The reboot of Saved by the Bell was a popular show for Peacock—so why was it canceled? Continuing the memorable 1990s franchise of the same name, the Saved by the Bell reboot premiered in November 2020. It featured a new generation of Bayside High students played by Haskiri Velazquez, Mitchell Hoog, Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Belmont Cameli, and Dexter Darden. The reboot also brought back Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, and Lark Voorhies to reprise their respective roles from the original series.
Many reboots use the approach of combining original cast members with a new set of characters. Saved by the Bell managed, however, to stand out as one of the relatively few in a growing trend of television revivals to actually build an audience and garner critical acclaim. Season 1 drew particularly strong praise for its lighthearted reassessment of Gosselaar’s Zack Morris as the worst, using that as a starting point to weave in commentary on race and class alongside the show’s generally biting humor.
Given its warm reception, and given how Peacock initially bragged about the reboot’s viewership numbers, Saved by the Bell’s cancellation was something of a surprise. But it might have come down to a change in the leadership at Peacock, preventing a third season that would have included a fan-favorite couple finally getting together.
Why Was Saved By The Bell Canceled After Season 2?
While there hasn’t been an official reason given for why Saved by the Bell was canceled, TV’s Top 5 podcast discussed the surprise decision on its May 6th episode. THR reporter Lesley Goldberg spoke about how the reboot was one of the last shows to be approved by the former Head of Programming at Peacock, Bill McGoldrick. Since then, the streaming service has been overseen by Susan Rovner and Frances Berwick. And, as Goldberg explains, along with their many other duties, Rovner and Berwick have been more focused on greenlighting “watercooler” series; shows that could be more likely to capture the audience’s attention, like the semi-autobiographical comedy from the headline-generating Pete Davidson. Other examples cited were upcoming series based on Pitch Perfect, Ted, and Twisted Metal.
The implication is that Saved by the Bell, which saw most of its positive buzz after season 1, wouldn’t appeal to a broad number of subscribers in a significant way to justify its continuation. It could simply be a case of new leadership setting different goals and wanting to establish a separate identity, as is common. But another factor might be that the viewership of Saved by the Bell hasn’t shown sufficient growth and might have in fact experienced a decline in season 2. Still, considering how streaming services rarely offer any concrete numbers, it’s difficult to know for sure.
What Saved By The Bell Season 3’s Story Would’ve Been About
Tracey Wigfield, the showrunner for the reboot, confirmed on Twitter that favorites Daisy (Velazquez) and Mac (Hoog) would have gotten together if Saved by the Bell season 3 happened. Wigfield also teased bringing back Leah Remini as Zack Morris’ former flame Stacey Carosi. And, in general, the showrunner noted that she had hoped for the reboot to run for multiple seasons focused on the younger class of students. Saved by the Bell season 2 also ended with Slater (Lopez) and Jessie (Berkley), now older and wiser, seemingly embarking on a relationship. It’s likely that would have continued as well.
The cancellation of Saved by the Bell is undoubtedly disappointing for fans, but in its brief run, the reboot introduced audiences to several fresh faces, many of whom shined. It also managed to poke fun at the original, while also appreciating what made it special. As Peacock continues to search for that breakout show, which will allow it to compete with HBO Max and Disney+, the return to Bayside High will be remembered as a surprising example of how to pull off a stellar revival of a dormant franchise.