CITY GUYS

 

CITY GUYS
(NBC, September 6, 1997-December 15, 2001)
 
Peter Engel Productions, NBC Enterprises

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Wesley Jonathan – Jamal Abdul Grant
Scott Whyte – Christopher Robert “Chris” Anderson
Caitlin Mowrey – Dawn Tartikoff
Dion Basco – Alberto “Rocket” Ramos
Gina McClain – Tina (pilot)
Marissa Dyan – Cassidy Giuliani (episode 2-on)
Steven Daniel – Lionel Hezekiah “El-Train” Johnson
Marcella Lowery – Principal Karen Coretta Noble

 

 

City Guys was another attempt by NBC to duplicate the success of Saved by the Bell for their Teen NBC programming block. Created by Bell creator Peter Engel and Scott Spencer Gorden, the series was set at the fictional Manhattan High (aka Manny High) in an unspecified area of New York City. Unlike their previous TNBC offerings set in sunny California, City Guys was delivered with a decidedly more urban flair.

The "Guys": Jamal, Chris, Cassidy, Ms. Noble, Dawn, El-Train and Al.

       The series began with Jamal Grant (Wesley Jonathan) and Chris Anderson (Scott Whyte) transferring into the school at the beginning of the school year. Jamal came from a working-class background and was suspended during his first two years at his previous school before being expelled. Chris came from a wealthy family and was kicked out of two prep schools and dishonorably discharged from military school. The two got along like oil and water until they were forced to work together on the school’s video yearbook by their principal and homeroom teacher, Ms. Noble (Marcella Lowery). They would eventually become friends, though still had a tendency to bicker and compete with each other mirroring the relationship between Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez) from Bell.

Chillin' outside Manny High.

During their time there, Chris and Jamal managed to gain a group of friends. Dawn Tartikoff (named after former network president Brandon Tartikoff who tasked Engel with developing Bell, played by Caitlin Mowrey), was initially a relentless activist (emulating Elizabeth Berkley’s Bell character Jessie Spano) until that was eventually downplayed into her being more the smart girl of the group. Cassidy Giuliani (Marissa Dyan) was an aspiring actress who became a recurring love interest for Chris. Before they ended up together, one of her boyfriends was Nick Lachey of the vocal group 98 Degrees, who all made a guest-appearance in an episode. Al Ramos (Dion Basco) was the resident cool guy who always had a scheme under his sleeve, and for a time was Dawn’s boyfriend. Lionel “El-Train” Johnson (Steven Daniel) was a lovable goof who was held back seven times. El-Train initially started out as a typical bully character before that he was miraculously reformed between episodes; however, he did still have some bully tendencies towards others and almost reverted back a few times. When not in class, the gang usually hung out at the diner owned by Jamal’s father, Virgil (Ivory Ocean), or on the school’s rooftop (safety regulations be damned).

Tina don't want none of what Chris is offering.

        Appearing in the pilot was a girl named Tina (Gina McClain), a stuck-up model that Chris initially had an interest in even though she did nothing but show disdain for him; especially after Jamal tried to sabotage Chris’ efforts by revealing to her that they had bet Chris could get a date with her. She ended up being replaced by Cassidy for the remainder of the series.

Chris and Jamal on the air.

            City Guys debuted on NBC on September 6, 1997. Like other TNBC offerings, each episode was designed to deliver a prosocial message to the audience to learn along with the characters. Said characters were often engaged in schemes and plots that often had to be curtailed by Ms. Noble, like ditching assignments to go to sporting events/show tapings or setting up a swimming pool on the school’s roof to beat a heatwave, as well as encountering typical life troubles like sexual harassment, gang and gun violence, drugs, bullying and racism. The series was written by Gorden, Ilunga Adell, Paul Corrigan, Brad Walsh, Tom Tenowich, Kenneth Nowling, Barry Gurstein, David Pitlik, Robert Illes, David DiPietro, Brett Dewey, Leslie Eberhard, Paul Ciancarelli, Todd J. Greenwald, Kurt Taylor, James Dutcher, Barry “Berry” Douglas, Al Sonja L. Rice, Bernie Ancheta, Jay J. Demopoulos, Jeffrey J. Sachs, Jesse Collins and Josh Goldstein, with Nowling, Walsh, Corrigan, DiPietro and Ciancarelli serving as story editors. The series’ theme was composed by Joey Schwartz, Eric Swerdloff and Michael Muta-Ali Muhammad, with the rest of the series’ music composed by Schwartz. Dr. Karen Hill-Scott served as the educational consultant that ensured the series was meeting FCC requirements.

El-Train gets his shot at professional wrestling.

            The series ran for five seasons, culminating in the graduation of the students and retirement of Ms. Noble. However, the series finale didn’t end up being the final episode. “Al’s in Toyland”, which dealt with Al having to promote toy guns against his better judgement for work, was initially slated to air during October of 2001. It ended up being taken out of the rotation due to its content as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred the month prior. It finally aired that December after the finale.

Up on the roof.

