Dick Clark hosts a daily to weekly dance show that features the latest hit music for the attending teens to dance to. In addition, the show has performances by popular musicians and audience members rate songs.
Reviews

Episodes

Seasons


Years



32   31   30   29   28   27   … See all »
1989   1988   1987   1986   1985   1984   … See all »
3 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

Edit

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Dick Clark ...  Self - Host 1,460 episodes, 1952-1989
Learn more

More Like This 

Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

A compassionate teacher returns to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of trouble making kids.

Stars: Gabe Kaplan, Ron Palillo, John Travolta
Soul Train (1971–2006)
Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

Created by music impresario Don Cornelius, Soul Train is an African-American focused music-dance television program that spanned 35 years, primarily featuring performances by R&B, soul, funk, pop, and hip hop artists.

Stars: Don Cornelius, Diana Puskas, Queen Turner
Mission: Impossible (1966–1973)
Certificate: G Action | Adventure | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

An elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture.

Stars: Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris
The Mike Douglas Show (1961–1982)
Comedy | Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Mike Douglas, aided by a different celebrity co-host every week, interviews a variety of figures from the world of entertainment.

Stars: Mike Douglas, Ellie Frankel, Ellie Frankel Sextet
Good Times (1974–1979)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A poor family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.

Stars: Ja'net DuBois, Ralph Carter, BernNadette Stanis
Comedy | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

A variety show with comedy skits and musical numbers, performed by a regular cast and special guests.

Stars: Sonny Bono, Cher, Ted Zeigler
Adam-12 (1968–1975)
Certificate: PG Comedy | Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Two regular police officers patrol Los Angeles.

Stars: Martin Milner, Kent McCord, Shaaron Claridge
The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.

Stars: Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs
The Dick Cavett Show (1968–1986)
Music | Talk-Show
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

This particular series combines several "The Dick Cavett Show" on ABC: ABC This Morning/The Dick Cavett Show ABC Daytime March 1968 - January 1969 The Dick Cavett Show ABC Primetime May 1969 - September 1969 The Dick Cavett Show ABC Late Night December 1969 - January 1975 The Dick Cavett Show ABC Late Night September - December 1986

Stars: Dick Cavett, Bobby Rosengarden, Fred Foy
Dragnet (1951–1959)
Crime | Drama | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners methodically investigate crimes in Los Angeles.

Stars: Jack Webb, Ben Alexander, Olan Soule
Chico and the Man (1974–1978)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

The relationship between a cranky old mechanic and a twentysomething Chicano.

Stars: Jack Albertson, Scatman Crothers, Freddie Prinze
Love, American Style (1969–1974)
Comedy | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.

Stars: Stuart Margolin, Barbara Minkus, William Callaway
Edit

Storyline

On this show, Dick Clark a weekly dance that featured the latest hit music for attending to dance to. In addition, the show had performances by popular musicians and audience members rated songs. Written by Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@home.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Music | Talk-Show

Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like many similar shows of the same period, many early episodes no longer exist. See more »

Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version. See more »

Connections

Featured in Country Girl's Hollywood Adventure (1975) See more »

Soundtracks

Bandstand Boogie (The Theme of 'American Bandstand')
Written and Performed by Charles Albertine, Les Elgart & Bob Horn from 1952 to 1977
See more »

User Reviews

 
Nostalgic? Absolutely! Remember the audience's common response "I Like the beat"
20 January 2017 | by Ed-ShullivanSee all my reviews

My family, friends and co-workers all remember Saturday's weekly TV series American Bandstand back in the 1960's and 1970's when it was THE ONLY music related theme show that could compete each week with the popularity of the following evenings Sunday night TV's Ed Sullivan show. Dick Clark as host was that perennial television star who seemed to have found the fountain of youth and just never seemed to age.

Each week the music that played and was danced to were the most popular songs of that day and when Dick Clark would ask some of the studio fans who were grooving and dancing to the music playing they would invariably respond with something like the following, "Well, I just like the beat. It's a beat we can dance to really easy. I just like the beat".

Yes for the most part the TV audience dancing to the songs playing represented a white mid-west America audience, but I believe it fair to say that American Bandstand would bring in the live talent from all across the country. The TV series sound stage was produced and filmed from the home of soul music in Philadelphia and yes from the great soul singer James Brown and Chubby Checkers, to crooners like Bobby Darin and Neil Sedaka, country singers like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, pop singers like the Carpenters and the Supremes, and rock and roll like Chuck Berry, the Animals and Creedence Clearwater Revival. American Bandstand never disappointed their television audience that tuned in each week to hear the beat, and maybe just a bit tongue in cheek laugh and criticize the shows dancers hokey dance moves, or their wide bell bottom pants and long hair or huge afros. Not only was American Bandstand the epicenter of the hip music, it was also a platform for teenage dress and fashion statements.

Who can not say that after more than 30 consecutive seasons on the air that if you were born prior to the 1980's that you didn't watch American Bandstand, didn't enjoy the music and the music guests that appeared each week? If you were not a fan of American Bandstand than you probably still tuned in and watched the TV show on Saturday as its critic so that you could make fun of the hokey dance moves that were displayed, the abstract fashion statements and hairdos (such as the women's beehive hairstyles and the men's two foot high afros).

Dick Clark's soothing voice and his ease with which he interacted with his musical guests made him the perfect host, and allowed us the audience to spend a Saturday for an hour or so enjoying great music guests, classic music and dance moves and ohhhh the fashion statements when we reminisce. Who can forget American Bandstand that lasted for 32 wonderful seasons. We miss you Dick Clark. God bless.


4 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 8 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 August 1957 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

AB See more »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(1986-1987) | (1961-1962) | (1963-1986 and 1987-1989) | (1957-1961) | (1962-1963)

Sound Mix:

Mono (1952-1983)| Stereo (1983-1989)

Color:

Black and White (1952-1967)| Color (1967-1989)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »

Contribute to This Page



Recently Viewed