Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Encyclopedia
Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off
of the Saved by the Bell
series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC
as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise.
The show had the same concept as the original series but featured a new group of students now roaming the halls of the fictional Bayside High School. Mr. Belding, played by Dennis Haskins
, remained as the school's principal. Many of the stories were recycled plots of its parent series. The first season cast included Robert Sutherland Telfer
, Jonathan Angel, Isaac Lidsky
, Natalia Cigliuti
, Bianca Lawson
, and Bonnie Russavage. Unlike the original series, which featured very few major cast changes throughout its run, The New Class regularly changed its core cast with Mr. Belding being the only constant factor.
, is the school's schemer in the mold of his predecessor, Zack Morris. He is also a transfer student from rival Valley High School. As Zack had done in the original series, Scott broke the "fourth wall
" by addressing the audience. Early episodes featured Scott vying for the affection of Lindsay, the girlfriend of the school's jock, "Tommy D" in a manner very similar to the original series' early rivalry between Zack and Slater for the affections of Kelly. (Season 1)
Thomas "Tommy D" De Luca, played by Jonathan Angel, is the jock of the gang, and was similar to A.C. Slater. He is the star quarterback for Bayside High's football team. He and Lindsay are a stable couple despite Lindsay being involved in every school organization and Tommy's macho behavior towards Scott. (Seasons 1-3)
Barton "Weasel" Wyzell, played by Isaac Lidsky
, is the nerdiest kid in school. Weasel befriends Scott from the start and even tags along when Scott devises many of his schemes. He tends to be the successor of the original series' Screech. He and Lindsay have been best friends since pre-school and he has a huge crush on Megan, which much like Screech's crush on Lisa, was not reciprocated. (Season 1)
Lindsay Warner, played by Natalia Cigliuti
, is the most popular girl at Bayside High. She is essentially a successor to Kelly Kapowski. She is involved in every school organization. She is also the love interest for Tommy D. She's bubbly and cheery, and usually hangs with her best friends Megan and Vicki. (Seasons 1-3)
Megan Jones, played by Bianca Lawson
, is the show's "brain" or over-achiever. She is one of the smartest students in school and doesn't let anyone forget it either. Like Weasel and Lindsay, Megan is Vicki's best friend and is usually the voice of reason to the neurotic Vicki. A recurring gag in the series is her many attempts to avoid Weasel's unrequited love for her. Her character is a combination of original series characters Lisa Turtle and Jessie Spano. (Seasons 1-2)
Vicki Needleman, played by Bonnie Russavage, is the neurotic best friend of Megan. She is a cheerleader and develops a crush on Scott. The character was supposed to be a successor to the original series' "Jessie" but has no precedent in the original series. (Season 1)
Rachel Meyers, played by Sarah Lancaster
, is the school's fashion expert and shop-a-holic. (Guest Star Season 1, Seasons 2-4)
Brian Keller, played by Christian Oliver
, is a new transfer student from Switzerland. (Season 2)
Bobby Wilson, played by Spankee Rogers, is a bit of a goofball. (Season 2)
Ryan Parker, played by Richard Lee Jackson, is transfer from Bayside's arch-rival Valley High. (Seasons 3-5)
Maria Lopez, played by Samantha Esteban, is an outspoken cheerleader. (Seasons 3-7)
R.J. "Hollywood" Collins, played by Salim Grant, is also a transfer from Valley High and is a fashion expert. (Season 3)
Nicky Farina, played by Ben Gould, is Ryan's stepbrother from New York. He's the love interest of Maria. (Seasons 4-7)
Katie Peterson, played by Lindsey McKeon
, is a Bayside swimmer. She's the love interest of Nicky. (Seasons 4-7)
Eric Little, played by Anthony Harrell, is Bayside's star Football player, and musician. (Seasons 4-7)
Liz Miller, played by Ashley Lyn Cafagna, Liz was a new girl to Bayside after Rachel Meyers left and moved to Boston. She is a sheltered star of the Bayside's swim team, she's the love interest of both Ryan & Nicky. (Seasons 5-7)
Tony Dillon, played by Tom Wade Huntington
, Tony transferred from Valley to Bayside after Ryan Parker left. Like Eric & Nicky, Tony is also a football player. He's the love interest of Maria Lopez. (Seasons 6-7)
Samuel "Screech" Powers, played by Dustin Diamond
, is a former Bayside student. He returns to Bayside High as Mr. Belding's assistant. Like his high school friend, Zack Morris, Screech schemes to pull things off when things go wrong, and he gets a little carried away on what he's doing. (Seasons 2-7)
During an NBC repeat of Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
(August 7-September 11), the commercial breaks featured original segments, set in Bayside High School and The Max, where the cast of the original series and the cast of the first season of The New Class met and talked with each other. These segments were a "passing of the torch" type of story. Also present were Dennis Haskins as Principal Richard Belding and Bob Golic as the resident advisor from Cal-U. One segment involved Zack and Scott in the school hallway, where Zack gives Scott a list pertaining to Mr. Belding to cause trouble for him. Mr. Belding overhears this and takes the list away, joyfully triumphant at outsmarting Zack. After he walks away, Zack hands Scott "the real list."
