Saved By The Bell was one of the best shows that ever aired on Saturday mornings. Ok so it wasn't a show full of Emmy quality performances, but it was a show that was an escape from the everyday pressure that school has on its students. Saved By The Bell centers on a group of friends and their ups and downs through high school. Filled with memorable moments and interesting characters, SBTB is one of the best young adult programs of its time. It has stood the test of time and still remains a popular program. I think it was a show made for the sure purpose of entertaining its young audience for a half an hour. There are a lot of episodes that were pretty amusing. Never again will a generation make such a connection as the one mine did with SBTB, the series starred Mark Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, the main character who each week spun in and out of several pretty extreme situation. His main squeeze Kelly Kapowski played by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, and the most popular geek Screech, played by Dustin Diamond. Also along for the ride were Slater, Jessie, and Lisa, who made up the rest of the gang. I don't think that it was ever aimed to break the barriers of great television it was what it was. Sure the series made high school look like a piece of cake, for example being able to go to The Max whenever they wanted, taking advantage of the principal, and tricking nerds into doing anything they wanted. But Saved By the Bell was one of those shows that as corny as it may be, it will forever remain one the most entertaining shows in the history of children's entertainment.
166 Reviews
Fun nostalgia we all grew up with
phillipjwolfe24 April 2021
Fun to watch
m-ozfirat8 March 2023
Saved by the bell was a fun children's programme to watch when it aired here in the UK on ITV in the early 1990s. It was very good to pass the time and enjoy yourself with the intriguing characters and the actors who played them well.
The characters are well thought out with a set of boys and girls to match each other with fun storylines though some can very over the top and exaggerated it does not spoil the series.
The programme also touched on release life issues and other teenage related problems that had to be referenced though it was sanitised to appeal to a universal audience.
I feel this would of been better if it was an American Grange Hill were you have interesting characters, school politics, and a clash of the old and new worlds.
The characters are well thought out with a set of boys and girls to match each other with fun storylines though some can very over the top and exaggerated it does not spoil the series.
The programme also touched on release life issues and other teenage related problems that had to be referenced though it was sanitised to appeal to a universal audience.
I feel this would of been better if it was an American Grange Hill were you have interesting characters, school politics, and a clash of the old and new worlds.
My ultimate guilty pleasure
Smells_Like_Cheese20 August 2002
Saved by the Bell, wither you want to admit it or not, you have seen this show if you were a child of the 90's. While it had extremely cheesy and bad acting and horrible writing, it was a fun show for the kids and the pre-teens. I remember always dying of laughter when I watched this show when I was a kid on Saturday mornings. Screech to me was like Marlon Brando in The Godfather, I thought the whole cast was brilliant. Now I still watch this show as a grown up, I really can't help it, it's like a car accident, you know you shouldn't look, but you can't help it. I know the writing was very bad and the situations are beyond unrealistic, but I think the reason I love this show still is because of it's innocence.
The show had a good influence on kids, it sounds crazy, but it did deal with a lot of issues that most kids have to deal with school. While I admit that they acted like Jesse was on heroine when she was simply taking caffeine pills, it still tried it's best to show you to be a true original. The story is simple, just 6 teenagers going through their daily lives in Bayside High School. They deal with the daily pressures: homework, tests, love, drugs, popularity, and friendship. Together they deal with these pressures along with the help of their loving principal, Mr. Belding.
Each character was lovable in their own way. Zack who was the smooth talker and ruled Bayside who could get any girl he wanted. Slater who was the high school jock and Zack's best friend. Screech, Zack's other best friend, who was the geek of the high school. Kelly who is the hottie cheerleader of Bayside and Zack's love interest. Lisa who is the fashion icon of the group and is Screech's long time crush. And Jesse, the study addict goodie two-shoe's and is also the vice president of the student council.
While each the group isn't what normally clicked in high school, it still was a lot of fun to watch them because of how opposite they were. It was always so charming to see them work together, who wouldn't have wanted friends like them? True, the situations in the show are extremely unbelievable, the acting isn't up to par, and it's cheesy messages, this was always a pleasure to watch. You have to admit that sometimes it does bring a few laughs. I'm not afraid to admit it, I still enjoy watching this show and I think you will too, just have fun and admit it, there's something memorizing about it. Otherwise people wouldn't be talking about it still almost 20 years later.
The show had a good influence on kids, it sounds crazy, but it did deal with a lot of issues that most kids have to deal with school. While I admit that they acted like Jesse was on heroine when she was simply taking caffeine pills, it still tried it's best to show you to be a true original. The story is simple, just 6 teenagers going through their daily lives in Bayside High School. They deal with the daily pressures: homework, tests, love, drugs, popularity, and friendship. Together they deal with these pressures along with the help of their loving principal, Mr. Belding.
