Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, I can't help but give thanks for the beautiful and poignant 90s sitcoms that kept me entertained as a little AC, and that still keep me entertained today -- providing the subject matter for this blog.

If you don't remember, there was a Thanksgiving themed SBTB episode, but it was of the College Years variety. Saved by the Bell: The College Years was a single season series with the Saved gang sans Jessie and Lisa. It never really made sense to me why they all ended up at the same college (Cal U) when it was clear in the High School episodes that Zack was going to Yale, Slater to Iowa, Kelly to Community College....it's kind of like the whole Tori Paradox. Anyways, I digress.

In the episode called "A Thanksgiving Story" (1993), the gang puts on a Thanksgiving dinner for inner-city kids. After the meal preparations go haywire (Screech's doing, no doubt), a line of 90s B-List celebrities show up to donate food. The list goes as follows:

Brian Austin Green (David Silver from Beverly Hills, 90210) Coincidentally, Kelly freaks out upon seeing him. Little did she know she would soon be cast alongside him as the girl you loved to hate, Valerie on 90210.

Jenna von Oy (Six from Blossom) Remember those hats??

Jonathan Brandis (90s heart-throb of seaQuest, Ladybugs and many other cameo appearances,

including DJ's first bf on Full House. Check out a clip here. I was immediately brought back to fifth grade awkwardness watching this. In real life he also dated Ashley Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel Aire. So many connections! On a sad note, Jonathan committed suicide in 2003. RIP)

Even Mr. Belding shows up for the festivities!

In the end, everything turned out great and I am sure it was the best Thanksgiving those poor inner-city kids ever had!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

More where are they now

News on our favorite 90s sitcom cast members keeps popping up!

Tiffani-Amber Theissen (Kelly Kapowski) has got her first bun in the oven! Kelly wanted to have lots of children and a little white picket fence, so Tiff better get a move on. Unrelated: do you think that her close friends call her Tiffani-Amber, or just plain Tiffani?

John Stamos (Uncle Jesse Katsopolis) is being honored with his own star in the Hollywood walk of fame! This is a well deserved award for John, in my opinion. Besides his rivoting performances in Full House, including Elvis impersonations, musical performances, and all around great hair, Mr. Stamos has played with the Beach Boys, acted in a tv drama (ER) and performed on Broadway. Have mercy!

Don't you just love these old school pictures?

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

Flu Shots

Right now, the nation is abuzz with fuss over the flu and H1N1 vaccination. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find either of these shots in some areas of the country.

Not the case on Saved by the Bell. I guess it was mandatory to get flu shots at school in California in the early 90s?

This episode (From Nurse to Worse) is so jam-packed with quotable goodness, I don't even know where to start. I will just focus on the flu shot part of it and save the side theme of Zack falling in love with the school nurse ("Yo, Jen Babe!") for another day.

(Notice the tastefully short nurse's outfit Jennifer is sporting)

Each student was individually called down to the nurse's office to get their flu shot, administered by either the stereotypically haggish Nurse Butcher, or the hot new nurse, Jennifer. Slater is completely freaked out about getting a shot. When Mr. Belding calls his name over the PA, the class hums the death march song as he departs. Classic.

The episode ends with Zack a flu shot in the rear end. Really? Can you imagine this happening at a school today? Nurse Butcher commands, "Bend over blondie!" Ha!

Anyways, maybe today's schools should take a clue from SBTB and just give out the flu shot at school instead of having to close due to illness. It worked on TV!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater

In case you missed it...

Jodie Sweetin was on the Today Show this week discussing her new book. Here is a link to the video in case you missed it.

Thanks to K at in my shoes for texting me out of bed to watch this and S for emailing me the link later in the day! You all know me too well.

Stay tuned for examples of how the flu epidemic relates to 90s tv...so many parallels!

Friends Forever,

AC Slater