American Dreams
Encyclopedia
American Dreams is an American television
comedy-drama
program broadcast on the NBC
television network
, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions
in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios (these companies merged in 2004 to become NBC Universal Television Studio, now Universal Media Studios). The series was created by Jonathan Prince
and developed by Josh Goldstein and Prince; the latter was also one of the executive producers with Dick Clark. It debuted on September 29, 2002. The show is set mostly in Philadelphia
. It initially aired on Sundays at 8:00pm Eastern time
, but moved to the same time on Wednesdays from March 9, 2005, to the third season finale (March 30, 2005).
The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s. Season one takes place in 1963-64, season two in 1964-65, and season three in 1965-66. The show was known as "Our Generation" when it debuted in Australia, however it was changed back to "American Dreams" when it returned for the second season.
The theme song "Generation" was written and performed by Emerson Hart
, lead singer of the band Tonic
. The song earned Hart an ASCAP award for Best Theme Song of Television in 2003. The show was the 2003 TV Land Awards
"Future Classic" winner.
.
episode, set in November 1963, Meg and Roxanne win the opportunity to join the dancers on the TV show American Bandstand
, filmed in Philadelphia. Passing note is made of the JFK assassination and funeral. Bandstand immediately becomes the principal creative pillar of American Dreams, with each episode featuring recreated versions of several musical acts that originally appeared on the real Bandstand, often rendered by modern singers.
JJ Pryor, a running back for the East Catholic Fighting Crusaders football team, tries to earn a full athletic scholarship to play at the University of Notre Dame
, but can only earn a partial scholarship. He later applies for and is accepted to Lehigh University
, but a nagging ankle injury curtails his football career - and thus he enlists in the United States Marine Corps
to pay for school. Meanwhile, JJ's on-again, off-again girlfriend Beth chooses to attend the University of Pennsylvania
in order to be near JJ.
In the early part of the season, Meg develops a crush on a Bandstand dancer, and they go on a couple of public appearance dates. While never becoming romantic, they remained good friends. Meg later developed a romance with Luke Foley, the bespectacled record store clerk and fellow East Catholic student.
Sam Walker wins a track scholarship
to East Catholic. Some in the majority-white student body (Sam's father Henry states that there are only three other black male students at East Catholic) resent Sam's presence, especially Tommy DeFelice, who is later expelled after falsely confessing to JJ's crime of breaking Beth's current boyfriend's windshield. Sam and Meg develop a friendship, even creating a record-swapping club while meeting at the Vinyl Crocodile record store.
In the season finale on May 18, 2003, Meg and Sam are caught in the riots that shook Philadelphia
in the summer of 1964.
. JJ excels at boot camp and arrives in Vietnam
. While on leave, he and Beth are reunited in Hawaii; they break up, but Beth soon learns she is pregnant with JJ's child, and she moves in with the Pryors.
Helen discovers that there might be a possible surgical treatment for Will's paralysis, and the early part of the season deals with Will's medical treatment. By the end of the season, Will's leg braces have been removed and he is able to walk normally.
Roxanne exchanges promise rings with boyfriend Lenny, and goes on tour with him before returning home. Later on, she dates Meg's ex-boyfriend, Luke. Meg dates a college boy, Drew, despite JJ and her father's strong dislike for him, but breaks it off when he ends up cheating on her,
Sam wins a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. Jack decides to run for the City Council
. In the season finale on April 4, 2004, Sam's cousin Nathan is drafted and opts to go to jail rather than serve in Vietnam. Also in that episode, JJ is caught in a fierce firefight
, while Meg and Sam are arrested at a campus rally protesting the Vietnam war.
As Thanksgiving nears closer, JJ is captured by the Viet Cong. He and his sergeant escape, but are presumed missing in action (the sergeant is later found buried in a shallow grave). The Pryors learn of JJ's "Missing In Action" status just before Thanksgiving.
Luke Foley returns to Philadelphia, and Roxanne, who moves out on her remarrying mother, moves in with him in a loft above the Vinyl Crocodile record store.
On a commercial-free special episode that aired November 21, 2004, JJ returns home. At episode's end JJ glares harshly at his mother. It could be a sign of things to come. In the next original episode, JJ becomes a Marine recruiter and suffers from post-traumatic flashbacks. He proposes to Beth. Beth and JJ are married on the January 23, 2005 episode. Helen becomes involved with a Catholic peace group.
