Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993–1994) User Reviews

Even Screech grew up... for good.

[insomniac_rod · 7/10 · 19 November 2007]

Finally a clever show that follows a plot and it's soon canceled. I mean, we have the most popular cast members of the original series in the most difficult student era of their lives: College.

The idea was very interesting but producers didn't feel it had potential. Some jokes were funny and clever and so were the situations that had a feeling of maturity towards our characters.

Also, the new cast members, including teachers were solid additions to the show. Mike Rogers was a fun character and added some spice to the show. The rest of the cast was clichéd but it's okay, I mean, it displays true life in college.

The show had potential believe me, but you can't go against producers. A cult show in the future, that's for sure..

Pretty good show. Much better than the original

[horrorflicklover · 7/10 · 16 October 2012]

It's unfortunate that this show never found an audience. It was far and away the best Saved by the Bell incarnation to have existed. Much better than the original and The New Class. Provided, I was a little kid when the original SBTB was on the air. And I watched it. And I still occasionally do when it's on. But that's mostly nostalgia. It was truly a BAD show, and I never would have gotten in to it had it been after my time.

The College Years was a much better show in terms of both writing and acting. There's a lot of reasons for this. The returning actors had four years to grow in to their characters on the original show. So not only had they become better actors, they knew their roles well by this point. This show was meant to appeal to fans of the original, who grew up with the show. So these fans themselves were a little older. The comedy is a bit "older". Not in the sense of more adult or risqué. But that it was meant for mid-late teenagers, as opposed to the early-mid teenagers and younger that they were during the original. I'll delve in to that in the next paragraph.

Another factor was the different writing staff. I'm hard pressed to believe that this show employed the same writers. But even if it had, they definitely changed the writing style. With an older audience and a prime time slot, this show had to vary from the Saturday morning children's show writing style of the original. This show was MUCH funnier than the original. Much more believable, and with much less cringe-worthy moments. You know, those moments when you feel EMBARRASSED for the actors due to their dialog or the plot. It's just that bad, and you know it.

All in all, I thought this was a solid, funny, pretty well done family show. Was it hilarious? Was it one of the best family shows out there? Not really. But I thought it had it's moments. Many more moments than the original, that's for sure. Had it actually stuck around, I think it would have developed in to a much more likable show. I would give it a 7, which is maybe a little too generous. It was definitely better than the other two incarnations. It's just a shame that unlike them, it never found an audience.

Good

[manitobaman81 · 7/10 · 29 August 2014]

A spin off full of laughs. I never laughed so hard in my life as I did the one lonely season this gem graced the NBC airwaves. I still have stacks of VHS tapes labelled "SBTB:TCY," which stands for "Saved By the Bell: The College Years." The gang is back: Mark Paul Gosselar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond and Tiffani Amber Theissen are the original members in the show. Too bad they brought in Bob Golic, who is unfunny. Still the show is pretty good and it's a really too bad that it only lasted for a year, 1993-94. I'm giving this one a final rating of 7 out of 10 because while it wasn't perfect, it was entertaining and pretty solid.

Actually better than most say

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10 February 2004]

I know that many Saved by the Bell fans were not as excited about The College Years. But you know what? I love Saved by the Bell and I also enjoy the College Years as well. It was a different kind of humor and more grown up for the kids of Bayside High. While there were some crazy questions like how we thought that Zack was supposed to go to Yale and Slater was supposed to go to Iowa, it was still nice seeing the gang back together once again for some more goofy adventures through the new experience of college.

Zack, Slater, and Screech are back and they're grown up and in college! They now share a co-ed dorm with three other girls: Leslie, Alex, and Danielle. Danielle soon "transfers" and Kelly comes back to join the guys and moves into the same dorm. They experience the life of being a freshman and having to be the small fishes in the big pond. We have somewhat of a replacement for Mr. Belding with Mike, the dorm manager. They once again experience different pressures of homework, romance, drugs, and trying to fool the scary Dean McMann.

We had a few interesting stories like the love triangle that happens between Zack, Leslie, and Kelly. The love story of Kelly and Professor Lasky, the sexy bachelor who all the college girls have a crush on. Screech has some sexy ladies after him. Slater isn't on top in wrestling any more and has a new girlfriend, their drama queen dorm mate, Alex. And one of the most wanted things by the fans, Zack and Kelly falling in love and getting married.

