No matter the backlash it took once the show was off the air and its dirty laundry was spread across the tabloids, Saved By The Bell was a hit across the world. It didn’t matter the race or gender, fans watched in droves. The cast was a tight bunch and diverse as any on a Saturday morning, which the network used to their advantage.
The rumors have been career-damaging, but, just as the main actors go, so do their characters. Who on the show caused the most damage? Who dated who, and why did some people just vanish into thin air never to be seen again?
Zack Morris
Besides his love for women and gambling, Zack Morris loved something else: his hair. How many episodes have we seen Zack’s hair out of place? Guys love to talk about women and how they prepare themselves, but, for Zack, he wanted to do something different. Even as a kid, Mark-Paul Gosselaar sported dark hair to the set of Saved By The Bell, only to have it lightened blond by the makeup team.
What was the meaning of this? It was to give the notion that Zack was the All-American kid. It worked, as his appearance gave way to the typical California kid, but the actor himself was not that fond of the change.
Lisa Turtle
Bayside High was ready for Lisa Turtle, but was Saturday morning ready for Lisa Turtle and her love life? Think back to when the show was at its peak. There was Jessie and Slater as well as Zack and Kelly, but who did Lisa have? Screech and Lisa would have evened the playing field out as far as couples on the show, but there was no way that was going to happen.
There was a moment when we thought Zack and Lisa would get together, but that was so short-lived we forget that it happened. The one time they did try to hook her up with another cast member, he turned out to be a young nerd, and Lisa was not feeling that. As beautiful as she was, Lisa went through high school alone.
Screech
All the jokes played on Screech on the show may have been payback. According to numerous sources, the castmates didn’t like Dustin Diamond that much. He was younger than the rest, and, as far as looks, he wasn’t as handsome as Zack or Slater, so he had to make his presence felt another way.
There were moments throughout Saved By The Bell where Screech would be off in his own thoughts or alone, and fans figured it was due to creative writing. Screech was being labeled on the set, and his aloofness was due to his immaturity. Being the youngest on the set has its advantages, but, for Screech, it hurt him more ways than one.
Kelly Kapowski
Did Kelly transfer from Bayside in her senior year? Characters come and go all the time, but the Saved By The Bell crew was mostly a close-knit family. Think back to their graduation; Zack, Slater, Screech, Lisa, Jessie, and Kelly were there, but how? Kelly and Jessie just vanished during the senior year.
By that time, Tori Scott had taken their place. The only reason Kelly was present at graduation was that the scene had already been shot. High School can be rough as parents move and kids are forced to leave school, but were we ever given a reason why?
Jessie Spanos
The smart, beautiful, and fierce Jessie Spanos was almost on drugs. In one of the most controversial episodes on Saved By The Bell, the writers and producers wanted to hit certain agendas within the teenage community. But, at the last minute, they changed it. Instead of speed, Jessie was hooked on caffeine pills.
It was a brilliant episode and it truly displayed the acting skills of Elizabeth Berkley. Yet, seeing one of our favorite character experiment drugs on a Saturday morning sitcom would have been devastating. It was one of our first looks at drugs for kids and gave us a powerful message growing up.
Mr. Belding
Although Mr. Belding was a married man, the writers tried to turn a true bond between him and Screech into more than just a friendly relationship. In his book “Behind The Bell”, Diamond explained that the writers didn’t like him and was trying to destroy his character. But why would they do that to Belding as well?
Belding was the father figure for the students, and, while the cast had already moved on after Saved By The Bell: The College Years, Belding and Screech had come back to Bayside with Saved By The Bell: The New Class. Their relationship was more of the same, but it was those few moments where you could see something was off.
Tori Scott
Tori entered Bayside High like a tornado. After the departures of Jessie and Kelly, the network could not leave the guys without some form of affection to fight over. Once Tori hit the set, it was obvious she and Zack would become an item. Tori was smart, pretty, and just as tough as one of the guys. But, in the end, she just didn’t fit.
But the fans weren’t the only ones with that thought. Obviously, the writers felt the same. After Season 4, Episode 24, Tori just vanished. Her character was never seen or even spoken of again, and the show still had two more episodes left. What was all that about?
A.C. Slater
What made Saved By The Bell so special was that is cast may different ethnic backgrounds in one show. Maybe that wasn’t something Hollywood was ready for, but here was a high school show stretching the boundaries. For A.C. Slater, fans were often left wondering what his background was? We knew he was an Army brat who lived all over the world, but the name Albert Clifford left many wondering what nationally he shared.
For fans of Saved By The Bell, we wouldn’t learn the true identity of Slater until the College Years. It was then revealed that his real name was indeed Albert Clifford Sanchez. It was later changed to Slater so he could get into the Military Academy.
Max
What happened to Max? The hangout spot was still the place to be all through middle and high school but where was the owner? Max only appeared in 20 episodes throughout the first two seasons, then he just vanished. Once again, the same with Jessie, Kelly, and Tori. His character was just written off as if he were never there.
Max was the amusement outside of school the kids needed and often offered words of advice and wisdom to the many teenagers who would grace his Diner for milkshakes and burgers. Max was the cool version of Mr. Belding, and how can we forget his classic magic tricks? But still, the writers of Saved By The Bell was good at sending actors away, never to be seen again.
Bayside High
The backdrop of it all. Where would Saved By The Bell be if not for Bayside High? But a closer look would reveal that what was once a middle school quickly turned into a high school in a matter of months. The set for Good Morning, Miss Bliss is the same set used for Saved By The Bell.
There were no subtle changes, either. The hallways stayed the same, the classrooms, as well, and even the Principal’s Office. One second it was for 12-13-year-olds, and the next it was loud teenagers. But, since the initial show didn’t work, we guess the network figured why change a set they already have?
