Quick Facts
Biography
Peter Engel is an American television producer who is best known for his teenage sitcoms which appeared on TNBC, a former Saturday morning block on NBC which featured all teenage-oriented programs for educational purposes. His most well known work was the teenage sitcom Saved by the Bell which inspired the birth of the TNBC block for his other shows such as California Dreams, Hang Time and City Guys in the 1990s.
Life and career
Engel's foray into teenage sitcoms began in 1986 when he was approached by then-NBC programming executive Brandon Tartikoff about producing shows for the 10–14 age demographic. At first, Engel was not interested and felt that Tartikoff should "find someone else". He later changed his mind after a conversation with his wife reminded him of how he had always talked about doing shows that his own children could grow up on.
For a period, he also served as the dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Pat Robertson's Regent University. Engel had nearly a 20-year relationship with the Christian Broadcasting Network before joining the staff at Regent. After a visit in 2002, he was impressed with the new communications center, which includes two theaters, a state-of-the-art animation lab, editing suites, and TV and film studios. In 2003, Peter sensed that the Lord was telling him to take the job as the new dean.
After producing teen-focused series for NBC, Engel transitioned to producing reality television series. A reality television project that Engel executive produced is the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing. He has been announced as executive producer and creator of the E! Network reality show Chasing The Saturdays, starring British popstars The Saturdays.
Engel was raised Jewish, and has converted to Christianity.
Engel released a memoir titled I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love, and Dreams That Do Come True.
Production filmography
- Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1988–89)
- Saved by the Bell (1989–93)
- California Dreams (1992–96)
- Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993–94)
- Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993–2000)
- Hang Time (1995–2000)
- USA High (1997–99)
- City Guys (1997–2001)
- One World (1998–2001)
- Malibu, CA (1998–2000)
- All About Us (2001)
Associated production companies
- NBC Productions (1988–96)
- NBC Studios (1995–2001)
- NBC Enterprises (1996–2001)