OMAR AZIMI

When Good Morning Miss Bliss ended in March 1989, Saved By the Bell aired months later in August on NBC. The show was centered on the fictional Bayside High School in Pacific Palisades, CA and starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Lark Voorhies, Dustin Diamond, and Elizabeth Berkley as the main cast.

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The show was known mainly for its light-hearted comedy, however, it took pride in tackling many real-world social issues. The issues represented in the show included, but weren’t limited to women’s rights, homelessness, drug abuse, death, and driving under the influence.

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Proper Money Management

In the Season 1 episode, ‘The Lisa Card,’ as a reward for a stellar report card, Lisa’s (Voorhies) gives her a credit card. However, Lisa soon goes overboard and charges nearly $400. When payment on the card comes due, Lisa tries to find a way to earn money in order to pay off the card without her father finding out. She eventually gets a job, but only earns a little over $100. Lisa eventually admits her mistake to her father and begs him to punish her. Instead, her father tells her that she has to keep her job until she earns enough to fully pay him back, a heartwarming family moment in a 90s sitcom.

 

This episode teaches the responsibility that comes with owning a credit card, and that proper management is key. It’s very simple to charge the card until it soon reaches its maximum limit, but it can be even harder to pay it off. This episode also teaches that it’s important to admit the truth, and that it’s important that money borrowed (spent, in this case) needs to be paid back.

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Trying To Achieve Perfection

In the Season 2 episode, ‘Jesse’s Song,’ Zack (Gosselaar) convinces Lisa, Kelly (Thiessen), and Jesse (Berkeley) to form a singing group, later called Hot Sundae. Jesse soon becomes busy with the group and with the pressures of rehearsing for a music video. Jesse soon also feels the pressure mounting while also trying to study for a big geometry test and turns to caffeine pills to help her stay awake. When Zack climbs into Jesse’s bedroom window to take her to the group’s performance, he finds her asleep in her bed. Jesse reaches for her caffeine pills but ends up melting down when Zack takes them away.

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This episode highlighted how Jesse was attempting to juggle multiple responsibilities and ultimately turned to pills to help her cope. The episode also taught how it’s okay to not be 100% perfect, and that it’s perfectly fine to ask for help or to take a break if needed. Additionally, Jesse’s admission that she did have a problem and that she needed help sent an incredibly positive and powerful message.

No Hope with Dope

In the Season 3 episode, ‘No Hope With Dope,’ teen idol Johnny Dakota (played by Eddie Garcia) stops at Bayside in order to scout the schoolor an anti-drug commercial. The school wins Johnny’s approval when they perform an anti-drug rap, and he commits to their school. When Zack and Slater (played by Lopez) discover marijuana in the bathroom, they discover it actually belonged to Johnny. Later, Johnny tries to get Kelly to smoke, and when she refuses, she’s laughed at and mocked.

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As the episode was one of the show’s “Very Special Episodes,” the then-chairman of NBC appeared in the episode to participate in the resulting anti-drug commercial. This episode showed that no matter how much a celebrity may present with a clean image, they aren’t perfect. This episode also highlighted peer pressure, with Kelly being pressured to smoke, and how her refusal got her mocked.

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Drinking And Driving

In the Season 4 episode, ‘Drinking and Driving,’ Zack, Lisa, Screech and Slater (Lopez) end up getting drunk at an after-party in anticipation for the upcoming homecoming game. The driver, Zack, ends up getting the group into a car accident while intoxicated, and they begin to tell lies to their respective families. Since the car belonged to Lisa’s mom, they have the car towed to Zack’s house until they can figure out how to repair the damage. When Zack’s dad begins to question why the car is in their garage, the group comes clean about how and why they got into the accident.

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The episode aired in October 1992 and was another of the show’s “Very Special Episodes. The main lesson this episode taught was the extreme dangers of underage drinking and driving while intoxicated. By continuing to lie to their parents about the accident and the fact that they were drunk makes the incident worse tenfold.

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The Importance Of Friends

In the Season 3 episode, ‘Rockumentary,’ Zack falls asleep before his band rehearsal and dreams that he and his friends are part of “Zack Attack,” a world-famous band. The band becomes famous, and Zack and his friends are known worldwide. The band ultimately splits up due to group infighting, jealousy, and rumors. The group and the band eventually reunite and reconcile and pledge to be “Friends Forever.”

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The episode, which was narrated by the late Casey Kasem, was filmed as in the style of a documentary. Though the band, especially Zack, achieve fame, the episode highlights that friends are important, not fame and fortune. The episode also features the process of reconciliation and being able to apologize when necessary.