There's entirely too much "Saved by the Bell" on television.
Ever since we shuffled around our MTS cable package (which is a frighteningly easy thing to do), there is an average of 5 hours of the cancelled teenybopper show on a day. A day, folks! TBS runs a solid 2-hour block in the morning, another hour in the early, post-lunch afternoon and Omni (a channel that must be Canadian because of the crappy programming) runs yet another hour mid afternoon. That's five hours of Zak's schemes, Screech's mis-matched clothes, Kelly's whining and Slater's mullet.
I have to admit that I've found myself watching a few minutes during the morning marathon. Not much on at 6:45 besides news and cable-access quality religious shows. Here's the thing I can't figure out: who was this show aimed at? The characters are in high school, yet nothing even remotely recognizable as "high school experience" happens to them. The school itself seems to consist of a student body of about 17 kids, a principal and 3, maybe 4, teachers. The misfit students are labeled "nerds" and all have names that have doomed them to that identity: "Eugene” and "Nerdlinger" being my personal favourites. It’s actually kind of amusing to see how rough the nerds are treated and how ostracized they are from the lives of the main characters, despite the umpteen lessons of tolerance and acceptance those main characters learn. It’s also amusing to watch Jessi pontificate about the objectification of women, knowing she went on to star in the peeler masterpiece, Showgirls. Ah, sweet, sweet irony!
Now I know why I watch 10-15 minutes of this show every few days, but who watched it in its original run? How did this fluffy, bubblegum show last when shows like Degrassi and even 90210, however sensational, were more accurately reflecting the real anguish of high school? Did high school students watch this show? Mentally challenged adults? Who?
3 comments:
frighteningly easy??
y'know, I used to watch a few episodes every once in a while, and I think it had to be for a pre-teen audience. can't you see all those badly dressed early 90's 11 year old girls loving that show? with all it's antics and that one kind of good looking guy (not being a total dweeb like you, I have no idea what his name was)... (ahahahhaha...my wit astounds even myself)
hey, are you planning on going to any of Jer's shows?
Yes, frighteningly easy. You phone and say you want different packages and *poof* it's done. Like freakin' magic!
Your wit similiarly astounds me... probably for different reasons though.
I hope to get to at least one, but I'm kind of swamped with work. Boooo-rns!
i don't think we ever got that channel when i was a kid. i remember all my friends always talked about it, and know that i have it on omni, i don't think i would've liked it. it's tremendously dull. i went for really great action-type cartoons a la xmen, and gargoyles. oh, i'll probably be at the saturday show.
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