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.