California Dreams

Last updated
California Dreams
California Dreams (logo).png
Genre Teen sitcom
Created by
  • Brett Dewey
  • Ronald B. Solomon
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"California Dreams"
Ending theme"California Dreams" (instrumental)
ComposerSteve Tyrell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Peter Engel
Producers
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1992 (1992-09-12) 
December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14)

California Dreams is an American teen sitcom that aired on NBC. It was part of the network's Saturday morning block, TNBC, premiering on September 12, 1992. Created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon, and executive produced by Peter Engel, all known for their work on Saved by the Bell , [1] the series centers on the friendships of a group of teenagers (shifting toward a multi-ethnic makeup beginning with the show's second season) who form the fictional titular band. The series ran five seasons, airing its final episode on December 14, 1996. The series featured 40 original songs performed by the band throughout the show's run, primarily written by Steve Tyrell.

Contents

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 13September 12, 1992 (1992-09-12)December 5, 1992 (1992-12-05)
2 18September 11, 1993 (1993-09-11)February 5, 1994 (1994-02-05)
3 17September 10, 1994 (1994-09-10)January 7, 1995 (1995-01-07)
4 15September 9, 1995 (1995-09-09)April 6, 1996 (1996-04-06)
5 15September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14)

Cast

Syndication

Reruns of California Dreams briefly aired on TBS in the late 1990s.

The show aired on The Children's Channel and later Trouble in the UK in the 1990s.

Home media

Shout! Factory released the first four seasons of California Dreams on DVD in Region 1 between 2009 and 2011. Seasons 3 and 4 were released as Shout! Factory Exclusives titles, available exclusively through their online store. As of 2016, Seasons 1-4 and The Best of... DVDs can be purchased on Amazon. It is unknown if season 5 will be released.

On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment released a ten-episode best-of set, The Best of California Dreams, a single-disc set that features episodes from the first three seasons. [3]

DVD NameEp #Release Date
Seasons 1 & 231March 31, 2009 [4]
Season 3♦17May 18, 2010 [5]
Season 4♦15January 18, 2011 [6]

♦ - Shout! Factory Exclusives title, sold exclusively through Shout's online store

Reception

Critical response

California Dreams was not well received critically. Rebecca Ascher-Walsh of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a grade of "F", and stated that "California Dreams can be accused of a lot of things, but originality isn’t one of them", and added that "California Dreams producer Franco E. Bario (who is also behind Saved by the Bell) may have good intentions, but it’s hard to imagine what they were." [7] Los Angeles Times reviewer Lynne Heffley considered the show nothing more than "a Saved by the Bell clone set in an upscale beach town". [8]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardResultCategoryRecipient
1993 Young Artist Awards NominatedOutstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety ShowMichael Cade, Brent Gore, William James Jones, Heidi Lenhart and Kelly Packard
Best Young Actress in a New Television SeriesHeidi Lenhart
Best Young Actor in an Off-Primetime SeriesRyan O'Neill
1994 Young Artist Awards NominatedOutstanding Youth Ensemble in a Cable or Off Primetime SeriesMichael Cade, Jay Anthony Franke, Brent Gore, William James Jones, Kelly Packard, and Ryan O'Neill
1996NCLR Bravo AwardsNominatedOutstanding Program for Children or YouthCalifornia Dreams

Cast reunion

The main cast members from the first two seasons of California Dreams reunited on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 4, 2010, and played the show's theme song. The version they sang was a unique mash-up that featured both Heidi Noelle Lenhart and Jennie Kwan, who replaced Lenhart in Season 2. While present, Jay Anthony Franke was not a featured vocalist in the performance, given that he did not perform the singing voice of Jake Sommers. Aaron Jackson and Diana Uribe were not present. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Electric Company</i> American childrens television series (1971–1977)

The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop. It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The series aired on PBS for 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. The program continued in reruns until October 4, 1985. The Electric Company later reran on Noggin, a channel co-founded by the CTW, from 1999 to 2003. Noggin also produced a compilation special for the show.

<i>Saved by the Bell</i> American television sitcom (1989–1993)

Saved by the Bell is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, Saved by the Bell was broadcast in the United States on Saturday mornings, later as the flagship series in NBC's TNBC lineup. A spin-off of the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the show follows a group of high school friends and their principal at the fictional Bayside High School in Los Angeles. Primarily focusing on lighthearted comedic situations, it occasionally touches on serious social issues, such as drug use, driving under the influence, homelessness, remarriage, death, women's rights, and environmental issues. The series starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez. The series ran for four seasons, airing its final episode, again in primetime, on May 22, 1993, a Saturday night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rilo Kiley</span> American indie rock band

Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock.

<i>Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie</i> 1995 film directed by Bryan Spicer

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is a 1995 American superhero film. It stars the ensemble cast of Karan Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Jason David Frank, Amy Jo Johnson, and David Yost alongside the villains cast from the original series and Paul Freeman as Ivan Ooze. Much like the television season that followed the release, it used concepts from the Japanese Super Sentai series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, Gosei Sentai Dairanger and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. It is the first Power Rangers production from Saban Entertainment not to feature any archived footage from Super Sentai. It is the first installment in the Power Rangers film series. The film was released in between the second and third seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but is incompatible with season three, which provides a different explanation for the Rangers gaining their Ninja Ranger powers and Ninjazords, indicating they are set in different continuities.

<i>Freaks and Geeks</i> American teen comedy-drama television series (1999–2000)

Freaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series created by Paul Feig and executive-produced by Judd Apatow that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season. The show is set in a suburban high school near Detroit during 1980–81. The theme of Freaks and Geeks reflects "the sad, hilarious unfairness of teen life". With little success when it first aired, due to an erratic episode schedule and conflicts between the creators and NBC, the series was canceled after airing 12 out of the 18 episodes. The series became a cult classic, and Apatow continued the show's legacy by incorporating the actors in future productions.

