If there’s anything you can say about Lifetime, it’s that the executives there know how to capitalize on a publicity opportunity. On the same day Saved by the Bell actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar slammed his former co-star Dustin Diamond’s memoir, the network released a preview of a made-for-TV movie on the behind-the-scenes stories from the series.
The teaser was posted at TV Guide and doesn’t feature any footage that will likely make the final cut. However, it instead focuses on a fictional photo shoot that is supposed to highlight the tension on the set. We see Zack Morris wearing a blonde wig to look like Gosselaar and there’s Julian Works struggling to look like Mario Lopez. Sam Kindseth plays Diamond, along with Alyssa Lynch as Tiffani-Amber Thiessen; Tiera Skovbye as Elizabeth Berkley; and Taylor Russell McKenzie as Lark Voorhies.
The film, efficiently titled The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, was only announced in June, but we know Lifetime can put together a movie quickly.
Also on Thursday, Gosselaar, who is now the star of TNT’s successful Franklin & Bash, was on HuffPo Live to talk about his new show, but he was asked about the new movie and Diamond’s memoir, Behind the Bell. Gosselaar called the book “negative,” noting that he only had positive experiences working on the classic ‘90s show. He also said he has absolutely nothing to do with the Lifetime movie.
The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story airs on Monday at 9 p.m.
image courtesy of Famous/ACE/INFphoto.com