Each character was lovable in their own way. Zack who was the smooth talker and ruled Bayside who could get any girl he wanted. Slater who was the high school jock and Zack's best friend. Screech, Zack's other best friend, who was the geek of the high school. Kelly who is the hottie cheerleader of Bayside and Zack's love interest. Lisa who is the fashion icon of the group and is Screech's long time crush. And Jesse, the study addict goodie two-shoe's and is also the vice president of the student council.
While each the group isn't what normally clicked in high school, it still was a lot of fun to watch them because of how opposite they were. It was always so charming to see them work together, who wouldn't have wanted friends like them? True, the situations in the show are extremely unbelievable, the acting isn't up to par, and it's cheesy messages, this was always a pleasure to watch. You have to admit that sometimes it does bring a few laughs. I'm not afraid to admit it, I still enjoy watching this show and I think you will too, just have fun and admit it, there's something memorizing about it. Otherwise people wouldn't be talking about it still almost 20 years later.
They don't make shows like this anymore.
harpisteva20 January 2008
I loved this show when I was younger. Even though when I watched the show it was re-runs that came at 5 p.m. I remember watching it once and being hooked on it. I think Saved By the Bell is an American classic like I Love Lucy. By watching the show now, you just realize that we live in a different TV era now, where shows like these are just not produced by TV networks. I guess in 90's there was a popular theme to show innocence amongst teens. I never really liked Beverly Hills because I felt it was just about rich teens, but Saved By the Bell had a realistic element where it's just about young people living every day life in High School.
"It's alright, 'cause I'm saved by the bell"
blesco-617686 March 2023
Having not seen this show during its original run, I caught much of the show in syndication and by streaming it. Thus, looking at this show with little to no bias in terms of nostalgia, I have to say that it's one of those shows that's so bad that it's good. With glaring continuity errors and even the addition of a main character without much context or introduction, this show was quite a ride to watch. It's more of a live-action cartoon due to all of its zaniness like Zack's unexplained ability to stop time, but the show works because of it.
Although some situations may appear dated and may not have aged well, this show is still better than some more recent shows. It served its purpose well, providing amusing Saturday morning fare for young Gen Xers. In this way, Saved by the Bell is essentially a time capsule comprised of late 1980s/early 1990s culture. Following Zack's schemes and watching the gang grow up makes this show well worth a watch today.
Although some situations may appear dated and may not have aged well, this show is still better than some more recent shows. It served its purpose well, providing amusing Saturday morning fare for young Gen Xers. In this way, Saved by the Bell is essentially a time capsule comprised of late 1980s/early 1990s culture. Following Zack's schemes and watching the gang grow up makes this show well worth a watch today.
Favorite Show Growing Up
dkenney3923 June 2008
Saved by the Bell is just amazing. I'm now 19 years old and i still watch it sometimes in the morning on tbs when i get up. There is just something about this show that stuck with me as a child. Maybe it's the characters and how well they went together, or maybe it was the situations that the gang got in daily. i just loved that show growing up.
i would say that the six of them and Mr. Belding mixed perfectly together. All the guys wanted to be Zack and all the girls wanted to be Kelly. It is just one of those timeless shows that won't go away anytime soon. Why do you think they still play it 2 hours a day in syndication? It's just great.
i would say that the six of them and Mr. Belding mixed perfectly together. All the guys wanted to be Zack and all the girls wanted to be Kelly. It is just one of those timeless shows that won't go away anytime soon. Why do you think they still play it 2 hours a day in syndication? It's just great.
Archie Comics for the Gen X/Millenial era.
IonicBreezeMachine13 September 2020
Saved by the Bell follows the misadventures of a group of friends in high school consisting of Zach, Screech, Slater, Lisa, Kelly, and Jessie as they go about they're days in high school getting into various shenanigans and dilemmas that quickly get out of hand due to their default tactics of trying to do quick fixes instead of avoiding the problems in the first place.
Saved by the Bell is essentially fluff, but it's entertaining and well made fluff(for the most part). Saved by the Bell works not because it's challenging or thought provoking, but because it's escapist fantasy with likable enough characters and reasonably relatable dilemmas(even if they're taken to ridiculous extremes). At its core Saved by the Bell is essentially an update on the formula established by Archie Andrews and his gang's adventures in the eponymous comic series. Zach Morris even has similar foils to Archie's friends Jughead and Reggie with Screech filling Jughead's(goofy sidekick) role and Slater Reggie's(Nemesis/frenemy).
Saved by the Bell knows what it is and has no pretense beyond that, if you've an affinity for cheesy and inoffensive jokes and shenanigans that can be enjoyed by most then look no further.
Saved by the Bell is essentially fluff, but it's entertaining and well made fluff(for the most part). Saved by the Bell works not because it's challenging or thought provoking, but because it's escapist fantasy with likable enough characters and reasonably relatable dilemmas(even if they're taken to ridiculous extremes). At its core Saved by the Bell is essentially an update on the formula established by Archie Andrews and his gang's adventures in the eponymous comic series. Zach Morris even has similar foils to Archie's friends Jughead and Reggie with Screech filling Jughead's(goofy sidekick) role and Slater Reggie's(Nemesis/frenemy).
