The Throwback Tuesday weekly post is a opportunity for me to revisit the good, cheesy, forgotten or essential parts of music, film, tv and books from my childhood, the past few years or the generations/eras/works of art that have influenced my life in some way.
With the recent airing of Lifetime’s Unauthorised Saved By The Bell Story in America, there has been a lot of talk of the late 80’s/early 90’s show and the the memories it has for many generations. Though I was only born in 1991, I watched Saved By The Bell religiously as a preteen [thanks Nickelodeon!] and I, like many others, was ridiculously obsessed with the lives of these 6 high school teenagers. Though this new film which tells the story of the cast and what happened on set may have received a lot of slating from viewers and the media in America, I thought it would only be right to relive some of the best moments of Saved By The Bell and therefore my childhood.
When I upgraded my TV viewing from Citv and Cartoon Network to Nickelodeon I became obsessed with the American way of life from Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clarissa Knows It All [Melissa Joan Hart was my favourite woman in the 90’s and early 00’s] through to the slightly ludicrous Kenan and Kel and Saved By The Bell, I was all about America from a very young age. Though Sabrina was clearly my favourite programme ever [I even had my hair cut like Melissa Joan Hart!], Saved By The Bell was a cool alternative for me where I could be a part of the clique at Bayside High and who didn’t want to be a part of that clique.
The trials and tribulations of teenage life were played out throughout the show with throws towards moral dilemmas and how to deal with them popping up throughout the series. That particularly was something which saw the show gain plaudits and critical acclaim for many which the way it raised and dealt with the subjects. For me though, it was something I watched for at least 5 years of my life and I’ve probably watched every episode at least 7 times as well as the spin-off’s The College Years and the not all that brilliant The New Class.
I’ve managed to get this far and not even mention my insane crush on Zack Morris because let’s face it we’ve all been there and for all those that are interested he’s still pretty good looking today as well. Not only did this programme teach me things but honestly I think it ruined teenage romance for me forever because if any relationship wasn’t even half as amazing as Kelly and Zack’s there was just no point was there.
In all seriousness though, this programme is one of my all time favourites and if by some insane freak of nature you haven’t seen the show before then check out the very first full episode below and marvel at just how 80’s the fashion is and yet how quick you will get drawn into their lives. Also be prepared to spend a huge amount of your life from now on singing the insanely catchy theme tune.
Mixtape Couture 