        From September, 2001 to September, 2002, the series was sold as a syndication package alongside fellow TNBC series California Dreams to help networks fulfill their educational programming requirements set by the FCC. The series briefly aired on BET for three weeks in October 2010 before disappearing from the airwaves. While various episodes were uploaded to YouTube, the entire series wouldn’t be seen again until Tubi made it available for streaming in 2022.

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“New Kids” (9/6/97) – Jamal and Chris start at Manny High School and end up being assigned to do the video year book for the school year.

 

“For the Love of Mother” (9/13/97) – When Chris’ mom bails on their plans to hold a fundraiser for the music department, he plans to sabotage the event.

 

“Knicks Tickets” (9/20/97) – Chris and Jamal get Dawn to record Shakespeare in the Park for them while they go to the Knicks and Lakers game.

 

“The Package” (9/27/97) – The guys devise a way to get Alberto out of unknowingly delivering drugs for a dealer.

 

“The Date” (10/4/97) – Al wants to DJ the spring dance and eliminates his competition so he can, while Jamal is unhappy that Chris is going with his sister.

 

“The Communication Gap” (10/11/97) – A fight with his father drives Chris to move in with Jamal and his father.

 

“Red Ferrari” (10/18/97) – When it seems like Chris’ parents forgot his birthday, Jamal convinces him to have one of his own and to drive his father’s car.

 

“Rock the Vote” (10/25/97) – Jamal and Chris manage Dawn and Cassidy during their run for Student Council President and the race gets dirty.

 

“The Movie” (11/1/97) – Jamal and Chris use the school’s video equipment to make a movie which ends up being a problem when Ms. Noble wants to see their progress on the yearbook.

 

“Future Shock” (11/8/97) – Everyone ends up reeling when a classmate is killed by a drunk driver.

 

“Easy Money” (11/15/97) – Using Chris’ skills of guessing the results of games lands him and Jamal in trouble.

 

“The College Girl” (11/22/97) – Chris pretends he’s an undercover cop in order to keep the interest of an older woman.

 

“Bye, Mom” (11/29/97) – Karen’s admittance to the hospital reminds Jamal of his mother’s death.

 

“Old Friends” (12/6/97) – Jamal’s friend gets out of juvie and resumes his criminal ways while Chris tries to finish the yearbook.

 

Season 2:

“Men Behind Bars” (9/12/98) – Chris and Jamal end up in jail after getting caught using fake IDs.

 

“Shock Jock” (9/19/98) – Chris and Jamal restart the school’s radio station that ends up quickly shut down when a forbidden song gets played.

 

“The Roommate” (9/26/98) – Chris lets El-Train stay with him after a fight with his mother, but when it’s clear he doesn’t want to leave Chris must find a way to get him to go home.

 

“Jamal Got His Gun” (10/3/98) – Jamal buys a gun to feel safe after he’s robbed at gunpoint.

 

“The Divorce” (10/10/98) – Chris doesn’t handle the news of his parents’ divorce well.

 

“Bully, Bully” (10/17/98) – Taking down a bully causes El-Train to revert to his former bullying ways.

 

“Dance Fever” (10/24/98) – Jamal asks Cassidy to have her boyfriend Nick Lachey get his group, 98 Degrees, to perform at their unofficial school dance.

 

“A Guy and a Goth” (10/31/98) – Chris makes a date with one of the callers to his radio show, but ends up being conflicted by the fact that she’s a goth.

 

“Big Brothers” (11/7/98) – Jamal and Chris are tasked with being a big brother for a class project, but their young charge ends up being a real pain.

 

“Over the Speed Limit” (11/14/98) – Cassidy becomes addicted to caffeine pills when she uses them to cope with her busy schedule.

 

“A Noble Profession” (11/21/98) – Fed up, Ms. Noble quits and her replacement turns out to be a real terror.

 

“Party of Three” (11/28/98) – Jamal gives relationship advice on his radio show that results in Al being dumped for him.

 

“Saving Private Johnson” (12/5/98) – El-Train decides to quit school over his bad grades and join the Marines.

 

“A Gift of Friendship” (12/12/98) – The gang comes together to help Al’s family when his father loses his job.

 

Season 3:

“Greece is the Word” (9/11/99) – Chris ends up in a love triangle when his summer girlfriend from Greece visits Manny High just as he begins a relationship with Cassidy.

 

“Mr. Baseball” (9/11/99) – Jamal lets being the hero of a baseball game go to his head so much that when they fail to win the next time he wants to quit.

 

“Alley Oops” (9/18/99) – Facing their bowling rivals, the guys plot to drop Dawn from the team so that they’ll have a chance of winning.

 

“Face the Music” (9/18/99) – El-Train’s musical hero steals his song while Al publishes unflattering pictures of Cassidy and Dawn in his magazine.

 

“The Players” (10/2/99) – Chris and Jamal plan to make a film together to enter into a film festival, but they end up splitting up and competing against each other instead.

 

“Raise the Roofies” (10/2/99) – Chris and Jamal stop a college guy from slipping Cassidy a date rape drug.

 

“Ebony & Ivory” (10/9/99) – The deputy mayor’s daughter hides the fact she’s going out with Jamal by telling her father she’s actually dating Chris.

 

“Reluctant Hero” (10/9/99) – Jamal lets Chris take the credit for stopping a mugging as he was supposed to be home grounded at the time.

