Fallon brings the cast of "California Dreams" back together

Regular Channel Surfing readers will recall how I breathlessly wrote about the theme song to T-NBC's "California Dreams" back in December of 2008.

I was actually making a point about the show being a total "Saved by the Bell" rip-off, but nonetheless, conceded that its transcendent theme song reached into my soul like no other Saturday morning sitcom ever could.

"Surf dudes with attitude" ... yeah, you're swaying along right there with me.

Anyway, having failed in his efforts to reunite the cast of "SBTB," Jimmy Fallon got the REAL band (not those bloated Zack Attack lip-synchers) back together by unexpectedly inviting the cast of "California Dreams" to play its memorable theme song on last night's show.

While laughing at something insanely cheesy and nostalgia-based is an easy joke to pull, Fallon has worked some serious magic with it in the lone year he's been on late night. There's a certain charm about Fallon sharing the same pop culture touchstones with a 20-to-30-something audience that had Conan O'Brien's creativity ripped from them and may not relate to David Letterman. Jay Leno? I won't even go there.

So while I may not have been a huge Fallon fan when he was hired to replace Conan, I love the ridiculously random energy he brings to his late night experiment. You have to pick your spots with little viral bits that'll get losers like me talking about your show the next morning. Reuniting the cast of "California Dreams" is certainly one of those moments.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the following clip as much as I did last night. Fallon is downright giddy about the appearance. Kelly Packard (Tiffani Smith) looks ridiculously hot. A nervous Jennie Kwan (Samantha Woo) can barely get her words out. And Michael Cade (Sly Winkle) steals the bit by overselling his latest projects, mentioning a porn company and of course, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the same six-pack abs he had in 1994.

Ba-BOOM.



-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com

Channel Surfing also wishes it was Christmas today ...

Looking for a rockin' Christmas tune to wipe the floor with your mom's favorite Andy Williams or Perry Como standard?

Earlier this year, Julian Casablancas released an awesome version of 'Saturday Night Live" novelty number, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." And while promoting his solo album on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" this week, the Strokes frontman cranked up the Christmas cheer alongside Fallon, Horatio Sanz and the Roots.

Now, this Channel Surfing blogger hasn't paid much attention to "SNL's" non-Sarah Palin related shenanigans over the past decade, but I do have a soft spot for Fallon and Co.'s Christmas ditty.

It's clever. It's catchy. It has Tracy Morgan in a Christmas sweater.

Either way, the song is now a full-fledged classic thanks to Casabalancas giving it the kind of snarl even a grumpy ol' atheist would appreciate this Christ-birthing season. And Fallon, for all the negativity he receives for not being as cool as Conan O'Brien, has done some very funny things in 2009 (which we'll be glad to remind you of when our Best of 2009 list is revealed tomorrow).

Enjoy both the new and original versions. Since it's not Christmas yet (sigh), we'll now get back to work.





-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com

Timeout! It's the return of Zack freakin' Morris

It says along the right rail that my guilty pleasure is "Saved by the Bell," but honestly, that's misleading. I have no problem defending my love of "SBTB" to anyone. In fact, I've engaged in spirited arguments with fellow pop culture aficionados about how, in my humble estimation, the show is actually funny -- even as I continue to bask in its inherent cheesiness as an adult.

So yes, I know that the same actor on "SBTB" played both Ox and Scud. I know that Helen Billingham was the name of the Stansbury recruiter who had the audacity to reject Jessica Mertyl Spano's impeccable credentials (she did kinda tank the SAT, though. I mean, it's the Harvard of the West). I even recently identified the actor who played Zack's dad, Derek Morris, in an erectile dysfunction ad.

Yes, I'm proud of these things.

This is why you'll have to forgive me for geeking out HARD when Mark-Paul Gosselaar played along with Jimmy Fallon's childhood kick by assuming the identity of one, Zachary Morris, on last night's show.

Now, I've never been a huge Fallon fan. But now ... now I feel like we could be brothers. Because dude is a hardcore "SBTB" junkie. And if I wasn't convinced of that after he had Dennis "Mr. Belding" Haskins (who, ahem, I've interviewed ...) on the show during his first week of "Late Night," it's readily apparent from the below clip that Fallon is a Bayside Glee Club geek of Violet Ann Bickerstaff proportions.

Like, we're talking Academic Bowl levels of "SBTB" knowledge from Fallon. Even with a talented staff of writers, you can't fake the love he showed for the Bayside gang. Dude is sporting some serious Zackosity.

Anyway, "SBTB" fans: you have to watch the following clip. It's chock full of obscure bits of Bayside High trivia. And the end is an absolute treat. All I can tell you is that I had "Friends Forever" in my head all freakin' day ... and yeah, giant cell phone gag. Never. Gets. Old.

Also, how much credit do you have to give Gosselaar for being cool about the whole bit? The guy is an established actor on a hit show, TNT's "Raising the Bar," yet instead of going in for the standard interview, he brings Morris out of the archives for a killer spot alongside The Roots. I mean, Screech can't even handle being called Screech. Yet Gosselaar is game for a role he played as a zit-faced teenager? Yeah, I'm totally watching "Raising the Bar" now. Mark-Paul ... you have earned this writer's loyalty for life. You could commit double murder and I'd hold up a handmade sign saying "I Back Zack" at your trial. That's how much respect you nabbed, Preppy.

Oh, and one more thing. MJ, do you think it's a coincidence that Fallon is doing this for Zack "The Legend" Morris and not Cory Matthews? Yeah, that's what I thought.



-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com