Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00.  The show is currently on Prime.

This week, Screech becomes a crusading editor.

Episode 2.7 “The People’s Choice”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on October 1st, 1994)

Feeling underappreciated at the high school, Screech asks to be made faculty advisor of the school paper.  With a staff made up of the Gang, Screech rejuvenates the paper.  Soon, he is directing an investigation into why there’s no money in the school’s athletic budget for the girl’s swim team to go to state.  Could it be because the misogynistic football coach (Brian Reddy) is a embezzling the money so the football team can go on a trip?

Unfortunately, everyone gets so involved in pursuing the story that they neglect their studies and they skip Mr. Belding’s college entrance exam review session!  Honestly, college entrance exams are incredibly easy and anyone who needs a review session to do well on them wasn’t going to get into a decent college anyways.  Seriously,  just blow all that off and go to a party school like I did.  GO MEAN GREEN!

Anyway, Screech realizes the error of his ways and puts the newspaper staff through a grueling review session.  Everyone does well on their exam.  And Screech disguises himself as an old man and tricks the coach into confessing his embezzlement!  The coach presumably works with Screech every day so how did he fall for a wig and a fake mustache?  Seriously, what is the deal with this show and disguises?

Despite the rather stupid plot, this episode wasn’t that bad.  Dustin Diamond actually gave a fairly believable performance as Screech and the ensemble had a good chemistry.  I’ll admit that I laughed at Tommy D’s attempts to be a food critic.  I bet we never hear about the newspaper again.