Saved by the Bell: The College Years - A Look Back at the Cast and Crew

"Saved by the Bell: The College Years" is an American television sitcom and sequel to "Saved by the Bell." As the third incarnation of the franchise, it aired on NBC for one season, premiering on May 22, 1993, and concluding on February 8, 1994. Notably, it's the only series in the franchise to air on primetime television instead of Saturday mornings, with most episodes airing on Tuesday evenings. The series follows Zack, Screech, and A.C. Slater as they navigate college life alongside their three female suitemates, including Kelly Kapowski, in the dorms at college.

Synopsis

The series pilot introduces six characters living in the dorms at the fictitious California University, or Cal U, under the watchful eye of Mike Rogers, their resident adviser. The first-year dorm residents include Zack Morris, Screech Powers, and A.C. Slater from the original "Saved by the Bell," along with newcomers Leslie Burke, Alex Tabor, and Danielle Marks. Following the pilot, Danielle Marks, played by Essence Atkins, was written out and replaced by Zack's former girlfriend, Kelly Kapowski.

The series revolves around the troubles each of the six characters gets into every week, as well as Zack's various schemes to try to get his suitemates, first Leslie, and then Kelly, to fall for him.

Cast Overview

The show featured a mix of familiar faces from the original series and new additions to the cast. Here's a breakdown:

Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris
Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater
Dustin Diamond as Samuel 'Screech' Powers
Anne Tremko as Leslie Burke
Kiersten Warren as Alex Tabor
Bob Golic as Michael Rogers
Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski (as Tiffani-Amber Thiessen)
George Cheung as Chinese Professor (as George Kee Cheung)

Production Crew

The success of any television show relies on the collaborative efforts of a talented production crew. Here are some of the key individuals involved in bringing "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" to life:

Read also: Foundation Scholarship Details

Directors: Jeff Melman
Writers: Sam Bobrick (created by), Elaine Aronson (created by), Steve Kreinberg (developed by), Andrew Guerdat (written by &) (as Andy Guerdat)
Producers: Franco Bario (producer) (as Franco E. Bario), Chris Conte (associate producer), Jeffrey Duteil (producer), Peter Engel (executive producer), Mark Fink (producer), Andrew Guerdat (supervising producer) (as Andy Guerdat), Steve Kreinberg (supervising producer)
Composer: Jonathan Wolff
Editor: Sheila Hall
Casting Director: Robin Lippin
Production Designer: Josee Lemonnier
Art Director: Richard C. Walker
Costume Designer: Liz Bass (as Elizabeth Bass)
Makeup Department: Roxanne Baker-Sarver (hair stylist) (as Roxanne Baker), Deborah Merle (make-up)
Production Management: Gary Considine (executive in charge of production)
Second Unit Directors or Assistant Directors: Sheila Hall (associate director), Kevin Charles Sullivan (associate director) (as Kevin Sullivan)
Sound Department: John Bickelhaupt (post-production sound), Carolyn Bowden (production mixer), Charlie McDaniel (post-production sound), Kathy Oldham (post-production sound)
Camera and Electrical Department: Dave Bushner (camera operator), Lew Friant (camera operator), Walter Glover (lighting designer), Roy Holm (camera operator), Tim O'Neill (camera operator)
Casting Department: Lisa Chadwick (casting assistant)
Costume and Wardrobe Department: Jennifer Green (costumer), Lisa D. Quercioli (costumer)
Music Department: Jack Diamond (music editor) (uncredited)
Script and Continuity Department: Jonathan Glabman (script coordinator), Keith Hosman (script coordinator), Marc Hyman (script coordinator)
Production Department: Lani Bergstein (production associate) (as Lani Robin Bergstein), Susan Metrick (production coordinator)
Additional Crew: Elise Allen (assistant to the producers), Les Atkinson (technical director), Paul Coderko (stage manager) (as Paul H.

Episodes

The series, comprising one season of nineteen episodes, aired from September 14, 1993, to February 8, 1994. In "Saved by the Bell: The College Years", the cast dealt with college life at the fictional California University, generally understood to be the University of California, Berkeley. Zack, Screech, and Slater move into their suite and meet Danielle, Alex, and Leslie.

Zack gets an anthropology assignment to die for by the new anthropology professor Lasky: conduct a field study of women's wants. Zack is invited to a homecoming banquet by the guest of honor, a football hero who could help him score in some business, while Kelly is threatened with come-ons by the alumni. Zack, Slater, and Screech try to set Rogers up on a date with a lit female professor to get him out of the dorm so they can have a poker game.

Storylines

Several storylines developed during the series. A jealous Zack strikes back at Kelly and Professor Lasky with a vengeance by spreading the word about their May-December affair, which climaxes at a costume ball. When Zack finds that Kelly is planning to go on a three-month cruise abroad for the summer, he desperately tries to cling to her. He tries to make Screech drop out of traveling on the trip so he can take his place.

The Wedding in Las Vegas

But Zach eventually and makes a big choice to hold onto Kelly: he asks her to marry him. Lisa Turtle arrives and wants to be the Maid of Honor at Kelly and Zack's coming wedding, as do Leslie and Alex.

DVD Release

The series was released on August 17, 2004, in a three-disc format, with the hour-long series finale presented in the original two-part episode.

Novelizations

Five novelizations based on the show (four based on the main series and one based on the TV movie "Wedding in Las Vegas") were released in late 1994 and early 1995 by the publisher Aladdin Paperbacks, all written by Beth Cruise.

Crossovers and Guest Appearances

Zack and Slater, and Lisa, who only appears in the follow-up "Wedding in Las Vegas" film, all appear again on "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" in its second-season finale episode, "Goodbye Bayside: Part 2". Slater appears one additional time on "The New Class", in the fourth season finale episode, "Fire at the Max: Part 2". Screech would return in "Saved by the Bell: The New Class", coming on as Mr.

Reception and Cancellation

"Saved By the Bell: The College Years" had a largely negative reception from the media. It was canceled after only 1 season due to many reasons. Executive Producer, Peter Engel, cites the biggest issue being that he did not bring the original six main characters to college, making it hard for viewers to connect with the story lines.

Nielsen Ratings

The show's performance in the Nielsen ratings was inconsistent. Here's a snapshot of some of the weekly ratings during its run:

September 22, 1993
September 29, 1993: "'Dave's World,' 'Harts' help CBS to victory"
October 6, 1993
October 13, 1993: "New shows pick up steam in ABC win"
October 20, 1993: "'Home Improvement' powers to No. 1"
October 27, 1993: "World Series earns CBS a win"
November 3, 1993: "ABC usurps CBS as No. 1"
November 10, 1993
December 1, 1993: "Thanksgiving week tie for NBC, CBS"
December 15, 1993: "Midler's 'Gypsy' coming up roses for CBS"
December 22, 1993: "ABC on top for 2nd week"
December 29, 1993
January 12, 1994: "'Improvement' leads ABC charge"
January 19, 1994: "'Columbo' on the case for ABC"
January 26, 1994
February 16, 1994

Wrapping Up the Story: Wedding in Las Vegas

A 90-minute TV movie, "Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas," was produced to wrap up the series. The events of the final episode of the series lead directly into the film, which shows the characters on a road trip to Las Vegas for Zack and Kelly's impending wedding, and the comic misadventures they have along the way.

Read also: Decoding GPA Distributions

tags: #saved #by #the #bell #the #college