall and would address the audience directly, sometimes even calling a “time out” to do so that would freeze all the other action on camera. Also held over from Miss Bliss were the brilliant and uber-geeky Screech (Dustin Diamond, who was, unknown to the producers, the youngest of the cast starting Miss Bliss when he was 12) and the fashion-forward object of Screech’s affection (much to her chagrin), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies, whom the role was changed for from being a white Jewish princess from Long Island when she auditioned). 

The Bayside gang (from top): Alonzo, Gosselaar, Voorhies, Thiessen,
Berkley, Lopez, Haskins and Diamond.

Joining them were their “longtime friends” cheerleader Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Amber-Thiessen, initially unwanted by the casting directors but fought heavily for by Engel and Tatikoff) and know-it-all crusader Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley, whose role was created for her after being turned down for the role of Kelly). Rounding out the cast was jock A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez), who begins the series having just transferred to Bayside and instantly became Zack’s frenemy and primary competition for the affections of Kelly (however, this episode was the 15^th aired rather than the first and given a Zack voiceover to establish it as a flashback). Keeping the kids in line from Miss Bliss was long-suffering principal Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins), who tried very hard to put the “pal” in principal.

The gang hanging out at The Max.

               

            The show followed the misadventures of the characters at the fictional Bayside High, now set in California. They try to survive life in school as well as typical teenaged drama such as dating, studying, and even drugs. Trouble was usually brought on by a scheme of Zack’s that would often result in his being busted by Belding and Screech ending up in a compromising situation, although sometimes those schemes were an attempt to help his friends. When not at school or over at each other’s houses, the gang could be found at The Max; a restaurant that was owned and operated in the first two seasons by magician Max (Ed Alonzo).

Mr. Tuttle watches on as Screech demonstrates his love meter.

Rounding out the cast were the equally colorful teachers of Bayside (although they only appeared a few times each). Mr. Dewey (Patrick Thomas O’Brien) was a math teacher and Bayside’s vice principal. He spoke in a monotone voice, rarely showed emotions, and could wield sarcasm like a tool. Mrs. Simpson (Pamela Kosh) was a nearly-deaf British English teacher who rarely wore her hearing aid because of the school bell echoing in it too loudly. Both Dewey and Simpson would go on to make appearances in the eventual spin-off after the series ended (more on that later). Mr. Tuttle (Jack Angeles) was overweight and enthusiastic, well-liked by the students but unfriendly with Belding due to his being passed up for the position of principal. A notable one-shot teacher was Mr. Testaverde, who was played by John Moschitta. Moschitta’s entire career was forged on his ability to speed talk, which he brought to Bayside making his lessons impossible to learn.

 

The cast in Hawaii as they help Kelly's uncle save his hotel.

  

Saved by the Bell debuted on August 20, 1989, airing in prime time on Sunday night as an attempt to attract audiences. Initially, NBC only ordered seven episodes until Engel fought for an additional 13. The results spoke for themselves as the show ended up becoming a hit for NBC (the pilot episode’s ratings beat out the top-performing Family Ties). As well as renewing it for additional seasons, NBC sold the series into syndication. The Miss Bliss episodes were included in the syndication package, being edited to feature the Bell opening (sometimes with a re-recorded theme for syndication) as well as a cold introduction by Zack reminiscing about their days in junior high to the audience to explain the massive differences between the shows. A ton of merchandise was released with the show’s branding from books to posters, and the cast were also sent on numerous tours around the country to meet fans and sign autographs. The series was written by Engel, Bennett Tramer, Tom Tenowich, Jeffrey J. Sachs, Brett Dewey, Ronald B. Solomon, Scott Spencer Gorden, Bob Colleary, Larry Balmagia, Michael Poryes, Mark Fink, Stephanie Garman, Michael Swerdlick, Hollace White, Gary Goldstein, Sam Greenbaum, Jim Parker and Stephen Langford, with music by Scott Gale and Rich Eames.

Stacey Carosi addresses her troops.