After the initial criticism of the first season of The New Class as essentially being a poor copy of the original series, the producers changed a number of elements of the show for the second season. Robert Sutherland Telfer, Isaac Lidsky, and Bonnie Russavage were all fired. Three new characters were introduced for the 1994-95 season. Brian Keller (Christian Oliver
) became the new transfer student from Switzerland
, Bobby Wilson (Spankee Rogers) was the newest cool kid, and Rachel Meyers (Sarah Lancaster
) was the school's fashion expert and shop-a-holic. Lancaster also appeared in a single episode as Rachel in the first season.
The writers also invited back original cast member Dustin Diamond
as Screech for the show's second season, as he became available after the cancellation of Saved by the Bell: The College Years
. Providing continuity, Screech returned to Bayside High to work as Mr. Belding's assistant as part of a work/study program and also help build a bridge between the two series. Screech ended up remaining for the rest of the show's run, with very little mention being made throughout the story of his continued enrollment at California University. Further, the show's sets were redesigned to change the appearance of Bayside from that of the original series and Mr. Belding was given a new office.
Prior to Season 3 cast members Bianca Lawson, Christian Oliver and Spankee Rogers left the show, and three new characters were brought on. Schemer Ryan Parker (Richard Lee Jackson), lively and outspoken cheerleader Maria Lopez (Samantha Esteban), and fashion-conscious R.J. "Hollywood" Collins (Salim Grant) were transfers from Valley High School.
At the end of the third season, original cast members Natalia Cigliuti and Jonathan Angel had decided to move on to other projects. Salim Grant was also let go and did not return for the new season, beginning in September 1996. New cast members Ben Gould (Nicky Farina), Lindsey McKeon
(Katie Peterson), and Anthony Harrell
(Eric Little) joined the show for its fourth season. Gould played Ryan's stepbrother from New York and was the love interest for Katie and later Maria. Katie was the newest "goody-goody" and Eric was the school's star football player.
Season 4 was Sarah Lancaster's final season and she was replaced in Season 5 by Ashley Lyn Cafagna as Liz Miller, a sheltered star of the school's swim team and is initially pursued by both stepbrothers, Ryan and Nicky. Also, the gang's original hangout, The Max, was renovated for the new season after the original burnt down in the fourth season finale.
Season 6 followed and new cast member Tom Wade Huntington
replaced Richard Lee Jackson as Tony Dillon, another Valley High transfer student and love interest for Maria. It was widely reported that Season 6 was in fact the final season for the series. In addition, NBC decided to prolong the series by splitting the number of episodes in half into another season (Season 7). These episodes had already been filmed at the same time as the sixth season and the cast remained the same.
