It was a staple fixture of the kids’ schedules throughout the Nineties, then became a topic of notoriety due to the steamy exploits of star Dustin “Screech” Diamond. That mix of nostalgia and astonishment is about to be resurrected, with Lifetime broadcasting The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story, a telemovie delving behind the scenes in September. It’s not clear whether the film will utilize Diamond’s tell-all account Behind The Bell with its boasts of multiple sexual conquests, but the project has been cast by one name from the old days, Robin Lippin. Sam Kindseth (Shameless USA) is playing the role of the teen actor turned salacious scribe.
Running from 1989 – 93 in its original form, the show emanated (somewhat surprisingly) from a flop school sitcom starring Hayley Mills. It made household names of the cast for sometimes infamous reasons, with alumni including Elizabeth Berkley (SHOWGIRLS) and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (White Collar). Front Street Pictures and Ringaling Productions Ltd are producing and the director Jason Lepeyre also helmed Restless Virgins, though if that title is appropriate here remains to be seen. A post-9pm slot suggests this won’t be an entirely innocent trip down memory lane.