During the third season, regular episodes were intertwined with six summer vacation episodes. Lisa landed the gang jobs at the Malibu Sands beach resort her family frequented, leading to the introduction of their gruff boss Leon Carosi (Ernie Sabella) and his beautiful daughter Stacey (Leah Remini). Zack spends the majority of the vacation episodes avoiding trouble with his boss (which typically failed) while trying to get Stacey to fall for him (which ultimately succeeds). The episodes were introduced in flashback by featuring Zack taking a day off to recover from the summer and reminiscing with his friends as they came by to check on him one-by-one.

 

Tori asks "Who are Kelly and Jessie?"

 In the final season, NBC ordered additional episodes of the show beyond what the cast was contracted for. Thiessen and Berkley had already lined up new projects once filming concluded, so they were replaced by leather jacket-clad motorcyclist Tori Scott (Leanna Creel, whose character was named after Tori Spelling who had also appeared on the show as Screech’s girlfriend, Violet Bickerstaff). Tori started as Zack’s nemesis, but gradually began to develop a relationship with him. Zack and Kelly had gotten together, but eventually split. Slater was also eventually paired up with Jessie (putting a definitive end to the Zack/Slater feud when the writers noted the real-life chemistry between friends Gosselaar and Lopez). To alleviate some of the confusion, episodes featuring Kelly and Jessie were alternated with episodes featuring Tori. However, this would go on to create a whole different kind of confusion, especially with the series-ending graduation episode which was filmed before the inclusion of Tori. The show also received its first TV movie: Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style, which followed the gang on an adventure to help Kelly’s grandfather, Harry Bannister (Dean Jones), save his hotel. It was shot after “Graduation”, making it Thiessen and Berkley’s last project for the original Bell. The film would later be broken up into four regular episodes with DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” serving as the opening theme for each one in syndication.

The cast of The College Years (left to top): Warren, Lopez, Diamond, Tremko, Gosselaar, Thiessen and Golic.

The success of Bell inspired NBC to give up on cartoons and refocus their efforts on teen-oriented comedies. They commissioned a number of Bell clones into production and rebranded their Saturday morning schedule Teen NBC (or TNBC). Not wanting to give up its cash-cow, NBC set about creating two new shows in the Bell brand. Immediately following the finale was the pilot episode of the first of the two spin-offs: Saved by the Bell: The College Years, which then aired regularly Tuesdays in prime time. The series followed Zack, Screech and Slater as they went on to attend the fictional California University. Joining them were three new girls: Leslie Burke (Anne Tremko), Alex Tabor (Kiersten Warren) and Danielle Marks (Essence Atkins). The series followed the same formula as the original, although it gave Zack tougher nemeses in dorm adviser Mike Rogers (Bob Golic) and Dean Susan McMann (Holland Taylor). Thiessen decided to return to the series and Danielle was transferred out as Kelly transferred in, eventually rekindling her romance with Zack after a few distractions for both of them.

Zack and Kelly finally tie the knot...after a series of misadventures, of course.

Facing strong competition from Full House and Rescue 911, The College Years performed poorly and was cancelled after only one season. In the fall of 1994, NBC aired a second TV movie called Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas in order to provide closure to the characters. It followed Zack and Kelly as they made their turbulent way to the altar and reunited all of the original cast as well as Mike and Alex from The College Years.

The New Class season 2 cast (from top): Diamond, Haskins, Sarah Lancaster, Christian
Oliver, Jonathan Angel, Natalia Cigliuti, Bianca, Lawson, Spankee Rodgers

The same week as The College Years, the second spin-off premiered: Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which, as the title suggests, followed the newest class of Bayside High. Still in attendance was Mr. Belding, and Screech joined the cast in the second season after The College Years was cancelled. For the second season finale, a mini reunion came about when Lisa, Zack and Slater returned to Bayside to help save it from closing.

People Magazine reunion photo shoot.

