Essence Atkins' performance as Danielle Marks in the "SBTB: The College Years" pilot

[EccentricGenius]

After graduating from Bayside High in the summer of '93, Zack, Slater, and Screech all headed upstate from Malibu to Berkley to attend the fictitious Bay Area-based college California University in the initial pilot episode of Saved By The Bell: The College Years, airing in May of '93.

In the aforementioned initial SBTB: The College Years pilot, viewers were introduced to four new characters: hulking residential adviser (and former NFL defensive tackle) Mike Rogers, sensitive rich girl (and the object of Zack's affections) Leslie Burke, aspiring thespian (and drama major) Alex Taber, and earnest newcomer Danielle Marks. Zack, Slater, and Screech all shared a dormitory suite on the "Cal U" campus along with Leslie, Alex, and Danielle.

Though the episode was uneven, I enjoyed Essence Atkins' performance as Washington, D.C. transplant Danielle Marks; Essence's portrayal of Danielle was one of the very few bright spots of the initial SBTB: The College Years, along with Bob Golic's menacing performance as the gruff but loveable Mike Rogers.

Sadly, as true SBTB aficionados already know by now, executive producer Peter Engel was disappointed with the end results of the initial SBTB: The College Years pilot and ultimately decided to retool the spinoff prior to its official series premiere that autumn. Engel extended an invitation to Tiffani Thiessen to reprise the role of Zack's high school squeeze Kelly Kapowski on SBTB: The College Years. Tiffani reluctantly agreed to return as Kelly on SBTB: The College Years that September, and Essence (as well as her character, Danielle) was abruptly eliminated from the cast. In fact, in the premiere episode of SBTB: The College Years ("Guess Who's Coming To College?"), Screech casually mentions to Kelly that "one of the girls just transferred" (obviously referring to Danielle).

I was thoroughly disappointed when Essence was dropped from the SBTB: The College Years cast like a hot potato fresh from the oven; had Tiffani not returned as Kelly, I had hoped and prayed that Danielle would've evolved fully as a character and become more involved in the uproarious campus shenanigans occurring at "Cal U"--alongside her female suitemates Leslie and Alex--instigated by Zack, Slater, and Screech. Perhaps Danielle would've become both a comedic foil as well as a potential love interest for Screech, possibly echoing Screech's failed affections for his longtime classmate Lisa Turtle on the original SBTB. Guess we'll never know, will we?

My main complaint about Essence's lone appearance as Danielle in the initial SBTB: The College Years pilot is her overall number of spoken lines in the script...upon rewatching the episode recently, Essence had about seven or eight lines in total, far less than all of her main castmates combined (particularly newbies Anne Tremko and Kiersten Warren).

What is your overall verdict of Essence Atkins' performance as D.C. native Danielle Marks in the initial pilot for SBTB: The College Years? Do you think Danielle (and Essence) should've remained a main cast member from beginning to end? Or do you believe Danielle deserved to be banished to SBTB: The College Years purgatory alongside Theresa Alvarez (Slater's activist classmate and potential love interest in "Slater's War") and Linda Addington (the teen tennis phenom who becomes infatuated with Screech in "Screech Love")?

In any case, feel free to drop me a line anytime...I'd love to hear from all of you.

Enjoy the remainder of your terrific Tuesday, and have a safe and happy holiday season!