As the show enters 1966, JJ marries Beth at a church ceremony. Jack Pryor, newly elected to the Philadelphia City Council, is forced to take a bribe, with the money going to help JJ repay some gambling debts. Eventually Jack votes to elect a local activist in his district. Reverend Davis, to the Police Review Board; essentially voting against the Council. For this act of disloyalty, several members of the police force beat up JJ after a traffic stop. Pete soon finds the culprits who attacked JJ and roughs them up, but Jack decides to resign from the Council.
Chris and Meg's relationship becomes more intimate, but Meg is troubled by reports that Chris helped set fire to a recruitment center. Despite this, Meg and Chris eventually have sex - with Chris revealing afterward that he did indeed lie to Meg about the recruitment center. Meg and Chris eventually break up, and Chris leaves Philadelphia.
Meg and Sam consider the possibility of a romantic relationship, but JJ and Nathan discourage the idea. Meanwhile, Jack and Pete's older brother Ted gets into a serious car accident, putting him on a respirator. After much soul searching, the Pryors decide to disconnect the machine. After returning home from a Rolling Stones concert, Meg finds her ex-boyfriend Chris standing in front of her home. He's just been drafted.
In the season/series finale, Meg and Chris both leave Philadelphia on Chris' motorcycle, with plans for them to live in Berkeley, California
and campaign against the war. JJ Pryor applies for and receives a job in aeronautics, assisting in space suit design for future NASA
missions to the moon.
Never a strong performer in its Sunday 8:00 p.m. timeslot, the show's third-season ratings dropped 33% from its first season and 13% from its second season. In the third season, the show was regularly beaten in the Sunday night ratings by ABC
's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
and CBS
's Cold Case. On February 2, 2005, NBC reduced the number of third season episodes of American Dreams from 19 to 17. The network also moved the program away from its original Sunday night timeslot to Wednesday nights, airing before The West Wing. This put the show up against CBS
's Survivor: Palau
and ABC
's Lost
, and American Dreams could not compete against these popular programs.
As the third season wound down, actors on the show apparently saw the writing on the wall and filmed pilots for new shows to possibly air in the 2005-06 television season. Fans of American Dreams organized a postcard writing campaign to save the show. Fans sent over 5000 supportive e-mails to NBC after the season finale and sent several thousand postcards to the network as well. On May 4, 2005, fans flew an aerial banner over NBC's Burbank studios in support of the show, even as the show's sets were being dismantled at Sunset-Gower Studios, where it was filmed.
It had been reported that American Dreams may have been canceled as early as December 2004, primarily because of the interracial dating issue between Meg and Sam; Jonathan Prince mentioned in a Miami Herald article that he was able to get four additional episodes made by having companies such as Kraft and Nabisco pay for additional episodes in exchange for product placement (Campbell's Soups and Ford also participated in product placement episodes).
reported on April 12, 2005 that in late February, NBC
ordered two endings filmed for the season finale. The un-aired ending was a 12 minute segment set on July 20, 1969 (the day Apollo 11
landed on the Moon
), with Meg returning home to face her family after a three year absence. NBC opted not to air the 12 minute epilogue when the third season finale aired on March 30, 2005, a month and a half before the official cancellation of the series. TV Guide
reported on July 26, 2005 that this epilogue was likely to air in a rerun of the third season finale in August or September, but the airing never materialized. NBC was unable to attract sponsorship for the segment, which reportedly contained many rock and roll oldies, resulting in expensive music licensing fees for the network.
was for the 1980s.
Some examples of these disputes include:
stage, although several performances took place at a performing area adjacent to the Vinyl Crocodile record store. In the second and third seasons, several of the recreations took place at The Lair, a coffee house/student union facility on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
The contemporary artists, along with the songs they performed and the artist they "interpreted", are listed below.
in September 2004. Fans are clamoring for the release of the remaining two seasons, and despite some reports and promises that plans are in the works, as of May 2011, no formal release dates have been announced. Prince has promised that the series epilogue
will appear in the third season DVD release. However, it is widely believed that the huge number of licensed songs on the series make future DVD releases cost prohibitive, although Prince said that was not the case. On January 26, 2009, it was reported that Prince and other producers from the show were negotiating to get the final two seasons released on DVD, along with including the unaired epilogue.