While the College Years is once again unrealistic, like how the dorm mates seem to have all the same classes together, which is a lot harder to believe in college. Slater, Zack, Kelly, and Screech sharing the same dorm was very unrealistic. The whole way the situation between Kelly and Professor Lasky was handled. But then again the Saved by the Bell series was never that realistic.

Now in my opinion Saved by the Bell: The College Years was never given a fair chance. I really enjoyed some of the humor in this season, I loved the relationship between Dean McMann and Zack, these two always killed in laughter. I think people are too harsh on this show, it's not Saturday morning any more, kids, it's prime time, get over it. Give this show a fair chance, it's a lot of fun.

Dull

[DavidYZ · 2/10 · 27 April 2017]

This follow-up to Saved by the Bell is awful. It has less humour and worse acting.

The main characters are university students, yet there's no mention of sex - let alone any depiction of it. It should be raunchy fun, including casual sex - instead it's dull and lifeless.

Well, I liked it

[rebecca_beaker · 9/10 · 26 February 2013]

I'm only born in 1994, so Saved By The Bell was a bit before my time, however I used to watch it on Nickelodeon as a kid and vaguely remember the college years from ages ago. Now I'm in uni I figured it would be interesting to revisit the whole Saved the Bell thing, so I've recently watched more or less every episode from start to finish, and I can see why you might say this is a bit stupid. For people that watched Saved By The Bell, its a nice continuation so you see how the characters grow up, and gives you a bit more of the same. And true, the issues raised are similar, and at times I'm like "why would he go through the same thing again!!!" but it didn't bother me too much. Overall I'd say its nice for people who watched the original series, but I doubt it would hold its own as a stand alone programme.

So much cringe

[superfox_888 · 2/10 · 8 March 2021]

This show tried to be Beverley Hills 90210. It's like being punched in the face by the 1990s.

If you're into stereotypes, this show has them all. Zack and his girl-chasing ways are worse than ever, the women complain they need to lose weight to look like Tori Spelling, pick-up lines are just plain terrible, and there's several instances of cultural stereotypes. In one episode, the anthropology professor has written a book with the title, "I'm OK you're an Aborigine". Super inappropriate.

Even if you're a die-hard fan of the original series, give this one a miss. It has not aged well.

This show deserves a higher rating

[brittonwayne-287-425268 · 10/10 · 13 December 2020]

Ok I am a die hard Saved By The Bell fan so of course I was gonna watch the College years. I watched it when it came on originally and binged watched it's only season today. It was a more entertaining show than the high school version. The gags were laugh out loud funny. The storylines were better written. Overall a really good series. Now when they knew they were cancelled and decided to end it with Zack and Kelly's wedding that part sucked. But it was a good show that was very entertaining.

Very Surprising at Some Parts...

[jacksonXOXO · 5/10 · 19 March 2009]

It whips you around a lot, otherwise great. In the end of the series Zack and Kelly get married, which you don't expect to happen that much, but it does, and throws you off track to the whole show. All those times they fought, Zack cheated on her, you'd think she'd remember that... Lisa and Jessie come for the wedding, which is the nicest part. I missed them from JH and high school.:)

An introduction to new characters Leslie and Alex happens, for these two characters are the new college dorm mates to Kelly. They're a nice addition but will NEVER replace Lisa and Jessie, which is what the show must have tried to do. Actually, in the beginning another girl is in Kelly's spot, whom Zack meets first. She's in for the first TCYs episode then is never seen again. In a way she resembles Lisa, and I don't think they even mentioned her name:/

Kelly comes in on the second episode, her appearance was kind of predictable. You knew how upset they were to leave each other for college, so she "had" to come. I'm surprised that Zack didn't end up with Leslie who would have been a pretty good match for him in the end.

A.C. Slater comes along to the same college as Zack, along with Screech. A.C. begins dating Alex, while Leslie is left alone in the dark. I don't think Jessie was nice to Slater AT ALL. She always called him a sexist pig, or something else in every HS episode...and Alex is exactly the same way. In one episode she demands Slater to be Peter Pan when she is Tinkerbell and everything goes wrong, and she can't even forgive him for switching costumes when he didn't know she had... it's rude how she treats him all the time, what with her ordering around.

