by Troy Morris

Created on: November 12, 2007

Waking up on a Wednesday has become like pulling teeth. As adults, Wednesday has become nothing more than a mid-week reminder that we are full-fledged members of "the rat race"; a reminder that rent is due; a reminder that the $7 hot dog we had at the baseball game last night has given us heartburn. I lay awake, listening to the alarm buzz and try to remember what Wednesdays used to be.

It used to be the day my elementary school would release us at noon and my only goal was to rush home in time for a two hour block of the show that defined my generation; the show that would have never worked on television during any other time in television history; the show that, if mentioned in a bar filled with anyone born between the late 70's and mid 80's, will spark an hour's worth of excited conversation.

Whether it was the episode where Kelly kissed Jeff or when Slater was almost shipped off to Hawaii, Saved by the Bell was a show that nestled itself into every young person's heart and remains there to this day. Throughout the 62 (true) episodes and 2 TV movies, the gang (not counting you, Tori!) taught us all how to laugh and how to love. To honor such a gift to society, here are the Top 5 Saved by the Bell episodes. May they live on in our hearts (and in syndication) forever.

5) Rockumentary (Season 4, Episode 6)

I'll be ruffling some feathers with this selection, I know. This episode is completely far fetched and peppered with intermittent Kasey Kasem cameos which should be enough to deter any person of moral fortitude from calling this a favorite. The entire gang becomes super-mega pop music stars, following the clich all the way through breaking up and reuniting for a terribly popular reunion tour.

Sure, it's cheesy and it all turns out to be a dream, but the plethora of pop culture references and message of "friendship forever" have certainly earned this episode a place in the top 5. Plus, those songs are more addictive than any song Foreigner ever wrote.

4) Slater's Friend (Season 1, Episode 12)

When his best friend, a gecko named Arty, passes onto the other side while he's out of town, Slater finds himself in a deep depression. To make matters worse, his human friends are completely guilt ridden, absolutely convinced each of them is responsible for Arty's misfortune. The violins were working over time and the strings attached to my heart were pulled to the breaking point when Arty returned to finger his murderer during a dream of a police line up.

Eventually,

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