No recent news was made until June 21, 2010, where it was reported that the producers "are closer than ever to debuting a boxed set of all three seasons of American Dreams on DVD". However, negations seem to have stalled.
It should be noted that there are music alterations in the Season 1 DVD release in order to keep music licensing costs down. Prince has noted that the first season retains about "80% of the original music", keeping music he deemed critical to particular scenes, as well as performances of guest stars and music for the Bandstand dancers while replacing some background songs with "cheaper needle-drops" from the '60s. Prince said he doubted even hard-core fans would notice the difference.
and Trouble) and in Poland (TV Puls
).
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
program broadcast on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions
Dick Clark Productions
Dick Clark Productions is an entertainment production company founded by entertainer Dick Clark...
in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios (these companies merged in 2004 to become NBC Universal Television Studio, now Universal Media Studios). The series was created by Jonathan Prince
Jonathan Prince
Jonathan Alexander Prince is an American actor, director, screenwriter and movie producer.-Career:Prince embarked on an acting career following graduation from Harvard University. His most prominent roles include "Leo" in the 1981 CBS series Mr...
and developed by Josh Goldstein and Prince; the latter was also one of the executive producers with Dick Clark. It debuted on September 29, 2002. The show is set mostly in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. It initially aired on Sundays at 8:00pm Eastern time
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, but moved to the same time on Wednesdays from March 9, 2005, to the third season finale (March 30, 2005).
The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s. Season one takes place in 1963-64, season two in 1964-65, and season three in 1965-66. The show was known as "Our Generation" when it debuted in Australia, however it was changed back to "American Dreams" when it returned for the second season.
The theme song "Generation" was written and performed by Emerson Hart
Emerson Hart
Emerson Hart is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and producer. He grew up in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.-Biography:Emerson Hart is the lead singer and songwriter of the alternative rock band Tonic...
, lead singer of the band Tonic
Tonic (band)
Tonic is an American rock band that has earned two Grammy nominations to date. The band was formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album Lemon Parade...
. The song earned Hart an ASCAP award for Best Theme Song of Television in 2003. The show was the 2003 TV Land Awards
TV Land Awards
The TV Land Awards is an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmys. It is presented in a manner that spoofs other entertainment award ceremonies...
"Future Classic" winner.
Major characters
- Margaret "Meg" Pryor (Brittany Snow) - the show's protagonist. A dreamer and a romantic, Meg often makes rash decisions without thinking. In her spare time, she dances on Dick Clark's American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. - Helen Pryor (Gail O'GradyGail O'GradyGail Ann O'Grady is an American television actress. She is best known for her roles as Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue and as Helen Pryor on American Dreams...
) - Jack's wife. Stay at home mom who later works for a travel agency - John J."Jack" Pryor (Tom VericaTom VericaTom Verica is an American actor and director, known for his role of Jack Pryor on the NBC drama American Dreams. He played Astronaut Dick Gordon in the HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon...
) - head of the CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
household, Jack is a tough-but-loving husband, father, and owner of Pryor's TV and Radio Store. Later represented his district in the Philadelphia City CouncilCity councilA city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. - John J. "JJ" Pryor Jr. (Will EstesWill EstesWill Estes is an American actor best known for his role as JJ Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams. In 2010, he joined the cast of Tom Selleck's new CBS police drama Blue Bloods...
) - the oldest Pryor child. A talented football player. He enlists in the Marines and fights in the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. - Patricia "Patty" Pryor (Sarah RamosSarah RamosSarah Emily Ramos is an American actress. Her most prominent roles have been as Patty Pryor on the television series American Dreams and Haddie Braverman on the series Parenthood.-Personal life:...
) - Meg's intelligent and often annoying little sister. - William "Will" Pryor (Ethan Dampf) - an elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
student whose leg was crippled with polioPoliomyelitisPoliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
, a source of parental guilt as they had refused to allow him to have the Salk vaccineJonas SalkJonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. He was born in New York City to parents from Ashkenazi Jewish Russian immigrant families...
, but he underwent an operation to repair it in the show's second season. - Henry Walker (Jonathan AdamsJonathan Adams (American actor)Jonathan Adams is an American actor, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Career:He has appeared in several roles in American television, most notably in American Dreams. On this, he played series regular Henry Walker, an employee in the radio and television store owned by the patriarch of the...
