How to Be a "Saved by the Bell" Fan

From 1989 to 1993, America became familiar with Zack Morris, A.C. Slater, Screech Powers, Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, Lisa Turtle and, of course, Mr. Belding. Kids all over the United States grew to know and love Bayside High School (probably more then their own high school) and continue to do so through the episodes in syndication. But do you have what it takes to consider yourself a true fan?

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Acknowledge the “Miss Bliss years,” a period many people are unaware existed for the show. "Saved by the Bell" originated in a pilot for ABC entitled "Good Morning, Miss Bliss." The show was set in a junior high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the main focus being the life of teacher Miss Bliss, who was played by Hayley Mills. The characters of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Screech Powers (Dustin Diamond), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies) and Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) all originated in this series. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes and NBC decided to revamp the series, leading to the well-known "Saved by the Bell" that was set at Bayside High School in Pacific Palisades, California.
2. Acknowledge the “Tori” episodes, despite the fact that no one really wants to. With the last season slated to consist of 13 final episodes, NBC ordered more episodes of the show and Thiessen and Berkley refused to sign new contracts. The character of Tori Scott (Leanna Creel) was added to serve as a replacement for the characters of Kelly (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen) and Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley). The promos for the final season of the show featured Kelly, Jessie, and Tori together, despite the fact that the actresses never actually appear in an episode together. NBC chose instead to alternate between "Kelly and Jessie episodes" and "Tori episodes" each week. During the "Tori episodes,” it was never explained why Jessie and Kelly were not present, and vice versa during the “Kelly and Jessie episodes.” Tori does not appear in the show's final graduation episode, as this episode was shot prior to Thiessen and Berkley leaving the show.
3. Acknowledge "Saved by the Bell: The College Years," even though no one really wants to do that either. Airing from 1993 to 1994, the series sported a continuity problem in that the characters that ended up at the fictional California University (Zack, Kelly, Screech and Slater) were set to go off to different universities at the end of the original "Saved by the Bell." 3 new characters were added (Kelly’s roommates Leslie and Alex, as well as dorm advisor Mike) but this did little to boost the show’s ratings, and it was cancelled after only 1 season.
4. Acknowledge "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," even if you REALLY don’t want to—-after all, it did run for 7 seasons (from 1993 to 2000) on NBC. With the same concept as the original, Mr. Belding and various students roamed the halls, with Dustin Diamond returning as Screech in seasons 2 to 7 (after the cancellation of The College Years) to work as Mr. Belding’s assistant. With many cast changes, it was hard to keep up with all the new characters introduced, straying far from the original 6 everyone knew and loved.
5. Acknowledge the “movies:” "Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style" and "Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas." Longer than the typical 22-minute episode, (or a 44-minute 2-part episode), Hawaiian Style finds the gang saving Kelly’s grandfather’s Hawaiian resort and Wedding in Las Vegas finally has Zack and Kelly getting married with the help of Slater, Lisa and Screech (Jessie, as well as Alex and Mike from The College Years, make guest appearances at the very end).
6. Acknowledge that no matter what season or version of "Saved by the Bell" you’re watching, you shouldn’t question any plot elements. Yes, Jessie gains a step brother in a 2-part episode that we never see or hear of again. Yes, Zack and/or Slater will start dating a girl in one episode, seem to hit it off, and then she’ll never be seen or heard from again. Yes, the main characters will all be a part of whatever club or organization is being discussed in the current episode; track team, cheerleading squad, drama club or beach club summer staff. You could make a list of all the plot holes; in fact, you probably should.
7. Appreciate the cultural value of the show. Shot in the late 80’s/early 90’s, the fashion styles speak volumes for the decade and the “Zack Morris phone” is still a term used frequently to describe some of the first cell phone models. In true sitcom style, where a problem was discovered and solved in under 30 minutes, "Saved by the Bell" appealed to middle and high school-aged kids in a way that most other sitcoms during this time period didn’t, by making the main setting a high school instead of a family house.
8. Get the merchandise! Many web sites, such as 80stees.com, offer t-shirts that allow the biggest fans to support Bayside High and all their favorite students well into decades to come. Check eBay.com to see if anyone is selling the "Saved by the Bell" board game, an often overlooked piece of merchandise in which the players compete to win a date with both Zack and Slater and collect notes from the rest of the gang without ending up in detention.