Saved by the Bell

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
Saved by the Bell Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 9+

Classic teen sitcom still entertains. Tweens OK.

TBS Comedy 1989
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 23 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that adolescent kissing is prevalent, as are references to heavy petting, which means it's up to them to decide whether tweens are mature enough to understand the significance of this behavior. The sarcastic remarks and mild insults constantly aimed at Screech sometimes border on mean. There are sanitized discussions of major teen issues such as peer pressure, drunk driving, and drug abuse.

Community Reviews

ray B.
ray B. Adult
February 19, 2018
age 7+

The Show is awesome!

It’s awesome on episode is strange because Johnny does Drugs like Pot.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Lowe's man
Lowe's man Adult
September 19, 2013
age 9+

teaches good lessons

Mr. Belding is the kind of person we should all want as principal in our schools- firm but fair. He finds just the right balance between making the school a place where kids want to go to and keeping order. As for the kids, they're good kids. Sure, they have flaws, and they make mistakes, but they always learn from them, thanks in part to Mr. Belding, who's always available for guidance in one way or another but who also makes the kids see that their actions have consequences. I also like the way the kids work as a team and stick together no matter what it takes. Another thing that makes this show great is that it's an honest show. In other words, so many sitcoms that came out in that era (and to this day) had "contests" where one character had to be funnier than the last one. Not on SAVED BY THE BELL! While there certainly were funny lines, they came naturally rather than forced and are not the main part or emphasis of the show. And let's not forget the socioeconomic diversity of the kids. Despite each coming from very different backgrounds, they all hang out together, something that often can't be said in real life at many high schools.
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Surviving a variety of incarnations, SAVED BY THE BELL is a positive series about school, friends, and lessons learned. The show offers a world that reflects the ultimate high school experience, as seen through the eyes of Zack. At Bayside High, Zack, Screech, and Lisa are joined by good-looking transfer student A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez), sweet Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen), and intellectual over-achiever Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley). The Bayside clique is a diverse but tight-knit social circle that most junior and senior high school students can only dream about. Plots range from the silly (Zack and Slater bet on who can kiss a girl the longest), to the romantic (Zack skips the prom when girlfriend Kelly can't afford to attend), all the way to the serious (underage drinking and driving, and pill addiction).

Is It Any Good?

It's all pretty cheesy, but it's also well-intentioned. At the end of each show, lessons are learned -- lessons that are often guided by Principal Belding or, when dealing with more major issues, a parent. The show's adults, while often presented more as caricatures than real people, are respected and are received as mentors by the kids. But as is the case with most average teens, sexual innuendos (albeit innocent ones) and mild profanity are an integral part of the Bayside teens' lingo. While the significance of these words clearly goes over the head of most young children, they're clear enough for preteens to understand. Saved by the Bell offers an opportunity for viewers to watch relatively good kids learn from their mistakes and grow from the process.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the value of friendship, as well as how to cope when friends are the source of peer pressure. Have your teen's friends ever landed them in a tricky situation? Because the series presents an idealized picture of high school, families can also discuss how difficult high school can be in real life. How is your teen's school different from Bayside? Boy/girl relationships, boundaries, and inappropriate behavior are also topics that families may want to talk about.

TV Details

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