Concluding the series in a similar fashion to the original, all characters go their separate ways into college. Eric is accepted into the Chicago School of the Arts to pursue his singing career and Liz is accepted into Stanford to pursue her Olympic aspirations (both constant themes throughout the series). Maria is accepted into UCLA
and Tony is accepted into SDSU
, prompting the two to end their relationship. Katie is accepted into Columbia
, but is unable to go due to financial troubles. She instead plans to head for an unnamed Cal State University
. Thus the series ends with Katie and Nicky's future in relative uncertainty, as he is accepted into NYU
. Mr. Belding is offered the position of Dean of Students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
(the alma mater of Dennis Haskins). While no mention of Screech's future is made whatsoever, many do assume that Screech is made principal of Bayside High.
released all seven seasons of Saved by the Bell: The New Class on DVD in Region 1 in 2005. However, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise.
The show had the same concept as the original series but featured a new group of students now roaming the halls of the fictional Bayside High School. Mr. Belding, played by Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins is an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000...
, remained as the school's principal. Many of the stories were recycled plots of its parent series. The first season cast included Robert Sutherland Telfer
Robert Sutherland Telfer
Robert Sutherland Telfer was born July 31, 1977. In 1993, he starred in 13 episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Scott Erikson.-External links:...
, Jonathan Angel, Isaac Lidsky
Isaac Lidsky
Isaac Lidsky is a lawyer and former child actor. As a law clerk for Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2008-09, he became the first blind US Supreme Court clerk....
, Natalia Cigliuti
Natalia Cigliuti
Natalia Cigliuti is an American actress. She best known for her role as Lindsay Warner on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and as Anita Santos Warner on the soap opera All My Children.-Career:...
, Bianca Lawson
Bianca Lawson
Bianca Jasmine Lawson is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Lawson was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Denise and actor Richard Lawson. Bianca is also the great niece of Motown founder Berry Gordy...
, and Bonnie Russavage. Unlike the original series, which featured very few major cast changes throughout its run, The New Class regularly changed its core cast with Mr. Belding being the only constant factor.
Cast
- Dennis HaskinsDennis HaskinsDennis Haskins is an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000...
as Principal Richard Belding. - Robert Sutherland TelferRobert Sutherland TelferRobert Sutherland Telfer was born July 31, 1977. In 1993, he starred in 13 episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Scott Erikson.-External links:...
as Scott Erickson (season 1) - Isaac LidskyIsaac LidskyIsaac Lidsky is a lawyer and former child actor. As a law clerk for Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2008-09, he became the first blind US Supreme Court clerk....
as Barton 'Weasel' Wyzell (season 1) - Bonnie Russavage as Vicki Needleman (season 1)
- Bianca LawsonBianca LawsonBianca Jasmine Lawson is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Lawson was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Denise and actor Richard Lawson. Bianca is also the great niece of Motown founder Berry Gordy...
as Megan Jones (seasons 1-2) - Natalia CigliutiNatalia CigliutiNatalia Cigliuti is an American actress. She best known for her role as Lindsay Warner on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and as Anita Santos Warner on the soap opera All My Children.-Career:...
as Lindsay Warner (seasons 1-3) - Jonathan Angel as Thomas 'Tommy D' De Luca (seasons 1-3)
- Dustin DiamondDustin DiamondDustin Neil Diamond is an American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television shows Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.-Career:Diamond's...
as Samuel "Screech" Powers (seasons 2-7) - Christian OliverChristian OliverChristian Oliver is a German actor.Oliver was born in Celle and grew up in Frankfurt am Main. He relocated to the US to work as a model and subsequently take acting lessons in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003 and 2004, Christian Oliver co-starred in 28 episodes of the German action TV series...
as Brian Keller (season 2) - Spankee Rogers as Bobby Wilson (season 2)
- Sarah LancasterSarah LancasterSarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
as Rachel Meyers (guest star season 1, seasons 2-4) - Salim Grant as R.J. "Hollywood" Collins (season 3)
- Richard Lee Jackson as Ryan Parker (seasons 3-5)
- Samantha Esteban as Maria Lopez (seasons 3-7)
- Anthony HarrellBruthaBrutha was originally composed had 5 members, but the three older brothers, Anthony & Grady Harrell III, and Jared Overton left the group because they wanted to move on and do their own thing. Their show, Brothers to Brutha, shows their transformation during and after they rose to fame...
