it's all right, 'cause I'm saved by the bell

I don't have many childhood memories of my brother. What I have are impressions of him as the funniest person in existence, of wanting to be like him, of knowing he saw me for the dork I was and wishing I could be cool. He was like Zack Morris.

One of the memories I have of being with my brother is after school, watching our (his) shows on a console TV.

Do they even make Zenith TVs anymore?

That beast wasn't pretty, but it worked. And worked. In fact, my brother inherited it when he moved out in his 20s, and it was still working when he sold his place and left the TV on his lawn to be taken by whoever may need a '70s era set that will live forever.

The show we both loved was Saved By The Bell, and in those days it played on multiple channels during the post-school afternoon hours. I don't remember a single real conversation taking place during these afternoons, but that had no bearing on the fact that I loved it – the show, the routine, my brother. Other shows were in there too, most notably Family Matters, but Saved By The Bell was the best.

After enough time, I knew every episode of the "real" show (the high school years). But we grew up, time passed, I no longer had cable, and the show disappeared from my life.

Now I have a home, job, husband, baby. I have a new routine. And Saved By The Bell is back in my life with a vengeance. Not just the high school years, either – I've been exposed to the middle school years (Good Morning, Miss Bliss, repackaged as Saved By The Bell) and the College Years, as well as all the special episodes (Malibu Sands, Hawaiian Style, Wedding in Las Vegas, Jessie's dad's wedding, the Christmas mall episodes...).

Every morning, when I'm done getting myself ready, Fletcher and I go downstairs and turn on the TV so that the show can be our background noise while we play and eat and finish getting ready for the day (or in Fletcher's case, getting ready for his big morning nap).

That dumb show will always have special significance for me, will always be "classic," always entertaining. If TBS keeps it going, my son will grow up learning not to drive drunk or he won't be able to participate in homecoming, not to do drugs like Johnny Dakota, not to take caffeine pills (I'm so excited! I'm so... scared!!), and that constantly lying like Zack Morris to get what you want, while entertaining, has its consequences.

It's a shame I don't know any of the New Class episodes. Or is it?

Here's Zack Morris on Jimmy Fallon: