**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

It’s alright because Bayside is back! Well…sorta.

Saved by the Bell (2020) premiered on Peacock TV on November 25th 2020 with ten new episodes available to stream now. While the Peacock app is free, you need a premium subscription to watch the show for reference. The reboot sitcom stars Haskiri Velazquez, Mitchell Hoog, Josie Totah, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, and Mario Lopez. Each episode runs for approximately 25-28 minutes. 

Based on the original sitcom, which aired from 1989-1993, the reboot of the beloved iconic 90’s show brings us back to Bayside, but things have certainly changed. Zack Morris is now the governor (still married to Kelly), Jessie is the guidance counselor, and Slater is the gym teacher.

We get a brand new set of students, which include Zack and Kelly’s son, Mac, and Jessie’s son, Jamie, along with a group of students from the other side of town that were recently displaced from their own high school. The students will now all attend school together, which shakes up the Bayside self-absorbed bubble quite a bit.

Here is the trailer:

Saved by the Bell (2020) has the chance to give fans some nostalgia while creating something new and different for a new audience, but does it still capture the charm of the original series while finding its own identity? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Welcomed nostalgia.

 The gang is back! Well, most of them anyway. While some of our favorite characters only return for cameos, Jessie and Slater have recurring roles throughout the series. While a lot of the references were kind of forced upon the audience, I thought that episode 8 was absolutely fantastic and the best episode by far.

If you have mixed thoughts about the reboot, I recommend that you at least check out this episode. It really was a lot of fun!

Images courtesy of Peacock

A reality check for Bayside.

When I go back and watch the old episodes, Bayside almost seems like it is completely displaced from actual reality. Real issues are discussed, but a lot is sugar-coated. I thought it was really smart to have the new students attend Bayside, shattering the self-absorbed normalcy some of the characters had while keeping everything fresh and relevant for its new audience.

In a way, the show playfully makes fun of itself, but in a good way.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Peacock

Trying a little too hard.

While the reboot has a fresh and new take on things, it tries a little bit too hard to force some of the references on the new audience. I loved the change up with the iconic “Time Out” scenes, but I also thought that a lot of things might be totally lost on the new audience.

There needed to be more of a balance between the nostalgia and the new plot and the opening episodes were almost painful to watch because of this.

Having said that, each episode actually got better as the show went on and I think that’s because the show settled down on its identity and just had fun with it.

Lacking laughs.

As cheesy as it was, the original episodes always made me smile, chuckle, or laugh. While some of the jokes did land, I thought that the majority of them missed the mark. I also felt that Zack’s son was slightly obnoxious and lacked the charisma of his father.

Sure, Zack Morris was a schemer and he made a lot of wrong calls throughout the show, but his son’s character didn’t really have any redeeming qualities and I thought that layers were missing for many of the new characters. We saw glimpses here and there, but I honestly wanted more from them.

Our new principal was the perfect choice, however! 

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Peacock

I’m in about 75 percent.

I’ll be honest. I was initially not feeling this show at all. The first two episodes really didn’t grab my attention and I didn’t connect at all. However, I stuck around (mostly because I just got this subscription to Peacock) and I’m glad I did.

The show eventually did find its identity and also gave us some welcomed cameos and nostalgia to balance things out. There were enough entertaining moments to keep you invested and intrigued.

I would recommend giving it a chance even if you absolutely hate the first two episodes and at least check out episode 8!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Saved By the Bell (2020) in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

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