Wondering if the Saved by the Bell Reboot is ok for kids and teens? Well it’s not the Saved by the Bell from the 90s. The Saved by the Bell (2020) reboot is available on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, and it’s full of stereotypes satire. Here’s what parents need to know in this Saved by the Bell reboot Parents Guide.
Saved by the Bell Parents Guide
When California governor Zack Morris gets into trouble for closing too many underfunded high schools, he gets talked into sending the affected students to the most well-funded schools in the state – including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the privileged Bayside kids a dose of reality.
Adults can expect some nostalgia with some of the original characters – Slater and Jessie Spano – with some cameos and re- occurring appearances by Zack, Kelly, and Max. Saved by the Bell 2020 is rated TV-14, and it’s a pretty accurate rating. With some language and mature content, this one isn’t as tame as the original Saved by the Bell, but is pretty typical for high school behavior even if it’s exaggerated for this dramatic 10-episode series.
Here’s what parents need to know.
Language
There is some language in the episodes like bit–, damn, hell, a–, and phrases like “where the di–” and “what the di–.”
Mature Content
There are racial stereotypes and a lot of white privilege.
There are also some references to celebrities and pop culture and some hurtful jokes. Did you see the Selena Gomez controversy on Twitter for making a joke about her kidney transplant. There are also Kardashian jokes and Justin Bieber jokes thrown in for good measure.
A character talks about naming their dog porno and taking nude photos.
One character is transgender and talks about her journey to self-discovery.
There is also some misogynistic behavior towards women.
Is Saved by the Bell 2020 Appropriate for Teens?
Saved by the Bell 2020 is more mature than the original and way more dramatic, but it has its moments. Just like High School Musical The Musical The Series, it makes fun of itself, and that’s part of the appeal. But it is edgier.
I’d recommend the Saved by the Bell Reboot for teens over 14 if parents are ok with the content. There are lessons to be had. Many of the students at Bayside are very accepting of the new students. There are discussions of privilege and wealth. So yes, some of the comments are cringey, but hopefully parents can have the discussion of satire and sarcasm to make a point with their teens.
Am I mad at what they did to the opening song? Yes. But I’ll allow it. The nostalgia is fun, but hopefully the writers can distinguish between jokes to make a point and jokes that are just cruel for next season. Right, Selena?
You can watch Saved by the Bell 2020 on Peacock. The first episode is free, but you will need Premium to watch the remaining episodes. However, you can also get a free week trial.
fairfax
Friday 18th of June 2021
Ok...I had written a VERY lengthy comment that showed no signs of ending! It wasn't a comment in fact because at a certain point it became my own blog on the topic and just a bit ridiculous;-)
Ok ..so, I'm a 39 year old, single father of a 15 year old kid that I have generally on weekends but with high school and extracurriculars days and times change ... but it's always been 2 days a week. I'm also, however NOT an out of touch, dockers and polo wearing, bad joke telling, "Dad". My current interest is 23...but I've never dated or even been with a woman over 26. I'm not a pig but I'm also not bragging... Just pointing out that I'm a bit unconventional and fairly liberal. That said while I enjoyed the Saved by the Bell sequel series I also was frankly a bit shocked by some of the content. I know that our youth is bombarded with sex EVERYWHERE and I won't be naive to that but it also doesn't mean that we just accept it. I know that teens will do what they'll do and so rather than preach abstinence I've always encouraged my daughter to make wise decisions. And I think that's what bothered me most with this series....they expect us to be perfectly fine with overly sexualized content for younger and younger audiences YET fail to encourage responsible, safe and healthy sex. Shows like this can have such further reach with teens and tweens than parents could ever hope for and I think have the responsibility to their audience to in the least teach safe sex and healthy sexual relationships. They are clearly comfortable with pushing social & political agenda in the series perpetuating that teen boys/young men should see trans women no differently than a natural woman and to openly admit to not finding trans women attractive is some sort of phobia and likely patriarchical white privilege. I'll be honest and say that I think it's wise not to establish limits because while it's true that I personally would NOT date trans women is also true that I find the early 20-something Josie Totah to be very attractive...she's hot! And yes, I believe I would date her...but, again I'm nearly 40 years old and I've experienced many things and have a much better grasp on life than I did at 15, 16, 17. So while I believe it's GREAT to have a character representing the trans community in the series I also believe it's telling that she's the ONLY female character from Bayside and the other very strong female leads are filled with their own agenda concerning "white privilege" and "the patriarchy" and the furtherment of American Socialism and that coupled with more sexual innuendo than Seinfeld, FRIENDS or The Office while failing to encourage safe and healthy sexual practices sadly makes this extremely disappointing.
I would say 16+ is the acceptable age range though I know it's geared towards 11/12 year olds. And I did not support that Orange fool in the oval office but I also don't support that ancient fool either. I'm not politically conservative an I'm not politically liberal. I think Josie Totah is really smoking hot and yeah, I'd date her BUT I don't really the trans women to be attractive. I'm a 39 year old father of a 15 year old daughter BUT I'm also a bartender/bar manager in a trendy bar/restaurant and interact and socialize and date women in or just out of college...and once or twice just getting ready to start ...18 is too young;-) I just wanted to establish that I'm not ONE THING and that I'm against anyone in anyway!
Ok...so this comment is long as well! The first one was still much longer! I enjoyed your take on the show and I was generally interested in that you had to say and though I tend to go to far I just cannot and will not agree with the MSM that everyone should hate each other and hold up our differences as most important because I think they want a divided country. I don't...I want a United people. I don't care about country and government or any of that B.S. Patriotism, Nationalism ... all garbage and doesnt define or describe me in any way. To upset the narrative the best thing I know to do is love. Love and cherish the many things that unite and not the few that divide. And open, honest discussion! So...I'm sorry to have chosen your blog if you hate what I had to say but I hope you don't. Mercy&Grace for you and yours!
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