Saved by the Bell knows what it is and has no pretense beyond that, if you've an affinity for cheesy and inoffensive jokes and shenanigans that can be enjoyed by most then look no further.
The best T.V. show ever.
husnain_055 November 2007
I love this show and think it is the greatest show that comes on television. I can watch saved by the bell at any time even if I am upset because I know it will cheer me up and put a smile on my face.
My favourite characters are everyone in the gang but I most particularly like Zach Morris, Samuel Powers (Screech), Lisa Turtle and Jessie Spano. My favourite episodes are Palm springs weekend in which the gang get invited to Jessie's fathers wedding but Jessie is not happy about her father getting married, so she tries and stops it and snow white and the seven dorks in which the class puts on a play similar to snow white and Kelly and Slater fall out with Zach and Jessie because they think they have feelings for each other.
My favourite characters are everyone in the gang but I most particularly like Zach Morris, Samuel Powers (Screech), Lisa Turtle and Jessie Spano. My favourite episodes are Palm springs weekend in which the gang get invited to Jessie's fathers wedding but Jessie is not happy about her father getting married, so she tries and stops it and snow white and the seven dorks in which the class puts on a play similar to snow white and Kelly and Slater fall out with Zach and Jessie because they think they have feelings for each other.
Fun then, Fun now
MichaelMovieLoft20 May 2003
Sure there are many negative reviews for this show. But keep in mind, this was made for kids with kids in mind. There wasn't a lot of work put into scripts, and yes it was unrealistic as can be. And yes the show did reinforce high school stereotypes (the prep, the jock, the nerd, the cutie, the feminist, and the mall brat). Still, it was lots of fun and it didn't take itself seriously. That is until you ran across one of those 'A Very Special' episodes (ex. Jessie gets hooked on caffiene pills, the kids try to stop an oil company from ruining their school).
Saved By The Bell was also NBC's venture into leaving Saturday morning cartoons behind. The gamble paid off and it saved NBC a ton of money. I do think they went too far with The New Class and The College Years. I think everyone knew The College Years wouldn't fly in primetime. And their wasn't the same fun chemistry in The New Class that their was in the original. It was still nice that the creators did bring some closure to the show with the wedding movie.
Don't expect a reunion show with the cast. Many of them have tried to distance themselves as far away from the show as possible. Mark-Paul Gosselaar has moved into becoming a serious actor; Mario Lopez has moved into the role of TV host; Dustin Diamond works as a stand up comedian; Tiffani-Amber Thiessen has tried to shed her good girl image; Elizabeth Berkley....let's just say she's mad some bad career decisions; and Lark Voorhies hasn't been heard from that much as the other five.
If you want want to watch a really good show based on high school, watch Degrassi High. But if you want to turn your brain off for a half an hour and laugh, check out Saved by the Bell.
Saved By The Bell was also NBC's venture into leaving Saturday morning cartoons behind. The gamble paid off and it saved NBC a ton of money. I do think they went too far with The New Class and The College Years. I think everyone knew The College Years wouldn't fly in primetime. And their wasn't the same fun chemistry in The New Class that their was in the original. It was still nice that the creators did bring some closure to the show with the wedding movie.
Don't expect a reunion show with the cast. Many of them have tried to distance themselves as far away from the show as possible. Mark-Paul Gosselaar has moved into becoming a serious actor; Mario Lopez has moved into the role of TV host; Dustin Diamond works as a stand up comedian; Tiffani-Amber Thiessen has tried to shed her good girl image; Elizabeth Berkley....let's just say she's mad some bad career decisions; and Lark Voorhies hasn't been heard from that much as the other five.
If you want want to watch a really good show based on high school, watch Degrassi High. But if you want to turn your brain off for a half an hour and laugh, check out Saved by the Bell.
Not Saved By The Screech
DKosty1238 June 2009
I know this show has fans, but as you can see from my vote, not me. Whenever I watched this program it appeared to me that it could be cute but not funny. What I saw with every character on the show was that they were all drawn as stereotypes of students. I thought all the characters were too plastic and the actors & actresses playing the character were nothing special.
Each show seemed extremely predictable to the point that this could have been a 1950's sitcom. While I have seen worse sit-Com's, to me other than My Mother The Car, & Happy Hour, this one has little that I like about it.
I used to kid people who watched it that the show should have been called Saved By The Screech since his character was the only one who had any spontaneous action in the show. The only thing was his playing off the cardboard stereotypes around him really wasn't even enough to save it for me.
Teenage comedy is something that is never done real well, but to me anyone who thinks this one is funny should pick up on some episodes of the series HEY DUDE which was running on Nick during this era. To me, even that show is a step above this one.
Each show seemed extremely predictable to the point that this could have been a 1950's sitcom. While I have seen worse sit-Com's, to me other than My Mother The Car, & Happy Hour, this one has little that I like about it.
