When is the Saved by the Bell reboot on TV? Cast, plot, trailer, latest news
The popular '90s teen sitcom is making a return to the small screen.
There's been no shortage of small screen reboots in recent years, and Saved by the Bell is the latest popular series from yesteryear set to get the treatment.
A revival of the hit American sitcom is on the way almost 30 years after its early '90s heyday and is being billed as a sequel to the original series (and the spin-off Saved by the Bell: The College Years which followed it)
Many familiar characters are set to return to our screen when the reboot begins, including star Elizabeth Berkley, who recently said that returning to the show "feels like coming home".
She told People, "It's touching to have all these years of people that you care about and that you're rooting for. To be on those same sets with those faces I know and love so well feels like coming home."
Read on for everything you need to know about the series, including when it will be released and who will be in the cast.
When will the revamped Saved by the Bell air?
The series will debut on NBC Universal streaming service Peacock on Wednesday 25th November 2020, with all 10 episodes dropping at once.
Unfortunately information is still scarce regarding the reboot's UK release – Peacock isn't available on this side of the Atlantic and there has been no announcement of a deal with any UK broadcaster at this stage. We'll keep you updated if we hear anything more.
Who is in the cast of the new Saved by the Bell?
If you're a fan of the original then there's some excellent news, with two of the most prominent stars from the show set to reprise their roles as part of the main cast.
Showgirls star Elizabeth Berkley returns as Jessie Spano, now the mother of Bayside's current football team captain Jamie, while Mario Lopez is back as AC Slater, who has now taken up a teaching post at the school, unsurprisingly as a gym teacher.
Some other main characters from last time out are back in more minor roles as well, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen and Ed Alonso returning as Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski and Max respectively - each billed as recurring cast members.
New cast members include John Michael Higgins as Bayside's new head, Principal Toddman, as well as Haskiri Velazquez, Mitchell Hoog, Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Belmont Cameli and Dexter Darden among the current crop of Bayside pupils.
Recently, new cast member Totah talked about her groundbreaking role as transgender woman Lexi in the revival, saying that she hopes "we normalise acceptance of the trans community in our everyday lives".
Speaking to GLAAD's Anthony Ramos, she explained the importance of not just focusing on the negative experiences of trans characters.
"Much of the time when it comes to trans representation, it is told through the lens of trans struggle, or portraying trans characters in a negative light," she said.
"Even the trans people that I've spoken to... are so excited about this, and just having those people in my life be happy about it means everything to me, because it's so needed and I'm so excited that we get to bring it to the forefront."
What is the revamped Saved by the Bell about?
The new series is set at Bayside over 20 years after the events of the original series - with characters from the original run now parents and teachers at the school.
It follows events after a local scandal causes the shutdown of a nearby low-income high school (by now California Governor Zack Morris), which sees several students from less privileged backgrounds arrive as new pupils at Bayside, in the process mixing - and clashing - with the school's more preppy students.
New Saved by the Bell trailer
Fans were given a flavour of what to expect in May 2020 when the first trailer for the series dropped - offering a look at the older Jessie and A.C. and the first glimpse of Bayside's new generation of students. You can check it out below:
A second trailer followed a few months later, in August, showcasing the reboot's tongue-in-cheek humour with knowing in-jokes ("Is it just me, or are the seniors at this school really old looking?") and nods to the original, including Jessie's famous caffeine-fuelled "I'm so excited!" freak-out.
We will update with UK screening details as soon as they are confirmed.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
