Mario Lopez wasn't entirely convinced to return to Bayside High in Peacock's Saved by the Bell sequel series but it was another show that was continuing a movie universe that made the actor change his mind.
As a part of a recent "GQ" interview, Lopez revealed that he wasn't initially sold about the idea of another Saved by the Bell because he thought the show would miss the mark by not appealing to new viewers and alienating fans of the original series. The actor ultimately changed his mind after being impressed by the quality of the Karate Kid sequel series, Cobra Kai:
“It was such a smart, clever way, the way they blended the nostalgia and this updated version. So [I said], if we can emulate that, then I’m down.”
It looks like Lopez's instincts about emulating that success may have been right. The new Saved by the Bell has received pretty decent reviews, securing a 76% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Peacock says, since premiering in November, the series has the distinction of being their most-watched original program. The show hasn't earned a season two renewal just yet but there is a strong possibility it will get one given the positive reception.
Peacock's Saved by the Bell isn't just about catching up with old friends as a new generation of students begins to take center stage. On the new show, Governor Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) closes a number of underfunded high schools which leaves its students to be absorbed by those in more affluent areas, namely Bayside High School. Morris' son Mac (Mitchell Hoog) and Jessie's son Jamie (Belmont Cameli) attend Bayside, as does the rich and popular Lexi (Josie Totah). Slater (Lopez) is now working there as a gym teacher and he's pumped for the new kids (Dexter Darden's Devante, Alycia Pascual-Pena's Aisha, and Haskiri Velazquez's Daisy) to arrive so he can share his story of entering the halls of Bayside as a new kid and finally finding a place he truly belonged.
Have YOU checked out the new Saved by the Bell?