Video screenshot @Saved by the bell
They all dated each other
On screen we all pipped Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski together, but behind the scenes they weren’t always together. It’s not necessarily surprising that teenagers in close proximity to each other would all end up dating, and that’s exactly what happened.
Video screenshot @Saved by the bell
Mark Paul Gosselaar famously dated Lark Vorhees for three years, but supposedly that’s not the only one he dated. According to various sources, including the cast themselves, all of them dated each other at one time or another, leading to some drama between them.
Bottle blonde
Zack Morris was famous for his blonde hair, but the truth is that Mark Paul Gosselaar is not a natural blonde. In fact, he used to have to dye his hair before filming almost every episode. You may have also noticed that his haircut changed season to season.
Video screenshot @Saved by the bell
That’s because Gosselaar always thought the show was getting canceled so he would cut his hair in a style he liked, usually inspired by things he was a fan of like Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller or Vanilla Ice.
Fighting for Kelly
It’s hard to imagine anyone but Tiffani Thiessen playing Kelly Kapowski, but actually she was almost played by Elizabeth Berkley. Both actresses auditioned for the role, and it ultimately came down to choosing between the two of them.
Video Screenshot @Saved by the Bell
Producer Peter Engel fought for Thiessen because he felt that she was going to be a big star, so the role went to her. However, the producers loved Berkley so much that they decided to create the role of Jessie Spano just for her.
Recycling the set
A lot of work goes in building the sets on a television show, and Saved By the Bell was no different. After all that hard work, throwing it away seems like such a waste when the show ends, so the set gets recycled and used in other shows.
Video Screenshot @Saved by the Bell
You might recognize the hallways and classrooms of Bayside High in shows like That’s So Raven and iCarly. Additionally, the Santa Monica beach club where the group worked in the summer episodes was also used in Beverly Hills 90210.
Hairspray overload
Fashion in the ‘80s and ‘90s had some staples that are undeniable. Things like wearing denim, clashing patterns, hair scrunchies, and big crazy hair. And when it came to Saved By the Bell, no one’s hair could possibly hold a candle to Jessie Spano.
Video Screenshot @Saved by the Bell
It was later revealed that getting Elizabeth Berkley’s hair to that level was not easy, and took a ton of hairspray. In fact, it took almost an entire can of hairspray per episode!
Age is just a number
Most of the cast members on the show were teenagers themselves, except for Dustin Diamond. When Diamond first auditioned for the show he was only 11 years old, but he looked a bit older. By age 12 he was cast in the show, and it was only after that Peter Engel learned his real age.
Video Screenshot @Saved by the Bell
Engle later admitted that had he known Diamond’s real age when he first cast him he probably would not have picked him, as there were definitely struggles with having someone so much younger than the other actors.