 

“In this Corner” (10/16/99) – Jamal goes against his father’s wishes and enters a boxing tournament.

 

“El-Trainmania IV” (10/16/99) – El-Train is forced to choose between being a professional wrestler and his volunteer work while Jamal and Chris accept bribes to advertise local merchants on their show.

 

“Marriage Go Round” (10/23/99) – Jamal gets jealous when Ranya ends up as Chris’ marriage project partner.

 

“Movin’ on Up” (10/30/99) – The gang move in together as part of a reality show, and Chris and Jamal attempt to sow conflict in order to spice up the ratings and keep it from being cancelled.

 

“Down and Out in Soho” (10/30/99) – Dawn gets the gang involved with helping foreigners adjust to America, and one of them returns the favor by stealing from them.

 

“When Al Met Dawn” (11/6/99) – Dawn and Al enter into a secret relationship which becomes complicated when she presses him into accepting El-Train’s invitation for a double date.

 

“Funny Business” (11/6/99) – While interning, Chris’ boss makes unwanted sexual advances toward him.

 

“Get Your Vote On” (11/13/990 – Jamal runs against El-Train in the school elections.

 

“Angels of Harlem” (11/20/99) – The gang comes together to save Ms. Noble’s 100-year-old church from being torn down by Chris’ dad for a shopping mall.

 

“Rollin’ With the Homies” (11/20/99) – Jamal and Chris’ boss want them to befriend his son, which turns out to be difficult for Jamal as the boy is in a wheelchair.

 

“El-Train in the Sky with Geena” (11/27/99) – El-Train’s girlfriend steals from people in order to buy drugs.

 

“Miracle on 134^th Street and Lexington Avenue” (11/27/99) – While the gang throws a Christmas party for residents of the community center, Chris and Dawn attempt to bring a family back together.

 

“Yoko Oh-No” (12/3/99) – Jamal’s new girlfriend has him wrapped around her finger.

 

“Party Like It’s 1999” (12/3/99) – Unable to get to Times Square for New Years, the gang heads to the school roof to watch the fireworks and reminisce about the past year.

 

“Fast Time at Manny High” (2/12/00) – That gang must fast for one night in order to win $1000 to be split between charity and the school.

 

“Harlem Honey” (3/11/00) – When Jamal’s father falls for an internet girl he created, he convinces Ms. Noble to play the part for him.

 

“Mom on the Rocks” (6/10/00) – Cassidy deals with her mother’s drinking problem.

 

Season 4:

“Kickin’ It” (9/23/00) – Dawn tries to get Al to focus on his academics as much as his athleticism while the others help Ms. Noble get in shape for her class reunion.

 

“The Users” (9/23/00) – Chris and Jamal ditch their tutor to meet a famous DJ for an internship while Ms. Noble’s man trouble is causing her to be in a bad mood around the school.

 

“Cheat Happens” (9/30/00) – Chris and Jamal make cheat sheets to help keep them out of summer school, but they end up accidentally discovered in El-Train’s possession.

 

“Presumed Innocent” (9/30/00) – Al and El-Train audition to be slang-free radio DJs while Jamal and a gangbanger go to student court to settle a dispute.

 

“The Third Wheel” (10/7/00) – El-Train keeps spoiling Al and Dawn’s dates and Dawn convinces Al to find El-Train his own girl.

 

“Students of the Bride” (10/7/00) – While helping to save Ms. Noble’s wedding, Jamal and Cassidy begin to find feelings for each other.

 

“Mo’ Money and Mo’ Problems” (10/14/00) – When El-Train comes up with a lucrative idea he and the guys go into business together, but Al begins to take over.

 

“Kodak Moment” (10/14/00) – Chris gets involved with an international star and finds it harder than he thought while Jamal helps the girls with their project about the ghosts of the school.

 

“Meet Mr. History” (10/21/00) – Unable to find a genuine witness to an important historical event to interview, Chris and Jamal make one up so well that Ms. Noble books him onto a local TV show.

 

“Keep on the Download” (10/21/00) – A rivalry between school DJs escalates from good-natured pranks to costly property damage.

 

“Havoc” (10/28/00) – Chris quits his band to join a more popular one while the girls attempt to learn more about El-Train’s troll doll.

 

“Makin’ Up Is Hard to Do” (10/28/00) – Jamal gets into a dance battle with Malcolm at the school dance while an argument causes Al and Dawn to break up.

 

“Living in America” (11/4/00) – When an earthquake hits their penpals in Japan, the gang reflects on their lives over the last year.

 

“Shock Treatment” (11/4/00) – Chris and Jamal successfully cover for a shock jock who can’t make a broadcast from the school, but their success comes at the expense of their friends.

 

“Frisky Business” (11/11/00) – The students return from summer vacation to find their school turned into a virtual prison by new security measures installed by the school board.

 

“Jamal X” (11/11/00) – When Jamal’s uncle speaks at school, it sparks a desire to become more active in African American affairs and starts a club for the Black students.

 

“Subway Confessions” (11/18/00) – Ms. Noble attempts to get to the bottom of why the gang was sneaking into school, which all seem to center around various stories from the subway.

 

“Who Da Man” (11/18/00) – Dawn becomes a hero when the school paper gets wind of her saving Al and Cassidy from muggers on the train.

 

“Get to Preppin” (11/25/00) – Everyone struggles with studying for midterms, but Chris’ father ends up pulling strings to get him back into prep school where he absolutely won’t fail.

 

“Unhappy Hour” (12/2/00) – Invited to appear on a show to talk about their friendship, the gang all get drunk the night before and end up in a big fight.

 

“Compromising Principal” (12/2/00) – When Ms. Noble loosens up to attempt to win a popularity contest, the school erupts into chaos.

 

“Dating Games” (12/9/00) – Cassidy decides to play a game to get the school’s hottest guy to go to the Valentine’s dance with her, only to lead her to discover she has feelings for Chris.

 

“Wager Money Go” (12/9/00) – Jamal becomes addicted to gambling.

 

“El-Brain” (12/16/000 – El-Train is determined to prove how smart he is by entering the science fair.

 

“Pier Pressure” (12/16/00) – A party in the Hamptons goes awry when Chris, Cassidy, Dawn and Al end up stranded on a yacht when they run out of gas.

 

“Blast from the Past” (2/24/01) – Cassidy thinks Chris is cheating on her when he sneaks around to surprise her with an anniversary dinner.

 

Season 5:

“This Old Nerd” (9/8/01) – Jamal attempts to change an old friend from being a nerd, while El-Train unknowingly buys Ms. Noble a stolen watch.

 

“E-Breakup” (9/8/01) – When she ends up falling for someone she chatted with over E-Mail, Dawn and Al realize they really don’t have enough in common to keep dating.

 

“Chicken Run” (9/22/01) – When Jamal fights a gangbanger to prove he’s not chicken, Chris ends up getting stabbed trying to protect him.

 

“Papa Please” (9/22/01) – Dawn and Al try to help Ms. Noble kick her smoking habit while Cassidy asks El-Train to pose as an abusive boyfriend to make Chris more appealing to her father.

 

“Red Dawn” (9/29/01) – Dawn has problems with Al finding a new girl so soon after their split while the other guys have a Survivor-type competition in the park.

 

“Dances with Malcolm” (9/29/01) – Jamal drops Chris for Malcolm as his dance partner to audition as backup dancers for the group Six Street.

 

“Al’s in Toyland” (12/15/01) – Al is tasked with marketing a toy gun and attempts to do so as non-violently as possible while Ms. Noble signs up everyone else for marching band to fulfill a requirement.

 

“Just for the Record” (10/6/01) – Al and El-Train’s internship at a record label ends up in jeopardy when one of them doesn’t pull their weight.

 

“Skips, Lies and Radiotapes” (10/6/01) – Jamal and Chris want to take advantage of Senior Ditch Day and skip out on a charity fundraiser radio broadcast.

 

“Dawn Don’t Know Jack” (10/13/01) – Dawn falls for Chris’ old prep school friend who turns out to be two-timing her.

 

“Rosie O’ Diner” (10/13/01) – Jamal ends up in the position of having to fire the outspoken waitress at the diner he falls for.

 

“Cassidy Couch” (10/20/01) – Cassidy ignores Chris’ warning about the director of a play when she ends up promoted to the lead role after the original lead quits because of him.

 

“Brother from Another Mother” (10/20/01) – To combat a heatwave the kids set up a pool on the school roof while Jamal’s father and El-Train’s mother meet and fall for each other.

 

“Weight on Jamal” (10/27/01) – Jamal is offered steroids to help him get in shape for USC, while the others deal with an excessively mean pottery teacher.

 

“Basket Case” (10/27/01) – El-Train is worried winning against his girlfriend in athletics will cause a rift between them.

 

“An SAT Carol” (11/3/01) – Overwhelmed with studying, El-Train decides to skip the SATs.

 

“Mock the Vote” (11/3/01) – Chris and Jamal accidentally cause Dawn to lose the student elections, and the new class president ends their radio show.

 

“Prose and Cons” (11/3/01) – His poetry makes El-Train a hit with the ladies, which causes him to neglect his girlfriend.

 

“Why Y’all Clippin” (11/10/01) – A dispute over a yearbook picture causes the gang to give each other the silent treatment.

 

“Model Behavior” (11/17/01) – Jamal ends up bothered by the attention his girlfriend gets from guys after modeling for a magazine.

 

“Almost Fatal” (11/17/01) – A car crash changes Chris, Jamal and El-Train’s view of life.

 

“Anchors Away” (11/24/01) – Dawn becomes anxious with all the changes looming at the end of senior year.

 

“Video Killed the Radio Star” (11/24/01) – When the others create a wildly successful TV show during their air time, Chris and Jamal attempt to sabotage it.

 

“Prom-Lems” (12/1/01) – Cassidy and Dawn think Chris wants to marry Cassidy when he plans to give her a ring.

 

“Goodbye Manny High” (12/8/01) – A mix-up causes everyone to receive the wrong diplomas, and El-Train may not be able to graduate at all.

 

“And Then There Were None” (12/8/01) – Ms. Noble and the gang come together to reminisce about their time together for one final time.

PETER ENGEL DEAD AT 88

 

You can read the full story here.

Best known for retooling Good Morning, Miss Bliss into the successful Saved by the Bell franchise, for which he also produced and wrote, leading to the creation of the Teen NBC programming block. He also served as executive producer on California Dreams, Saved by the Bell: The New Class (appearing as Murray on an episode), Hang Time (appearing as The Commissioner on an episode), One World, and City Guys (which he created).  

FALL SATURDAY MORNING SCHEDULES

The fall is here, and that typically meant: NEW TV SCHEDULES! These are the Saturday morning schedules that kicked off the new season across the decades:

CALIFORNIA DREAMS

CALIFORNIA DREAMS

(NBC, September 12, 1992-December 14, 1996)

Peter Engel Productions, NBC Productions (1992-96), NBC Studios (1996)

MAIN CAST:

Brent Gore – Matt Garrison (season 1-2)

Heidi Noelle Lenhart – Jenny Garrison (season 1 and part of season 2)

Michael Cutt – Richard Garrison (season 1, recurring after)

Gail Ramsey – Melody Garrison (season 1, guest after)

Ryan O’Neill – Dennis Garrison (season 1)

Kelly Packard – Tiffani Ann Smith

William James Jones – Antoine Bethesda “Tony” Wicks

Michael Cade – Sylvester Leslie “Sly” Winkle

Jay Anthony Franke & Barry Coffing (singing) – Samuel “Jake” Sommers (season 2-5)

Jennie Kwan – Samantha Woo (season 2-5)

Aaron Jackson & Zachary Throne (singing) – Mark Edward Winkle (season 3-5)

Diana Uribe – Lorena Marina Costa (season 3-6)

Some people dream about starting a band, these kids went and did it.

Richard, Sly, Tony, Gail, Matt, Dennis, Jenny and Tiffani.

California Dreams was created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon. The sitcom had a dual focus on the Garrison family and their children’s band, which shared its name with the series. The Garrisons had moved from Iowa to Southern California, and guitarist Matt Garrison (Brent Gore) had, at some point, formed the band with the friends he made in his new home and his younger sister, keyboardist Jenny (Heidi Noelle Lenhart). The other band members included Tiffani Smith (Kelly Packard) on bass and vocals, Antoine “Tony” Wicks (William James, who got his role by sending in an audition tape) on drums, and the “ba-boom!”-exclaiming Sylvester “Sly” Winkle (Michael Cade, whose agents initially passed on the series to hold out for something better), who served as the band’s obnoxious and constantly scheming manager. Also featured were Matt and Jenny’s parents Richard (Michael Cutt) and Melody (Gail Ramsey), and their younger brother Dennis (Ryan O’Neill). The show would blend real-life issues with zany adventures; juggling between the typical family situations of the Garrisons and the Dreams’ attempts at making something of their potential musical careers in between classes and homework. 

Practicing.

Executive produced by Peter Engel through his production company, California Dreams debuted on NBC on September 12, 1992. The series was written by Tony Soltis, Noah Taft, Paul Lander, David Garber, Lynnie Greene, Richard Levine, Robert Jayson, Dawn Urbont, Todd J. Greenwald, Robb Hammersley, Jeffery J. Sachs, Debra Fasciano, Mark C. Miller, Bonnie L. DeSouza, Keith Hossman and Renee Palyo. The opening theme was composed by Guy Moon, Steve Tyrell and Regina Crimp, with Tyrell composing the rest of the series. Each episode would feature the band playing a song somewhat tied into the overall theme of the episode. While many of their performances were on the stage at their favorite hangout, Sharkey’s, or their practice space, some were done like music videos. Although the band members sung their own vocals, they didn’t actually play the instruments even though they could. 

Breakfast at the Garrisons'.

While the series didn’t sit well with critics, who considered it an unoriginal blending of Saved by the Bell, The Partridge Family and Beverly Hills 90210, it did gain a loyal following as evidenced by the packed houses the cast experienced when they would go on mall tours in between filming. Despite its respectable ratings, the show had come around in a time when NBC was shifting focus to more teen-oriented programming after the massive success of Bell, which was in its final season when the show debuted. As a result, NBC dumped all its animated programming and reworked its Saturday schedule to include more teen sitcoms similar to Bell to try and replicate its success. To that end, NBC asked for some changes to be made to the show in order for it to be more at home in its new Teen NBC (TNBC) programming block. 

New members, same sound.

The Garrisons were phased out in order to focus solely on the band and the antics of its members; with Richard reduced to a recurring character and Gail only being a guest-star. Matt remained for the rest of the second season, but Jenny was sent off to an Italian music conservatory after the third episode. The first episode introduced the band’s second guitarist, bad boy Jake Sommers (Jay Anthony Franke, singing voice by Barry Coffing), whose image initially led to the band to consider him an ill fit for the group. The fourth episode introduced Samantha Woo (Jennie Kwan, who actually auditioned for the role of Tiffani the previous year), a foreign exchange student from Hong Kong that stayed with the Garrisons in Jenny’s room. She eventually took Jenny’s place as the band’s new vocalist and keyboardist.

