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Attention preppies! After years of delays and rumors, the new, refreshed and revamped Saved by the Bell is really happening. The sequel, which has confirmed that Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley will reprise their roles as AC Slater and Jessie Spano, is headed to Peacock, the new NBCU-owned streaming service launching in spring 2020. Of course, a project this big and — hello! — important will undergo some big changes and tweaks before it sees the light of day. Here’s everything we know about the revival of the classic NBC high school sitcom, which ran from 1989 to 1993 before spawning two spinoffs and a pair of TV movies.
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Zack is now governor of California: In the updated Saved by the Bell, Zack Morris is governor, but he’s in a political crisis for “closing too many low-income high schools.” To clean up it up, Governor Morris decides to send a bunch of students to the highest-performing schools in the state — including Bayside High — and the new students give the privileged Bayside students a much-needed and hilarious reality check.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of doubt that Mark-Paul Gosselaar will return as Morris. The actor apparently didn’t get the memo about the revival, and his name isn’t listed among credits that’ve been made public. Not to mention, he’s currently starring on ABC’s Mixed-ish and won’t be available (or contractually able) to appear in the Saved by the Bell sequel.
You’ll see faces you recognize: As mentioned, Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez will reprise their roles as Jessie Spano and A. C. Slater, the “It” couple at Bayside High for much of its run. There’s no word yet on whether series regulars including Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, and Dennis Haskins will return.
There will be a ton of new faces: Given the updated plot, which involves an influx of new students, the sequel series is set to welcome plenty of newcomers to the franchise. In January, Peacock announced the comedy had found its first new lead in Champions alum Josie Totah, who will play the sharp-tongued cheerleader Lexie.
Everything to Know About Peacock, NBCUniversal’s Streaming Service
The tone might be a little different… and fresh: Tracey Wigfield, who worked on 30 Rock and created Great News, has been tapped to provide a new take on show, so it’s not hard to imagine SBTB to having at least some of the wacky and wild feeling of those zany comedies. Original producers Peter Engel and Franco Bario will both serve as executive producers too.
Justin Diamond as Screech Powers, Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Elizabeth Berkeley as Jessie Spano, Saved by the Bell