WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Saved by the Bell, now available to stream on Peacock.
Peacock's Saved by the Bell sequel brings back most of the original gang, with the focus on Slater (Mario Lopez) and Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) as they work at Bayside High School to help nurture a new generation of students. It just wouldn't be Saved by the Bell without Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) taking time off as the governor of California to appear with his wife, Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen). Even Lisa (Lark Voorhies) gets a cameo from France, where she's a fashion designer, but one person who doesn't make the cut is Dustin Diamond's Screech. However, the show does share some insight into where he is and what he's been up to.
Screech is mentioned a few times as the gang runs through nostalgic moments in life. At the Max, Slater talks about the time they dressed him up as an alien in "Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind," all so they could get money by faking tabloid photos. Viewers also see him a couple times in the group photos of the old crew. He's even in flashbacks when the principal tries to get everyone to remember how he was always hanging out around them. Still, Screech never appears in the flesh, but audiences do find out he's been using his intelligence for great things.
In Episode 8, "The Todd Capsule," it's confirmed that Screech is on the International Space Station with the robot he built, Kevin. Slater mentions it when they talk about the past, as the episode focuses on the time capsule they stored in order to remember their friendships.
"Screech is so lucky he and Kevin get to live on the International Space Station, so he doesn't have to deal with all this," Slater tells Jessie as they stress out over homecoming and a future fundraising gala, remembering how they used to be so close in high school, back when they thought they'd be "friends forever."
It makes senses that Screech is in space and working alongside Kevin since he loved his sassy robot in the original series. The witty A.I. was often helping Screech study, bringing him snacks, helping him as hall monitor and acting as his assistant when he became a magician. The two could be working together as engineers, potentially developing sentient technology for space exploration, as Screech was a bonafide genius even as a teen.
As for why Diamond didn't make an appearance himself, it is unclear. However, the door is open for a cameo, according to showrunner Tracey Wigfield.
"We talk about Screech's character, and there are little Easter eggs throughout the show of what he's doing now, and you can find some if you look for them," she said on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 podcast. "This season, he wasn't tied to any of the new characters or anything. But that's not to say it's not open for the future."
Peacock's Saved by the Bell stars Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, Mario Lopez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen and John Michael Higgins, as well as newcomers Belmont Cameli, Dexter Darden, Mitchell Hoog, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Josie Totah and Haskiri Velazquez. The series is now available on Peacock.