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Leah Remini: Not returning to Saved by the Bell

Leah Remini: Not returning to Saved by the Bell

Leah Remini reportedly would have returned to Saved by the Bell, but this is now not possible since Peacock cancelled the reboot after two seasons.

Saved by the Bell was originally a 1980s teen-drama series that first premiered in 1989 and ran until 1992. In the world of paid subscription video-on-demand platforms and rebooting hit shows of the 80s and 90s, Saved by the Bell’s reboot premiered on Peacock in 2020.

After reference was made to the Malibu Sands Beach Club in the second season, fans wondered if Leah Remini would reprise her cameo role as Zack Morris’ love interest in the third season of the reboot.

However, despite what may have been the desires of Remini and producers of the show, this is unlikely, since the reboot has been cancelled after two seasons.

Why was Saved by the Bell reboot cancelled?

Saved by the Bell first premiered in November 2020 with a total of 10 episodes. After the first season, television insiders were already worried about the fate of the show.

Peacock surprisingly renewed the series for a second season on the basis that the season performed well on the platform.

However, after the second season, Peacock announced that they had cancelled the reboot sharing only the following, “We are so proud to have been the home of the next iteration of Saved by the Bell for both new and OG fans.”

Leah Remini: Not returning to Saved by the Bell

Leah Remini is an acclaimed actress best known for her title role in The King of Queens. One of her earlier roles was a six-episode cameo role on Saved by the Bell in the role of Stacey Carosi.

Remini’s character was Leon Carosi’s daughter, and he was the owner of Malibu Sands Beach Club, where the six main cast members were vacationing and working.

During her six-episode story arc, Stacey was Zack Morris’ love interest , played by actor, Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

The two initially started their story arc disliking each other, but they eventually fell in love and shared the kiss that Remini suggests is still remembered by fans despite her having worked on many other popular sitcoms thereafter.

However, after her six-episode stint, Remini never returned to the original series.

Therefore, fans were excited when during the season two finale reboot, reference was made to the Malibu Sands Beach Club and Stacey Carosi.

Fans were excited about the possibility of Remini reprising her role on what would have been the third season of the Saved by the Bell reboot. Unfortunately, though, due to the series’ cancellation, this will not happen.

By the looks of things, the sentiments shared by Remini, her Saved by the Bell love interest, Gosselaar, and the producers of the show, it seemed that both the actress and the reboot series were looking forward to a potential season three cameo from Remini.

Leah Remini on Saved by the Bell’s lasting impact

In 2021, Leah Remini reunited with her former Saved by the Bell love interest, Mark-Paul Gosselaar in an episode on his podcast, Zack to the Future, in which she reflected on the lasting impact of her character as Stacey Carosi, stating:

“I got Saved by the Bell, and what was funny is for a very long time in my career — [I had done] Living Dolls, Cheers, Friends — people would say, ‘I loved you on Saved by the Bell,’ and they still do! I did 207 episodes of The King of Queens, and people say, ‘Yeah, yeah, King of Queens, but Saved by the Bell.’”

Mark-Paul Gosselaar on his chemistry with Leah Remini on Saved by the Bell

In the same podcast interview, Mark-Paul Gosselaar alluded to having the most chemistry with Remini in the role of Zack Morris than any other co-star he acted alongside, sharing:

“There is an undeniable chemistry between you and I that we have seen. Tiffani (Thiessen) and I never had a kiss like we have on these six episodes. There is not a single person that Zack comes into contact with, in my opinion, that had a chemistry (like) you and I had.”

Saved by the Bell’s Tracey Wigfield intended to bring Leah Remini back

Tracey Wigfield, one of the executive producers of Saved by the Bell’s reboot, seemed intent on eventually bringing Leah Remini back to the reboot before it was cancelled.

Wigfield shared, “From when I first pitched the show, it was always on my mind.” Wigfield went on to add, “And I’ve seen in (the) press that Leah Remini has said that she wants to do the show, which would be a dream of mine. So I would love to have her… do an arc where, obviously, she owns Malibu Sands now, she took it over as Mr. Carosi’s daughter.”