While the delightfully cheesy daytime teen drama Saved by the Bell is never far from the memories of people of a certain age, the show has re-entered the pop culture landscape recently due to the announcement of the upcoming reboot that will feature members of the original cast. Don't hold your breath to see the return of Screech, however.
Unfortunately, we haven't yet heard anything about Stacey Carosi having a part in the reboot, the sassy daughter of a beach resort owner played by future King of Queens star and Scientology whistleblower, Leah Remini. Still, it seems as good a time as ever to look back on Remini's memorable stint on the show and share some trivia involving both Remini and her SBTB character. We guarantee that no matter how big of a SBTB fan you are, there will be some things on this list that will be a pleasant surprise.
14 Leah Had A Great Time Filming Her Episodes
No matter how much fun actors might seem to be having making a TV show, there's no telling what the vibe is actually like on set. To hear Leah Remini tell it, the Saved by the Bell set was "a great time." She had nothing but positive things to say about filming her seven-episode stint on the show, saying "I loved it!"
13 Her Character's Dad Was Played By A Familiar Voice
Leah Remini's Stacey Carosi wasn't the only central character of the "Malibu Sands" story arc-- there was also Stacey's father, the owner of the resort who was played by actor Ernie Sabella. While Sabella is something of a "that guy," the role from his resume you'll be most familiar is in his voicing of Pumbaa in the original The Lion King.
12 Her Stint Was Unusually Long For A Recurring Character On SBTB
Saved by the Bell was somewhat infamous for introducing a new character and then having that character vanish without a trace after their single episode, never so much as being mentioned again. Leah Remini appearing for seven episodes was an anomaly for the show, with most SBTB recurring characters-- even noteworthy ones like Screech's girlfriend, played by Tori Spelling-- only getting two or three episodes, max.
11 It Wasn't Her First Major TV Role
Many of the articles and lists that mention Leah Remini's time on SBTB imply-- if not explicitly claim-- that it was her first big role. In fact, Remini had already not only appeared in several episodes of Who's the Boss?, she starred in its spin-off, Living Dolls, which ran for 12 episodes in 1989 and also marked the debut of one Halle Berry.
10 She Was Very Busy The Year She Filmed SBTB
In addition to Saved by the Bell not being Leah's first TV role, it wasn't even her only role the year that her episodes aired. In 1991, the year that her SBTB arc ran, she also appeared in episodes of Paradise, The Hogan Family, The Man in the Family (as a main cast member), and most notably, as Carla's daughter Serafina on Cheers.
9 Her Age Difference With Mark-Paul Gosselaar Bordered On Inappropriate
Saved by the Bell was a little unusual in that all of its actors were actually teenagers at the time that they were playing teenagers-- compare that to, say, 90210, whose cast easily looked five years older than they were playing. Leah Remini, however, was 20 when she filmed her scenes for the show-- making it a little awkward that she was smooching with the then-17-year-old Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
8 Her SBTB Debut Also Marked Mr. Belding's First Absence
The only constant adult cast member on Saved by the Bell was principal Mr. Belding, played by Dennis Haskins. Belding had actually been one of the only characters to appear in every episode of SBTB up to the point of Leah Remini's time on the show, but her first episode was also the very first one without a Mr. Belding appearance, and she never shared any scenes with Haskins.
7 The Setting Of Her Episodes Is A Real-Life Resort That Still Exists
While Bayside High was only a set, the Malibu Sands resort owned by Stacey Carosi's dad was actually a real resort. The name of that resort is Annenberg Community Beach House, though it's located in Santa Monica rather than Malibu. If you want to visit it, just know that it looks almost unrecognizable from its SBTB days as it was extensively remodeled after a 1994 earthquake.
6 She Was Glad Her Character Didn't Stay With Zack
Like all of Zack's girlfriends that weren't Kelly, Stacey didn't stand a chance at having a lasting relationship with him. So how does Leah Remini feel about that? As a fan of the show, she recognized that Zack and Kelly are soulmates and said in an interview with Hollywood.com that she was glad that Zack and Stacey broke up and that he ended up with Kelly in the end.
5 ...But She's Interested In An On-Screen Reunion With Mark-Paul Gosselaar
While Leah was willing to accept that Stacey and Zack's time together was ill-fated, she hasn't ruled out another one of her characters romancing another one of Mark-Paul Gosselaar's characters. While promoting her sitcom Family Tools, Leah told Hollywood.com that she wouldn't mind seeing Gosselaar guest star on the show in order to revisit the "magic that was captured on the beach."
4 She Wasn't The Only Up-And-Coming Actress In Those Episodes
Saved by the Bell definitely featured its fair share of appearances by young, up-and-coming actors, but the Malibu Sands arc in particular seemed like fertile ground to introduce future stars. Besides Leah, those episodes also featured a certain Denise Richards as a bikini-clad babe trying to woo A.C. Slater, so little-known that she wasn't even credited.
3 Her Character's Ex-Boyfriend Was Played By A Future TV Doctor
It would seem as though the Malibu Sands episodes of SBTB were something of a preview for who was going to be gracing magazine covers for their hotness over the next decade or so, as, in addition to Leah Remini and Denise Richards, "McSteamy" Eric Dane of future Grey's Anatomy fame also showed up as Stacey's ex-boyfriend in his first-ever acting role.
2 She And Mario Lopez Already Had A Mini Reunion
While Leah Remini is still keeping her fingers crossed for the chance to work with Mark-Paul Gosselaar again, she did have an on-screen reunion with another of her SBTB co-stars. In 2013, Leah appeared on Extra and was interviewed by none other than co-host Mario Lopez, who of course played A.C. Slater. The pair had a great time joking and reminiscing about their time together on SBTB.
1 Everyone Was Very Nice To Her
Sure, by all accounts except for Dustin Diamond's, the main cast of SBTB were friends (and sometimes lovers) behind the scenes and had a great time making the show. But were they as welcoming to guest stars? It seems they were to Leah, at least, who told Hollywood.com, "they were all lovely to me." Maybe they were afraid she was like Stacey and wouldn't put up with anything less!