By WALT GOGOLYA

"Saved By The Bell" was one of the cheesiest shows in the history of television, but I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here when I say it was also one of the most beloved.

Don’t roll your eyes! You all watched it. All the boys had crushes on Kelly Kapowski and the girls argued over who was hotter Zack or Slater. We all thought Lisa was cute but maybe a bit asexual, and Jessie’s feminism was too “in your face” but she had legs that went all the way up to Ya Ya.

As for Samuel Screeh Powers, well, let's just say he may have been the most annoying TV character ever, right up there with Urkel. But, I must admit, I do remember laughing at some of his lame jokes. And I know you did, too.

"Saved By The Bell" was never “appointment viewing” or “Must See TV” but over the course of my lifetime, like many of you, I think I’ve seen EVERY episode.

I know most of the words to “Friends Forever.” I thought it was really strange when Jessie was addicted to caffeine pills and freaked out. I recall waaaay too many dance numbers that made you squirm in your seat yet smile at the same time. Remember Lisa’s sprained-ankle dance or Slater’s ballet number in the black unitard? Yeah, of course you do!

So, while I’m not embarrassed to call myself a fan of the show, I suppose I’m a little embarrassed to admit I just finished reading the book “Behind The Bell” by Dustin Diamond, aka Screech Powers (it was a fast read, took 2 hours).

It was marketed as a “tell all” – a behind-the-scenes look at what really went on when the cameras weren’t rolling.

Screech alleges in the book that everyone was sleeping together and that all the cast members (except Screech) were pot heads who smoked up during rehearsals and drank themselves silly on the weekends.

Years after the show ended, Lark Vorhies (Lisa) seemed distant toward men and flinched whenever she heard loud noises. While he never came out and said it, Screech alleges that she was possibly a battered woman.

Who knows what to believe and what not to? I, for one, am inclined to believe most of this. After all, when the show was filmed in the late 80s/early 90s, the cast was all teenagers. Of course they partied. Didn’t we all?

What bugged me most is that Dustin Diamond came off as the tattle-tale in school that nobody liked. But I am a little biased since I’ve always hated the character.

As some of you may know, late night talker Jimmy Fallon is trying to organize an on-air "Saved By The Bell" reunion. Pretty much everyone has signed on except for Screech who says he’s “too busy.” Perhaps Fallon should just read the book instead.