Saved by the Bell

Saved by the Bell
Premiere	August 20, 1989
Finale	May 22, 1993
Airs	Sundays at 7 AM, 7:30 AM, 8 AM, 8:30 AM, 9 AM & 9:30 AM on MeTV
Creator	Sam Bobrick
Network/Provider	NBC
Style	30-minute sitcom
Company	Peter Engel Productions, NBC Productions
Distributor	USA: Rysher Entertainment (until 1999), Paramount Domestic Television (1999-2003), NBC Enterprises (2003-2004), NBCUniversal Television Distribution (2004-2021), NBCUniversal Syndication Studios (2021- ), non-USA: Paramount International Television (?-2004), CBS Paramount International Television (2004-2009), CBS Studios International (2009-2020), ViacomCBS Global Distribution (2020- ),
Seasons	4
Episodes	86 + 2 TV movies
Origin	USA

Saved by the Bell is a sitcom that aired on NBC. The program follows the regular adventures of a group of teenagers attending Bayside High School in southern California. The main character, a charming slacker named Zack Morris, would often break the fourth wall, speaking directly to the camera about what was currently going on at the high school.

The program was originally envisioned by Brandon Tartikoff, at that time the president of NBC, as a tribute to a favored teacher of his. The initial iteration of the program centered around a small group of preteens and their teacher at a junior high in Indiana, and was titled Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Hayley Mills held the title role, her first major role in television. One season was produced and aired on the Disney Channel, but the show was not picked up for a second season. The Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes were later rolled into the Saved by the Bell syndication package when the latter show entered off-network syndication.

NBC did have an opening in their Saturday morning schedule, and were looking for a way to regain the preteen audience that they were losing. It was suggested that Miss Bliss might receive a second chance. The focus was shifted from the adults to the kids, and three of the original juvenile leads were kept, along with their principal. The setting was changed from Indiana to California, and altered to take place at a high school instead. Bayside High School was intended to be an idealized locale, the high school that every kid wanted to attend.

Saved by the Bell ran for four seasons on Saturday mornings. Its main competition were cartoons, but its later time slot plus the different subject matter managed to capture the older audience that NBC wished for. The series eventually garnered two spinoffs: Saved by the Bell: The College Years, which followed several of the leads after they graduated from Bayside; and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which featured new students at Bayside High.

Despite its initial popularity and enduring place in the memories of many, Saved by the Bell has generally been noted as a show that aged rather poorly. Because of this kitsch value, it was chosen to air on Adult Swim for a limited two-week run.

Cast

Actor	Character	Duration
Main Cast		1	2	3	4
Mark-Paul Gosselaar	Zachary "Zack" Morris	*	*	*	*
Dustin Diamond	Samuel "Screech" Powers	*	*	*	*
Lark Voorhies	Lisa Turtle	*	*	*	*
Mario López	Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater	*	*	*	*
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen	Kelly Kapowski	*	*	*	*
Elizabeth Berkley	Jessica "Jessie" Myrtle Spano	*	*	*	*
Dennis Haskins	Richard Belding	*	*	*	*
Ed Alonzo	Max	*	o		o
Leanna Creel	Tori Scott				*
Orange/Red/o indicates a recurring or guest role during that season. Dark Green indicates top billing during that season.

Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale				#
NBC
Season One	August 20, 1989	December 16, 1989				16
Season Two	September 8, 1990	December 23, 1990				18
Season Three	September 14, 1991	December 21, 1991				26 + 1
Season Four	September 12, 1992	May 22, 1993				26

Made-for-TV Movies

Title			Airdate
NBC
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style			November 27, 1992

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

Title			Release			Discs
Complete Series  (Region 1)
The Complete Collection			November 5, 2013	purchase		13
Season Sets  (Region 1)
Seasons One & Two			September 2, 2003			5
Seasons Three & Four			April 27, 2004			4
Season Five			July 19, 2005			3
Made-for-TV Movies  (Region 1)
Hawaiian Style / Wedding In Las Vegas			August 7, 2007			1

External Sites

• Saved by the Bell on IMDb

• Saved by the Bell Episodes, TV Listings, News, Photos and More at TVGuide.com