SAVED BY THE BELL: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION REVIEWED
Saved by the Bell is one of those pop culture touchstones. At this point, the baby boomers and the Gen Z kids tune the hell out. That’s perfectly fine. Shout Factory and NBC/Universal/Scheinhardt Wig Company know who they are targeting with this release. Pulling together Good Morning Miss Bliss, the original series and the college years into one setting is a tremendous undertaking. Hell, this set made me realize how little time passed between Bliss and Season 1 of Bell.
From there, it took the collectible booklet to help me build a timeline for the show. Did I watch them by airdate or story continuity order? If you know how much of a continuity hound I am, then you will be saddened by the obvious answer. Also, what was up with the huge gaps in later seasons? They would wait 8-9 months before restarting the show. Plus, they would come back around the Holidays with Summer themed shows. Why?
ZACK MORRIS IS STILL TRASH
What is it about Zack Morris that feels so wrong now? I get that we’re supposed to feel bad about Caucasian upper class males doing things that made America work. However, I have a hard time hating the guy. Yes, I have seen the Funny or Die comedy analysis entering its third season of breaking down Zack. It’s just that…he’s a douchebag kid. Well, let’s add onto that. He’s a douche kid that grew up and married a High School sweetheart after barely attending college.
There is a healthy portion of the populace that looks crapping on people that peaked in High School. So, why be mad at Zach Morris for peaking in High School? I think that everyone from Belding to Jessie to Screech knew that was coming. Why act surprised a few decades later?
I am starting to notice the weird relationship that modern pop culture fans have with the fiction of their youth. If anything, it makes sense to see how the show ended up parallel to real life. You fantasize about high school as a kid, experience the reality and then push that perception onto any fictional construct. When you hear a story about a classmate or Screech stabbing someone in bar, it’s just a curious blip in your personal timeline.
So, why is Zach Morris trash? Well, because you need to define the bad guys in your life so you feel better about yourself. This is my edited take after watching 2 days worth of this show.
SAVED BY THE BELL SPECIAL FEATURES
- NEW Documentary: “Past Times At Bayside High: Making Saved By The Bell”
- NEW Documentary: “Bayside’s Greatest Hits: The Music Of Saved By The Bell”
- Saturday Morning: From Toons To Teens
- It’s Alright: Back To The Bell
- The First Of Its Class: From Sit-Com To Icon
- Audio Commentaries
- Photo Galleries
- 16-Page Episode Guide