) - an African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
employee in Jack's store who later became a partner/owner in the store, who also heads a family. - Samuel "Sam" Walker (Arlen EscarpetaArlen EscarpetaArlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
) - Henry's son and Meg's good friend who becomes a little more than friends in Season 3. - Roxanne Bojarski (Vanessa LengiesVanessa LengiesVanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
) - Meg's best friend who has a knack for getting herself into trouble. She dances on American Bandstand with Meg. - Elizabeth "Beth" Mason-Pryor (Rachel BostonRachel Boston-Biography:Boston was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and grew up in Signal Mountain, Tennessee before moving to New York City at the age of seventeen to attend New York University. She was Miss Tennessee Teen USA in 1999, placing in the Top 10 at the national pageant.-Career:She starred in the NBC...
) - JJ's girlfriend, whom he marries in the third season shortly after returning from Vietnam. They have an infant son "Trip".
Pryor Family
- Pete Pryor (Matthew John ArmstrongMatthew John ArmstrongMatthew John Armstrong is an American actor.-Career:He was most recently seen in the television series Heroes as Ted Sprague and a single episode of House. He also had a long running role on American Dreams...
) - Jack's younger brother, an officer with the Philadelphia Police DepartmentPhiladelphia Police DepartmentThe Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. He is assigned to the Columbia Avenue Precinct in North Philadelphia, a Precinct which includes the Walker's home and the Pryor's second store. He is addicted to alcohol and gambling. Almost married in Season 2 to Nancy (Helen's coworker and friend), but got cold feet at the last minute. - Theodore "Ted" Pryor (Christopher Cousins)- Jack and Pete's older brother, a successful businessman who has a strained and distant relationship from the rest of the family. He is only seen in a couple of episodes, but dies in a car accident late in Season 3.
- Melissa Pryor (Natalie Marston) - Ted's 18 year old daughter, niece of Jack, Helen and Pete. She entered Vassar CollegeVassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in the fall of 1966. - John J. "Trip" Pryor III - JJ and Beth's son, born in November 1965 during the third season.
Walker Family
- Gwen Walker (Adina PorterAdina PorterAdina Porter is an American actress, currently seen as Lettie Mae Thornton on HBO's True Blood.She played Letecia Barris on the show Prison Break and also appeared as Ricky in the film version of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues for HBO...
) - Henry's wife and a housekeeperHousekeeper (servant)A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
, who died in Season 2 of cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. - Angela Walker (Aysia PolkAysia Polk- Background :Polk had a recurring role on American Dreams playing Angela Walker from 2002–2005, and on Six Feet Under playing Taylor from 2002-2003....
) - Henry and Gwen's daughter, roughly Patty's age. - Nathan Walker (Keith RobinsonKeith Robinson (actor)Keith Robinson is an American actor and R&B singer.-Early life:Robinson was born in Louisville, Kentucky and later moved to Atlanta...
) - Henry's outspoken nephew. Spent some time in jail; eventually rehabilitated himself and now operates a delivery service.
Meg and Roxanne's friends
- Luke Foley (Jamie ElmanJamie ElmanBenjamin David "Jamie" Elman is a Canadian American actor best known for his leading roles of Cody Miller on Fox’s Student Bodies and Luke Foley in NBC’s American Dreams.-Career:...
) - a record store clerk with an affinity for all things Dylan. Originally Meg's boyfriend in the first season; after they broke up Luke and Roxanne developed a relationship and began living together in the third season. - James "Jimmy" Riley (Jesse HutchJesse HutchJesse Hutch is a Canadian-born film and television actor. He spends his time travelling between the USA and Canada. He worked on the television show American Dreams as Jimmy Riley, romantic interest of main-character Meg Pryor...
) - an American Bandstand dance partner of Meg's who eventually leaves to fight in Vietnam; he would later return to American Dreams in the second season, in a wheelchair. - Drew Mandel (Samuel PageSamuel PageSamuel Page is an American actor. He is credited under the name Sam Page.-Early life:...
) - A college student at the University of Pennsylvania; he and Meg date during the show, despite both her brother J.J. and her father's dislike for Drew. It ends when she catches him cheating on her. - Leonard "Lenny" Beeber (Johnny LewisJohnny LewisJonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis , also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, is an American actor.-Life and career:Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in American Dreams , Boston Public , and The Guardian , among others...
