Saved by the Bell: surprisingly joyous reboot has belly laughs and a satirical twist

Set in the present day when a public school merges with Bayside High, the new version pokes goofy fun at itself – and turns the comedy up to 100

• The Saved by the Bell reboot is streaming in Australia on Stan. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here

There have been so many remakes and reimaginings of franchises in recent years that I have found myself genuinely fearful my dying words will be “no more reboots” instead of “tell my houseplant I’m sorry”.

Generally, I’m of the view that money could be better spent investing in new stories than either using existing characters for seemingly no reason (Riverdale) or retelling the same story from a “gritty” lens (Bel-Air). So I was very surprised by how much I loved the new Saved by the Bell.

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I grew up watching reruns of the original series (1989-1992), which followed the escapades of a group of teenagers attending high school in California. The show introduced me to neon bike shorts, practical jokes and added “bodacious babe” to my vocabulary, an odd phrase for a seven-year-old girl to include in a school report.

The reboot follows a new group of young people. All the main actors (aside from the late Dustin Diamond) from the original series appear as adult versions of their characters, three in main roles: AC Slater (Mario Lopez) is now a gym teacher, Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) is a guidance counsellor and Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is city mayor. I’ll admit to a mild nostalgic glee at seeing those faces again – but it’s not nostalgia that makes this show great.

It’s still a comedy, with the occasional earnest message. This time, though, satire reigns supreme. The former school prankster has become mayor, full of hot air and completely lacking in self-awareness. He’s the butt of the joke now.

The reboot story begins with a public school having their funding slashed, and having to merge with the privileged kids and families of Bayside High. We follow new students Daisy, Aisha and Devante, who meet Bayside kids Lexi, Mac (Zack’s son), and Jamie (Jessie’s son).

It doesn’t seem entirely fair that when a series employs satire or simply depicts diversity of any kind, it becomes criticised for trying to be “woke”. Having binged both seasons back-to-back recently, my takeaway feeling is one of pure joy at silly jokes, whether these are derived from irony or absurdity. Also, nothing sucks joy out of comedy like analysing it. The narrative works because at its heart the show makes you laugh. They’ve turned the comedy up to 100. They’ve taken the baton and sprinted.

This isn’t surprising as the reboot’s showrunner is Tracey Wigfield, who has written for shows like 30 Rock and is a former member of Chicago’s famous improv group Upright Citizens Brigade. While maintaining a narrative structure, the comedy is quick, constant and, in season two in particular, goofy and surreal. (Zack and Mac’s “cool guy” musical montage set to a very obvious green-screen is a highlight.)

The reboot depicts social issues in a way that feels authentic and in line with the show’s tone. Where the original series had sudden gear shifts into earnest “after school special”-esque lectures (for example, Jessie becoming addicted to caffeine pills), the new writers weave realistic experiences into episodes that don’t feel clunky or tokenistic. Devante, for example, can’t afford a car like some of his new peers, so takes a three-hour long bus journey to his girlfriend’s house.

Comedian and writer Alistair Baldwin tweeted his praise for the show, also noting it has a trans lead actor and quoting a line from the script: “Queer and trans joy are a form of resistance.” I would have loved to have seen this show as a young person, both closeted in my sexuality and love for comedy. Eighteen-year-old Josie Totah is a standout playing Lexi, giving me a huge laugh when she complains about the discomfort of wearing a bra, followed by: “Just kidding! What am I, a 30-year-old loser?”

The show also manages to mention the pandemic in a way that I wish other shows did (if they simply must address it at all): very briefly, in context, and as a springboard for humour. A group Zoom call shows Mac attending Kim Kardashian’s 40th birthday party during lockdown, with his classmates asking, “aren’t you scared?!”. He replies, “Yes, 40 is very old for a woman, but I do not fear her.”

This show is not pretending to be a gritty drama or Degrassi; sometimes we need a silly laugh without much afterthought. Maybe it’s because I’m closer in age to the original cast but John Michael Higgins as Principal Toddman is in fine form every episode.

Sometimes you just want to see a principal dangling from a flagpole lamenting, “My doctor says if I get one more wedgie, I’ll die!”

• Stream both seasons of the new Saved by the Bell on Stan.