A.C. loses his first wrestling match in college so easily he promises to SCREECH to keep THE SECRET-there IS NO SECRET about that! It's gonna get out so don't tell the person who leaked so many lies not to tell anyone! And he's always been the toughie but his reputation is fresh in college, the only people who know about it are Kelly, Zack, and Screech, 3 out of probably 3000 people at the college. If those three were real friends they would not tell anyone anything.

Zack's mean pranks, such as when he has to collect some quiz for doing a prank, is just rude(he promises a fake trip to Hawaii for the picked winner). Michael tries his best to set this guy straight, but HELLO. You are dealing with ZACK MORRIS! Plus Michael isn't such a gem either, asking Screech for everything, and complaining about all of his troubles to the college students. At one time Zack tries to have a rave for making up for one of his pranks and paints Michael's dorm BLACK. He takes advantage of everyone and isn't even that handsome.

Well, I've said enough, this show can be funny at points but look deep down and see kids just scheming their way out of trouble and taking advantage of everyone and everything to get what they want.

Only for fans of the first series

[Tito-8 · 29 September 1999]

If you liked the original "Saved By The Bell" series, then you probably watched this follow-up series, and found it to be more of the same. This short-lived program was marginally more intelligent than the original, and it followed many of the same characters who made SBTB a Saturday morning hit. I can't really explain why I watched the original series, and I can't offer any better explanation as to why I watched this one. If you grew up with these characters, I would think that "The College Years" seemed like more of the same likable stupidity. If you didn't watch the first show, then this second "Saved By The Bell" will probably just seem like stupidity.

Makes me smile

[kcklu · 10/10 · 21 September 2021]

So much hatred by some reviewers. It's a spin off of a corny but lovable, relatable, nostalgic show! Enjoy it for what is and was. I've watched it several times. It's relaxing in such a chaotic time.

Good show

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 9/10 · 30 August 2008]

I used to watch this show when I was growing up. When I think about it, I remember it very well. If you ask me, it was a good show. Two things I especially remember very are the opening sequence and theme song. In addition to that, everyone was ideally cast. Also, the writing was very strong. The performances were top-grade, too. I hope some network brings it back so I can see every episode. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I'm not sure if I've seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, if some network ever brings it back, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.

This show deserved another chance...

[JantheMan3 · 7 November 2001]

I liked this show. "Saved By The Bell" had a hard time with the transition from daytime to prime time, but this show was a lot better than the original series. It was so far out there, but that's what made it great. I wish it lasted longer than it did.

Something that should NOT have been cancelled....

[manhuntworld · 8/10 · 17 April 2023]

Being an avid O. G saved by the bell fan, you naturally become sceptically of any 'spin-off' that attempts to keep the originality of the first show you fell in love with.

For me 'the college years', did it right. It's cast was dynamic, they gelled equally as well as the original cast in SBTB, and utlimately you learn to love the new characters just as much. In fact by the end of the first (and last season) you genuinely feel close to them, and realise there has been a great dynamic intertwinned with the original cast (A. C, Zack, Screech, and Kelly), to create something completely different, but without running off from the original traits we loved in SBTB.

This alone just proves that missing some of the original cast does not render this show worthless, if anything it enriches it with more mature storylines, and the usual Zack Morris antics that we loved from SBTB.

Why this show only got 1 season is most likely down to the narrowmindedness of the audience watching. Expecting to have the same impact as SBTB which ofc the college years isn't and being annoyed that the whole original cast were not there.

It really is a shame that they progress this show further as it really could have opened up the story line further, however i guess the vegas wedding TV movie sort of helps draw a line there and closes this off for good. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed every epeisode of the college years and just a shame it never continued.

I LOVE this show!

[beautysleep59 · 8/10 · 2 July 2008]

I just got the DVDs and although I've only gotten through the first 4 episodes so far, I am finding it so funny and so enjoyable to watch! I was watching it last nite after everyone else had gone to sleep and I had to keep covering my mouth because I was laughing so much, I didn't want to wake anyone up! I think the last time I watched this show, I was 10-11, and I can't believe it's been almost 15 years since this show was on! Reading some people's comments, I think the people who don't like it and criticize it are the ones who have just watched the show now, as an adult, but growing up watching it and watching it now, especially after I've been through college, and can relate to the characters in some ways, it really is a great show and I wish there were more shows on today like it that kids could watch. I'm sure I have a lot more to say, but not exactly sure how to put it into words, but I'll end with how much I love this show and have been enjoying watching it and I'm so glad I have the Wedding In Las Vegas movie that I can watch as soon as I'm done with the series. Shame the show couldn't have lasted longer to see how Zack and Kelly got through college as a young, married couple. Although, I'm sure they made it through just fine! :)

Good show, honestly.