The Dreams with Jake, Lorena, Mark and Sam.

For season 3, the last vestige of the original premise was removed entirely when Matt was written off of the show; the in-story explanation being that the Garrisons had moved once again. In reality, Gore had conflicting notions about how his character should be portrayed with the producers and left the show as a result. In his place came Mark Winkle (Aaron Jackson, singing voice by Zachary Throne), Sly’s cousin from New York who was his complete opposite in personality. Samantha was taken in by the Costa family, which was headed by a wealthy land developer. Their daughter, Lorena (Diana Uribe), was a fan of the band and became an occasional benefactor when her lack of talent prevented her from joining them outright. 

The band members would undergo the standard trials and tribulations of high school as they struggled with grades, money, getting gigs and romance (usually with each other), in between hanging out at the beach or Sharkey’s. After five seasons, the series ran its course. The final episode, “The Last Gig”, was set months after the band graduated from Pacific Coast High School. Jake wanted to keep the band going and tried to get his band mates recording contracts, but each of them wanted to embark on a new journey: Tiffani went to study marine biology at the University of Hawaii; Sam went to study physics at Oxford University; Mark returned to New York to attend Juilliard; Tony went off to study acting; and Sly and Lorena stayed in town to study at Pacific University. Jake takes the recording deal on his own with his friends’ blessings. Upon the conclusion of the series, the entire cast and crew received a special 2-disc collection of all the songs from the series.

The 10-episode DVD.

The series was nominated for four Young Artist Awards between 1993 and 1994, as well as an NCLR Bravo Award in 1996. In 1992, MCA Records released an album collecting the songs from the first season. Between 2009-2011, Shout! Factory released the first four seasons on DVD, with 1 and 2 together in the same set. Season 3 and 4 were initially offered exclusively through Shout!’s online store. In 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment released a best-of collection, featuring 10 episodes from the first three seasons. On March 4, 2010, Jimmy Fallon hosted a reunion of the teenaged cast on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, with the exception of Aaron Jackson and Diana Uribe, and a special appearance by Bell’s Dennis Haskins (who helped Fallon eventually get a Bell reunion). Together, the cast played the show’s theme for Fallon’s audience.

EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“The First Gig” (9/12/92) – Matt and Jenny must decide between going to their first gig or going on a trip with their family.
Song: “Into the Tube”
 
“Battle of the Bands” (9/19/92) – The band convinces Matt to go out with one of the judges of the upcoming battle of the bands so she’ll vote for them, but he soon develops feelings for her.
Song: “It Wasn’t For You”
 
“Beat of His Own Dream” (9/26/92) – Tiffani gets a secret admirer while Tony quits the band to join the football team to appease his father.
Song: “Rain”
 
“Double Date” (10/3/92) – The band gets a gig the same night Tony planned to throw a luau with money he “borrowed” while watching Sharkey’s restaurant.
Song: “Heart Don’t Lie”
 
“Dream Man” (10/10/92) – Matt must figure out how to tell Tiffani he doesn’t like her new song while Sly tries to make himself to Jenny’s dream man.
 
“Friends First” (10/17/92) – A man comes between Jenny and Tiffani just as a big audition comes up.
Song: “If You Lean on Me”
 
“Guess Who’s Coming to Brunch” (10/24/92) – Tony falls for a girl at the country club and her father doesn’t approve.
Song: “One World”
 
“It’s a Guy Thing” (10/31/92) – Jenny and Tiffani try to teach Tony and Sly how to treat women while Melody becomes frustrated with the guys “fixing” things around her house.
Song: “Into the Tube (2^nd Version)”
 
“Mother and Child Reunion” (11/7/92) – Tiffani’s mother comes back for the first time since abandoning her family.
Song: “Love is Not Like This”
 
“Romancing the Tube” (11/14/92) – Surfing lessons leads to Sly and Tiffani falling for each other, but Sly soon feels smothered by the romance.
Song: “Let Me Be the One”
 
“They Shoot Videos, Don’t They?  (11/21/92) – Sly convinces the band to shoot a music video for a contest, but having Matt kiss another girl in it causes problems with his girlfriend.
Song: “Everybody Needs Someone”
 
“This Time” (11/28/92) – Jenny gets back with her ex-boyfriend and he convinces her to skip band practice in order to be with him more.
Song: “This Time”
 
“Where’s Dennis” (12/5/92) – Dennis runs away after Matt lets Sly hold a party at the house when he’s left in charge.
Song: “Castles on Quicksand”
 
Season 2:
“Jake’s Song” (9/11/93) – Jake wants to join the band but he may not fit their image, and Tiffani becomes Tony’s boss at Sharkey’s.
Song: “If Only You Knew”
 
“Ciao, Jenny” (9/18/93) – Jake gets Sly to help him spoil Jenny’s chances at getting into a music conservatory in Rome.
Song: “Must Be Love”
 
“Wooing Woo” (9/25/93) – Matt, Tony, Sly and Jake make a bet on who can kiss the new exchange student, Samantha, first.
Song: “Mamma Said”
 
“Sleazy Rider” (10/2/93) – Jake lets Matt take care of his motorcycle when he leaves town, and Sly wrecks it on a joyride.
 
