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Tag: Saved by the Bell

  • Saved by the Bell Star Dennis Haskins Dies at 75

    Saved by the Bell Star Dennis Haskins Dies at 75

    Key Highlights:

    • Dennis Haskins, best known as Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell, has died aged 75.
    • Haskins played Principal Belding in the original series and its seven-year spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
    • His cause of death has not been released.

    Dennis Haskins, the ‘Saved by the Bell’ principal, dies at 75

    Dennis Haskins, who became widely known for playing Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell, has died aged 75. Haskins’ agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the death in a statement shared with ABC News.

    “It’s a tragic loss.“Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis, loved him even more. He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans. He always had time for them, no matter what.“He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly.”

    Haskins’ cause of death has not been released.

    Dennis Haskins’ career as Principal Richard Belding

    Haskins began his acting career in the late 1970s, appearing in several episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard. He went on to secure his defining role as Principal Richard Belding in the original run of Saved by the Bell, which aired from 1989 to 1993.

    As the principal of Bayside High School, Haskins’ character regularly tried—and usually failed—to keep the students in line. He appeared alongside Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies and the late Dustin Diamond, helping make Principal Belding one of the most recognizable adult characters in the series.

    Dennis Haskins alongside his Saved by the Bell co-stars (NBC)

    Following the original series, Haskins reprised the role in the spin-off Saved by the Bell: The New Class. The show ran for another seven years and allowed Haskins to continue playing Principal Belding for a new group of high-school students. He also returned to one of the character’s best-known lines: Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?

    Haskins reflected on the show’s lasting success

    In a 2013 interview with Parade, Haskins discussed the atmosphere on Saved by the Bell and the connection the cast developed with its audience.

    “When we got to the full-on Saved by the Bell, I knew it was something special because the energy was different, the kids were a little bit older, the dynamic was great between everybody, and we were having a great time. We did twenty episodes and we were done. We didn’t have a long-term contract. They brought us back when the show went on TBS in the afternoons and kids discovered it there and came back to Saturday morning. That’s when the show took off. So it was a gradual process. It was a warm, fuzzy thing. They got to know us and we got to know them. It was a wonderful growing process.”

    Haskins also said he had the “best job of all” because, unlike the young actors who eventually grew up and left the fictional school, he remained on the show to welcome a new generation of unruly high-school students through The New Class.

    In 2015, Haskins appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with several of his Saved by the Bell co-stars. He played Principal Belding again in a short sketch.

    Other Dennis Haskins television and film appearances

    Beyond Saved by the Bell, Haskins appeared in a range of television shows and films, including New Girl, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

    Haskins also appeared in the music video for Khalid’s Young Dumb & Broke. In the video, he once again played a school principal and delivered an end-of-year announcement over the school’s intercom.

    Dennis Haskins played Principal Richard Belding for more than a decade (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

    Why This Matters

    Dennis Haskins’ performance as Principal Richard Belding extended across the original Saved by the Bell series and its spin-off, giving him a continuous connection to more than one generation of viewers. His return to the role in later appearances also reflected the enduring recognition of the character and the show’s cast.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How old was Dennis Haskins when he died?

    Dennis Haskins was 75.

    What was Dennis Haskins best known for?

    He was best known for playing Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.

    What was Dennis Haskins’ cause of death?

    His cause of death has not been released.

  • Saved by the Bell Star Reveals Show Earnings 20 Years After Finale

    Saved by the Bell Star Reveals Show Earnings 20 Years After Finale

    Key Highlights

    • Tiffani Thiessen reveals Saved by the Bell residuals have “dried out entirely,” with cheques now costing more to print than their value.
    • The actress says the original cast “didn’t have pull on that show at all” and “made nothing” during the series’ 1989–1993 run.
    • Co-star Jodie Sweetin confirms the decline, disclosing she recently received a residual cheque for just one cent.

    Thiessen Details the Financial Reality of Saved by the Bell Residuals

    Appearing on Page Six Radio on September 24, Tiffani Thiessen — best known for portraying Kelly Kapowski on the iconic 1990s sitcom Saved by the Bell — offered a candid assessment of the show’s long‑tail earnings. The 52‑year‑old actress stated that the residual income that once supplemented the cast’s livelihoods has evaporated. “I think it has dried out,’ she said. ‘It’s like, negative now. It costs more to print the cheque.”

    Limited Leverage During Original Run

    Thiessen explained that the ensemble lacked negotiating power when the series aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993. “We didn’t have pull on that show at all. We made nothing and we just did our job.” She noted that compensation improved only after the show moved to a primetime slot, but the real financial turning point in her career arrived when she departed the franchise for a role on Beverly Hills, 90210.

    Co‑Star Corroborates the Decline

    The account aligns with recent comments from Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner across all eight seasons of Saved by the Bell. Sweetin revealed she was recently issued a residual cheque for a single cent — an amount that no longer covers the cost of postage, let alone a purchase. The anecdote underscores how syndication revenue for older network sitcoms has dwindled in the streaming era.

    From On‑Screen Stardom to Culinary Entrepreneurship

    Despite the residual shortfall, Thiessen has maintained a steady professional trajectory. Alongside her husband, actor Brady Smith, she has built a second career in food media. She now hosts her own cooking channel and has authored two cookbooks. Reflecting on the origins of her culinary passion, Thiessen shared: “I would always watch my mother and grandmother and aunt, all the women in my family, cooking in the kitchen together. And I just wanted to be with them.” She added, “It was me as a little girl, wanting to hang out with the cool women in my family and doing what they were doing.”

    Why This Matters

    The revelations from Thiessen and Sweetin illuminate a broader shift in television economics. For decades, syndication residuals provided a reliable annuity for actors on hit network series — most famously the Friends cast, who continue to earn millions annually. However, the migration of classic libraries to proprietary streaming platforms, coupled with renegotiated licensing terms, has sharply reduced payouts for shows that predate modern profit‑participation contracts. Thiessen’s experience highlights how performers from the early‑90s sitcom boom, who often signed standard Screen Actors Guild agreements without backend participation, are now seeing those revenue streams vanish. Industry observers expect the trend to accelerate as media conglomerates prioritize owned‑and‑operated streaming catalogs over third‑party syndication deals.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much do Saved by the Bell residuals pay today?
    According to Thiessen and Sweetin, the payments have become negligible — Sweetin received a cheque for one cent, and Thiessen says it now costs more to print and mail the cheques than the amounts are worth.
    Did the original cast negotiate better deals later?
    Thiessen stated the cast “didn’t have pull on that show at all” during its original run and “made nothing.” She noted compensation improved only after the series moved to primetime, but her significant financial breakthrough came from joining Beverly Hills, 90210.
    What is Tiffani Thiessen doing now?
    Thiessen has stepped back from acting and built a career in food media. She hosts a cooking channel, has published two cookbooks, and credits her inspiration to childhood memories of cooking with her mother, grandmother, and aunt.