Listen up Bayside High alumni, Saved By The Bell is getting a reboot and this is NOT a drill.
That’s right all you ’90s teens, it’s time to perm those tresses, grab a bottle of AquaNet, slip into those high-waisted jeans, and pull out those old TeenBeat Magazine centrefolds.
While a reboot has been in discussion for the past few years, with Jimmy Fallon even doing his own reunion of the cast on The Tonight Show in 2015, it’s taken 30 years to finally make it happen. I mean honestly, what took so long? With Fuller House, Roseanne and BH90210 already blazing a trail back to the days of our youth, it’s about bloody time.
News of the reboot first surfaced in September 2019. And now? We finally have video proof. Mario Lopez just posted a sneak peak with co-star Elizabeth Berkley sitting in The Max diner on his Instagram account.
Lopez tells his followers:
“Alright so we just shot our first scene, well not really our first scene, more like a…promo for saved by the bell.”
Saved By The Bell originally premiered on August 20, 1989 and ended on May 22, 1993. While it may not have been the longest standing teen show, it still managed to become a pop culture hit.
It even spawned a few spin-offs, including Saved By The Bell: The College Years, Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style, Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas and Saved By The Bell: The New Class. It also inspired the creation of an unfortunate musical called, ‘Bayside! The Musical!’
And now, with a reboot FINALLY in the making, I know, there are SO MANY QUESTIONS. Hey! Hey! Hey! What. Is. Going. On. Here?
Are Zack and Kelly still married? What happened with Jessie and Slater? Is Carla still standing in the way of true love? (Jester for-ev-er! Or Slatsie. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. The point is Jessie and Slater belong together). Are Slater and Zack still BFFs?
What we do know? Dustin Diamond (Screech) and Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle) have not signed up for the show. But Mama and Papa Pig have and our teen hearts may have just skipped a beat or two. Elizabeth Berkley teased her and co-star Mario Lopez’s return on Instagram, captioning it with:
I’M SO EXCITED…. here we gooooo!!! @mariolopez…. are you ready for grownup Jessie?!
The sequel, consisting of 10 episodes, is being made for NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock, and is currently in production.
Emmy award-winning writer Tracey Wigfield, the mastermind behind 30 Rock and The Mindy Project, will be bringing it to life. It will likely air sometime this summer.
And for all you team Zack Attack fans out there? Fear not. Our favorite blond-haired, smooth-talking prep is back. Mark-Paul Gosselaar WILL be making a return. For a reported 3 episodes, at least. He is also taking on the role of executive producer.
And what about Kelly Kapowski? Is she returning? While it is still to be confirmed, it sounds like there’s a good chance. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gosselaar recently joked with press at a press tour party for ABC:
“Everybody can sleep well at night. I think Tiffani [Thiessen] has been engaged with. It looks like you will have us in some capacity.”
Let the hallelujah choir sing.
The reboot show is based on Zack’s decision as California’s Governor (I know, seriously, Governor? What.Is.Going.On.Here?) to close low-income high schools and relocate the students to the highest performing schools in the state, including Bayside High.
“When California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the highest performing schools in the state — including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the over privileged Bayside kids a much needed and hilarious dose of reality,”
Newcomers Josie Totah and John Michael Higgins will be joining the cast. Totah will play Lexi, who, press release notes states, is “a beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High.” And Higgins is taking over the reins as principal of Bayside High from Mr. Belding.
In addition to Saved By The Bell, Peacock will also be bringing back Battlestar Galactica and Punky Brewster.
And for those of you who just CANNOT wait for the reboot to air, let me just leave you with this little bit of nostalgia to tide you over:
Beat B-beat B-B-B-beat! GO BAYSIDE!!