Notes on Revisiting “Saved by the Bell” in My Mid-Thirties
A sequel to the iconic Saturday morning sitcom Saved by the Bell, which centered on the antics of preppy schemer Zack Morris and his friends at Bayside High, launches this coming Wednesday on NBC/Universal’s new streaming platform Peacock. In preparation (and out of a desperate need for comfort and nostalgia during the pandemic) I rewatched the entirety of the original series this year. As it turns out, revisiting a childhood obsession after 25 years is a wild and thought-provoking ride.
I spent nearly 48 hours rewatching the entirety of Saved by the Bell in 2020. Why on earth would a 36-year-old man subject himself to this, you ask?
Well it was a combination of four factors. First, I was primed for some Saved by the Bell nostalgia during my epic summer 2018 visit to the delightfully clever West Hollywood pop up restaurant devoted to it (Saved by the Max). Second, there was the intriguing news in fall 2019 that a sequel to the series was going to be a flagship component of NBC/Universal’s new streaming service Peacock. (The fact that it had a ridiculously clever premise and was created by Emmy-winning 30 Rock writer Tracey Wigfield gave me hope that it could actually be watchable). The other two factors were mere happenstance. I impulsively bought the collection of the entire series when it was discounted to $19.99 on…