as Eric Little (seasons 4-7) - Ben Gould as Nicky Farina (seasons 4-7)
- Lindsey McKeonLindsey McKeonLindsey Johnson McKeon is a two-time Daytime Emmy-nominated American actress, and distant relative of Australian celebrity, Harry McKeon. She is best known for her roles as Marah Lewis on Guiding Light and Taylor James on One Tree Hill...
as Katie Peterson (seasons 4-7) - Ashley Lyn Cafagna as Liz Miller (seasons 5-7)
- Tom Wade HuntingtonTom Wade HuntingtonTom Wade Huntington , is best known for his role on the television show Saved by the Bell: The New Class....
as Tony Dillon (seasons 6-7)
Characters
Scott Erickson, played by Robert Sutherland TelferRobert Sutherland Telfer
Robert Sutherland Telfer was born July 31, 1977. In 1993, he starred in 13 episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Scott Erikson.-External links:...
, is the school's schemer in the mold of his predecessor, Zack Morris. He is also a transfer student from rival Valley High School. As Zack had done in the original series, Scott broke the "fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
" by addressing the audience. Early episodes featured Scott vying for the affection of Lindsay, the girlfriend of the school's jock, "Tommy D" in a manner very similar to the original series' early rivalry between Zack and Slater for the affections of Kelly. (Season 1)
Thomas "Tommy D" De Luca, played by Jonathan Angel, is the jock of the gang, and was similar to A.C. Slater. He is the star quarterback for Bayside High's football team. He and Lindsay are a stable couple despite Lindsay being involved in every school organization and Tommy's macho behavior towards Scott. (Seasons 1-3)
Barton "Weasel" Wyzell, played by Isaac Lidsky
Isaac Lidsky
Isaac Lidsky is a lawyer and former child actor. As a law clerk for Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2008-09, he became the first blind US Supreme Court clerk....
, is the nerdiest kid in school. Weasel befriends Scott from the start and even tags along when Scott devises many of his schemes. He tends to be the successor of the original series' Screech. He and Lindsay have been best friends since pre-school and he has a huge crush on Megan, which much like Screech's crush on Lisa, was not reciprocated. (Season 1)
Lindsay Warner, played by Natalia Cigliuti
Natalia Cigliuti
Natalia Cigliuti is an American actress. She best known for her role as Lindsay Warner on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and as Anita Santos Warner on the soap opera All My Children.-Career:...
, is the most popular girl at Bayside High. She is essentially a successor to Kelly Kapowski. She is involved in every school organization. She is also the love interest for Tommy D. She's bubbly and cheery, and usually hangs with her best friends Megan and Vicki. (Seasons 1-3)
Megan Jones, played by Bianca Lawson
Bianca Lawson
Bianca Jasmine Lawson is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Lawson was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Denise and actor Richard Lawson. Bianca is also the great niece of Motown founder Berry Gordy...
, is the show's "brain" or over-achiever. She is one of the smartest students in school and doesn't let anyone forget it either. Like Weasel and Lindsay, Megan is Vicki's best friend and is usually the voice of reason to the neurotic Vicki. A recurring gag in the series is her many attempts to avoid Weasel's unrequited love for her. Her character is a combination of original series characters Lisa Turtle and Jessie Spano. (Seasons 1-2)
Vicki Needleman, played by Bonnie Russavage, is the neurotic best friend of Megan. She is a cheerleader and develops a crush on Scott. The character was supposed to be a successor to the original series' "Jessie" but has no precedent in the original series. (Season 1)
Rachel Meyers, played by Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
, is the school's fashion expert and shop-a-holic. (Guest Star Season 1, Seasons 2-4)
Brian Keller, played by Christian Oliver
Christian Oliver
Christian Oliver is a German actor.Oliver was born in Celle and grew up in Frankfurt am Main. He relocated to the US to work as a model and subsequently take acting lessons in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003 and 2004, Christian Oliver co-starred in 28 episodes of the German action TV series...
