Another streaming series has met an unceremonious end. This time it’s the recently rebootedSaved By The Bell, which has officially been canceled by Peacock after just two seasons and 20 episodes. The show, which was created by30 RockAlum Tracey Wigfield, was both a reboot and continuation of the original series created by Sam Bobrick.
There were some key differences between the reboot and the original series (which aired from 1989 to 1992, and was followed up bySaved by the Bell: The College YearsandSaved by the Bell: The New Class). The reboot did away with the laugh track, opting for a single cam style, and it alsofocused more on relevant social issues(albeit without being too heavy-handed).
RELATED:It’s Time To Save The Justice League In New DC League Of Super-Pets Trailer
Saved by the Bellbrought viewers back to Bayside High School, but with a brand new set of characters. After education funding is cut by Governor Zack Morris (played by a returning Mark-Paul Gosselaar), students from several underfunded schools are integrated into Bayside, including Daisy, Aisha, and Devante.There, they meet Bayside’s own Lexi, Jamie, and Mac Morris. The latter two are the children of Jessie Spano (still played by Elizabeth Berkley and now serving as the school’s guidance counselor) and Zack Morris, respectively. Also returning from the original cast is Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, who is now Bayside’s football coach and gym teacher.
The rebooted series also continued the tradition of having a somewhat inept principal at the helm of the school, here played by John Michael Higgins. Also making appearances from the original cast were Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski-Morris and Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle.Dustin Diamond, who played Screech in the original series, passed away in 2021 from lung cancer, but was given a nice tribute in the season 2 premiere.
The series took a much more progressive approach to its storytelling, dealing with privilege, race, and LGBTQ issues. It also featured a trans character played by a trans actress (Josie Totah as Lexi), and both openly discussed her experience with transitioning and gave her a romantic arc with Belmont Cameli’s Jamie. The show received a GLAAD Media award for best comedy series.It also managed to address the COVID-19 pandemicin its second season in ways that were both funny and emotional.
It’s too bad that the show couldn’t continue on beyond its second season, but in a statement viaThe Hollywood Reporter, Peacock said that it was “proud to have been the home of the next iteration ofSaved by the Bellfor both new and OG fans.” If anything, the reboot allowed some of its talented young cast to show off their skills.