In 2008, the original cast, except for Thiessen and Berkley, lent their voices to the Cartoon Network program Robot Chicken for a parody combining Bell with the horror movie series Saw called “Sawed by the Bell.” On March 27, 2009, Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon launched a campaign to have the cast reunite. While only Haskins and Gosselaar appeared on Fallon’s show (in-character as Zack), the original cast did come together that August for a People Magazine photo shoot. However, Diamond was not included as that same year he released his tell-all book, Behind the Bell, which chronicled an unflattering portrayal of his co-stars and behind the scenes antics of the show. Five years later, Diamond distanced himself from the book with claims that his ghostwriter fabricated many of the stories. In 2014, Lifetime produced a TV movie based on the book called The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story. Earlier in 2014, Roar Comics began publishing the second comic series based on the show (the first was by Harvey Comics from 1992-93). Both comic lines featured highly stylized versions of the characters. Roar’s version was digital only, later collected in a printed trade.

Classmates watch on as Jessie undergoes a drug-induced fit while trying to save The Max in Bayside! The Musical!
Cast (left to right): April Kidwell, John Duff, Justin Cimino, Sam Harvey, Shamira Clark and Katie Mebane.

In 2005, Bob and Tobly McSmith created a musical based on the show called Bayside! The UnMusical! They followed it up the next year with Bayside 2! Electric Screechio. The show was revived in 2012, but received a total reworking after their success with Showgirls! The Musical! (based on the movie Showgirls starring Berkley). In 2013, it returned as Bayside! The Musical!: The Unauthorized Parody of Saved by The Bell. The show makes use of many plot elements and story lines from throughout the run of the series, but portrays them with heavy doses of strong language and adult situations while also poking fun at the show. Original cast members have even participated including Haskins, Diamond, O’Brien and Creel. After being extended several times, the show finally ended its run in August of 2015 to make room for the pair’s next musical parody based on Full House.

The Belding brothers, Rod and Richard.

In 2011, Scott and Matt Hamilton wrote and directed a short film called Saved by the Belding. The premise of the short is that four friends who believe Belding’s brother Rod is real attempt to track him down. The short was inspired by the episode “The Fabulous Belding Boys,” in which Rod Belding appeared for the first and only time. Haskins and Ed Blatchford, who played Rod, both appeared in the short.

The cast reunites on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

In December of 2014, TruTV’s edgy sketch comedy Friends of the People featured a Bell skit called “Black Kids of Bayside,” in which an unseen group of black students were practically invisible to the rest of the student body. The sketch featured Diamond as Mr. Belding. In February of 2015, Jimmy Fallon finally achieved his dreams of a cast reunion during The Tonight Show’s week-long broadcast from its former home in Los Angeles. Fallon had the hallway set recreated for a flashback in which he was a student of Bayside before moving to New York for his comedy career. The sketch featured the entire original Bell cast except for Diamond, who was jailed for assault shortly after his appearance on People, and Voorhies.

In 2018, Dashiell Driscoll began a series on Funny or Die called Zack Morris is Trash which reexamines every episode of the series to point out how much of a jerk Zack was during the run of the series. In 2020, Driscoll began a podcast co-hosted by Gosselaar called Zack to the Future. The podcast involves Gosselaar watching episode of Bell along with Driscoll and commenting on them with him. It was based around the premise that Gosselaar had never watched a complete episode of the series because the urge to dissect his performance would have distracted him from his work in front of the camera. In the fall of 2019, it was announced that a reboot/sequel series of Saved by the Bell (on which Driscoll is a writer) was in the works. The series, set to air on NBC’s Peacock streaming service, focuses on a new group of Bayside students. Lopez and Berkley are signed on as series regulars and producers, with Gosselaar, Thiessen and Alonzo in recurring roles. 

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Dancing to the Max” (8/20/89) – There’s a dance contest at the Max, and Zack and Slater both want Kelly as their partner.

“The Lisa Card” (8/26/89) – Lisa’s father lets her use his credit card to buy a reward for her good grades, but she ends up going overboard and needs to find a way to pay it off quickly.

“The Gift” (9/8/89) – A lightning strike causes Screech to see the future, which Zack and Slater immediately use to their advantage.

“Fatal Distraction” (9/9/89) – Zack bugs Jessie’s room during a sleepover to find out how to get Kelly to go out with him, but the girls find the bug and make him think Kelly’s insane.

“Screech’s Woman” (9/16/89) – Unable to find a girl to go out with Screech, Zack dresses up as a girl and goes out with Screech as “Bambi.”

“Aloha Slater” (9/23/89) – With Slater’s father reassigned to Hawaii, Zack does everything he can to ensure Slater goes with him.