I used to kid people who watched it that the show should have been called Saved By The Screech since his character was the only one who had any spontaneous action in the show. The only thing was his playing off the cardboard stereotypes around him really wasn't even enough to save it for me.
Teenage comedy is something that is never done real well, but to me anyone who thinks this one is funny should pick up on some episodes of the series HEY DUDE which was running on Nick during this era. To me, even that show is a step above this one.
Screech
bevo-1367822 September 2020
Uneven teen drama
superfox_8886 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Once you look past the stereotypes, cultural appropriation, random first-season episodes stuck in seasons three and four, and a timeline that makes no sense, it's a fun show.
Seasons one and two are fine, but seasons three and four are a mess. In season three, the summer episodes are mixed in with school episodes. Season four is well-known for introducing Tori when two of the actresses left because they'd found new jobs, but also contains a lot of clip shows and a random episode (Slater's friend) filmed in season one, shoved in here.
Despite the uneven timelines, there's still a few cringeworthy moments. Every media is a product of its time and biases of the creators, viewed with prejudices of the viewer. There's an episode where Zack discovers his Native American heritage, a few where Zack dates someone "not hot", plenty of females in bikinis and several inappropriate comments to go with it (although most of them were set up to give Jessie a line).
Back in the 90s, it was a great show. In 2021... watch it with a lot of grains of salt.
Seasons one and two are fine, but seasons three and four are a mess. In season three, the summer episodes are mixed in with school episodes. Season four is well-known for introducing Tori when two of the actresses left because they'd found new jobs, but also contains a lot of clip shows and a random episode (Slater's friend) filmed in season one, shoved in here.
Despite the uneven timelines, there's still a few cringeworthy moments. Every media is a product of its time and biases of the creators, viewed with prejudices of the viewer. There's an episode where Zack discovers his Native American heritage, a few where Zack dates someone "not hot", plenty of females in bikinis and several inappropriate comments to go with it (although most of them were set up to give Jessie a line).
Back in the 90s, it was a great show. In 2021... watch it with a lot of grains of salt.
One of the most hideous shows ever
paulbutterworth19784 October 2004
Even during this show's initial run, I thought it was hideous. The characters were lame, the humour was non-existent and the scripts were just plain bad. But, I came across the "Saved by the bell" page here on the IMDb and I thought that I would check out what other people's thoughts were...and boy was I surprised!
How can people be so blindsided by this show? Do they not see just how horrendous this show really is?
In the all time list of television crimes, "Saved by the Bell" is probably the worst show ever, with the possible exception of "Full House"....but that's another post for another time.
How can people be so blindsided by this show? Do they not see just how horrendous this show really is?
In the all time list of television crimes, "Saved by the Bell" is probably the worst show ever, with the possible exception of "Full House"....but that's another post for another time.
Don't diss this show
bluejewel1729 March 2001
I read a few comments from some users about this show. Many were definitely fans of the show, while others dissed the show completely. I think that Saved By the Bell is a show that many kids grew up with. I know when reminiscing about times when I was younger with friends, Saved by the Bell was brought up. These aren't the friends which whom I grew up. These are the friends I met in college. It seems that pretty much everyone I know has seen Saved by the Bell and loved it. How many people can say they saw each episode about 5 times each? I know I probably did. I miss seeing the re-runs and I enjoy seeing each Saved by the Bell character when they accomplish something new like a new movie or show. It's just too bad you don't see many of the kids from the jr. high years. I remember this show well, and I always will.
Greatest Teens' TV Show of All Time
stlcardinalsfanstl27 November 2015
Saved by the Bell simply is the greatest kids'/teens' show of all time. Every single episode, apart from the Miss Bliss season, is entertaining. The actors and their characters are amazing and make the show work perfectly. The show's episodes almost always have a theme of friendship. No matter what happens the group will be friends forever. It's a very lighthearted, fun show. I remember watching it every morning (7:00-7:30, and the the next three time slots if I faked sick ;), before school when I was in seventh and eighth grade. I just finished watching it on Netflix the other week and boy, it brings back some good memories. I don't know why it has a 7/10, though. Apparently every reviewer is a renowned critic. The show was never supposed to thrive because of spectacular acting; it was supposed to thrive off of its great cast and great themes/plots. Every episode was something new, and very rarely was there a continuity. All in all, this show is great. It makes the viewer happy. If you ever need to cheer up, turn on Saved by the Bell. :)
Corny but fun to watch
Maniac-93 February 2012
Most of the story lines on Saved by the Bell were fairly unbelievable but I still have fond memories of waking up early on Saturday mornings when I was 13 to watch the newest episode, so it still has a fond place in my heart. If you're reading this, chances are you too remember the fun adventures high school provided for Zack, Slater, Screech, Kelly, Jessie, Lisa and their principal Mr. Belding in this late '80s to early '90s sitcom.
It makes me laugh watching the show now seeing Zack Slater with his cell phone which you can kind of describe as a brick.
