Dennis Haskins Movies

Believe it or not, Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) has finally stumbled up a strictly "fair and square" method of foreclosing on the Dukes' farm and arresting Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat). But after being informed that he has only two weeks to live, Boss decides to change his ways and perform nothing but good deeds lest his soul be claimed by Satan. The byplay between Boss, Sheriff Roscoe (James Best) and Deputy Cletus (Rick Hurst) is particularly amusing in this rambunctious episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough makes a return visit to Hazzard county, this time to provide words of comfort to a seriously ill youngster who is about to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, Yarborough somehow gets involved with bank robbers, who manage to frame both him and the Duke cousins for a high-profile heist. Wanna bet that the story is resolved by some fancy race-car calisthenics in the climactic chase scene? Oh, and look: Playing one of the bad guys is Saved by the Bell's "Mr. Belding", Dennis Haskins! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Debuting just after the cancellation of its predecessor, Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class begins its first season as Principal Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) trepidly prepares to welcome the new sophomore class at Bayside High School. This year's crop of newcomers include Scott (Robert Sutherland Telfer), "Weasel" (Isaac Lidsky), "Tommy D" (Jonathan Angel), Megan (Bianca Lawson), Lindsay (Natalia Cigliuti), and Vicki (Bonnie Russavage). As before, the kids deal with the trials and tribulations of teenhood with a heady combination of humor and pathos. Episodes worth noting during season one include "Belding's Baby," which makes pointed references to Saved by the Bell's "sister" series California Dreams; "Good-bye Megan," featuring Richard Lawson as the father of student Megan Jones (played by the actor's real-life daughter Bianca Lawson); and "Swap Meet," which introduces Sarah Lancaster as Rachel Meyers, who would become a regular during the series' second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A sequel to the popular NBC weekend seriocomic series Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which first aired September 11, 1993, was set not long after the familiar regulars from the original series had graduated from Bayside High School. During the sequel's first season, only the character of Principal Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) was carried over from the first Saved by the Bell. The sequel's initial episodes introduced Bayside's incoming sophomore class: Scott Erickson (Robert Sutherland Telfer), Barton "Weasel" Wyzell (Isaac Lidsky), "Tommy D." DeLuca (Jonathan Angel), Megan Jones (Bianca Lawson), Lindsay Warner (Natalia Cigiluti), and Vicki Needleman (Bonnie Russavage). Fans of the earlier series could not help but notice that the new cast bore many of the character traits associated with the Saved by the Bell regulars -- notably Scott, who came off as the new incarnation of the earlier show's inimitable Samuel "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond). This may be why Scott was among the characters eliminated during The New Class' second season, when, in a ratings-boosting move, "Screech" returned, this time as a college student working on a trial basis as Mr. Belding's administrative assistant. (Other Saved by the Bell favorites would pop up as guest stars in later New Class episodes.)

Each successive season of Saved By the Bell: The New Class found a handful of new students either joining the existing cast members or replacing departing regulars. Newcomers in season two included Rachel Myers (Sarah Lancaster, who'd played the role on a sporadic basis in the previous season), Brian Keller (Christian Oliver), and Bobby Wilson (Spankee Rogers). Season three brought forth R.J. Collins (Salim Grant), Maria Lopez (Samantha Becker), and Ryan Parker (Richard Lee Jackson). In season four we met Nicky Farina (Ben Gould), Katie Peterson (Lindsey McKeon), and Eric Little (Anthony Harrell). New to the cast in season five was Liz Miller (Ashley Lyn Cafagna). And in season six, Tony Dillon (Tom Wade Huntington) joined the student body. Plot-wise, Saved by the Bell: The New Class followed the formula established by its predecessor: zany comedy set pieces, intramural romances, seemingly insurmountable crises, brushes with such social problems as drunk driving, smoking, drug use, and premarital sex, impromptu musical numbers, and exotic "field trips" to faraway locales. Although only six seasons of The New Class episodes were produced, the series lasted seven first-run years on NBC, its final season split into two 13-episode segments and spread out over a two-year period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The class roster of Saved by the Bell: The New Class' fourth season includes two carryovers from season three, Maria (Samantha Becker) and Ryan (Richard Lee Jackson). Of the missing students, Lindsey has gone off to college, "Tommy D" has moved to Florida, and R.J. has apparently vanished from the face of the earth. Among the newcomers this season are Ryan's new stepbrother, Nicky (Ben Gould), sexy Katie (Lindsay McKeon), and football jock Eric (Anthony Harrell). Of course, Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) remains the principal of Bayside High School, with former student "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond) fulfilling his college requirements as Belding's administrative assistant. As in the previous season, several The New Class episodes have been recycled from storylines previously utilized on the original Saved by the Bell. "Backstage Pass" bears a strong resemblance to the earlier series' "Dancing to the Max"; "Baby Care" is a remake of "The Mamas and the Papas"; and "Fall Formal" has its roots in "The Prom." The season's two-part finale finds the students' favorite hangout, The Max, accidentally burning down, thereby cuing a "clip" show culled from both Saved by the Bell incarnations, with Mario López reprising his role of A.C. Slater from the earlier series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Twenty-six episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class were produced for the series' sixth season. However, only 13 were telecast, with the remaining 13 withheld from view until the series' seventh and final year on the air. Virtually all of the regulars seen in season five have returned to Bayside High School this term. The only "dropout" is Richard Lee Jackson as Ryan, while the sole newcomer is Tom Wade Huntington as Tony. This last-named character figures into one of the series' traditional "problem" episodes, in which the students try to dissuade Tony from smoking cigarettes. Another example of a "serious" issue amidst all the hilarity is the episode in which student Katie (Lindsey McKeon) must fend off the sexual harassment of her new boss. Inasmuch as season six of The New Class has been literally cut in half, the season ends with the obligatory Christmas episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jeff Burr's family friendly science fiction film The X-Treme Teens stars Bryan Neal as Andy, a teenager who one day discovers a special pair of powerful glasses. Not long after that, he is approached by aliens who need his help in order to retrieve a lost item that, in the wrong hands, could destroy Earth. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The debut film from director Joseph A. Pineda, Going Down is a raunchy independent comedy starring Jay Michael Ferguson and Josh Blake as two pals who find themselves mired in a fiasco in the aftermath of a wild party. With Jack's (Ferguson) parents due back in just a few hours, the guys find themselves running ragged to not only get the house in order but also take care of the two dead bodies that mysteriously made their way into the suburban abode. As the clock ticks, the mishaps mount. The film also features appearances by Ed Begley Jr. and Saved by the Bell's Dennis Haskins. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

As conceived, written, directed, and produced by Fred Ashman, this unabashedly patriotic, flag-waving film celebrates Americana and the elements of the United States that make it a unique and dynamic country -- from its ethnic, religious, and ideological tolerance to its peerless emphasis on educational opportunity. In addition to featuring picturesque American scenery and patriotic music on the soundtrack, the film interweaves five dramatic vignettes, each relaying the story of an extraordinary American citizen. The cast includes Marc McClure (Superman: The Movie), James B. Sikking (Made of Honor), Ken Howard (In Her Shoes), and Yakov Smirnoff (Brewster's Millions). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide