90s Con was back for a fourth successful year in Hartford, CT over the weekend. Stars like Matthew Lillard, Joey Lawrence, Jennie Garth, and many more were surrounded by fans, cameras, and lots of questions. Hereâs what I saw and heard from âSaved By the Bell” cast members Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez.
‘We Never Had Any Animosity’ Toward Dustin Diamond
During a 90s Con “High School” panel in a Connecticut Convention Center ballroom, the most interesting fan question was about “Saved By the Bell” star Dustin Diamond. Diamond famously played the character Screech on “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” “Saved By the Bell,” “Save By the Bell: The College Years,” and the series’ TV movies. Before he passed away in 2021 from lung cancer at the age of 44, he had released a scandalous tell-all book titled “Behind the Bell.” At the time, what he wrote put his costars in an unflattering light, offending Gosselaar, who had claimed that the stories were “negative” and false. Diamond then publicly apologized.
Mark J. ParkerMotioning outwards to the crowd, Gosselaar answered the question with, “That beef with Dustin was created out there, not here” within the cast. Berkley added, “There was a ghostwriter on his book,” insinuating that that writer who worked with Diamond took major creative liberties to paint a risqué picture. Diamond had told OWN in 2013 that he expected to get a copy of the book to proofread before publication, but he only got a copy once it was finished. The exaggerations in the book caused “fallout.”
The celebs at the panel on March 30th reiterated that there was nothing negative in real life on the set of the show, and in fact shared that on most Friday nights after filming, they would typically go out with their parents for dinner. Berkley described it as “pretty innocent,” explaining that she and the cast members were real teenagers making “Saved By the Bell,” and because they were minors at the start, they had to take breaks to do schoolwork with a tutor. She explained, “[Diamond] was three years younger than us, so he was like a little brother. Itâs a shame that itâs still out there because we never had any animosity toward him.â
What the ‘Saved By the Bell’ Reboot Could Have Looked Like
Referring to the “Saved By the Bell” 2020 sequel series on Peacock, Berkley continued, âWe were very protective of honoring [Diamond’s] legacy on the reboot. Our producer had talked to him about doing something for season 2, but sadly that wasnât able to happen.” Berkley let it be known that the reboot showrunner Tracey Wigfield put a lot of thought and care into involving Diamond somehow, and wanted to “honor him.â They did share a touching memory that Diamond was funny and liked to pull pranks at work.
GettySpeaking of the reboot, Lopez shared insight on why the series wasn’t picked up for a third season. “With streaming now, it’s a different world,” he stated. Because the series was costly, and had been released at the height of the pandemic, plus there was an apparent changing of executive leadership at Peacock at the time, it didn’t get renewed. On a somber note regarding the general state of TV series today, Lopez shared with the crowd his theory that many streaming shows typically don’t get more than a couple seasons now. “It’s less about getting more seasons and instead about getting more subscribers.”
Lopez Wants to Be Kidnapped On Gosselaar’s Series ‘Found’
On a lighter note, a fan asked Gosselaar if his previous castmates would ever be on his NBC series “Found,” which has yet to be renewed for season 3. Gosselaar, who plays creepy antagonist Hugh “Sir” Evans on the show, slipped into his character right away, joking that “they’re in my basement.” Lopez, who often acts as himself on shows now, got excited and shouted, “I want to be dead! I want you to kill me!” The crowd laughed and applauded. Lopez and Gosselaar clarified the order of how the scenes could go: “Abduct me – don’t molest me though – then kill me!” It could be an interesting – albeit twisted – on-screen reunion for the two.
Wrapping up the panel, the question came about on how this cast stays looking so good. Lopez quipped, “Tequila!” prompting fans to cheer. He also shared a hilarious memory of his mom being a “hoarder” and putting his “Saved By the Bell” A.C. Slater doll on top of their Christmas tree in a little Santa costume. Gosselaar said, “So you’re like the original Elf on the Shelf!”
Mark J. ParkerWhen the final question “Who has made each of you starstruck?” was asked, Berkley brought up working with Al Pacino on the film “Any Given Sunday” and Ralph Macchio on Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.” She is such a fan of Macchio in “The Karate Kid” that she channeled her “Saved By the Bell” character Jessie Spano and declared to the crowd, “I was so excited, and funny enough, I was scared!”
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