At some point in the life of a ’90s sitcom, the show would often feature the trope of a very serious topic. Some of these topics were so serious, in fact, that the episodes garnered a special cast-led PSA at the end of the show. These episodes came to be known as “Very Special Episodes” (always capitalized), and almost every sitcom of the ‘90s fell to the VSE at some point or another.
One sitcom that featured multiple Very Special Episodes was Saved by the Bell. Of course, you remember the most famous and meme-able one now, but did it make the top of our ranked list? Scroll on to find out.
Want to read about the all-time best episodes of Saved by the Bell? We got you: The Most Awesome-est Episodes of Saved by the Bell
5. Drinking and Driving (4x10)
A classic of the Very Special Episode genre — an episode about alcohol! The writers were not fooling around with the episode title either. I mean, really? You’re just going to call it “Drinking and Driving?” Okay. Fine. I guess we know what’s going to happen in this episode. Yep, the gang drinks, and drives, and gets into a wreck. Unfortunately, this episode features Tori, the leather-jacket-wearing “too cool” girl who hung around with everyone minus Jessie and Kelly for half of senior year. The episode is honestly pretty dumb, as it seems to be teaching you that it’s only bad to drink and drive if you lie about it, rather than teaching you that drinking and driving itself is bad. Okay, guys. You could’ve done better on this one.
4. Home for Christmas Parts 1 & 2 (3x24 & 3x25)
An extra special Very Special Episode, because it comes in two parts! In this two-part Christmas special, the gang all get jobs at the mall during the holiday season. They end up encountering a homeless man, and Zack gets all judgmental about said homeless dude. Of course, his judgement changes when he realizes the homeless man also happens to be the father of the girl he’s got a new crush on that works with Kelly at the mall. To be honest, these episodes are pretty boring, which is sad given the subject matter and the fact that they’re holiday episodes, which should automatically make them more fun. No. This two-parter VSE is for the birds.
3. No Hope with Dope (4x21)
Okay, here we go. Now we’re getting somewhere. If you thought an episode about alcohol was a trope, now we’re going to talk about drugs. The nastiest of all nasty drugs: marijuana! The horror! In this Very Special Episode, the gang gets to meet a super famous star, Johnny Dakota, only to be disappointed when they discover he’s like, totally into Mary Jane. Which is so ironic because he actually came to Bayside to film an anti-drug commercial! The hypocrisy! You gotta wonder, were any of the actors on the show at the time secretly into smoking a doobie, or were they really as squeaky clean as their counterparts? Bonus of this episode: an actual PSA at the end!
2. Pipe Dreams (3x11)
“Pipe Dreams” is for the environmentalists out there, and you know the ‘90s were all about bringing awareness to the environment. The Bayside gang discovers that there be oil in them there football field, and dream of striking it rich using said oil — because, you know, the school and the kids would get to keep all the money derived from said oil. Right. That makes total sense. But yes, the kids are all very excited about the possibilities of Cool Stuff thanks to Oil Money. But then, tragedy strikes. Becky, a duck that Zack recently nursed back to health after accidentally hitting her with a baseball, gets killed when the oil spills into the nature habitat near the football field. Not to worry, though, they are able to “just say no” to the oil company taking over the school, in a dramatic display where the kids squirt oil all over not only the model of the new school, but also the Big Oil corporate hacks who are presenting said model. Way to stick it to the man, guys.
1. Jessie's Song (2x09)
Okay, yes, duh, this classic had to be the top of the list. It’s the one everyone remembers, and honestly it really is the best one of the bunch. During this episode, the girls form a singing group called Hot Sundae that even gets them a performance at The Max, and of course Zack is there to be their manager and try to take them to the big time. Thing is, Jessie is struggling to keep up with the group and all of her studies, so she starts taking caffeine pills. She gets more and more addicted to them, to the point where we have her epic freakout with Zack that has spawned many a meme. Because caffeine pills are so dangerous, you guys, and you can easily get addicted to them in a matter of days! Yes, it’s a bit silly, but honestly it was a good lesson about how perfection is not attainable, and to ask for help when you need it.
Do you agree with our ranking? Let us know in the comments!
- In “Jessie’s Song,” Jessie was meant to be taking speed rather than caffeine pills, but NBC wouldn’t let the writers use speed for a Saturday morning show, so they had to change it to the infamous caffeine pills.
- Environmentalism was very on trend in the ’90s, and after the Exxon Valdez oil spill that killed many animals in 1989, it’s no surprise that SBTB would show the effects of oil on animals for a younger audience to comprehend.
- The “Just Say No” campaign against illegal drugs was very prevalent in the 1980s and early 1990s, so it’s no wonder SBTB became part of the cause with their anti-drug episode.
- Zack’s mom made a rare appearance in the “Home for Christmas” episodes — she was only in one other episode of the show (“Fake ID’s”) and the TV movie of Zack and Kelly’s wedding.
- Similarly, Zack’s dad showed up in the “Drinking and Driving” episode, and he only appeared in one other episode (“Rent-a-Pop”), along with the TV movie. Similarly, Lisa’s mom also made an appearance in the “Drinking and Driving” episode, and only had one other appearance as well, in “The Surgery.”
- In “Jessie’s Song,” Jessie was meant to be taking speed rather than caffeine pills, but NBC wouldn’t let the writers use speed for a Saturday morning show, so they had to change it to the infamous caffeine pills.
- Environmentalism was very on trend in the ’90s, and after the Exxon Valdez oil spill that killed many animals in 1989, it’s no surprise that SBTB would show the effects of oil on animals for a younger audience to comprehend.
- The “Just Say No” campaign against illegal drugs was very prevalent in the 1980s and early 1990s, so it’s no wonder SBTB became part of the cause with their anti-drug episode.
- Zack’s mom made a rare appearance in the “Home for Christmas” episodes — she was only in one other episode of the show (“Fake ID’s”) and the TV movie of Zack and Kelly’s wedding.
- Similarly, Zack’s dad showed up in the “Drinking and Driving” episode, and he only appeared in one other episode (“Rent-a-Pop”), along with the TV movie. Similarly, Lisa’s mom also made an appearance in the “Drinking and Driving” episode, and only had one other appearance as well, in “The Surgery.”
