The Saved By The Bell reboot finally premiered with its first season on NBC's streaming service Peacock. While initial reviews are mixed, it's clear that nostalgic Gen-Xers are loving seeing some of their old favorite characters and scenery return, and the reboot is introducing the show to a whole new generation of fans.
The series takes a modern look at a classic teen sitcom from the '80s and '90s, with a fresh set of faces and new issues with which to contend. The series begins when California Governor Zack Morris (yes, that Zack) has inner city kids integrate with the wealthier kids at high-end public schools, one of which is, of course, Bayside High.
And while the new students are the center of the story, there are a lot of throwbacks that only adults who watched the original will understand.
10 Theme Song
Sure, there's a new twist on the original theme song, complete with auto-tune and a more modern beat. But fans still get the same familiar lyrics that confirm that "it's alright 'cause I'm saved by the bell" in the revamped version of the theme song by Lil Yachty.
The sitcom just wouldn't have been the same, after all, with a new intro song. And this one is one of the classics that will have the new generation singing along, too.
9 Mac Being Like His Father
A lot of elements of the show are downright cheesy, one of which is Zack's teenage son and his obvious choice for a name: Mac. But more so are his mannerisms and the way he acts. He's definitely his father's son, complete with the sweeping blonde hair, arrogant attitude, penchant for pranks, and focus on girls.
It only makes sense, after all, to have at least a few characters mimic ones from the original series. And while not everyone is a carbon copy of their original counterparts, Mac is Zack, down to a tee. Sadly, however, that comes with his treatment of women as well, which is just as disrespectful, in some ways, as his dad's ways were.
8 References To The Iconic Caffeine Pills Scene
There were several references to the iconic and memorable scene from the original series when Jessie, high on caffeine pills, breaks down to Zack. Singing The Pointer Sisters' hit "I'm so excited, I'm so excited," she burst into tears ending with "I'm so scared." While it's often the butt of jokes, the scene actually brought attention to a serious problem when most sitcoms weren't tackling such controversial topics.
It's made light of when Jessie is introduced as the school guidance counselor and author of the book "I'm So Excited, I'm So Scared About Becoming A Parent." In another scene, when Mac is about to present Daisy with caffeine pills to help her get through her overbooked schedule, Jessie appears out of nowhere to smack them out of his hand, give a lecture, and hose the dropped pills down with a fire extinguisher to ensure no other student gets their hands on them.
7 Slater Calling Jessie Mama
In the first episode, Slater refers to Jessie as "mama," just as he did in the original series (often to a sea of "whoos" from the audience. He then quickly corrects himself for the inappropriate remark. Though he does continue to call her names like Dr. Mama.
Slater and Jessie, of course, had a complicated on-again, off-again romance in high school. They were arguably one another's first loves. And while they have both since moved on and Jessie married someone else, fans are clearly hoping they will get back together.
6 Mac (And Zack) Both Being Called Preppie
It's hilarious to hear fellow students refer to Mac as "Preppie," just as Slater had called Zack in the original. While Zack was never one to flaunt his wealth like Mac does, he did dress preppy back in the day.
Even though the school remains predominantly white, Mac somehow still manages to stand out as a preppy guy, even among his similar peers. Meanwhile, even though Zack is now in his 40s, Slater still takes any opportunity he can to call him Preppie, or rather, Governor Preppie nowadays.
5 The Time-Outs
Instead of Zack, Daisy is the new protagonist, which means getting to do some of the cool things Zack did in the original. One of those was stopping time with a "time out" where he would break the fourth wall and talk to viewers about what was going on.
Saved By The Bell arguably originated the idea of the "pause," something that has since been duplicated in other shows, like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and House of Lies.
4 The Max As The After-School Hangout
Yes, even decades later, The Max has endured as the local restaurant where Bayside kids hang out after school, complete with owner Max, who was one of the most likable characters on the original series. Just as they did in the original, they meet to have burgers and French fries, shakes and soda, and talk out their problems.
Sure, now there is more smartphone tapping than talking. But there's still gossip, drama, and scheming going on while the kids grab their lunches and after school snacks.
3 The Brick Phone
How could they possibly bring back the iconic Brick Phone? The show managed to do so in a humorous way. Daisy, who's from a poorer area of California, pulls one out of her bag, declaring that her mom doesn't think smartphones are worth the money.
In reality, one of those phones would probably cost more than a smartphone today. It's a collector's item, after all! And would it even work? Nonetheless, seeing it brings back memories.
2 Slater's Constant Reminiscing
Through the first half of the series, Slater seemed stuck in the past, constantly reminiscing about his high school days and how much fun they were, even turning chairs around to sit in them backwards like he used to. It also seems he's still secretly pining for Jessie.
But it all came to a head when he left a date to go break up a kids party at Jessie's house for her and ended up partying with the kids, throwing on his old neon tank top and shorts and dancing like he did back in the day, much to the delight of the kids who saw him as the "cool teacher." These were exactly the kinds of scenes fans were hoping to see in the reboot.
1 Mac and Jamie Fighting Over A Girl
There was one major fight scene between Zack and Slater in the original series that included shoving against lockers and brawling on the floor. In interviews, the actors have confirmed that it was all real – no stunt doubles.
A similar scene was duplicated between Mac and Jamie who were fighting over the same hot new girl in school. Sure, it included ice cream toppings and Slater is the one who broke up the fight instead of Principal Belding. Nonetheless, it was totally reminiscent of that original fight between the so-called best friends.
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