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The Drop the Mic battle between Kunal Nayyar and Mayim Bialik has the following line from Mayim Bialik:

You're basically our show's Screech.

The battle between Ashton Kutcher and Sean Combs has a similar line referring to Screech, so this seems to be a somewhat common reference.

I don't get it though. Looking online, it seems that it might be a reference to Samuel Powers from Saved by the Bell. Is this correct? What is the nature of the Samuel Powers' character that would explain the line?

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Screech, as you pointed out, was a comic relief but somewhat annoying character from Saved By The Bell (1989-92). He was played by Dustin Diamond, an actor with a troubled history who would eventually be arrested for possession of a switchblade knife after stabbing someone in a bar. His career never really went anywhere, much like his character on Saved By The Bell.

As such, a "Screech" is someone who is basically an annoying loser.

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    I'm not sure about Screech, but the Steve Urkel character basically single-handedly saved Family Matters. – stannius Jul 23 '18 at 20:33
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    There are different levels of annoying. As best I recall, Screech wasn't necessarily deliberately annoying, or at least annoying in the same way. Urkel was generally annoying in an endearing way, and his character wound up having a number of redeeming qualities. The audience simply didn't wind up feeling the same way about Screech. – RDFozz Jul 23 '18 at 21:21
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    @stannius it's one thing to be annoying to the other characters on the show, quite another to be annoying to the audience. – Jake Jul 23 '18 at 22:15
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    Semi-related: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRcB4n4CGcy_r21EedmNUOyVP_puToBfr – nurdyguy Jul 24 '18 at 14:11
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    Curious where the actor's troubled history comes into this. Was that mention necessary? – Lightness Races in Orbit Jul 24 '18 at 15:50

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