GIFT GUIDE: ‘Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection’
Thanks to Shout! Factory, fans of Saved by the Bell can own every episode of the memorable, influential TV series this holiday season. Their new 16-disc collection consists of everything — and they mean everything. Fans can find seasons one, two, three and four, plus Good Morning, Miss Bliss (the precursor to the successful show); Saved by the Bell: The College Years and two full TV movies.
That’s a lot of A.C. Slater for anybody.
For those who were dormant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Saved by the Bell involves the exploits of a group of teenagers trying to survive the obstacles of high school. Everything is rather tame, but several important issues were discussed in pivotal episodes. This reviewer still remembers the gravity of watching Jessie Myrtle Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) as she struggled with a sleeping-pill addiction caused by too much studying.
Other memories include the shenanigans of Samuel “Screech” Powers (Dustin Diamond), the coolness of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and the wisdom of Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies). Tiffani-Amber Thiessen plays Kelly Kapowski, an on-again-off-again love interest of Zack’s. Mario Lopez plays Slater, and Dennis Haskins shows up as Mr. Belding, the school’s principal.
In later seasons, be on the lookout for the many guest stars, including The King of Queen’s Leah Remini, who received a multi-episode arc at a local beach resort.
The jokes have lost some of their luster after — gulp — 30 years. No doubt a binge watch of every episode will only be suited for the most loyal of nostalgia fans, but there’s a lot to appreciate. For people who came of age with Zack and his friends, Saved by the Bell was always on television and always influencing the zeitgeist. It was the teenage equivalent to the more adult-minded Beverly Hills 90210. Those two series hit at just the right time for a generation of TV viewers to follow each character from year to year.
And fans still hold on to those memories. Ask them for the high school’s name: Bayside High. Ask them for the name of the local hangout spot: The Max. Heck, nostalgia is so strong for the show that a recent pop-up Max hit the streets of Los Angeles.
For those wiling to take another plunge into the adventures of Palisades, California, there are some choice bonuses on the new collection. For starters, there are documentaries on the behind-the-scenes making of the series and another one on the music of the show (don’t you love that theme song?). Audio commentaries and other featurettes fill out the set, letting Shout! make good on its $59.99 suggested retail price.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection from Shout! Factory is now available. Click here for more information.
