More with America’s Favorite Principal: Dennis Haskins

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – We bring you more of our one-on-one interview with Chattanooga native Dennis Haskins.

It comes after the UTC library opened an exhibit featuring Saved by the Bell memorabilia, including every single show script.

So the first thing we asked was, why did you’d save them all?

Dennis Haskins answered, “I don’t know. The whole experience was special to me. So I would make notes and I just would put them in a box, first with number one, and we only had one year’s work, and so they said, let’s do more shows, and so I added more to the box. And then I had to get another box and I just kept them in storage and then there they are.”

News12 asked, “And this is going back, not just Saved by the Bell but Good Morning Miss Bliss, right?

Haskins answered, “Good Morning Miss Bliss was the predecessor of Saved by the Bell. It was done for Disney with Haley Mills. I played Mr. Belding and it was Zach, Screech, Lisa and other characters. When that didn’t work, when Disney chose not to go on with the project quote, unquote, NBC bought the rights to our characters and created a new show because Ricky Schroeder back in the day, it’s Rick now. Ricky Shroeder was on Silver Spoons and Brandon Tartekoff thought he might be good for kids to watch and grow up and follow and the rest is history. It’s Zach.”

News12: What’s it like coming back to Chattanooga?

Haskins said, “I love it. I wish my mom and dad were still here, but we all have that. And I just, I thought one of the greatest things that ever happened to me was growing up in Chattanooga, TN. People are really nice. If they see you putting out an effort or really extending yourself or really trying, people will help you. And if you ask while you’re making an effort, they will help you. And a lot of people helped me. There’s wonderful people here, from Harold Wilkes who was the athletic director from when I walked on who brought me over to the athletic department and we ended up doing basketball shows. I mean basketball games on TV. He let me try, I called Darrel (Patterson) and said “Hey what do you think? Let me try” and the next thing we know we’re doing four games. I mean it’s that kind of opportunity here so it’s a wonderful city and I still have a lot of friends here. Unfortunately all the work is out in LA and New York. I know there’ things done in Atlanta and SC but most of it starts in Los Angeles.

News12: You talked about running into a group of possible incoming freshmen, what message do you want to give them? What can Dennis Haskins tell them about their time here?

Haskins answered, “I think in general, that most people try to set out to have a course, or what their parents want them to do, or maybe what they think they should do, and I like to say to people, if you could do anything you want, didn’t matter, your dream. Try it. Because here at the University, people will encourage you to try what your dream is. Out in the real world, it’s harder. So try it here because if you try it, it might work out. But if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll know, and it might take you to what’s supposed to work out.”

News12: I mean, how else does a first grader from OLPH end up working in Hollywood and television?

Haskins answered, “I was in the 6th grade and Dorothy Ward came to our class and picked Robert Jandowick (sp?) to be Pinocchio, and me to be candlewick with college students right over here for a college production of Pinocchio and that’s when I fell in love with the theater.”

News12: So even before you were a UTC student, UTC started your acting career.

Haskins added, “It was University of Chattanooga then. Listen I have so much to be thankful for, but I’m not done. I am not done.There’s more I want to do.”