[elz978 · 1 April 2001]

I remember watching (and recording) the last episode of the original "Saved by the Bell" as a nine year old and seeing the special announcement during a commercial break that there would be a college version of the show starting in the fall. I practically counted the days until the series premiere, and I truly enjoyed the few episodes that aired. It was canceled not because it was a bad show, I think, but because the truth is that lighthearted shows like "Saved by the Bell" just do not belong in a competitive prime time environment. This show was ridiculed just because, what, it was getting beat in the ratings by "Full House"? Come on! Expectations were way too high. It would have been safe on Saturday mornings like the original, never mind that it was about college students. We fans would have watched regardless.

A Masterpiece of Modern Storytelling

[silentethan · 10/10 · 27 May 2006]

One would think that the college years of Zach and the gang from Saved By The Bell would not be interesting, but I DISAGREE! Saved By The Bell : The College Years continued to impress me in it's short run. IT created story lines that rival many modern motion pictures. The sharp dialogue, memorable new characters and the riveting twists. How this show was shut out at the Emmys is beyond me. Every week I'd watch and be impressed. It made me laugh, cry and masturbate. It's interesting to see Screech's zany antics in college where there isn't even a bell! In college you cannot be saved by the bell but rather saved by your new life skills which all the characters acquire. The "Saved By The Bell" in the title is a metaphor for the growth and remembrance of the characters.

So much potential, abandoned far too soon...

[nevsky41 · 21 March 2005]

My brother recently purchased the DVD set of SBTBTCY, and I've watched the entire series a couple of times. I've decided this series was given up on by NBC far too early.

I hadn't seen this show for about a decade, and watching it again, even though it's 12 years old now, I've decided it had way too much potential to have been canceled so quickly. I found myself belly-laughing more than once.

The pilot episode is probably the weakest one, but it didn't take long for the show to begin to click, and even though it had a bit of a cartoony feel to it at times, that was pretty par for the course in the early 90s for sitcoms. The middle episodes are by far the best written and produced, I think Zack & Kelly story was supposed to be a cliffhanger moment to start the second season off with, but instead, we got the "Wedding in Las Vegas" movie. At least we got some resolution.

I think NBC either had high expectations for this show or never felt serious about, considering they ran it against Full House, which was either a huge sign on confidence or a death sentence from the onset. Whatever the intention, they gave up on the show WAY too early, as it was actually much better written than Full House, I guess not enough fans followed it from Saturday morning like I did.

So "The College Years" didn't even really tell the story of their entire freshman year, and it's a shame. This show had so much potential that was left untapped, it's sad. I guess I'll just have to make do with the 18 episodes we do have.

Not any better than the original

[Goon-2 · 7 July 2001]

Where I live, this show airs once a week at four in the morning, so I don't exactly make a point of watching it, but since I was awake, I decided to.

Actually, I remember when the dumb thing first aired, since I believe I saw the premiere episode. For some reason I watched--and loved--the monstrosity "Saved By the Bell," but even THEN I didn't like "The College Years." I thought it was boring.

After my most recent viewing of it, I still found "The College Years" quite dull. Many of the characters from the original reprised their roles: Mark-Paul Gossellar as the annoying "blond" lead Zack Morris; Tiffani Amber Theissen as "desirable" Kelly Kapowski; Mario Lopez as "athletic" A.C. Slater; and Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers, about the most irritating character on television. For some reason their friends Jessie and Lisa have gone onto other pursuits, so replacing them are Alex, some lady who looks in her thirties and has a whiny voice, and is suposed to be Slater's girlfriend; Leslie, who is so charisma-free I didn't even remember her existence until I saw her name listed among the credits; and the also charisma-free man who is in charge of their dorm, who is supposed to be like a "cooler" version of the high school principal Mr. Belding. The situations were also similar to the high school series. Selfish Zack cooks up a scheme in order to benefit himself somehow and wacky hijinx occur as he goes about fulfilling it. In the particular episode I saw, he wanted to take Kelly to Mexico, along with Slater and annoying Alex, so he decided to hold a rave and charge twenty dollars a head for it. Who'd pay twenty dollars to go to some party, especially when the purpose of it is to fund somebody's vacation? (Interestingly, an "I Love Lucy," with a very similar plot was on the same night, meaning "Bell" can't even come up with its own creative storylines. Plus, "Lucy's" was a lot more funny.)

