90s | 80s | Music | Pop Culture | TV

'Saved By The Bell' Is Coming Back, But Not In The Way You Think

If you were a child of the early 90s, then I'd be willing to bet my entire life savings that you spent your weekday afternoons checking in on the gang from Bay Sides High School. Saved By The Bell was a huge deal despite only running for 4 seasons, and it's remained a favorite of every 90s kid right until the present day.

ABC

The show focused on the misadventures of a group of six friends and their high school principal, which pretty much meant that there was a character for everyone to latch onto. There was the charming and rebellious Zack, the popular Kelly, the intelligent but dense Screech, the jock Slater, the outspoken Jessie, and rich and fashionable Lisa. Of course, there was also their stern but fair principal Mr. Belding, who often clashed with Zack but also respected him.

Time

The show had a lot of the usual teen comedy staples, but at the same time, there were times where it tried to address some pretty real issues. Who can forget when Jessie got addicted to caffeine pills?

Or when Kelly couldn't get her prom dress because her dad went broke?

Wikimedia

The show was ultimately every 90s kid's dream sitcom, and we were all sad to see it go. Good thing then that it's coming back! There's a catch though; it's not coming back as a show, or a movie, but as an off-Broadway musical!

As reported by NME, a Saved By The Bell musical production is being helmed by Bob and Toby McSmith, who 90s-loving theater-goers might recognize as the two who wrote the popular Friends! The Musical Parody, which started out in the UK before moving to New York as an off-Broadway production.

Theater Mania

The Saved By The Bell musical, which is being called Bayside, is going to follow much the same pattern: it's premiering from March 9th - 17th at The Other Palace in London, and will make its way here if there's enough demand and sales are high enough!

TV Overmind

There's been no word if any of the original actors are being tapped for guest appearances, but it's at least been confirmed that the characters in the play will be the main six, as well as Mr. Belding.

Mashable

Producer Michael Neri says of the return: “Nostalgia of the ’80s seems to be a trend at the moment with so many reboots and one-off reunions on our TV screens, so being able to present Bayside in a musical format is a wonderful way of remembering what once was.”

He added: “The show was written to simply entertain its audience. We only want our audience to come away laughing and having been entertained by the writing, music and talent on stage.

Do you want to see the Saved By The Bell musical?