I think that the reason that the College Years failed was because it led NBC's Tuesday prime time line- up, and it isn't the smartest choice to air a new sitcom first.

It also failed because of the terrible shows that were following it. The shows through 8:30 and 10:00 were very boring and didn't attract much viewers either. The College Years actually did amazing comparing to it's followers.


So I come to the conclusion that SBTB:CY failed because the Tuesday nights at NBC were terrible overall, and viewers decided not to watch. Viewers turned to ABC and watched Saved By The Bell's competition, Full House, and Who's The Boss?


NBC should of moved The College Years to Thursday nights and I am sure the show would of had much more success over there.


(I hope you guys understood what I said, because I was rushing when I was typing this! :D)

It failed b/c
1- It was BORING
2- People didn't want to accept them that way- All grown up.

3- It aimed towards an older audience, which the show to begin with never really had.

I would have to agree and disagree.

I do agree that NBC should not have run SBTB:CY at the same time as Full House. But I don't think the series could've lasted for much more than a single season anyway. Zack and Kelly were obviously going to end up together in the original series, and that theme continued into the college years. I think it was practical to end the series after one season so Zack and Kelly could get married in "Wedding In Las Vegas".

As far as the show appealing to an older audience, I think that's true. But, I don't think that's all a bad thing. I think the earlier episodes of SBTB had terribly cheesy humor. As the series came along, they improved that, and developed the characters' personalities a little more.

I didn't think the episodes were boring. They were quite interesting! :o

It was probably applied to an older audience because the original audience had gotten older.

I never understood why it failed and was cancelled. I thought it was very good almost as good as the high school years. I think maybe it failed because the viewers wanted to have Jesse and Lisa on the show. And didn't like that they were replaced by these new girls.

Will and Grace fanatic I am one who didn't like the two Lisa and Jessie replacements, they just didn't fit in like Lisa and Jessie did. Overall I wish the show would have lasted longer than it did, I did like it but it doesn't compare to the high school years.

I actully liked the College Years but I always Thought Full house was on Fridays?

the college years were definatly boring:wave: :wave: :wave:

Originally posted by JWillhight
I actully liked the College Years but I always Thought Full house was on Fridays?

It was on Tuesday nights in 1993 when it was opposite SBTB:CY.

I liked "The College" Years even better than the original -- and I was a big fan of the original. I thought it was more sophisticated, more grown-up. I always liked Kelly and Zack together and enjoyed watching them fall in love again. My only complaint was that Jessie and Lisa weren't there, but I didn't mind the new people all that much.

I wonder if The College Years actually had potential, but shot itself in the foot by bringing Kelly back at the expense of Essence Atkins' character? In effect, that showed growth by having a new cast of females.

I definitely think bringing Kelly back was the best idea than bringing on someone else who had nothing to do with the original Saved By The Bell. If they would have brought someone who was not on the original Saved By The Bell, then the show may not have lasted a full season. I was glad to see Lisa and Jesse made it to Zack and Kelly's wedding on Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas. I always wondered why Mr. Belding wasn't on Saved By The Bell: The College Years.

I definitely think bringing Kelly back was the best idea than bringing on someone else who had nothing to do with the original Saved By The Bell. If they would have brought someone who was not on the original Saved By The Bell, then the show may not have lasted a full season. I was glad to see Lisa and Jesse made it to Zack and Kelly's wedding on Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas. I always wondered why Mr. Belding wasn't on Saved By The Bell: The College Years.

I agree, bringing Kelly back was a smart move. We had the three male leads so not having at least one female lead from the high school years would have probably got it cancelled sooner. When I think back on the college years I realized Leslie didn’t bother me as much but I really didn’t like Alex.

I wonder if The College Years came on NBC about a year or so too early? Imagine if The College Years was on at the same time as Friends. Both shows were roughly about young, attractive, affluent single people in the '90s. By that point, wholesome family shows like Full House were on their way out.

I definitely think bringing Kelly back was the best idea than bringing on someone else who had nothing to do with the original Saved By The Bell. If they would have brought someone who was not on the original Saved By The Bell, then the show may not have lasted a full season. I was glad to see Lisa and Jesse made it to Zack and Kelly's wedding on Saved By The Bell: Wedding In Las Vegas. I always wondered why Mr. Belding wasn't on Saved By The Bell: The College Years.

Belding appeared in the star studded Thanksgiving episode

I am only just now learning that there were just 19 episodes of the show. To me, there should've been at least a few more for it to have one full season.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

Perhaps The College Years (https://web.archive.org/web/20190311210130/http://www.savedbythebellreviewed.com/2016/01/27/saved-by-the-bell-the-college-years-reviewed/) didn't work because the storylines were too mature for the target audience who had grown up watching Saved by the Bell on Saturday mornings. The show's original audience was not the same as say on Beverly Hills, 90210 or Melrose Place. Basically, why should teenagers watch a cheesy Saturday morning show transferred into prime time when they had those other prime-time teen/adult dramas? Plus, NBC pitted The College Years directly against (https://moviechat.org/tt0106122/Saved-by-the-Bell-The-College-Years/58c75a266b51e905f67baebb/I-Wish-This-Hadnt-Been-Cancelled) Full House on ABC.

To me, being on at the same time as Full House was not a help to this show.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

To me, being on at the same time as Full House was not a help to this show.

God bless you always!!!

Holly


I always thought it couldnt compete with Home Improvement on Tuesday Nights since that was ABC's top sitcom that season. BTW, Saved by the Bell the college years was the 83rd ranked show that season

I have enjoyed the college years and thought it was better than high school years but I am probably the only one

I have enjoyed the college years and thought it was better than high school years but I am probably the only one

Yeah, definitely not a popular opinion.

To me, the original is a much better show.

I wonder if The College Years actually had potential, but shot itself in the foot by bringing Kelly back at the expense of Essence Atkins' character? In effect, that showed growth by having a new cast of females.

Interesting theory, TMC. I had actually enjoyed Essence Atkins' character, Washington, D.C. native Danielle Marks, in the pilot episode of SBTB: The College Years. Essence's onscreen chemistry with Saturday morning vets Mark-Paul, Mario, and Dustin--along with fellow California University newbies Anne Tremko (earnest but sensible rich girl Leslie Burke) and Kiersten Warren (aspiring thespian Alex Tabor)--was top-notch, and she definitely brought a dynamic to the cast. Essence's portrayal of upper middle class African-American college freshman Danielle--daughter of a federal court judge--was a significant cut above many, if not all, of the typical portrayals of young African-American female characters seen in American entertainment during the nineties, be it television, film, or even popular music.

When NBC added The College Years to its fall schedule in the autumn of '93 (if my memory serves me correct, the pilot had aired in primetime the previous May, following SBTB's graduation episode), Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen) had mysteriously replaced Danielle at California University with very little or no explanation; apparently audiences and fans--as well as Engel himself--were both unimpressed with the end results of the pilot, so Engel decided to offer Tiffani an opportunity to reprise her most famous role for the rest of The College Years' criminally short run (eighteen low-rated episodes)--thus replacing both Essence and her character altogether. In fact, in the hour-long fall premiere episode of The College Years("Guess Who's Coming To College?"), Screech mentions Danielle's eventual fate to the newly arrived Kelly that "one of the girls just transferred."

I was devastated when Essence and her character both got the proverbial boot from The College Years following the pilot; though Essence ultimately rebounded and has continued to enjoy a steady career in Hollywood for the last three decades (Smart Guy, How High, Half & Half), I've always wondered how Danielle would've progressed on The College Years had Engel not terminated Essence and replaced her with Tiffani...sadly, we'll never know, will we?

Enjoy your Hump Day, everyone!