Anyway, the big conflict is, where can Zack hold his rave? After all, they're illegal. Hijinx galore, as he outwits some Dean of Students character played by "The Pratice's" Holland Taylor(who probably hates to admit she was in this show.) Plus some subplot about Kelly recovering from a break-up with a professor was dull, and the prof. was very childish and unappealing. So was the show. I am not surprised it was cancelled after a season, because this is the epitome of some series that should have stuck to daytime TV, not tried its hand at primetime, where it was killed by "FULL HOUSE." What probably beat them both, or should have at least, was a competing series on CBS (since I remember this was an NBC show) for anyone over the age of 13.

Okay I guess

[TheMan3051 · 30 June 2002]

This is the third show in the SBTB series and while it is way better then "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" it isn't better than "Saved by the Bell." SBTB is a cult hit (almost a classic) and it is hard to make a great follow-up and by the looks of it they didn't try very hard and that's why this show falls short. There were some good episodes but the majority fell short. If you're a SBTB fan then you should check it out but it really isn't that good.

whatever

[vandergurl2004 · 29 October 2002]

i think Saved By The Bell was a great show. i liked the high school times and when they went to college it sort of made the show better. i was a little p***ed that that took Lisa and Jessie out of it but it was still good. Meloda is wrong about it. how can you say that they made it highly unfunny? through out all the years there was never a dull, boring, unfunny episode and it wasnt slow and stupid. man you need to get your head checked!! i do agree about the "new class". i think that was gay that they made that stupid show. i never watched it. i never understood how and or why Screech was back in high school.whats up with dat? Slater was my favorite. why do you think Zack would go to college? hes smart but doesnt show it a lot of the time. and its a place to find "babes", as he would say. i miss the show. they should have a reunion and have Zack of course married to Kelly and Screech engaged to Lisa(which would be hilarous)and Slater married to Jessie and Mr. Belding could possibly have gotten a divorice and married Miss. Bliss. that would be awsome.

Better than the 'High School Years'

[Hotoil · 2 March 2001]

The original series was moronic, but like every bored kid I watched when I was young. This show, though, I actually enjoyed (at the proper age, it's just a silly sitcom). It was much better than the original show, and even had a sense of humor about itself. Didn't spawn very many episodes, the competition (Full House) killed it after the first season - but they realized they were done for before the season was up and actually managed to forge a 'finale' where Zach and Kelley decide to get married (to everybody elses objection). Then they popped up that summer with a two-hour movie about the actual wedding, but that was just plain awful. But this show definitely deserved a longer run, especially since the horrible original lasted five seasons!

Much better than the original

[SMLA11 · 31 May 2002]

This show has to be much better than the original. They still don't have very much laughs but it is still good. The characters are more developed, the plots are better, the setting is better, and better characters. I seemed to like the new characters a little better this time around. Sadly, though, this show lasted only a short time and I really wished it lasted longer.

Overall the show beats the original a lot better but it still needs a little more laughs to help it. Rating *** out of ****.

Hello, where's your head!

[meloda · 19 September 2002]

Saved by the bell was a great show, but they couldn't end on a high note. They had to make this dull, boring epilogue! It was very slow, stupid, and highly unfunny. Slater was supposed to go to Iowa, and why would Zack go to college?! Screech was a little too smart to go to this college, but too big of a bozo PERIOD! Besides, why would they all go to this college together?! Do yourself a favor--if you liked Saved by the Bell, STICK WITH IT! Don't watch the imitations or "afterlives" like the even dumber "New Class" or this dumb show! Don't watch this dumb garbage!

This 'saved' the series

[smla02 · 3 January 2003]

A-

Starring: Mark-Paul Gosselar, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Dustin Diamond, and Bob Garlic.

The "gang" from the original series has only 4 returning characters and now follows them through college. The 4 remaining characters are Zach (The Popular Pretty Boy), Slater (The Jock), Screech (The Nerd), and Kelly (The Pretty Cheerleader). We are shown some new characters who are, in my opinion, better than some from the original.

The show is funny (unlike the original) and should've lasted much longer than just 19 episodes.