But SbtB wasn't pure fluff they did tackle a lot of issues that teens deal with like relationships, tested friendships, pill popping, cheating, the new girl, fights, and its detentions. But then the fallback on that is they always resolved those issues in a 30 minute episode.
The show was completely episodic with very little that happened in the previous episode carrying over into the next episode.
It makes me laugh watching the show now seeing Zack Slater with his cell phone which you can kind of describe as a brick.
But SbtB wasn't pure fluff they did tackle a lot of issues that teens deal with like relationships, tested friendships, pill popping, cheating, the new girl, fights, and its detentions. But then the fallback on that is they always resolved those issues in a 30 minute episode.
The show was completely episodic with very little that happened in the previous episode carrying over into the next episode.
Still funny
kindred_spirits_2014 June 2006
I watched this when I was a pre-teen and I dreamed that my high school years would be like it was on the show :) Of course that didn't happen. I just started watching the repeats in the mornings and I still love the show.
Like another fan said, it really does bring you back to good times and it's still funny (maybe funnier to the new generation when they look at the styles and fashions that use to be cool)
Although I watched them, I didn't care much for the new class or the college years. I would love to see a reunion show made. I believe they graduation in 1994? So yrs has past. What about a 15 year one in 2009. Did anyone own the saved by the bell game? I wish I had held on to mine.
Like another fan said, it really does bring you back to good times and it's still funny (maybe funnier to the new generation when they look at the styles and fashions that use to be cool)
Although I watched them, I didn't care much for the new class or the college years. I would love to see a reunion show made. I believe they graduation in 1994? So yrs has past. What about a 15 year one in 2009. Did anyone own the saved by the bell game? I wish I had held on to mine.
May have been the first Young Adult sitcom
willhaskew20 July 2015
Saved by the Bell originated as a show called Good Morning Miss Bliss, based around a popular junior high school teacher named Miss Bliss played by Haley Mills. Mark Paul Gosselear was there as Zack, Lark Voorhies as Lisa, Dennis Haskins as Principal Richard Belding and Dustin Diamond as Screech. Miss Bliss taught history at JFK Junior High in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the show following her students' interactions along with some glimpses of Miss Bliss' home life. The show was made for the 1988-89 TV season and appeared on the Disney Channel but didn't last long. Since it was originally produced by NBC, the show was retooled as a teen sitcom focusing on Zack Morris, a fourth wall breaking popular guy who attended Bayside High School. The show was moved from Indiana to Malibu, California. Mr. Belding, Screech, and Lisa were all there but Mario Lopez as Slater, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie and Tiffany Thiessen as Kelly were all added. Zack's character was based on Ferris Bueller from the 1986 film with him being the most popular kid in school, though he doesn't have the adversarial relationship with Mr. Belding that Ferris did with Dean of Students Ed Rooney. Zack wasn't a slacker academically, seeming to at least do well enough to pass his classes and played basketball and ran track as well. Jessie, was an obsessive high achieving academic, class president and feminist. She seemed like she believed the school's self-appointed social conscience at times. Screech was a prototypical supernerd, he invented weird and useless things, excelled academically, was a chess champion, and always seemed hang out with the popular kids despite those things. The wardrobe always seemed to emphasize the nerdiness of Screech by dressing him in the worst clothes-rainbow suspenders, tie-dyed shirts, and ugly Chuck Taylor Converse were his typical costume. Lisa, she was the pretty girl who was into fashion, make up and seemed to be the most interested in dating despite rarely being shown with a boyfriend. Slater, he excelled as a star football player and wrestler, his dad was supposed to be an Army officer, and he had an on and off again relationship with Jessie. He was also shown as a dancer and enjoyed cooking. Kelly, she was the pretty girl next door, cheerleader, athletic, and the most popular girl at school. She and Zack were the main couple on the show and had on and off relationship too. All the other kids on SBTB seemed to come from wealthy or well-to-do families but we do see Kelly's family struggle financially at times. Kelly was also the oldest in a large family with her babysitting her younger siblings as part of her responsibilities. Sometimes the show got a little ridiculous in trying to teach a moral lesson, with the infamous caffeine pill episode where Jessie was using them to stay awake so she could study and get into Stanford.
Story of Zack Morris and his Dreamgirl
Illini_Wrestling_Fan17 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
SBTB is the epic saga of a close-knit gang of California High-Schoolers and the ultimate love story that blossoms within. A back and forth battle slowly develops between the two Bayside Alpha-Males, Zack and Slater, (Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez) for the heart of their intended paramour. Along the way we also meet: a neurotic loon, a former radio DJ, an insane 38-year old magician who likes to hang out with teens and pretend to be the owner of any restaurant he visits, an unemployed substitute-teacher who later murdered a stewardess at a campsite on the Snake River, a spaghetti sauce mogul, a restaurant manager who is generous enough to take the time to get to know his new employees, the leader of an international child-exploitation ring masquerading as a fashion photographer, an aging teacher bravely coping with the disappearance of her hearing, a computer salesman with a fetish for dunking bald men in water, a loser dweeb geek nerd twerp untouchable slimeball dufus idiot, and Screech.
