When I look back at my childhood, I often think about the amount of television I was allowed to watch. It’s a wonderful thing to find a show that you like, that you can keep coming back to each week and discover something new about the characters. That’s how Saved by the Bell was for me. It became one of the shows that I watched on Saturday mornings. When I began watching the show I thought all the episodes were new, but after I realized the characters graduated in 1993, I realized that I was a part of the first generation of viewers to watch the show through syndication. I’ve seen every episode and could probably recite the lines from many shows myself with the sound on the TV being on. It is because of this; I would like to recognize that Dustin Diamond was a big part of my childhood. While I didn’t relate to his character Screech in personality, his humor and character development over the years made the show worth watching. He provided comedy relief at an extraordinarily high level that many people my age at the time found incredibly hilarious and fun. Hopefully, Diamond knew what he meant to his fans before his death.
The timing of his death is what makes it so shocking for his former castmates and fans around the world. The recent Saved by Bell Reboot did not feature Screech, but did mention the character in an episode that explained where he is today (I won’t say where they said he was because I don’t want to make a spoiler). Through interviews Elizabeth Berkley and Lark Voorhies hinted at a potential return of Dustin Diamond and the cast was looking forward to working with him again. According to sources Diamond was in talks with the production team for returning to play Screech in the reboot, there were at the stage where they were discussing the compensation for his role. Diamond knew that Screech was an iconic comedic character, and he wanted to make sure that he got a fair contract in order to bring his brand of comedy back to the show, which would increase its ratings and the number of people who would download the Peacock streaming service in order to watch the show. All discussions were moving in a positive direction, but unfortunately, three week ago Diamond discovered that he had stage 4 lung cancer. He passed away only three weeks later.
Last month he entered a hospital for experiencing pains all over his body. It was at this healthcare facility that Diamond was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. They immediately began chemotherapy and other procedures in attempts to save his life. It has been reported that his long-time girlfriend was by his side the entire time, and verified that he did not suffer when he passed away. These grim details are tough to listen to and think about. It is easy to think about what could have been if a healthy Diamond were to return to the reboot, perhaps it would significantly increase its ratings. While it would have been great for the fans to see him in action one more time, the most important part of the story is the humanitarian component. Many child stars, particularly those who’s roles reach an iconic statis, find it difficult to transition into work in other projects because producers and casting directors still see them as the character(s) they used to play. Diamond was human, hilarious and committed to his work. Although his family is having difficult time right now, they should be proud of him and what he has been able to accomplish in his short life.
