Lifetime believes it’s time to find out what really went down behind the scenes of cult 90s high school comedy, “Saved by the Bell.”
The cable channel is producing “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story” to air on Labor Day, Monday Sept. 1, at 9/8c.
Lifetime promises the TV movie will expose the challenges of six young unknowns “growing up under public scrutiny while trying to maintain the squeaky clean image of their popular characters both on and off-screen.”
To give the movie some extra authenticity, it hired Robin Lippin, the same casting director from the original series. Here’s who she chose the second time around:
— Dylan Everett (Degrassi: The Next Generation) is set to play Mark-Paul Gosselaar in the role of mischievous ringleader “Zack Morris.”
— Sam Kindseth (Shameless) is Dustin Diamond, everyone’s favorite geek and loveable sidekick “Screech.”
— Julian Works (Paranormal Activity, Modern Family) fills the shoes of superstar Mario Lopez as the hunky jock “A.C. Slater.”
— Alyssa Lynch (The High Jumping Witch) plays the role of America’s favorite sweetheart, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, who originated the part of Kelly Kapowski.
— Tiera Skovbye (Supernatural, Girl in Progress) takes on the role of talented beauty Elizabeth Berkley and her beloved character “Jessie Sapano.”
— Rounding out the cast is Taylor Russell McKenzie (Blink) who will portray Lark Voorhies and her on-screen persona, the privileged “Lisa Turtle.”
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Produced by Front Street Pictures and Ringaling Productions Ltd., the movie is executive produced by Harvey Kahn (“Flowers in the Attic”) and Stephen Bulka (“Dear Mom, Love Cher“). Jason Lepeyre (“Restless Virgins”) is set to direct from a script written by Ron McGee (“The Nine Lives of Chole King”).
“Saved by the Bell” aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993. The half-hour comedy series followed the exploits of a group of friends and their principal at Bayside High School. It also birth two spinoffs, “Saved by the Bell: The College Years,” which aired from 1993-94 and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” which aired from 1993-2000.