As the series progresses Zack and Slater up the ante. In a moment where Slater is measuring higher on the love meter, Zack decides to turn up the heat, pretending that his beloved is not a drug-addicted lunatic but rather a top-notch student at Bayside. The back and forth battle for her tortured heart continues, with Slater generally having the upper hand until the series finale. After another student comes up with the idea to use rap lyrics to make the school play a steaming pile of vulture droppings, the object of Zack and Slater's affection is eventually awarded the lead. After a few kisses with Zack during private rehearsals she makes the series' ultimate climax - her choice of one Mr. A.C. Slater, aka "Studly."
10/10
As the series progresses Zack and Slater up the ante. In a moment where Slater is measuring higher on the love meter, Zack decides to turn up the heat, pretending that his beloved is not a drug-addicted lunatic but rather a top-notch student at Bayside. The back and forth battle for her tortured heart continues, with Slater generally having the upper hand until the series finale. After another student comes up with the idea to use rap lyrics to make the school play a steaming pile of vulture droppings, the object of Zack and Slater's affection is eventually awarded the lead. After a few kisses with Zack during private rehearsals she makes the series' ultimate climax - her choice of one Mr. A.C. Slater, aka "Studly."
10/10
Beautiful to look at but unrealistic storyline
Josie15-27-29245013 August 2014
It's definitely a lovely show to look at at. The 80's and 90's fashion and all that is eye candy for me and reminds me of my childhood even though i'm born in the mid 90's. It reminds me of a happier time. But i gotta say, the script and the storyline is pretty horrible most of the time. I mean sure, it's all happy and it always ends happy. It's a bunch of kids having fun in school dealing with very minor problems sometimes. The group is obviously a quite popular and normal gang. Parents barely exist. It's the perfect show to watch if you wanna relax for a bit and see a happy side of high school. A very unreal side unless you actually are popular, but still. But if you wanna watch something that you can actually relate to, look elsewhere.
Personally, i prefer a show that shows a more realistic side of life. Like Boy Meets World or Lizzie McGuire for example. Boy meets world handled almost every problem and life situation you can think of in a beautiful and natural way. Poverty, middle-class family, young love, death of loved ones, height difference, marriage... Their actors and actresses weren't super skinny without flaws, they looked natural. Same goes with Lizzie. OK, the movie was pretty damn unrealistic, but some parts of it and the show dealt with some serious and realistic stuff.
Don't get me wrong, i love saved by the bell. It's eye candy in many ways and i love watching it. But the script...it's pretty awful. It just gets a bit too plastic sometimes like modern Disney shows. But it's a great classic and it's still a billion times better than most modern crap that kids watch on TV nowadays.
Personally, i prefer a show that shows a more realistic side of life. Like Boy Meets World or Lizzie McGuire for example. Boy meets world handled almost every problem and life situation you can think of in a beautiful and natural way. Poverty, middle-class family, young love, death of loved ones, height difference, marriage... Their actors and actresses weren't super skinny without flaws, they looked natural. Same goes with Lizzie. OK, the movie was pretty damn unrealistic, but some parts of it and the show dealt with some serious and realistic stuff.
Don't get me wrong, i love saved by the bell. It's eye candy in many ways and i love watching it. But the script...it's pretty awful. It just gets a bit too plastic sometimes like modern Disney shows. But it's a great classic and it's still a billion times better than most modern crap that kids watch on TV nowadays.
Mostly Nostalgia
horrorflicklover23 October 2012
I watched Saved by the Bell religiously as a kid. I was five when it hit the air, and probably started watching it regularly in syndication not long after that. I've seen every episode numerous times. You could call it one of my childhood favorites.
However, it was truly a pretty bad show. SBTB set the bar LOW since it's inception. The writing was VERY cheesy, and very far-reaching in many aspects. The acting (especially in the early seasons) was pretty sub-par. Though, it did get better in later seasons, as the actors and actresses grew in to their roles more. And well, probably honed their acting skills better. But even for a children's show, it was pretty painful at many times.
What SBTB had no shortage of were those "cringe worthy" moments. You know, the moments when you just feel BAD for the actors for having to take part in it. Or for that matter, yourself for having watched it. It bears repeating, the writing on this show was pretty bad. I honestly feel that many family/children's shows nowadays do a much better job with realism and writing. They're funnier, and adults can actively enjoy them as much as their kids. Few people outside of it's key demographic AND era would ever have gotten in to SBTB.
It wasn't ALL bad. Perhaps it's the nostalgia speaking. But some of the episodes had decent plots, and it had it's comedic moments. It's not the worst show out there by far. It doesn't however, stand the test of time. This is a niche show that only those with an appreciation for late 1980's/early 1990's styles and cheese could appreciate. Think of it like those drug PSA's from the same time frame. Many were just HORRIBLE, but you love to watch them because they're 1) Hilariously bad 2) Nostalgic 3) Both. I occasionally like to watch a SBTB rerun when I catch one. It was part of my youth, and it had it's moments. However, I wouldn't expect a young one nowadays to like it all all. And I understand that completely. I think they have better options on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.
