Saved by the Bell: The College Years#Merger proposal

{{Infobox television

| image = Saved by the Bell- The College Years (logo).svg

| caption =

| genre = Teen sitcom

| creator = Sam Bobrick

| developer = Elaine Aronson

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 19

| list_episodes =

| director = Jeff Melman

| executive_producer = Peter Engel

| camera =

| runtime = 22 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

Peter Engel Productions
NBC Productions

}}

| network = NBC

| first_aired = {{start date|1993|5|22}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1994|2|8}}

| related = Saved by the Bell

}}

Saved by the Bell: The College Years is an American television sitcom, and sequel to Saved by the Bell. It is the third incarnation of the franchise, and ran on NBC for one season, premiering on May 22, 1993, and airing its final episode on February 8, 1994. It is the only series of the franchise to air on primetime television instead of Saturday mornings – most episodes aired on Tuesday evenings.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-26-tv-39113-story.html|title=On View : Freshmen, Again : Can 'Saved By The Bell' and 'Beverly Hills, 90210' Pass The Test As They Head Off To College?|author=N.F. Mendoza|date=September 26, 1993|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2016-02-06|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305070620/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-26/news/tv-39113_1_beverly-hills|url-status=live}} The series follows Zack, Screech and A.C. Slater, and their three female suitemates, including Kelly Kapowski, in the dorms at college. It was followed by a television film, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, which aired in October 1994.

Premise

In the series pilot, six characters live in the dorms at the fictitious California University, or Cal U, under the watchful eye of Mike Rogers, their resident adviser. The first-year dorm residents include Zack Morris, Screech Powers, and A.C. Slater from the original Saved by the Bell, along with newcomers Leslie Burke, Alex Tabor, and Danielle Marks. After The College Years pilot, Danielle Marks, played by Essence Atkins was written out, and was replaced on the show with Zack's former Saved by the Bell girlfriend, Kelly Kapowski. The series revolves around the troubles each of the six characters gets into every week, as well as Zack's various schemes to try to get his suitemates, first Leslie, and then Kelly, to fall for him. Later in the series, Dean McMann, played by Holland Taylor, becomes involved with trying to rein in the first-years' antics.

Cast

Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris
Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater
Dustin Diamond as Samuel "Screech" Powers
Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski
Anne Tremko as Leslie Burke
Kiersten Warren as Alex Tabor
Bob Golic as Mike Rogers
Essence Atkins as Danielle Marks (pilot only)

Also Starring

Patrick Fabian as Professor Jeremiah Lasky
Holland Taylor as Dean Susan McMann

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#134D71 |overall=7 |title=25 |director=17 |writer=28 |airdate=15 |prodcode=8 |viewers=9 |episodes=

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Pilot

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Elaine Aronson

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|5|22}}

| ProdCode = 60500

| Viewers = 9.4{{cite news|title='Cheers' brings happy times to NBC|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=May 26, 1993|author=Gable, Donna}}

| ShortSummary = Zack, Slater, and Screech start school at Cal U, where they find the adjustment to college life is harder than they expected.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Guess Who's Coming to College?

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Andrew Guerdat & Steven Kreinberg

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|9|14}}

| ProdCode = 60501

| Viewers = 14.2{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=September 22, 1993}}

| ShortSummary = Zack's pursuit of his suitemate Leslie is complicated by the arrival of a new transfer student – his old high school girlfriend, Kelly.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = Zack, Lies & Videotape

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Mark Fink

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|9|14}}

| ProdCode = 60502

| Viewers = 14.2

| ShortSummary = Zack receives an interesting anthropology assignment from the class' new professor, Lasky. He has to conduct a field study of what women want. Meanwhile, Slater tries to gain weight to be a heavyweight wrestler, and Rogers offers to help Screech as his personal weightlifting trainer.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Rush Week

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Jeffrey Duteil

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|9|21}}

| ProdCode = 60503

| Viewers = 12.8{{cite news|title='Dave's World,' 'Harts' help CBS to victory|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=September 29, 1993|author=Gable, Donna}}

| ShortSummary = Zack and Slater worry that Screech might ruin their efforts to join a fraternity.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Slater's War