) - Roxanne's second season boyfriend with whom she goes on tour. Head of the band Lenny and the Pilgrims. - Christopher "Chris" Pierce (Milo VentimigliaMilo VentimigliaMilo Anthony Ventimiglia is an American television actor best known for his role of Peter Petrelli on the TV series Heroes...
) - Shelly Pierce's son, who becomes Meg's new love interest in the third season.
JJ's friends
- Daniel "Danny" O'Connor (Rodney ScottRodney ScottRodney Scott is an actor best known for playing David Cassidy/Keith Partridge in the 1999 television movie Come On, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story, and William 'Will' Krudski, one of the leading characters in the TV series Young Americans, a role that originated as a recurring character on...
) - Quarterback of the East Catholic football team in the first season, and who has a short-lived relationship with Meg in season two. His older brother was declared missing in action in Vietnam. In season three, Danny's brother's body is found in Vietnam. - Thomas "Tommy" DeFelice (Paul WasilewskiPaul WesleyPaul Thomas Wasilewski , known professionally as Paul Wesley, is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stefan Salvatore in The CW TV series The Vampire Diaries and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen....
) - JJ's macho friend and former football teammate. JJ later ends the friendship when he notices a strong racist side to him when Sam enrolls at East Catholic. They resume their friendship when Tommy takes the blame for something JJ did. - Kenny Keegan (Kevin Sheridan) - JJ's East Catholic friend and teammate; a mediocre athlete.
Bandstand characters
- Michael Brooks (Joseph LawrenceJoey LawrenceJoseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...
) - the original floor producer of American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. His character left after the show's first season. - Colin (Michael E. RodgersMichael E. RodgersMichael E. Rodgers is a Scottish film, television and theater actor.He began his film career with a role in Gia with Angelina Jolie. Shortly thereafter, he went to work with Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Minnie Driver in feature film Uncorked and renowned director Allison Anders in Sugar Town...
) - Floor producer of Bandstand who took over after Michael Brooks' departure. - Gus (Peter SpellosPeter SpellosPeter Spellos is a voice actor who is also known as G. Gordon Baer, Gordon Baer, G. Gordon Bear, David Conrad, and Orville Ketchum.-Anime:* Black Jack - Mr. Brane* Bleach - Koganehiko, Dordonii...
) - witty production assistant of American Bandstand. - Teresa McManus (Michelle MorganMichele Morgan (American actress)Michele Morgan is an American film/television and voice over actress.-Filmography:-External links:...
) - A regular dancer on Bandstand who does not like Meg. - Dick Clark (Paul D. Roberts), host of American Bandstand.
- Charlie O'DonnellCharlie O'DonnellCharles John "Charlie" O'Donnell was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows...
(Michael BurgerMichael BurgerMichael Burger is an American actor and game show host. He is best known for hosting the game show, Match Game, and co-hosting the 1994 ABC talk show Mike and Maty...
), announcer of American Bandstand.
Other minor characters
- Willie Johnson (Nigel Thatch) - Charismatic neighborhood agitator in North Philadelphia who played a major role in instigating the Philadelphia 1964 race riotPhiladelphia 1964 race riotThe Philadelphia race riot took place in the predominantly black neighborhoods of North Philadelphia from August 28 to August 30, 1964. Tensions between black residents of the city and police had been escalating for several months over several well-publicized allegations of police brutality.This...
. - Rebecca Sandstrom (Virginia MadsenVirginia MadsenVirginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
) - Helen's friend from a book club. Her character was dropped after the first season. - Nancy (Alicia CoppolaAlicia CoppolaAlicia Coppola is an American television actress.-Career:Coppola started her TV career as a hostess on the MTV game show Remote Control. In 1991, she was hired to play vixen Lorna Devon on the soap opera Another World; she played the role until 1994...
) - After meeting Helen while working at the same travel agency, she became one of Helen's confidantes. Nancy dated and then became engaged to Pete Pryor, only to be left standing at the altar. - Donald Norville (Hank Stratton) - Helen's colleague at the travel agency. He is later fired for being a homosexual.
- Father Conti (Steve RyanSteve RyanSteve Ryan was an American actor.He was best known for his recurring role on the Fox sitcom, Arrested Development, as J. Walter Weatherman. Some of his other roles included "Detective Nate Grossman" on the NBC Police series Crime Story and his role as "Bobick" on Daddio.Notable recurring roles...
