City Guys

City Guys
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Peter Engel Scott S. Gordon
Directed by	Frank Bonner
Starring	Wesley Jonathan Scott Whyte Caitlin Mowrey Dion Basco Marissa Dyan Steven Daniel Marcella Lowery
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	105
Production
Executive producer(s)	Peter Engel
Producer(s)	Todd Fields Matthew B. Morgan
Running time	30 minutes (with commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 6, 1997 – December 15, 2001

City Guys is a United States television sitcom that aired from 1997 to December 2001. It lasted five seasons, and ended its airing time around the dissolution of TNBC.

Premise

The show was very similar in style to Saved by the Bell, but with an urban setting and more diverse cast. The show was mainly driven by the main characters, Jamal Grant (Wesley Jonathan) and Chris Anderson (Scott Whyte) who had to stay on the ball in high school and avoid trouble, while their principal attempted to keep them in line. Jamal's and Chris' similar personalities caused friction between them in the beginning, but as the series went on, they became best friends. The boys and their friends dealt with the typical teen issues, such as cheating on tests, peer pressure and dealing with school violence.

Cast

• Wesley Jonathan .... Jamal Grant
• Scott Whyte .... Christopher Mortimer "Chris" Anderson
• Caitlin Mowrey .... Dawn Tartikoff
• Dion Basco .... Alberto "Al" Ramos
• Marissa Dyan .... Cassidy Giuliani
• Steven Daniel .... Lionel "L-Train" Johnson
• Marcella Lowery .... Principal Karen Coretta Noble

Season 1: 1997

1. New Kids (September 6, 1997)
2. For the Love of Mother (September 13, 1997)
3. Knicks Tickets (September 20, 1997)
4. The Package (September 27, 1997)
5. The Date (October 4, 1997)
6. The Communication Gap (October 11, 1997)
7. Red Ferrari (October 18, 1997)
8. Rock the Vote (October 25, 1997)
9. The Movie (November 1, 1997)
10. Future Shock (November 8, 1997)
11. Easy Money (November 15, 1997)
12. The College Girl (November 22, 1997)
13. Bye, Mom (November 29, 1997)
14. Old Friends (December 6, 1997)

Season 2: 1998

1. Men Behind Bars (September 12, 1998)
2. Shock Jock (September 19, 1998)
3. The Roommate (September 26, 1998)
4. Jamal Got His Gun (October 3, 1998)
5. The Divorce (October 10, 1998)
6. Bully, Bully (October 17, 1998)
7. Dance Fever (October 24, 1998)
8. A Guy and a Goth (October 31, 1998)
9. Big Brothers (November 7, 1998)
10. Over the Speed Limit (November 14, 1998)
11. A Noble Profession (November 21, 1998)
12. Party of Three (November 28, 1998)
13. Saving Private Johnson (December 5, 1998)
14. A Gift of Friendship (December 12, 1998)

Season 3: 1999-2000

1. Greece Is the Word (September 11, 1999)
2. Mr. Baseball (September 11, 1999)
3. Alley Oops (September 18, 1999)
4. Face the Music (September 18, 1999)
5. The Players (October 2, 1999)
6. Raise the Roofies (October 2, 1999)
7. Ebony & Ivory (October 9, 1999)
8. Reluctant Hero (October 9, 1999)
9. In this Corner (October 16, 1999)
10. El-Trainmania IV (October 16, 1999)
11. Marriage Go Round (October 23, 1999)
12. Movin' on Up (October 30, 1999)
13. Down and Out in Soho (October 30, 1999)
14. When Al Met Dawn (November 6, 1999)
15. Funny Business (November 6, 1999)
16. Get Your Vote On (Originally titled "Rock the Vote II") (November 13, 1999)
17. Angels of Harlem (November 20, 1999)
18. Rollin' With the Homies (November 20, 1999)
19. El-Train in the Sky Geena (November 27, 1999)
20. Miracle on 134th Street and Lexington Avenue (November 27, 1999)
21. Yoko Oh-No (December 3, 1999)
22. Party Like It's 1999 (First Clip Show) (December 3, 1999)
23. Fast Time at Manny High (February 12, 2000)
24. Harlem Honey (March 11, 2000)
25. Mom on the Rocks (June 10, 2000)