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Renee Palyo

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|9|28}}

| ProdCode = 60504

| Viewers = 11.0{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 6, 1993}}

| ShortSummary = Slater's involvement with a student activist leads him to embrace his Hispanic heritage.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| Title = The Homecoming

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Debra Fasciano

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|10|5}}

| ProdCode = 60505

| Viewers = 12.0{{cite news|title=New shows pick up steam in ABC win|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 13, 1993|author=Gable, Donna}}

| ShortSummary = Zack is invited to a homecoming banquet by the guest of honor, a football hero who could help him score in some business, while Kelly is threatened with come-ons by the alum. Meanwhile, Slater feels embarrassed being with Alex who shows off her mascot uniform at the banquet and Leslie asks Screech to go with her to shock her visiting snobbish parents.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| Title = The Poker Game

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Mark Fink

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|10|12}}

| ProdCode = 60506

| Viewers = 12.8{{cite news|title='Home Improvement' powers to No. 1|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 20, 1993|author1=Graham, Jefferson|author2=Gable, Donna}}

| ShortSummary = Zack, Slater, and Screech try to set Rogers up on a date with a lit female professor to get him out of the dorm so they can have a poker game. Meanwhile, Kelly, Leslie, and Alex develop a crush on their new karate instructor, John Hammer, and vie with each other to try to win his affections.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| Title = Prof. Zack

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Andrew Guerdat & Steve Kreinberg

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|10|19}}

| ProdCode = 60507

| Viewers = 11.8{{cite news|title=World Series earns CBS a win|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=October 27, 1993|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = While the girls put together a male pinup calendar in order to buy a big screen TV, Zack poses as Lasky in order to date an admirer of the professor's.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 9

| Title = Screech Love

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Jeffrey Duteil

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|10|26}}

| ProdCode = 60508

| Viewers = 10.9{{cite news|title=ABC usurps CBS as No. 1|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 3, 1993|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = Zack gets Screech to tutor a tennis star that he is dating, but the woman likes Screech and this causes conflict between Zack and Screech.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 10

| Title = Dr. Kelly

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Noah Taft

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|11|2}}

| ProdCode = 60509

| Viewers = 10.2{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=November 10, 1993}}

| ShortSummary = Kelly's well-paying job as a waitress has her reconsidering her thoughts of becoming a doctor. Mike trains to try out for the 49ers with Zack, Slater, and Screech.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 11

| Title = A Thanksgiving Story

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Brett Dewey & Ronald B. Solomon

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|11|23}}

| ProdCode = 60510

| Viewers = 10.4{{cite news|title=Thanksgiving week tie for NBC, CBS|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=December 1, 1993|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = After car trouble strands them at the college, the gang helps Mike, Leslie, and Screech prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a group of inner-city kids.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 12

| Title = Teacher's Pet

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Debra Fasciano

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|12|7}}

| ProdCode = 60512

| Viewers = 8.5{{cite news|title=Midler's 'Gypsy' coming up roses for CBS|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=December 15, 1993|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = While Screech hides a lab monkey destined for the zoo, Zack discovers Kelly's crush on Professor Lasky.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 13

| Title = Kelly and the Professor

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Mark Fink

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|12|14}}

| ProdCode = 60513

| Viewers = 10.7{{cite news|title=ABC on top for 2nd week|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=December 22, 1993|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = A jealous Zack strikes back at Kelly and Professor Lasky with a vengeance by spreading the word about their affair, which climaxes at a costume ball. Meanwhile, Rogers gives the rest of the gang papers to fill out on a perfect mate profile for a psychology project, and Screech ends up getting the same mark as Alex.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 14

| Title = A Question of Ethics

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Renee Palyo

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|12|21}}

| ProdCode = 60511

| Viewers = 9.8{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=December 29, 1993}}

| ShortSummary = After a very tough new professor takes over their ethics class, the gang faces a dilemma when Zack gets his hands on a copy of the midterm.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 15

