IfSaved by the Bellis the next TV series to be rebooted, several key cast members are already on board. It’s been many years since we’ve seen the graduates of Bayside High, but now that we’re in the age of classic TV series revivals, there’s a good possibility we’ll see some of them again. Speaking at Fan-Expo Canada, series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, and Elizabeth Berkley confirmed there have been discussions, even recently, about a potential revival. Here’s what Lopez had to say about the possibility.
“Obviously we couldn’t be in high school still, so you’d have to be creative with the premise. But it’s fun to think about. And who knows? You never say never.”
Mark Paul Gosselaaralso claims there’s a good chance it could happen, saying he “just heard recently there’s talks” about a reboot. However, while Gosselaar says they would like to do aSaved by the Bellrevival and have “always talked about it,” the three are also in agreement it would have to take a strong enough story idea to get them to sign on.
“We know about it. All three of us know about it, this person that’s going to tackle it. If something came up, I’m sure all of us would want to be on board in some capacity, so there’s that. But nothing has ever really come to us with legs that would make us kind of get on board.”
While several key cast members are clearly on board for aSaved by the Bellrevival pending the right idea, there may be some issues in bringing in the complete cast. Dustin Diamond (Screech) has a documented history of problems with his former co-stars, which includes releasing a “tell-all” book in 2009 alleging promiscuity, drug use, and other behavioral problems by the other actors on the set. Although Diamond later admitted the book was ghostwritten and mostly fabricated, there could still be some animosity between the actor and the otherSaved by the Bellstars. It’s worth noting Diamond did not appear along with most of the other cast members when they reunited for the show’s 30th anniversary earlier this year.
If a newSaved by the Bellspin-off TV series happens, it wouldn’t be the first. In 1993, the classic sitcom had two separate spin-offs debut, with each focusing on their own casts of characters.Saved by the Bell: The College YearsfollowedZack, Slater, Screech, and Kellyattending a California university following their high school graduation. Unfortunately, the series didn’t live up to its predecessor, ending its run prematurely after just one season. Meanwhile,Saved by the Bell: The New Classkept the setting in high school ,focusing on all-new characters with some old favorites returning such as Screech and Mr. Belding.
Still, the success of similar reboots does show that there’s a place for these kinds of revivals in the modern age of television. Just a few years ago,Full Housewas thought to be nothing more than aforgotten series from the ’80s and ’90s, but its revivalFuller Househas gotten five seasons worth of episode orders from Netflix. TheBoy Meets Worldspin-offGirl Meets Worldalso had a worthy run on the Disney Channel, spanning three seasons. More recently, a new version ofBeverly Hills, 90210was introduced with many of the former starring cast members playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Debuting on Fox just last month, the series has been pulling in strong ratings for the network.
Even if aSaved by the Bellreboot can only bring in a small handful of returning characters, an updated version of the series could still definitely work. Perhaps it could follow some children of the original characters now going through their own misadventures in high school. In any case, it would definitely be fun to revisit the series for big fans of the show. This news comes to us fromGeekTyrant.
