Most television fans are kinda annoyed that every network and company seems to be launching its own streaming service, but the irksome reality is made better when said streaming services produce quality content -- like the new Saved by the Bell spinoff series that is headed to NBCUniversal's upcoming streaming service, Peacock. Okay, so maybe it's too soon to tell if the reboot will really be quality, but it sure seems that way, considering the show's former star, Mario Lopez (ex-Dr. Christian Ramírez, The Bold and the Beautiful), has already signed on to the spinoff.
Lopez will be joining his former 90s sitcom costar Elizabeth Berkley in reprising their roles of A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano, respectively, for the new Saved by the Bell series. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the as-yet-launched streamed series is in talks with other cast members, including Mark-Paul Gosselaar, to potentially return.
Peacock's updated Saved by the Bell will explore what happens when California Governor Zack Morris (Gosselaar's role) gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high schools and proposes that the affected students be sent to the highest-performing schools in the state -- including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the overprivileged Bayside kids a much-needed and hilarious dose of reality. Lopez and Berkley's characters are reportedly parents now.
Saved by the Bell aired from 1989 to 1993 as part of a Saturday morning block on NBC. The comedy starred Lopez, Berkley, Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, and Lark Voorhies as high school students navigating zany teen life at Bayside High. Massively popular, the series became an instant hit that led to two spinoffs -- Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class -- as well as two TV movies and a successful merchandising line.
The new Saved by the Bell marks Lopez's first series-regular acting role since he left B&B back in 2006. However, he's been a regular on television as the host of Extra! and in guest-starring roles on shows like The Rookie, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Other Two, and This Is Us. He recently joined the NBCUniversal-owned syndicated news show Access Hollywood and its daytime counterpart, Access Daily.
As part of his new contract with Access, Lopez reportedly signed a deal to develop scripted and unscripted shows with Universal TV and its alternative counterpart. Both he and Berkley will be producing the new Saved by the Bell alongside Tracey Wigfield, Franco Bario, and the show's original creator, Peter Engel.
NBC's Peacock is set to launch next April as an ad-supported, direct-to-consumer platform. Some of the series already on the schedule include Parks and Recreation, The Office, Cheers, and Bates Motel, as well as reboots of Battlestar Galactica and Punky Brewster. Films that will be available at launch include American Pie, Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, E.T., Meet the Parents, Back to the Future, Brokeback Mountain, Casino, Jaws, Field of Dreams, and The Breakfast Club.
What do you think about there being a Saved by the Bell reboot in the works? Are you excited to hear that Mario Lopez will be reprising his role as A.C. Slater? How much do you miss seeing him on B&B? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