“The Sly Who Came to Dinner” (10/9/93) – Sly stays with the Garrisons and attempts to win over Sam, while Tony and Jake fear Tiffani’s secret admirer is a stalker.
Song: “Handle it with Care”
 
“Surfboards and Cycles” (10/16/93) – An argument about what gender-specific classes are tougher sees the boys taking home ec and Tiffani taking shop.
Song: “The Way We Are”
 
“A Question of Math” (10/23/93) – Sam tutors her classmates for the upcoming mid-terms while the stress has the band falling apart.
Song: “I’m There”
 
“High Plains Dreamer” (10/30/93) – Tony dreams about having a Wild West shootout with his date’s ex.
 
“Bwa Ha Ha Means I Love You” (11/6/93) – Jake takes an embarrassing job to get Tiffani a present at the same music store where Sly convinces the manager to carry their demos.
Song: “Foolish”
 
“Vote of Confidence” (11/13/93) – Jake runs for class president to impress his brother while Tiffani must date his opponent to settle a bet.
 
“The Year of the Woo” (11/20/93) – Sam must decide to use her money to go back to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year or to help fix the band’s van.
Song: “Mamma Said (2^nd Version)”
 
“Schoolhouse Rock” (11/27/93) – Detention may keep the band from playing for Sting’s manager.
Song: “Welcome to the Low Road (2^nd Version)”
 
“Save the Shark” (12/4/93) – Matt’s new love interest is the daughter of the man who plans to tear down Sharkey’s.
Song: “California Dreams (2^nd Version)”
 
“21 Jake Street” (12/25/93) – The band plans to get fake IDs in order to play a 21+ club, a new girl is drawn to Jake, and Tony and Matt use Tiffani and Sam in their art projects.
Song: “She’s Not You”
 
“Can’t Buy Me Love” (1/8/94) – A student auction sees Matt becoming Tony’s boss.
 
“Rebel Without a Clue” (1/15/94) – Sly’s decision to take schoolwork seriously leads his teacher to believe he’s cheating.
Song: “Stand Back”
 
“Dirty Dog Days” (1/29/94) – The guys broadcast their music over an old radio as “The Dirty Dogs”, but nobody believes it’s them when the songs become a hit.
Song: “Welcome to the Low Road”
 
“Indecent Promposal” (2/5/94) – When Jake doesn’t want to go to the prom, Tiffani considers going with a friend who promises the band a summer-long gig in return.
Song: “What Will I Do”
 
Season 3:
“The Unforgiven” (9/10/94) – The band looks for a replacement for Matt, while Sam’s new roommate gets them a practice space and a gig.
Song: “Take it Higher”
 
“Follow Your Dreams” (9/17/94) – An aptitude test’s results feed Jake’s doubts while the others consider their potential futures.
Song: “Whenever I Think Of You”
 
“Budget Cuts” (9/24/94) – Sly becomes the program director for the school’s radio station, but budget cuts force him and Lorena to try and save it.
 
“Blind Dates” (10/1/94) – Sly’s online date turns out to be blind while Sam and Tony try out online dating as well.
Song: “The Way We Are (2^nd Version)”
 
“Yoko, Oh No!” (10/8/94) – Lorena is determined to become a member of the band, but they’re afraid to tell her the truth about her skills as it might hurt future opportunities.
Song: “Sometime”
 
“The Long Goodbye” (10/15/94) – Sly deals with Allison’s leaving by ignoring her, while Lorena and Sam urge Tony and Jake to be more romantic.
 
“Trust Me” (10/22/94) – The band must smooth things over between Jake and Mark after Mark accidentally kisses Lorena.
Song: “Stand Together”
 
“The Princess and the Yeti” (10/29/94) – Lorena’s father hires the band to play at his ski resort, which has been plagues by rumors of a yeti in the area.
Song: “Must Be Love (2^nd Verison)”
 
“Winkle/Wicks World” (11/12/94) – A class project leads Sly and Tony to land their own TV show which takes time away from the band.
 
“Daddy’s Girl” (11/19/94) – Tiffani sets her dad up with a woman that starts cutting into their time together, meanwhile a dating program deems the other band members incompatible.
Song: “Someone to Hold Onto”
 
“Family Tree” (11/26/94) – A family history project takes interesting turns for Tony, Mark and Tiffani.
 
“Harley and the Marlboro Man” (12/3/94) – Jake takes up smoking after his Uncle Frank while the band tries to figure out to do with the money they found on the beach.
Song: “Tough Love”
 
“Rebel Without a Nerve” (12/10/94) – Jake joins the safety patrol when his title as school tough guy is threatened.
 
“Boyz R Us” (12/17/94) – While the band delivers singing telegrams, an old friend of Tony comes to him to help get another of their friends out of a gang.
 
“Junior Achievement” (12/24/94) – An economics project leads the gang to sell Sam’s great, great grandmother’s cold remedy while Jake and Mark become music teachers.
 
