Teen TV shows have always been popular, and *Saved By the Bell* was one of the best. The show originally aired on NBC in 1989 and quickly became a Saturday morning favorite. It followed a group of high school friends at the fictional Bayside High in Los Angeles, and it really captured the spirit of a generation with its funny, but sometimes serious, stories. Over its four seasons, *Saved By the Bell* tackled important topics like death, homelessness, the environment, and women’s rights. One episode, dealing with underage drinking and drunk driving, was particularly impactful and had a potentially tragic ending.
Twenty-three years ago, on October 10, 1992, an episode of *Saved by the Bell* tackled the serious issue of drinking and driving. The episode, titled “Drinking and Driving,” showed Zack, Lisa, Screech, and Slater at a homecoming party. After having drinks, Lisa realized she wasn’t safe to drive, but Zack insisted he was okay and took the keys. He ended up getting into a car accident. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but Slater injured his shoulder and couldn’t play in the game, and Lisa’s mom’s car was badly damaged.
Rather than telling the truth, Zack and his friends try to hide what happened by lying and making plans. They have the damaged car towed to Zack’s house while they work out how to pay for the repairs, which leads to Zack’s dad asking questions. By the end of the episode, the group finally admits what happened and faces consequences, including a stern lecture from Zack’s dad about the dangers of their actions.
“Drinking and Driving” Was Almost Very Different
The recent “Drinking and Driving” episode isn’t the first time *Saved By the Bell* has tackled difficult issues. Back in 1990, the episode “Jessie’s Song” featured Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) experiencing a manic episode after taking too much caffeine, resulting in the now-iconic line, “I’m so excited, I’m so scared.” A year later, in 1991, “No Hope with Dope” involved a celebrity visiting Bayside to film an anti-drug message, but he ended up hosting a party where drugs were offered. This led to the celebrity’s own drug use being exposed, and the episode concluded with a full public service announcement featuring NBC president Brandon Tartikoff.
The “Drinking and Driving” episode of *Saved By the Bell* is unique because it’s the only one to include alcohol. It also almost had a much darker ending! The episode went through many revisions – initially titled “The Third ‘D’ Is Deception” and “Beergate” – before the final version aired. Interestingly, an early draft of “Beergate” didn’t feature Zack receiving a lecture from his father; instead, it showed Zack voluntarily turning himself in to the police.
An early version of the episode ended without any music during the credits, instead showing Zack’s mugshot in silence. Although this ending was much more somber than what viewers ultimately saw in “Drinking and Driving,” it likely would have made the episode’s message about the dangers of drunk driving even more impactful. As it aired, the consequences the friends faced – paying for the car repairs, Slater missing the homecoming game, and disappointing their parents – felt relatively minor. It lacked the weight the serious topic deserved.
The Saved By the Bell episode “Drinking and Driving” is available to stream on AppleTV+.
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2025-10-11 18:10