, is a new transfer student from Switzerland. (Season 2)
Bobby Wilson, played by Spankee Rogers, is a bit of a goofball. (Season 2)
Ryan Parker, played by Richard Lee Jackson, is transfer from Bayside's arch-rival Valley High. (Seasons 3-5)
Maria Lopez, played by Samantha Esteban, is an outspoken cheerleader. (Seasons 3-7)
R.J. "Hollywood" Collins, played by Salim Grant, is also a transfer from Valley High and is a fashion expert. (Season 3)
Nicky Farina, played by Ben Gould, is Ryan's stepbrother from New York. He's the love interest of Maria. (Seasons 4-7)
Katie Peterson, played by Lindsey McKeon
Lindsey McKeon
Lindsey Johnson McKeon is a two-time Daytime Emmy-nominated American actress, and distant relative of Australian celebrity, Harry McKeon. She is best known for her roles as Marah Lewis on Guiding Light and Taylor James on One Tree Hill...
, is a Bayside swimmer. She's the love interest of Nicky. (Seasons 4-7)
Eric Little, played by Anthony Harrell, is Bayside's star Football player, and musician. (Seasons 4-7)
Liz Miller, played by Ashley Lyn Cafagna, Liz was a new girl to Bayside after Rachel Meyers left and moved to Boston. She is a sheltered star of the Bayside's swim team, she's the love interest of both Ryan & Nicky. (Seasons 5-7)
Tony Dillon, played by Tom Wade Huntington
Tom Wade Huntington
Tom Wade Huntington , is best known for his role on the television show Saved by the Bell: The New Class....
, Tony transferred from Valley to Bayside after Ryan Parker left. Like Eric & Nicky, Tony is also a football player. He's the love interest of Maria Lopez. (Seasons 6-7)
Samuel "Screech" Powers, played by Dustin Diamond
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond is an American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television shows Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.-Career:Diamond's...
, is a former Bayside student. He returns to Bayside High as Mr. Belding's assistant. Like his high school friend, Zack Morris, Screech schemes to pull things off when things go wrong, and he gets a little carried away on what he's doing. (Seasons 2-7)
During an NBC repeat of Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style is a 1992 made-for-TV movie based on the television series Saved by the Bell and featured the regular cast of that series.-Synopsis:...
(August 7-September 11), the commercial breaks featured original segments, set in Bayside High School and The Max, where the cast of the original series and the cast of the first season of The New Class met and talked with each other. These segments were a "passing of the torch" type of story. Also present were Dennis Haskins as Principal Richard Belding and Bob Golic as the resident advisor from Cal-U. One segment involved Zack and Scott in the school hallway, where Zack gives Scott a list pertaining to Mr. Belding to cause trouble for him. Mr. Belding overhears this and takes the list away, joyfully triumphant at outsmarting Zack. After he walks away, Zack hands Scott "the real list."
Cast changes
The show was notable for its cast changes. Each season featured one to three cast changes. The constant changes made it confusing for new viewers who were not watching the show from the start as cast members would come and go without any real explanation, and presumably contributed to lower ratings as the seasons progressed.After the initial criticism of the first season of The New Class as essentially being a poor copy of the original series, the producers changed a number of elements of the show for the second season. Robert Sutherland Telfer, Isaac Lidsky, and Bonnie Russavage were all fired. Three new characters were introduced for the 1994-95 season. Brian Keller (Christian Oliver
Christian Oliver
Christian Oliver is a German actor.Oliver was born in Celle and grew up in Frankfurt am Main. He relocated to the US to work as a model and subsequently take acting lessons in New York and Los Angeles. In 2003 and 2004, Christian Oliver co-starred in 28 episodes of the German action TV series...
) became the new transfer student from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Bobby Wilson (Spankee Rogers) was the newest cool kid, and Rachel Meyers (Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster
Sarah Lancaster is an American actress. Since the show's inception in 2007, she has co-starred in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the title character's sister, Ellie Bartowski....
) was the school's fashion expert and shop-a-holic. Lancaster also appeared in a single episode as Rachel in the first season.