“The Treasure of PCH” (12/31/94) – Lorena and Jake send their friends on a treasure hunt to see if money could destroy their friendships.
Song: “Anytime You Need Me”
 
“Tiffani’s Gold” (1/7/95) – Tiffani turns to steroids due to the stress of the upcoming volleyball championships.
 
Season 4:
“Two Too Much” (9/9/95) – Jake and Tiffani realize they still have feelings for each other, while Tony, Sly and Mark take up ballet to attract women.
 
“My Valentine” (9/16/95) – Tony and Sam decide to get engaged in order to stay together when she goes back to Hong Kong.
Song: “What Would I Do Without You”
 
“Principal Tiffani” (9/30/95) – Tiffani is made the school’s student principal and she soon becomes hungry with power.
Song: “To The End”
 
“The Dateless Game” (10/7/95) – Jake ends up winning a charity dating game and has to go out with another girl on the same night as his anniversary dinner with Tiffani.
 
“Fallen Idol” (10/14/95) – Jake’s musical idol agrees to listen to the band while Tony suffers a bout of bad luck.
Song: “Too Much to Dream”
 
“Defending Sly’s Life” (10/21/95) – Sly’s friends put him on trial for being a major creep.
 
“Secret Admirer” (11/4/95) – Sly tries to woo a classmate for a gig while Mark’s love note ends up in the wrong hands and causes problems.
Song: “Do Something”
 
“Old” (11/11/95) – After making fun of a group of senior surfers, Sly ends up dreaming about his being old.
Song: “Never Give Up”
 
“Operation Tony” (11/18/95) – Tony is scared of his upcoming shoulder operation while Lorena becomes a candy striper to get closer to a doctor.
Song: “She’s Not You (2^nd Version)”
 
“Community Service” (11/25/95) – The band pitches in on community service, although Sly is doing it to meet girls.
Song: “To The End (2^nd Version)”
 
“Heal the Bay” (12/2/95) – Tony’s newfound love of the environment leads to his becoming a nuisance.
Song: “Do Something (2^nd Version)”
 
“Woo-ops” (12/30/95) – Sam must go back to Hong Kong after overcharging on her father’s emergency credit card.
 
“We’ll Always Have Aspen” (1/6/96) – At Lorena’s family’s ski resort, Mark resumes his romance with a skier he dated before.
Song: “Born To Love You”
 
“Lorena’s Place” (3/30/96) – Lorena tries to impress a guy who is only interested in serious poets and ends up losing her father’s special poem to her mother.
 
“Dancing Isn’t Everything” (4/6/96) – Tony wants to take over the band from Jake while Lorena must consider Sly being her replacement partner in the dance competition.
Songs: “Let Me Be the One (2^nd Version)”, “Next Big Thing” & “Take it Higher (2^nd Version)”
 
Season 5:
“Stand by Your Man” (9/7/96) – Tiffani gets jealous of Jake’s new boss and Lorena and Sam’s spying on him gets Jake fired.
Song: “Whenever I Think of You (2^nd Version)”
 
“Shaken, Rattled and Rolled” (9/14/96) – Tony wants to move someplace without earthquakes while Sly tries to get a music producer to listen to the band.
Song: “She’s Not You (2^nd Version)”
 
“Honest Sly” (9/21/96) – Sly sells Sam a bad used car while Lorena tries to help Mark get another girl’s attention by pretending to be into him.
 
“Mop n’ Pop” (9/28/96) – When Jake’s dad has to take a job as the school’s janitor, Sly’s teasing causes Jake to become embarrassed.
Song: “Anytime”
 
“Diss-Honored” (10/5/96) – Sam’s new position as president of the honor society leaves her little time to spend with Tony.
 
“Reel Teens” (10/12/96) – Jake is chosen to be followed around by a camera crew for a TV show.
 
“Father Knows Bets” (10/19/96) – Sly takes up gambling when he feels ignored by his father while Tony tries to keep what award Jake is going to win a secret.
Song: “Do Something (3^rd version)”
 
“Letters from Woo” (10/25/96) – Sam sends a video letter to her family back home.
 
“Senior Prom” (11/2/96) – Jake and Tiffani and Tony and Sam are tied for prom king and queen, while Sly books the band for a gig on the day of the prom.
Song: “Too Much to Dream (2^nd Version)”
 
“Babewatch” (11/9/96) – The gang all end up working on a television show and Tony becomes jealous when a crew member takes a liking to Sam.
Song: “Next Big Thing (2^nd Version)”
 
“Love Letters” (11/16/96) – The gang decides to make up for all the things they regret during high school.
Song: “Someone to Hold”
 
“Graduation” (11/23/96) – Drinking at Lorena’s party leads to Mark crashing his car and ending up in jail, while Jake and Tiffani must finish a project in order to graduate.
 
“A Band Divided” (11/30/96) – Lorena buys the band a new amp in exchange for being the band’s co-manager, which ends up causing conflicts with Sly.
Song: “Next Big Thing (3^rd Version)”
 
“The Fashion Man” (12/7/96) – Sly takes up modeling, but the agency he signs with appears to be a scam.
 
“The Last Gig” (12/14/96) – Jake tries to land a recording contract to keep the band together, but the other band members all want to go on to school.
Song: “So Glad I Was There”