“The Substitute” (9/30/89) – All the girls have the hots for substitute teacher Tony Crane, to which Zack and Slater team-up to put an end to by making them think he’s married.

“Cream for a Day” (10/7/89) – Kelly is nominated as homecoming queen, but a zit may ruin her chances. Unfortunately, Zack’s solution ends up giving her a bigger problem.

“Pinned to the Mat” (10/14/89) – Slater decides to quit wrestling, running Zack’s chances to win a bet that Slater would beat rival Valley High’s champion.

“Beauty and the Screech” (10/21/89) – Kelly needs a good grade to go to a concert and Zack sets her up with Screech to help her study, but becomes jealous when they grow closer.

“The Friendship Business” (11/4/89) – The gang starts a friendship bracelet business for a class project, but Zack’s attitude causes them to break away and create a rival company.

“The Mamas and the Papas” (11/11/89) – The class is split into pairs to act as married couples, preparing them for marriage as adults.

“The Election” (11/18/89) – Zack runs for class president only to win the trip to Washington, DC. When it’s cancelled, he has to prove he wasn’t only running because of it.

“The Zack Tapes” (12/2/89) – Zack learns about subliminal advertising and attempts to use the technique to convince Kelly to go to the dance with him.

“King of the Hill” (12/12/89) – Zack hopes to finally land Kelly in high school, but the arrival of Slater brings him an unexpected complication.

“Save That Tiger” (12/16/89) – Screech, the school’s mascot, is kidnapped during the annual prank war with Valley.

Season 2:

“The Prom” (9/8/90) – Zack finally gets Kelly to go to the prom, but when her father loses his job she’s unable to go.

“Zack’s War” (9/15/90) – Mr. Belding forces Zack to join the Army Cadet Corps in order to change his ways. Zack convinces his friends to join with him, but ends up ditching them.

“Save The Max” (9/22/90) – The gang discovers Bayside’s old radio station in time to host a telethon to save The Max from financial trouble.

“Driver’s Education” (9/29/90) – Zack sabotages Slater’s driving test, resulting in Kelly being hurt. She feigns her injuries’ severity in order to teach Zack a lesson.

“House Party” (10/6/90) – The gang accidentally breaks Screech’s mother’s Elvis statue and hold a party in order to raise the funds needed for a new one.

“Blind Dates” (10/13/90) – Belding forces Zack to take out his niece Penny, but Zack has Screech pretend to be him so Zack can go to Kelly’s party.

“Rent-A-Pop” (10/20/90) – Zack hires an actor to impersonate his dad and talk with Mr. Belding about his bad grades, but Belding and Zack’s real father end up meeting at the school fair.

“Miss Bayside” (10/27/90) – Zack bets Slater that Screech will win the Miss Bayside Beauty Pageant.

“Jessie’s Song” (11/3/90) – Jessie becomes addicted to caffeine pills due to the pressures of midterms and obligations to her vocal group.

“Model Students” (11/10/90) – Zack takes over the student store, but no one comes in until he and Screech take pictures of the girls’ swim team to make “The Girls of Bayside” calendars.

“1-900-Crushed” (11/17/90) – Zack creates and advice hotline with Screech and Lisa, but when Lisa quits and Zack takes over he ends up getting caught between Kelly and her sister.

“Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind” (11/23/90) – Zack and Slater dress Screech up as an alien to make quick money to replace the school’s camera, attracting the interest of a special agent.

“Running Zack” (11/24/90) – Zack has to make up his family heritage presentation in order to stay on the track team, and learns a great deal about his Native American heritage.

“The Babysitters” (12/1/90) – Kelly leaves her baby brother with the gang while having her school picture taken, but a hurt arm leaves the gang babysitting longer than planned.

“The Fabulous Belding Boys” (12/8/90) – Mr. Belding’s brother Rod substitute teaches a class and promises to take them on a special field trip, but ends up ditching the class for a date.

 “From Nurse to Worse” (12/15/90) – Zack asks Kelly to go steady, but he ends up falling for the new school nurse while she thinks it over.

