In case you missed it the beloved '90s show Saved by the Bell is getting a major reboot [1] courtesy of NBC's streaming service, Peacock. Starring some familiar faces from the original like Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, and John Michael Higgins as principal Toddman, the new series has a fresh, satirical spin that's sure to offer up a few laughs as well as an eye roll or two.
"When California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many underfunded high schools, he proposes they send the affected students to the most well-funded schools in the state – including Bayside High," reads the synopsis. "The influx of new students gives the privileged Bayside kids (who never have a problem that can't be solved in twenty-two minutes) a much-needed dose of reality."
And let's be clear, Lexi (played by Josie Totah), Jamie (Belmont Cameli) and Mac (Mitchell Hoog) — who is Zach Morris's son in the show — deliver when illustrating over-the-top white privilege. Constantly rubbing elbows with celebrities like Post Malone [2], their biggest life challenges involve not getting their ideal parking spot and getting demoted to second-string quarterback.
Naturally, their picture-perfect worlds are shaken up when students from the underserved Douglas High School are bussed in. Composed of mostly non-white students, Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pena), Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez), and Devante (Dexter Darden) aren't afraid to work hard for what they want, whether it's running for student body president or nabbing the roll in the school musical.
Geared towards young adults, the Saved by the Bell [3] reboot brings up a slew of important points about race and economic privilege that parents can discuss with kids. Scroll ahead to learn what the revival is all about before streaming it on Nov. 25.
It's totally meant to be satire.
The Saved by the Bell [5] reboot touches on concepts of racial bias and economic disparities between nearby communities. From the get-go we see the Bayside parents' over-the-top reaction when they learn that students from a less-privileged area will be attending their children's mostly white high school.
Additionally, Lexi and Mac make it clear from the first episode that they live extremely sheltered lives. Never forced to have a job or work hard for anything — Mac, for example, fakes a dyslexia diagnosis to get out of an assignment — they have trouble connecting with Aisha, Devante, and Daisy at first.
Because the former Douglas students didn't grow up shrouded in privilege and opportunity, they bring the Bayside students down to earth throughout the series. At one point, we see Daisy struggle to pay for her student council posters while her white counterparts clearly have no concept of the value of a dollar. While there are points in the show that will make you mutter "oof" under your breath (Dexter being accused of stealing the school's iPads is a great example!), remind your teens that the characters' behaviour is meant to be bombastic to drive home a point.
The Saved by the Bell Reboot touches on important gender issues.
In the fourth episode, we see that Lexi had her own TV show on E! called Becoming Lexi: I Am Me about what it's like to come out as transgender in high school.
Although she's clearly nervous about how she'll be received upon walking into school after transitioning, she's met with open arms by fellow students. "This is the first time they're gonna see me since my transition," she says in a rerun that Devante is watching. "This is the first time they're actually going to see me as myself. But I'm scared. What if they judge me? Or don't accept me."
Lexi's journey shows the importance of accepting others for who they are and will hit home for other trans teens who strive to be their authentic selves. This may be a good opportunity to discuss how nerve-racking it can be for people in the LGTBQ+ community to come out, and why it's important to show those individuals support.
We also see Devante confront his insecurities about being in the school musical. Although he had lied to his friends from his previous high school about where he was while he was at rehearsals, he finally musters up the courage to tell them about his new extracurricular activity. And his friends' responses? "You do you!"
Lastly, Aisha manages to make the school's football team by outperforming Jamie, the school's quarterback. While we're seeing more women take part in sports that are traditionally dominated by men [6], it's a nice reminder that girls totally kick ass.
We see how difficult juggling real-life responsibilities can be for teens.
Daisy is recommended for a leadership conference by her guidance counselor over the summer. Despite the fact that the trip would be free for her, she has to choose between going to the conference and helping her mom babysit her little brother. Moreover, Daisy typically gets a summer job in the hopes of earning a little bit of spending money. After some consideration, she forges her mom's signature on the permission slip and chaos ensues.
Although the fifth episode is fairly light-hearted thanks to help Daisy receives from Mac and Lexi, it illustrates how difficult choices can weigh on teens. Of course, the leadership conference would be a great addition to Daisy's resumé, but letting her mom down eats away at her. Parents can take the opportunity to discuss the importance of being honest when it comes to making tough choices. Sometimes having a solid sounding board — and an open conversation about your child's options — can make hard situations easier.