The producer of Saved by the Bell, Berkely Lauren, explains the tribute to the late Dustin Diamond in the season 2 premiere. Created by Sam Bobrick, Saved by the Bell was one of the most influential young adult sitcoms of the ‘90s and propelled Diamond to fame among teenage circles for his role as dorky sidekick Screech Powers. Portraying Screech for over a decade of his life, Diamond appeared in Saved by the Bell from its early days of Good Morning, Miss Bliss through Saved by the Bell: The College Years.
Last year, Peacock debuted the Saved by the Bell revival series, quickly renewed for season 2. Saved by the Bell Season 1 featured a new influx of students, including the son of Zach Morris and Kelly Kapowski, and returned to the halls of Bayside High. Touting several Easter Eggs referring to the original show, the reboot brings back many original members, sans Screech. Sadly, Diamond passed away earlier this year at the age of 44 after a battle with cancer. Following his death, it was revealed that Saved by the Bell Season 2 would honor Diamond.
Per EW, the Saved by the Bell Season 2 premiere featured an emotional tribute to Diamond. Starting with the students returning to Bayside High after the coronavirus pandemic, the premiere episode devotes a scene between the original five cast members, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies, Mario Lopez, and Elizabeth Berkley, in honor of Screech. Taking place at The Max, the scene includes Screech’s Spaghetti Burger, a mention of when Screech won Miss Bayside over Lisa, and clips from Screech’s memorable moments. Lauren explained that Saved by the Bell wanted to find a way to honor both Screech and Diamond. Read Lauren’s comments on the emotional tribute below:
We really wanted to be sensitive to strike a chord between the choice about his actual character passing and honoring the legacy of Dustin himself. No one could have done that role but him — so incredibly well and with his comedic genius. And just figuring out a way to integrate that into the script without it being heavy-handed. It just was [about] striking a balance of honoring, reflecting, celebrating, and mourning together.
Indeed, Saved by the Bell ensured Diamond was respectfully remembered, and the original cast members workshopped a fitting way to pay tribute to their former co-star since his passing. While the episode doesn’t explain exactly what happened to Screech, it’s implied that the character has passed away. Saved by the Bell Season 2 will continue to focus on real-life issues and is expected to address how high-school students around the country have been affected by the pandemic.
Of course, the news of Diamond’s death sent a shock wave through fans of the iconic series. Saved by the Bell Season 2 kicks off with an emotional tribute to the remembrance of Screech - and the actor who portrayed him - and was the best way for the series to remember the good times between the old friends. While this might be the end for Screech, Saved by the Bell Season 2 still has a lot more in store for the students of Bayside High.
Source: EW
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