When this biker babe showed up at Bayside High, the viewers knew things have just changed. This character was created to help fill out the cast roster after the producers decided to drop both Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Amber Thiessen) and Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) from the show at the end of their contracts. She’s a dude magnet who wears a sick leather jacket and was one of the boys in the group, contrasting Lisa Marie’s girlishness with a tough attitude that didn’t last long.
After only nine episodes she disappeared, coinciding with the reappearance of Jessie and Kelly. The producers must have realized things weren’t working out.
A Role Just for Her
Lark Voorhies had such a successful audition that it broke the mold the producers were going for. Her character, Lisa Marie Turtle, was originally going to be a spoiled, rich Jewish girl, but Voorhies impressed so much they threw out the script – so to speak – and rewrote the character. This changed the character a good deal, though some elements remain, such as Lisa Marie being a daddy's girl, spoiled, and a fashionista.
It also introduced the show's only Black character. It was somewhat of a step forward for sitcoms at the time, and even the biggest of them all, "Friends," wouldn't feature any major African-American cast members.
Famous Auditions
Plenty of now-famous actors and actresses tried their best to get on the show. This list includes Jaleel White – well-known for his star-turning role of Steve Urkel on "Family Matters," which went from a one-time guest appearance to the focus of the show. Jennie Garth, Kelly Taylor from "Beverly Hills, 90210," and Val Tyler from "What I Like About You also tried out."
Jonathon Brandis, from "One Life to Live," the TV miniseries of Stephen King's "IT," and Bastian Bux in "The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter."
Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years
The show got its start with the title "Good Morning, Miss Bliss." Only the pilot was aired, on NBC, and the show wasn't picked up. The series made its way to the Disney Channel, which aired it for a single season. The show was retooled, went back to NBC, and the rest is history. The focus was on the teacher Miss Bliss, but Zack, Lisa Marie, and Screech were all part of the show.
The show was later released on syndication as "Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years," adding Zack's narration, changing the music, and replacing the opening and closing credits.
Love on the Set
As you can imagine with attractive actors and actresses on the set all the time, sparks flew. Yet Mark-Paul's first wife wasn't any of the famous actresses who were on the show each and every week – it was an extra. In fact, it was an extra from "Saved by the Bell: The College Years."
Lisa Ann Russell played an unnamed female student during a single episode, but that was enough to catch Mark-Paul's eye. The two remained married from 1996 to 2011. Russell went on to appear in a number of other shows and is a recurring crew member on "The Jeff Probst Show." She is, in fact, married to Jeff Probst.