 “Breaking Up Is Hard to Undo” (12/16/90) – Zack, Slater and Belding all split from their women. Helping Belding reconcile with his wife helps the boys get back together with the girls.

“Glee Club” (12/23/90) – Screech’s girlfriend Violet is the only one with a voice in the group, but after Screech’s disastrous dinner with her parents she quits the group.

Season 3:

“The Last Dance” (9/14/91) – Kelly gets a job at The Max to afford a costume for the ball, but ends up falling for her boss Jeff Hunter.

“Zack’s Birthday” (9/14/91) – Lisa helps the gang land summer jobs at Malibu Sands beach resort. They have problems with their boss Mr. Carosi while Zack falls for his daughter, Stacey.

“The Aftermath” (9/21/91) – Zack looks to date new girls in order to make Kelly jealous after catching her at the movies with Jeff.

“The Game” (9/21/91) – Carosi bets that if Zack can win the volleyball game Zack can buy his car. Unfortunately, Zack’s star player ends up injured.

“Operation Zack” (9/28/91) – Zack hurts his knee and is worried about the surgery going wrong.

“Fourth of July” (9/28/91) – Zack is selected as the judge for the beach resort beauty pageant and Carosi makes it clear he must choose Stacey no matter what.

“Check Your Mate” (10/5/91) – To win the annual chess competition, Valley steals Screech’s lucky beret.

“My Boyfriend’s Back” (10/5/91) – Zack finds himself intimidated when Stacey’s ex-boyfriend visits from Boston.

“Fake I.D.’s” (10/19/91) – Zack lies about his age to impress a college girl. Sneaking into an over-18 club, Zack, Screech and Slater find Jeff dancing with another girl.

“Boss Lady” (10/19/91) – The gang helps Stacey run the resort while her father’s away and things begin going wrong.

“Pipe Dreams” (10/26/91) – When an oil well is found on Bayside property, everyone goes oil crazy until they learn the environmental impact it brings.

“The Last Weekend” (10/26/91) – The gang ends their time at the resort, and even Mr. Carosi has a hard time saying goodbye.

“The Wicked Stepbrother Parts 1 &2” (11/2/91) – Jessie’s new stepbrother Eric uses blackmail to get his way. Zack and Slater try to set him up, but end up causing trouble for Lisa instead.

“Date Auction” (11/9/91) – A date auction is held to raise money for new cheerleading uniforms.

“All in the Mall” (11/9/91) – The gang finds $5000 in the mall and end up being chased around by mobsters.

“S.A.T’s” (11/16/91) – When Zack scores higher on the SATs than Jessie, her dreams of attending a particular college are dashed.

“Palm Springs Weekend Part 1” (11/16/91) – The gang attends Jessie’s father’s wedding, but she’s displeased to learn her new stepmother is a younger woman.

“Palm Springs Weekend Part 2” (11/23/91) – Zack tries to convince Jessie not to stop the wedding. Zack and Kelly date, but decide to remain friends.

“Hold Me Tight” (11/23/91) – The gang helps Zack’s latest crush Kristy attain her dream of joining the wrestling team. Jessie regrets that decision as Kristy grows close to Slater.

“No Hope With Dope” (11/30/91) – Bayside is chosen as the set for an anti-drug commercial, but the gang discovers the star of the commercial is a pothead.

“Rockumentary” (11/30/91) – Casey Kasem tells the story behind the gang’s band, The Zack Attack, rise to fame.

“Cut Day” (12/7/91) – Jessie and her new friend protest the use of polystyrene cups in school while Zack bets Slater he can ditch his classes without getting caught.

“Home For Christmas Part 1” (12/7/91) – The gang prepares a production of “A Christmas Carol” while Zack falls for a girl at the mall, Laura, that he doesn’t know is homeless.

“Home For Christmas Part 2” (12/14/91) – Laura is accused of stealing a coat for her father and is fired, but the gang help her get her job back and the Morris family lets them stay with them.

“Mystery Weekend” (12/21/91) – The gang wins a murder mystery weekend at a mansion, leaving the gang to find out who is trying to murder their host.

Season 4:

“The Fight” (9/12/92) – Zack and Slater are at odds when they fall for the same girl, while Lisa is embarrassed her date for the Senior Kick-Off party is only a freshman.

“Student Teacher Week” (9/12/92) – Certain students act as teachers for a week with Zack as principal. All goes well until he’s brought into a conflict with teacher Kelly and student Slater.

“Screech’s Spaghetti Sauce” (9/19/92) – Screech creates a new kind of spaghetti sauce, whose recipe ends up stolen by his new girlfriend Robin.

“The New Girl” (9/19/92) – It’s already a rocky start when new girl Tori parks in Zack’s parking spot, and it only gets worse when they’re paired up for a class project.

“The Bayside Triangle” (9/26/92) – Zack helps Lisa put on a fashion show for college, which leads to them falling for each other and hurting Screech in the process.

“Teen-Line” (9/26/92) – Participating in a teen hotline leads to Zack becoming close to a disabled girl and Screech with a rowdy boy.

“Masquerade Ball” (10/3/92) – Zack and Slater plot to kiss Tori, but Zack wants to lose the bet so he doesn’t hurt her. Meanwhile, Lisa believes her secret admirer is Zack.

“Day of Detention” (10/3/92) – The gang helps Zack get out of detention to win a trip to Hawaii, but end up in detention themselves.

“Wrestling with the Future” (10/10/92) – Slater and his father argue over where Slater will go after high school and Jessie fears for her college chances after becoming a cheerleader.

“Drinking and Driving” (10/10/92) – After drinking at a party the gang crashes Lisa’s mother’s car.

“Love Machine” (10/17/92) – Screech’s love machine indicates that Slater and his visiting ex still have feelings for each other.

“Class Rings” (10/17/92) – Zack buys the class rings but is given fake ones by the salesman, turning everyone’s fingers green.

“Isn’t It Romantic?” (10/24/92) – The gang reminisces about past romances on Valentine’s Day.

“The Will” (10/24/92) – A former student dies and leaves $10,000 to the school, resulting in everyone arguing over who should get the money.

“The Teacher’s Strike” (10/31/92) – The gang cause a teacher’s strike in order to go on a trip, which end up hurting their chances of winning the academic championship.

“Slater’s Sister” (10/31/92) – Zack falls for Slater’s long-lost sister and Slater tries to break them up when he finds out.

“The Senior Prom” (11/7/92) – The gang helps raise money for the prom. Zack sabotages Kelly’s date so she’ll go with him. Jessie and Slater end up locked in a boiler room for most of the prom.

“The Video Yearbook” (11/7/92) – Zack uses clips from the video yearbook to set up a video dating service, which he regrets when Screech includes Kelly in the mix.

“Screech’s Birthday” (11/14/92) – The gang forgets Screech’s birthday and try to make it up to him by throwing him a party in Belding’s office.

“Snow White and the Seven Dorks” (11/14/92) – Kissing for the school play puts Jessie and Zack’s feelings in question, and them on the outs with Slater and Kelly.

“Earthquake!” (11/21/92) – Zack and Mrs. Belding end up stuck in an elevator after an earthquake as she goes into labor.

“Best Summer of My Life” (11/21/92) – Zack takes a day off and reminisces about their summer at Malibu Sands and Palm Springs.

“Slater’s Friend” (11/28/92) – Slater leaves his pet chameleon in Screech’s care, but it dies shortly after.

“School Song” (11/28/92) – Wanting to be remembered for something positive Zack sabotages his friends’ songs so that his will win and become the new school song.

“The Time Capsule” (12/5/92) – In 2003, the latest Bayside class unearths a time capsule with Mr. Belding and watch the video message within.

“Graduation” (5/22/93) – Zack is forced to take dance and participate in the ballet recital for one final credit while Jessie is heartbroken that Screech made valedictorian over her.

TV Movies:

“Hawaiian Style” (11/27/92) – The gang head to Kelly’s grandfather’s Hawaiian hotel where they become embroiled in the fight to save it from a developer.

“Wedding in Las Vegas” (10/7/94) – Zack and Kelly want to get married, but Zack’s parents refuse to pay for it and Kelly’s are unable to, leaving Zack to find a way to make it happen.

 

Originally posted in 2014. Updated in 2020.