<i>Catwalk</i> (Canadian TV series) Canadian television series

Catwalk is a Canadian musical drama series that ran for 49 episodes on the YTV network from 1992 until 1994. The series' first season aired in syndication in the United States, while the second season aired on MTV.

<i>Father Knows Best</i> American television program (1954–1960)

Father Knows Best is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by Ed James, Father Knows Best follows the lives of the Andersons, a middle-class family living in the town of Springfield. The state in which Springfield is located is never specified, but it is generally accepted to be located in the Midwestern United States.

Eric Ivan Rosse is an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and mixer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Connection</span> 1979 song originally appearing in the Muppet Movie

"Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film The Muppet Movie, with music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. The song was performed by Jim Henson – as Kermit the Frog – in the film. "Rainbow Connection" reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979, with the song remaining in the Top 40 for seven weeks in total. Williams and Ascher received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 52nd Academy Awards.

<i>Ultraseven</i> Japanese television series

Ultraseven is a Japanese tokusatsu science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 1967 to September 8, 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Monahan</span> American musician

Patrick Monahan is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and sole constant member of the band Train. He collaborated with multiple artists and recorded a solo album, Last of Seven.

<i>Good Morning, Miss Bliss</i> American teen sitcom television series

Good Morning, Miss Bliss, also retroactively known as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years, is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on the Disney Channel from November 30, 1988, until March 18, 1989. Starring Hayley Mills as a teacher, the series takes place at the John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. After one season on the air on the Disney Channel, the show was retooled as Saved by the Bell, which aired on NBC.

<i>Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger</i> Television series

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the sixteenth installment in the long-running Super Sentai metaseries of superhero programs. Produced by Toei and Bandai, it aired on TV Asahi from February 21, 1992 to February 12, 1993, with a total of 50 episodes replacing Chōjin Sentai Jetman and was replaced by Gosei Sentai Dairanger. It was the first Sentai series to have a regular Sixth Ranger, and the first to introduce the concept of sentient, living mecha, a theme that has been used frequently in the franchise ever since. It was also the first Sentai series to be adapted into an installment of the American Power Rangers series. Footage from all 50 episodes was extensively used for the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The core Zyuranger costumes were used in all three seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and were used as the original Power Rangers costumes while the Dragon Ranger costume was adapted into the Green Ranger's costume and was used throughout Season 1 and in early Season 2. The title Toei gives this series for international distribution is Galaxy Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shout! Studios</span> American home video and music company

Shout! Factory, LLC, trading as Shout! Studios is an American home video and music distributor founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued in DVD or Blu-ray format, include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy specials. Considered a boutique Blu-ray label, Shout! Studios, in addition to its mainline home video releases, also releases films under the sublabels Scream Factory, Shout! Select, and Shout! Kids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saxon Shore (band)</span>

Saxon Shore was an American post-rock band consisting of members from Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New York, Los Angeles, and Rochester, New York. The group released five albums: one packaged as an EP and four as full-lengths.

<i>Transformers: The Headmasters</i> 1987-1988 Japanese animated television series

Transformers: The Headmasters is a Japanese anime television series that is a part of the Transformers robot superhero franchise. It aired from July 3, 1987 to March 25, 1988, and its 17:00–17:30 timeslot was used to broadcast Mashin Hero Wataru at the end of its broadcast. It serves as the first sequel series to the Japanese dub of the original 1985 The Transformers cartoon series in the Generation 1 franchise, followed by Transformers: Super-God Masterforce.

<i>CatDog</i> American animated comedy television series

CatDog is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The series follows the zany hijinks of golden-furred conjoined brothers of different species, with one half of the resultant animal being a cat and the other a dog. Nickelodeon produced the series from Burbank, California. The first episode aired on April 4, 1998, following the 1998 Kids' Choice Awards, before the show officially premiered in October of that year. Similarly, the Season 2 episode "Fetch" was shown in theaters in 1998 before airing on television.

<i>The Masked Singer</i> (American TV series) American reality singing competition television series

The Masked Singer is an American reality singing competition television series that premiered on Fox on January 2, 2019. It is part of the Masked Singer franchise which originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer which features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all performances have concluded. The least popular is eliminated, taking off their mask to reveal their identity.

<i>The Masked Singer</i> (American TV series) season 9 Season of television series

The ninth season of the American television series The Masked Singer premiered on Fox on February 15, 2023, and concluded on May 17, 2023. The season was won by singer Bishop Briggs as "Medusa", with singer David Archuleta finishing second as "Macaw".

References

  1. Greg Braxton (November 27, 1992). "'Bell' Hearing the Sounds of Success : Television: With a TV movie, foreign broadcasts, syndicated reruns and a plethora of merchandise, 'Saved by the Bell' intends to be noticed". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. Brenda You (June 28, 1994). "Beat It, Bad Guys". Chicago Tribune . Tribune Publishing . Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. "Best of California Dreams". Amazon.com . July 19, 2011.
  4. "California Dreams: Season Three". Shout! Factory . March 31, 2009. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015.
  5. "California Dreams: Season Three". Shout! Factory. May 18, 2010. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
  6. "California Dreams: Season Three". Shout! Factory. January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
  7. Rebecca Ascher-Walsh (October 2, 1992). "California Dreams". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  8. Lynne Heffley (September 12, 1992). "TV Reviews Cartoon-Free Lineup No Improvement" . Los Angeles Times . p. F9.
  9. Tanner Stransky (March 5, 2010). "'California Dreams' on 'Jimmy Fallon': Who needs 'Saved by the Bell' anyway..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 18, 2016.