Goodbye, Screech

Saturday mornings used to be the time when I'd get up, either make a cup of coffee - which was probably Nescafe Gold Blend, make some poached eggs or beans on toast and then it would be back to bed to watch the Saturday morning kid's shows. I was in my early 20s. If I wasn't working there was a chance I had a hangover. What else are you supposed to do on Saturday morning? 

Saturday was always the day Mum let you watch a few hours of cartoons. 

Growing up, Saturday morning was the best telly time ever. The cartoons were a part of your life. Hong Kong Phooey, Wacky Races, H.R. Puff'n'Stuff, Scooby Doo...

One of the stalwarts later on was Saved by the Bell (as was the original X-Men cartoon, which, in my humble opinion, was better than any of the spin offs of the last 25 years.)

Saved by the Bell was silly, dopey, stereotyped, but it had a lovely heart to it. There was Zack the cool kid, A.C. the jock, Screech the nerd, Lisa the rich kid, Kelly the girl next door and Jessie the brain. They were all there. Five years out of high school, Saved by the Bell was something you watched on a Saturday morning. Everybody did it, whether they want to admit to it or now. 

So it was really sad to wake to the news that Dustin Diamond had passed away, aged 44. 

I always had a soft spot for Screech, the quintessential misfit, who seems to fit in by not fitting in. A born comedian, forever trying to be the centre of attention. 

After the show, alas, Dustin, the actor was typecast for life. A string of G-grade, made for television series, a few run ins with the law, a sex tape and a lot of acrimony between him and the rest of the Saved by the Bell cast left him in a bit of a wasteland.

To hear he died of cancer, three weeks after his diagnosis, at the age of 44 is all terribly sad. 

The New York Times left him a rather awful obituary on the front page of the masthead. The one in The Age was a bit better. 

For his faults, for the tribulations former child stars appear to have, I'll always remember Dustin Diamond as Screech - my Saturday morning friend. The funny guy you watched as a young adult on Saturday morning as you tried to shift your hangover. A benign presence in a guilty pleasure who was always there to help you move forward into the weekend. 

And for this I thank him and will always remember him well. 

RIP Dustin Diamond (1977-2021)

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