American Bandstand
American
Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI),
Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. Then it was
hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horn's Bandstand. On July
9 of 1956 the show got a new host, a clean-cut 26 year old
named Dick Clark. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed
American Bandstand, airing it's first national show on August
5, 1957. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. From 1963
to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on
Saturday.
10/7/1957 - 9/5/1987 ABC 60
minutes
4/8/1989 - 10/7/1989 Syndicated
Black & White/Color (9/9/1967) |
Dick Clark's first day as host:
7/9/1956
Goes from a daily to a weekly Saturday show in
Philadelphia: 9/7/1963
Broadcast from Los Angeles: Begins 2/8/1964
Produced by Anthony "Tony" Mammarella and Dick
Clark |
Everybody knew
the names of The Regulars on Bandstand. Kenny Rossi and Arlene
Sullivan, Bunny Gibson and Eddie Kelly, Pat Molittieri, Carmen
Jimenz, Joyce Shafer. We followed their dance steps on TV and
their personal lives in Teen magazines. We sent some 15,000 fan
letters each week.
Remember, these Regulars weren't paid actors or dancers. They
were real kids from Philly, and if you watched every day, you
could tell who was breaking up and who was making up.
The Regulars, also known as "The Committee" were only a part of
the Bandstand story. Hundreds of kids lined up each day hoping
to be one of the few lucky ones who got to dance alongside the
Regulars and share part of the magic that was American
Bandstand.
American
Bandstand brought rock 'n' roll music into millions of
households. It showed Americans how to do the latest dance
steps. Dick Clark, "America's Oldest Teenager" hosted the
series for most of it's run.
Regular Bandstand segments were "The Spotlight Dance,"
"Rate-A-Record" and The "American Bandstand" Top 10
Countdown.
"The Spotlight Dance" featured 2 or more couples dancing to a
softer tune. "Rate-A-Record" had teenage contestants rate and
comment on a record played on the show. The "AMERICAN BANDSTAND
TOP TEN" features a countdown of the day's Top 10 Hits.
American Bandstand began as a local Philadelphia show
called Bandstand. It debuted on October 13, 1952 on WFIL-TV
Channel 6. It became "American Bandstand" on August 5, 1957
when ABC began broadcasting the series nationwide. For its
first 6 seasons, American Bandstand aired Mondays through
Fridays. On September 7, 1963, it became a once-a-week series
airing Saturday afternoons. A few months later, on February 8,
1964, the show itself moved from its home in Philadelphia, PA
to its new home in Los Angeles. But despite the changes,
American Bandstand's fans remained loyal to the series,
which continued to present the latest music and dances. It even
inspired another long-running dance show, Soul Train,
which is still running today.
American Bandstand's long association with ABC ended on
September 5, 1987. The series returned 2 weeks later on
September 19, 1987 in first-run syndication and on April 8,
1989, American Bandstand made another move, this time to
the USA cable network. It also featured a new host, David
Hirsch. This version lasted only 6 months with the final show
airing on October 7, 1989. In 1995, VH-1 began showing classic
episodes of American Bandstand. These edited into
30-minute reruns featured many of the stars that the show had
made famous.
****A Special
Note: B.B. King was the only artist of so many that
appeared that did not lip synch his songs.
 
Thanks to Fifties Web and Tim's TV Show Case.
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