Season 4: 2000-2001

1. Kickin' It (September 23, 2000)
2. The Users (September 23, 2000)
3. Cheat Happens (September 30, 2000)
4. Presumed Innocent (September 30, 2000)
5. The Third Wheel (October 7, 2000)
6. Students of the Bride (October 7, 2000)
7. Mo, Money, Mo Problems (October 14, 2000)
8. Kodak Moment (October 14, 2000)
9. Meet Mr. History (October 21, 2000)
10. Keep on the Download (October 21, 2000)
11. Havoc (October 28, 2000)
12. Makin' Up Is Hard to Do (October 28, 2000)
13. Living in America (Second Clip Show) (November 4, 2000)
14. Shock Treatment (November 4, 2000)
15. Frisky Business (November 11, 2000)
16. Jamal X (November 11, 2000)
17. Subway Confessions (November 18, 2000)
18. Who Da Man (November 18, 2000)
19. Get to Preppin' (November 25, 2000)
20. Unhappy Hour (December 2, 2000)
21. Compromising Principal (December 2, 2000)
22. Dating Games (December 9, 2000)
23. Wager Money Go (December 9, 2000)
24. El-Brain (December 16, 2000)
25. Pier Pressure (December 16, 2000)
26. Blast from the Past (February 24, 2001)

Season 5: 2001

1. This Old Nerd (September 8, 2001)
2. E-Breakup (September 8, 2001)
3. Chicken Run (September 22, 2001)
4. Papa Please (September 22, 2001)
5. Red Dawn (September 29, 2001)
6. Dances with Malcolm (September 29, 2001)
7. Just for the Record (October 6, 2001)
8. Skips, Lies and Radiotapes (October 6, 2001)
9. Dawn Don't Know Jack (October 13, 2001)
10. Rosie O'Diner (October 13, 2001)
11. Cassidy Couch (October 20, 2001)
12. Brother from Another Mother (October 20, 2001)
13. Weight on Jamal (October 27, 2001)
14. Basket Case (October 27, 2001)
15. An SAT Carol (November 3, 2001)
16. Mock the Vote (Originally titled "Rock the Vote III) (November 3, 2001)
17. Prose and Cons (November 3, 2001)
18. Why Ya'll Clippin' (Third Clip Show) (November 10, 2001)
19. Model Behavior (November 17, 2001)
20. Almost Fatal (November 17, 2001)
21. Anchors Away (November 24, 2001)
22. Video Killed the Radio Star (November 24, 2001)
23. Prom-Lems (December 1, 2001)
24. Goodbye Manny High (December 8, 2001)
25. And Then There Were None (Fourth and final clip show) (December 8, 2001)
26. Al's in Toyland (December 15, 2001)

Theme Song

The theme song for "City Guys" had a repeating lyric that goes "C-I-T-Y you can see why, these guys, the new guys, are smart and streetwise."

Syndication

City Guys has aired on local syndication on WGN-TV as well as briefly airing on BET from October 2, 2010 to October 16, 2010.

Themes and Motifs

"City Guys" came about in a post-Cosby environment, when television embraced a new urban landscape that situated itself in a colorful, vibrant milieu. No longer were we seeing the oppressive malaise of a "Sanford & Son," the absurdist despair of a "What's Happening," or even the immutable nihilism of "The Jeffersons." "City Guys" is of the same stock or lineage as "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Living Single," and perhaps the founder of this urban sub-genre: "A Different World."

External links

• City Guys at the Internet Movie Database
• City Guys at TV.com