Sunny-natured Dave Stohler (Shaun Cassidy), affectionately dubbed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Ravioli by his friends, is passionate about bicycle racing and all things Neapolitan. He particularly loves the combination of the two, like Italian bikes or biking Italians. His friends include athletic Mike (Tom Wiggin), wry Cyril (Thom Bray), and practical Moocher (Jackie Earle Haley), who reacts physically if called "Shorty." As the four high school graduates navigate their futures, two things are certain: they will stay together and often clash with the guys from Fraternity Row in their Midwestern college town. Dave's parents (Vincent Gardenia and Barbara Barrie) observe them with a mix of love, concern, exasperation, and the hope that a film adaptation of an Oscar-winning movie set in Bloomington, Ind., will also be successful in Peoria—on TV.