In the hall of fame for great 90s teen TV, Califonia Dreams is often overlooked in place of the late and great Saved By The Bell. But it still has a special place in our hearts.
From 1992 to 1996 the brains behind SBTB brought us the story of the teen band we all wanted to be in.
Originally framed as a family sitcom, the first series of the show centred largely around brother and sister Matt and Jenny Garrison, founding band members, as well as their mother and father Richard and Melody and younger brother Dennis.
At the outset, the other band members were Tiffani Smith and Tony Wicks, while pal Sly Winkle acted as the band manager.
The setting for season two changed as NBC executives wanted to move the focus away from the family setting. Smouldering Jake Somers joined the band and Jenny left for music school in Italy. Sam Woo replaced Jenny in the band and the show ran for another three seasons.
Kelly Packard, aka Tiffany Smith
Kelly went on to star in Baywatch and last appeared on screen in TV movie Stalked By My Neighbour earlier this year.
Michael Cade, aka Sly Winkle
Starred in The Devil’s Dozen and Rain from Stars in 2013 and will next appear in Toby’s Big Adventure.
William James Jones, aka Tony Wicks
His last appearance on screen was in Sabrina The Teenage Witch back in 2002. He left his acting career behind, instead opting to study for a doctorate in clinical psychology.
Jay Anthony Franke, aka Jake Somers
Show heartthrob Jay has also largely disappeared from the limelight, taking only sporadic turns on screen since the end of CD. His last credited role was in 2013’s One June Afternoon.
Jennie Kwan, aka Samatha Woo
You might have spotted Jennie in this summer’s Entourage movie, where she played an OB/GYN nurse. She also had a long-running roll as a voice actress in Avatar: The Last Airbender from 2005 to 2008.
In 2010, Jimmy Fallon reunited seven members of the cast (Brent Gore, William James Jones, Jennie Kwan, Jay Anthony Franke, Kelly Packard, Michael Cade, and Heidi Noelle Lenhart) for a very special performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8a7Xp7hS2o
Now for a real trip down memory lane…