Now, the College Years I think was a much better show. Really, of the three incarnations of Saved by the Bell, that's the one that I would actively enjoy watching. Shame that it only lasted one season, I think it had much better material than the original, or The New Class.
However, it was truly a pretty bad show. SBTB set the bar LOW since it's inception. The writing was VERY cheesy, and very far-reaching in many aspects. The acting (especially in the early seasons) was pretty sub-par. Though, it did get better in later seasons, as the actors and actresses grew in to their roles more. And well, probably honed their acting skills better. But even for a children's show, it was pretty painful at many times.
What SBTB had no shortage of were those "cringe worthy" moments. You know, the moments when you just feel BAD for the actors for having to take part in it. Or for that matter, yourself for having watched it. It bears repeating, the writing on this show was pretty bad. I honestly feel that many family/children's shows nowadays do a much better job with realism and writing. They're funnier, and adults can actively enjoy them as much as their kids. Few people outside of it's key demographic AND era would ever have gotten in to SBTB.
It wasn't ALL bad. Perhaps it's the nostalgia speaking. But some of the episodes had decent plots, and it had it's comedic moments. It's not the worst show out there by far. It doesn't however, stand the test of time. This is a niche show that only those with an appreciation for late 1980's/early 1990's styles and cheese could appreciate. Think of it like those drug PSA's from the same time frame. Many were just HORRIBLE, but you love to watch them because they're 1) Hilariously bad 2) Nostalgic 3) Both. I occasionally like to watch a SBTB rerun when I catch one. It was part of my youth, and it had it's moments. However, I wouldn't expect a young one nowadays to like it all all. And I understand that completely. I think they have better options on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.
Now, the College Years I think was a much better show. Really, of the three incarnations of Saved by the Bell, that's the one that I would actively enjoy watching. Shame that it only lasted one season, I think it had much better material than the original, or The New Class.
I love this show!!
iloveUGA1232 January 2013
Event though I did not grow up with this show, even in 2013 it is still airs every morning on TV on some channel. I love this show and have been watching it since I was in elementary school, and I still watch the re runs even though I have already seen all of the episodes before. If you're into shows like the Cosby show, full house, the nanny, boy meets world, etc., this is such a good show to watch! I did not grow up with any of the shows that I listed but I love and watch them all! I would definitely recommend this show, it is and I think always will be one of my favorite TV shows. I would truly disregard any comments about the bad acting and poorly written scripts because it's a show about teenagers in high school, and in my opinion, the script matched it perfectly (I am currently a sophomore in high school)! A must watch!
good, clean fun
kclambeth30 April 2007
like many others, i grew up watching this programme. it's pretty harmless stuff, not gonna win best script but worth watching on a Saturday morning.
Zack Morris narrates the story and he and his five pals (Always three guys and three girls, isn't it?) get up to a lot of mischief and have a lot of fun.
Not being American, it's hard to identify with the school aspect, are American schools really like this? i have no idea what proms are like, homecoming queens are a mystery to me as are pep rallies and malls but it's still very funny. i guess England's equivalent to this is Grange hill (Which is very different and way more gritty) which i guess is a bad side of saved by the bell, it was all too sugar coated and safe, there were issues raised but they were always resolved by good old Mr. Belding, just who is friends with their principal anyway? This aside, the characters are fun, you got tough AC slater, geeky Screech, clever Jessie, Fashion mad Lisa, and the object of Zack's affection Kelly and of course a million nerds, geeks and dweebs with pocket protectors and big thick glasses.
The first gang of saved by the bell are good and the episodes fun, unfortunately, the new class was bland and the same ideas hashed out again and again until someone had the sense to finish it.
Worth a look if you're a teen but not if you feel sick easily!
Zack Morris narrates the story and he and his five pals (Always three guys and three girls, isn't it?) get up to a lot of mischief and have a lot of fun.
Not being American, it's hard to identify with the school aspect, are American schools really like this? i have no idea what proms are like, homecoming queens are a mystery to me as are pep rallies and malls but it's still very funny. i guess England's equivalent to this is Grange hill (Which is very different and way more gritty) which i guess is a bad side of saved by the bell, it was all too sugar coated and safe, there were issues raised but they were always resolved by good old Mr. Belding, just who is friends with their principal anyway? This aside, the characters are fun, you got tough AC slater, geeky Screech, clever Jessie, Fashion mad Lisa, and the object of Zack's affection Kelly and of course a million nerds, geeks and dweebs with pocket protectors and big thick glasses.
The first gang of saved by the bell are good and the episodes fun, unfortunately, the new class was bland and the same ideas hashed out again and again until someone had the sense to finish it.