| Title = The Rave

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Jeffrey Duteil

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|1|4}}

| ProdCode = 60514

| Viewers = 9.4{{cite news|title='Improvement' leads ABC charge|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=January 12, 1994|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = With Mike gone and in need of money for a trip to Cancun, Zack and the gang stage a rave in the dorm.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 16

| Title = Bedside Manner

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Renee Palyo

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|1|11}}

| ProdCode = 60515

| Viewers = 9.0{{cite news|title='Columbo' on the case for ABC|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=January 19, 1994|author=DeRosa, Robin}}

| ShortSummary = Kelly is still pining over Professor Lasky, and Zack is trying to find ways of getting her attention back on him.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 17

| Title = Love and Death

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Andrew Guerdat & Steve Kreinberg

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|1|22}}

| ProdCode = 60516

| Viewers = 6.5{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=January 26, 1994}}

| ShortSummary = After a popular professor dies, Zack adopts a new attitude to life - one filled with risks.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 18

| Title = Marry Me

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Noah Taft

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|8}}

| ProdCode = 60517

| Viewers = 13.5{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|department=Life|work=USA Today|page=3D|date=February 16, 1994}}

| ShortSummary = Kelly is planning to go on a three-month cruise abroad for the summer. When Zack finds out, he desperately tries to cling onto her. He tries to make Screech drop out of travelling on the trip so he can take his place. Eventually, Zack makes a big choice to hold on to Kelly: he asks her to marry him. Meanwhile, Slater feels guilty when he sees another girl behind Alex's back since she shares the same interest as he, while Leslie finds out and tries to make him come clean with Alex about his dissatisfaction with their romance.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|Saved by the Bell: The College Years

| EpisodeNumber = 19

| Title = Wedding Plans

| DirectedBy = Jeff Melman

| WrittenBy = Bennett Tramer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|8}}

| ProdCode = 60518

| Viewers = 13.5

| ShortSummary = Zack and Kelly talk about their futures, as they confront the possibilities of marriage. Slater is against the plans, while Screech wants to be Zack's best man, and decides to throw a bachelor party that goes incredibly wrong. Lisa Turtle arrives and wants to be Maid of Honor at Kelly and Zack's wedding. But she's got a battle on her hands, with Leslie and Alex also wanting to assume the position of Maid of Honor.

| LineColor = 134D71

}}

Home media

Saved by the Bell: The College Years was released on DVD in Region 1 by Image Entertainment on August 17, 2004.

class="wikitable"
Title !Ep# !Region 1 !Region 2 !Region 4 !Distributors
Saved By The Bell: The College Years \| 19 \| August 17, 2004 \| N/A \| N/A \| Image Entertainment

class="wikitable"

Title

!Ep#

!Region 1

!Region 2

!Region 4

!Distributors

Saved By The Bell: The College Years

| 19

| August 17, 2004

| N/A

| Image Entertainment

Film

A 90-minute TV movie, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, was produced to wrap up the series. The events of the final episode of the series lead directly into the film, which shows the characters on a road trip to Las Vegas for Zack and Kelly's impending wedding, and the comic misadventures they have along the way. Tom Jicha of the Sun-Sentinel said, "This movie would have been more appropriate for the time period in which all these stories began - Saturday morning."{{cite news |last1=Jicha |first1=Tom |title=Zack and Kelly tie the knot in finale |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109087731/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |work=Sun-Sentinel |date=October 7, 1994}} The movie was later split into four individual episodes when the series entered syndication.

''Saved By the Bell: The College Years'' novels

Five novelizations based on the show (four based on the main series and one based on the TV movie "Wedding in Las Vegas") were released in late 1994 and early 1995 by the publisher Aladdin Paperbacks, all written by Beth Cruise. The books all feature the main cast, and have similar storylines that relate to the main plots in the TV sequel.