The writers also invited back original cast member Dustin Diamond
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond is an American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television shows Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.-Career:Diamond's...
as Screech for the show's second season, as he became available after the cancellation of Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years is a sequel to the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 14, 1993 to February 8, 1994, lasting one season...
. Providing continuity, Screech returned to Bayside High to work as Mr. Belding's assistant as part of a work/study program and also help build a bridge between the two series. Screech ended up remaining for the rest of the show's run, with very little mention being made throughout the story of his continued enrollment at California University. Further, the show's sets were redesigned to change the appearance of Bayside from that of the original series and Mr. Belding was given a new office.
Prior to Season 3 cast members Bianca Lawson, Christian Oliver and Spankee Rogers left the show, and three new characters were brought on. Schemer Ryan Parker (Richard Lee Jackson), lively and outspoken cheerleader Maria Lopez (Samantha Esteban), and fashion-conscious R.J. "Hollywood" Collins (Salim Grant) were transfers from Valley High School.
At the end of the third season, original cast members Natalia Cigliuti and Jonathan Angel had decided to move on to other projects. Salim Grant was also let go and did not return for the new season, beginning in September 1996. New cast members Ben Gould (Nicky Farina), Lindsey McKeon
Lindsey McKeon
Lindsey Johnson McKeon is a two-time Daytime Emmy-nominated American actress, and distant relative of Australian celebrity, Harry McKeon. She is best known for her roles as Marah Lewis on Guiding Light and Taylor James on One Tree Hill...
(Katie Peterson), and Anthony Harrell
Brutha
Brutha was originally composed had 5 members, but the three older brothers, Anthony & Grady Harrell III, and Jared Overton left the group because they wanted to move on and do their own thing. Their show, Brothers to Brutha, shows their transformation during and after they rose to fame...
(Eric Little) joined the show for its fourth season. Gould played Ryan's stepbrother from New York and was the love interest for Katie and later Maria. Katie was the newest "goody-goody" and Eric was the school's star football player.
Season 4 was Sarah Lancaster's final season and she was replaced in Season 5 by Ashley Lyn Cafagna as Liz Miller, a sheltered star of the school's swim team and is initially pursued by both stepbrothers, Ryan and Nicky. Also, the gang's original hangout, The Max, was renovated for the new season after the original burnt down in the fourth season finale.
Season 6 followed and new cast member Tom Wade Huntington
Tom Wade Huntington
Tom Wade Huntington , is best known for his role on the television show Saved by the Bell: The New Class....
replaced Richard Lee Jackson as Tony Dillon, another Valley High transfer student and love interest for Maria. It was widely reported that Season 6 was in fact the final season for the series. In addition, NBC decided to prolong the series by splitting the number of episodes in half into another season (Season 7). These episodes had already been filmed at the same time as the sixth season and the cast remained the same.
Concluding the series in a similar fashion to the original, all characters go their separate ways into college. Eric is accepted into the Chicago School of the Arts to pursue his singing career and Liz is accepted into Stanford to pursue her Olympic aspirations (both constant themes throughout the series). Maria is accepted into UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
and Tony is accepted into SDSU
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, prompting the two to end their relationship. Katie is accepted into Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, but is unable to go due to financial troubles. She instead plans to head for an unnamed Cal State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
. Thus the series ends with Katie and Nicky's future in relative uncertainty, as he is accepted into NYU
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Mr. Belding is offered the position of Dean of Students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
(the alma mater of Dennis Haskins). While no mention of Screech's future is made whatsoever, many do assume that Screech is made principal of Bayside High.
DVD releases
Image EntertainmentImage Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
released all seven seasons of Saved by the Bell: The New Class on DVD in Region 1 in 2005. However, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | January 25, 2005 |
| Season 2 | 26 | March 8, 2005 |
| Season 3 | 26 | June 14, 2005 |
| Season 4 | 26 | August 16, 2005 |
| Season 5 | 26 | October 18, 2005 |
| Seasons 6 & 7 | 26 | December 6, 2005 |