While Saved By The Bell was a big hit with young viewers upon the show’s original release, some elements of the series have aged terribly in the intervening 34 years. It is tough for any television show to age well, but this is particularly true for a series aimed at teenagers. Teenage culture changes quickly, and television networks often can’t keep up with the pace of trends. This typically means that shows intended to be cool come across as cringe-worthy to their target demographic. However, even when shows win over teen viewers, they tend to age badly.
While Saved By The Bell’s 2020 reboot actively tried to address some problematic elements of the original series, the self-aware revival was only able to scratch the surface of the show’s myriad problems. 34 wars after the series originally aired, Saved By The Bell is effectively a time capsule that captured the attitudes, social mores, and norms of middle-class American teen culture in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Saved By The Bell paints a pretty damning picture of this era with amoral characters who are presented as lovable scamps, constant bullying, and even some seriously offensive elements.
10 Zack Dressed As A Stereotypical Native American
In Saved By The Bell season 2, episode 13, “Running Zack,” Zack Morris discovered that he was part Native American. He reacted to this news by donning a stereotypical headdress in an outing so offensive that star Mark-Paul Gosselaar apologized for the scene years later (per Entertainment Weekly). While the scene has been written off as Zack Morris being a jerk, it is extraordinarily offensive, and the excuse that the episode aired in the ‘90s doesn’t really cut it here. Stereotypical depictions of indigenous people had been discussed for decades at that point, making this even more embarrassing now.
9 Zack Charged Boys To Kiss Lisa Without Her Consent
As far back as Saved By The Bell season 1, episode 2, “The Lisa Card,” Zack was already up to antics that his actor would later apologize for. In this outing, Zack charged his classmates a fee to kiss Lisa without ever informing her of this setup or asking for her consent. He also sold her lingerie to Screech in what is still easily the sleaziest thing the show’s ostensible hero ever did. To make matters worse, the show vaguely implied that all was forgiven when Lisa got the proceeds from this invasive scheme.
8 Screech Used To Be Much Better
While Saved By The Bell’s Screech became a divisive figure among the show’s fandom as the series continued, this was largely because the show made him increasingly zany and grating with each season. Early on, Screech was portrayed as an endearing dork who managed to create a fully functioning robot from scratch. His scientific genius didn’t stop him from being treated as a social outcast, but he is endearingly awkward and well-liked despite his goofy personality. In later seasons, he was a mindless buffoon who was openly resented by his supposed friends.
7 Zack Lied About People Dying (Twice)
Returning to Zack’s many questionable schemes, it is worth noting that the show’s hero twice lied about people dying. First, he claimed that he himself was dying of a terminal illness to manipulate a pop star into kissing him. Then, he later claimed that Slater was dying to get his friend ostracized because Slater’s popularity was starting to threaten Zack’s ego. In Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, the antihero lying about his mother’s death is seen as evidence of serious maladjustment whereas, in Saved By The Bell, this is just an average weekday for Zack Morris.
6 Jessie’s Caffeine Pill Addiction Was (Sort of) Serious
While caffeine pills are not as harmful as other substances, they can cause serious health issues if abused. Despite how hilarious Jessie’s viral freakout is, the depiction of her study-induced stress and subsequent caffeine pill addiction isn’t as goofy as many of Saved by The Bell‘s other stories. That said, many other shows have handled similar storylines without resorting to such intensely silly melodrama.
5 Screech’s Treatment Is Hard to Watch
The way that Screech is constantly mocked when taken in tandem with star Dustin Diamond’s disdain for his co-stars, is cringe-worthy. Among Saved By The Bell’s original characters, Screech was something of a punching bag and, while his entitled attitudes were gross, they are no worse than Zack’s deplorable behavior. As a result, his mistreatment is just uncomfortable on a re-watch.
4 All Cast Members Struggled For Roles After Saved By The Bell
When Saved By The Bell first came out, the show seemed like it would be a jumping-off point for some A-list carriers. However, like many teen stars, most of the show’s cast struggled to find roles after the series made them famous. Their success worked against them as viewers couldn’t imagine them in another role, resulting in infamous flops like 1995’s Showgirls.
3 No One’s Attitude Toward Dating Is Normal
Zack lies constantly to his potential dates, Screech is a self-pitying, entitled nice guy, Slater is a boorish macho man, and Lisa needlessly insults Screech even when he isn’t harassing her. No one in Saved By The Bell has a normal attitude toward dating and the show’s depiction of romantic relationships makes the later teen drama The O.C. seem like a guide to better communication in comparison. However, this isn’t as bad as another issue with the series.
2 The Jokes About Disability Are Almost Unwatchable
Saved By The Bell occasionally featured scenes where the characters mock those with developmental conditions in a way that was inexcusable at the time and remains appalling now. It was already uncomfortable to see actors using a limp arm over their chest to signify that someone was acting unintelligent when the show first aired. In hindsight, it is a disgraceful joke that makes outings like season 4, episode 24, “School Song,” unwatchable,
1 The Gang’s Antics Are Wildly Inconsistent
In one episode, the Bayside High School gang gets drunk, crashes a car, and lies to their parents about it, while another saw Zack and Slater get arrested and try to bribe the police by promising them dates with high school girls. However, in another episode, the gang was horrified to discover that a famous actor they admired smoked marijuana. While Saved By The Bell’s reboot mocked the original show’s cringe-worthy approach to drugs, this attitude was doubly hypocritical when the teens constantly engaged in much more serious crimes. As such, Saved By The Bell’s stakes are almost inscrutable.