class="wikitable" style="width:40%; text-align:Center;"
rowspan="1" width="15%"\|Title !rowspan="1" width="15%"\|ISBN !rowspan="1" width="20%"\|Release Date(s)
Freshman Frenzy \|({{ISBN\|0020411154}}) \|August 1, 1994
Zack Zeroes In \|({{ISBN\|0020427891}}) \|September 1, 1994
Exit, Stage Right \|({{ISBN\|0020427921}}) \|October 1, 1994
Mistletoe Magic \|({{ISBN\|0020427948}}) \|December 1, 1994
To Have and To Hold \|({{ISBN\|0020427956}}) \|March 31, 1995

class="wikitable" style="width:40%; text-align:Center;"

rowspan="1" width="15%"|Title

!rowspan="1" width="15%"|ISBN

!rowspan="1" width="20%"|Release Date(s)

Freshman Frenzy

|({{ISBN|0020411154}})

|August 1, 1994

Zack Zeroes In

|({{ISBN|0020427891}})

|September 1, 1994

Exit, Stage Right

|({{ISBN|0020427921}})

|October 1, 1994

Mistletoe Magic

|({{ISBN|0020427948}})

|December 1, 1994

To Have and To Hold

|({{ISBN|0020427956}})

|March 31, 1995

Crossovers

Zack and Slater, and Lisa, who only appears in the follow up Wedding in Las Vegas film, all appear again on the Saved by the Bell: The New Class, in its second season finale episode, "Goodbye Bayside: Part 2". Slater appears one additional time on The New Class, in the fourth season finale episode, "Fire at the Max: Part 2". Screech would return in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, coming on as Mr. Belding's administrative assistant on a work-study program from Cal U, starting with the series' second season, and continuing as a main character in The New Class for the rest of its run.

A.C. Slater, and Jessie Spano from the original series, became main characters in the 2020 Saved by the Bell sequel series, while Zack, Kelly, and Lisa all would make guest appearances on the show.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/09/17/nbc-streaming-service-offer-saved-bell-remake-peacock/2349958001/ |title=Time out! A 'Saved By the Bell' remake is coming to NBC's streaming service Peacock |last1=Jensen|first1=Erin|last2=Levin|first2=Gary |date=September 17, 2019 |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=September 18, 2019 |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115203648/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/09/17/nbc-streaming-service-offer-saved-bell-remake-peacock/2349958001/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|date=September 29, 2020|title=The Saved By the Bell Revival Finally Has a Premiere Date|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1192949/the-saved-by-the-bell-revival-finally-has-a-premiere-date|access-date=September 29, 2020|website=E! Online|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115203641/https://www.eonline.com/news/1192949/the-saved-by-the-bell-revival-finally-has-a-premiere-date|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2020/01/09/saved-by-the-bell-revival-zack-kelly-returning/|title=Saved by the Bell Revival: Zack and Kelly Will Appear 'In Some Capacity'|last=Swift|first=Andy|date=January 9, 2020|website=TVLine|access-date=January 9, 2020|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115203623/https://tvline.com/2020/01/09/saved-by-the-bell-revival-zack-kelly-returning/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=October 29, 2020|title=Lark Voorhies Will Reprise 'Saved by the Bell' Role in Peacock Series|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/lark-voorhies-saved-by-the-bell-1234819012/|access-date=October 29, 2020|website=Variety|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115203636/https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/lark-voorhies-saved-by-the-bell-1234819012/|url-status=live}} The 2020 sequel series also revisited The College Years by creating a flashback scene with Jessie visiting Slater at his dorm.[https://tvline.com/2021/11/26/saved-by-the-bell-the-college-years-reboot-kelly-zack-season-2-video/ Saved by the Bell EPs on Rethinking Kelly's College Years Arc, Revisiting Spinoff for New Slater/Jessie Scene] TV Line, November 26, 2021[https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/saved-by-the-bell-season-2-adds-new-character-to-college-years-series/ Saved By The Bell Season 2 Adds New Character to College Years Series] Comic Book, November 28, 2021

References

External links

{{IMDb title|0106122|Saved by the Bell: The College Years}}

Category:1993 American television series debuts

Category:1994 American television series endings

Category:1990s American college television series

Category:1990s American teen sitcoms

Category:American sequel television series

Category:American English-language television shows

College Years, The

Category:American television series about teenagers

Category:Television series by Universal Television

Category:Television shows set in California

Category:NBC sitcoms