Worth a look if you're a teen but not if you feel sick easily!
Saved By the Bell (Cringe Inducingly Unfunny)
BoyWiththeGreenHair2 July 2010
I find it rather surprising how many positive reviews Saved by the Bell has received, overall, as I had been under the assumption that the show was almost universally hated. I've never really cared for the program; even as a child I could not quite understand the public's love of it. Watching the show as a kid, I was under the impression that the six main characters "ran" Bayside High School, with the faculty wrapped around their fingers. I never found the material to be that funny and I would raise an eyebrow at some of the plots' lack of realism. Returning to this show as an adult, I am no less baffled.
Please do not misunderstand, as I am all for nineties nostalgia. I grew up in that era. It only strikes me as odd that this program has survived into syndication along with its unsuccessful spin-off, while other worthy programs, such as 'Life With Louie,' 'California Dreams,' or 'Wonder Years' seem to have fallen by the wayside, occasionally revived but ultimately forgotten. I don't associate 'Saved By the Bell' with the good days of the nineties, as many others apparently do.
All I can really see is a show that appears to have been hurriedly put together without much thought with substandard performances by mediocre actors. Jokes delivered are often dead-pan and one-liners too often seem uncreative or not natural enough in their delivery. Compare the cast of SBTB's stilted performing with the almost flawless comedic work presented in the first two seasons of Nickelodeon's 'All That.' I don't doubt for a second that Josh Server, Kel Mitchell, and Lori Beth Demburg could wipe the television screen with Mark Paul Gosslar, Dustin Diamond, or Mario Lopez any day of the TV schedule's week, with the exact same material. OT, 'All That' is what I think of when I think of "nineties nostalgia," not 'Saved By the Bell.'
But, its not just the actors or the dialogue... the whole show seems so removed from real life that it is hard to accept it as quality entertainment. I understand that television sitcoms need not be too concerned with being "realistic" as, say, 'Law and Order,' but how are we supposed to relate to characters who are but stereotypical caricatures of high school clique-members? They are almost always compelled to "do the right thing," without ever questioning their actions. I am all for moralistic episodes, but in real life, when a kid finds a used "joint" in their school high school restroom, its no big deal and most likely they'll go on with their lives and stay the heck away from drugs, unlike Zack and Slater, who vow to hunt down the poor soul with the gall to smoke pot in their vicinity. None of the characters are relatable, nor does there seem to ever be a reasonable explanation for their actions.
For a person with severe depression or a person who is suffering great personal loss, 'Saved By the Bell' is a show for you, just like 'Full House' or 'Who's the Boss' is a show for you. It is light and not occupied with the harsh realities of the real world. But, for anyone else, I am surprised that the stilted performance by the actors and the frightening removal from reality has not set more viewers to changing the station, as I continuously find myself compelled to do.
Please do not misunderstand, as I am all for nineties nostalgia. I grew up in that era. It only strikes me as odd that this program has survived into syndication along with its unsuccessful spin-off, while other worthy programs, such as 'Life With Louie,' 'California Dreams,' or 'Wonder Years' seem to have fallen by the wayside, occasionally revived but ultimately forgotten. I don't associate 'Saved By the Bell' with the good days of the nineties, as many others apparently do.
All I can really see is a show that appears to have been hurriedly put together without much thought with substandard performances by mediocre actors. Jokes delivered are often dead-pan and one-liners too often seem uncreative or not natural enough in their delivery. Compare the cast of SBTB's stilted performing with the almost flawless comedic work presented in the first two seasons of Nickelodeon's 'All That.' I don't doubt for a second that Josh Server, Kel Mitchell, and Lori Beth Demburg could wipe the television screen with Mark Paul Gosslar, Dustin Diamond, or Mario Lopez any day of the TV schedule's week, with the exact same material. OT, 'All That' is what I think of when I think of "nineties nostalgia," not 'Saved By the Bell.'
But, its not just the actors or the dialogue... the whole show seems so removed from real life that it is hard to accept it as quality entertainment. I understand that television sitcoms need not be too concerned with being "realistic" as, say, 'Law and Order,' but how are we supposed to relate to characters who are but stereotypical caricatures of high school clique-members? They are almost always compelled to "do the right thing," without ever questioning their actions. I am all for moralistic episodes, but in real life, when a kid finds a used "joint" in their school high school restroom, its no big deal and most likely they'll go on with their lives and stay the heck away from drugs, unlike Zack and Slater, who vow to hunt down the poor soul with the gall to smoke pot in their vicinity. None of the characters are relatable, nor does there seem to ever be a reasonable explanation for their actions.
For a person with severe depression or a person who is suffering great personal loss, 'Saved By the Bell' is a show for you, just like 'Full House' or 'Who's the Boss' is a show for you. It is light and not occupied with the harsh realities of the real world. But, for anyone else, I am surprised that the stilted performance by the actors and the frightening removal from reality has not set more viewers to changing the station, as I continuously find myself compelled to do.
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