) - The Pryor family's strict Catholic priest who also serves as the headmaster of East Catholic high school. - Mr. and Mrs. George Mason (James ReadJames ReadJames Christopher Read is an American actor, best known for his role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries.-Early life:...
and Barbara Alyn WoodsBarbara Alyn WoodsBarbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in One Tree Hill, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Striptease.-Filmography:...
) - Beth's well-to-do parents. Estranged from Beth after she became pregnant with JJ Pryor's child, although some reconciliation was attempted in the show's third season. - Mr. Greenwood (Art GarfunkelArt GarfunkelArthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
) - The bohemianBohemianA Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
owner of the Vinyl Crocodile record store. Appeared sporadically during the first season; in the third season he is said to have gone "on a worldwide tour with his friend", an allusion to Art Garfunkel's singing partnership with Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
. - Shelly Pierce (Daphne ZunigaDaphne ZunigaDaphne Eurydice Zuniga is an American actress known for her roles as Jo Reynolds on the Fox primetime soap Melrose Place, as Victoria Davis on The CW teen drama One Tree Hill and as Princess Vespa in Spaceballs.-Early life:...
), a single mom who works at a nearby Playboy ClubPlayboy ClubThe Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
and the Pryors' next door neighbor (starting at the beginning of Season 3). - Murray (Murray Rubenstein) - Barber shop owner whose business is next to Pryor's TV and Radio. A frequent visitor to the store, though he rarely buys anything.
Ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of American Dreams on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
| Season | Timeslot | Number of Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday 8/7c | 25 | September 29, 2002 | May 18, 2003 | 2002–2003 | #56 | 9.98 |
| 2 | Sunday 8/7c | 19 | September 28, 2003 | April 4, 2004 | 2003–2004 | #67 | 8.75 |
| 3 | Sunday 8/7c (September 26-March 2) Wednesday 8/7c (March 9-March 30) |
17 | September 26, 2004 | March 30, 2005 | 2004–2005 | #79 | 7.20 |
Season 1 (2002-2003)
- Pilot
- The End of the Innocence
- New Frontier
- Pryor Knowledge
- The Fighting Irish
- Soldier Boy
- Cold Snap
- Black and White
- The Home Front
- Silent Night
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand
- Great Expectations
- The Pursuit of Happiness
- Heartache
- False Start
- Act of Contrition
- Past Imperfect
- The One
- Where the Boys Are
- The Carpetbaggers
- Fear Itself
- Secrets and Lies
- Down the Shore
- High Hopes
- City on Fire
Season 2 (2003-2004)
- And Promises to Keep
- R-E-S-P-E-C-T
- Another Saturday Night
- Crossing the Line
- Life's Illusions
- Rescue Me
- Ticket to Ride
- Change a Comin'
- The Long Goodbye
- The 7-10 Split
- Beyond the Wire
- Real-to-Reel
- To Tell the Truth
- Old Enough to Fight
- Shoot the Moon
- Can't Hold On
- Chasing the Past
- Stewart's Charge
- No Way Out
Season 3 (2004-2005)
- Long Shots and Short Skirts
- Charade
- Leaders of the Pack
- Surround Me
- So Long, Farewell
- Clear and Present Danger
- What Dreams May Come
- One in a Million
- Tidings of Comfort and Joy
- Home Again
- Truth Be Told
- For Richer, For Poorer
- Starting Over
- The Commencement
- California Dreamin'
- No Satisfaction
- It's My Life
Season 1 (2002-2003)
In the pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episode, set in November 1963, Meg and Roxanne win the opportunity to join the dancers on the TV show American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, filmed in Philadelphia. Passing note is made of the JFK assassination and funeral. Bandstand immediately becomes the principal creative pillar of American Dreams, with each episode featuring recreated versions of several musical acts that originally appeared on the real Bandstand, often rendered by modern singers.
JJ Pryor, a running back for the East Catholic Fighting Crusaders football team, tries to earn a full athletic scholarship to play at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, but can only earn a partial scholarship. He later applies for and is accepted to Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, but a nagging ankle injury curtails his football career - and thus he enlists in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to pay for school. Meanwhile, JJ's on-again, off-again girlfriend Beth chooses to attend the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in order to be near JJ.
In the early part of the season, Meg develops a crush on a Bandstand dancer, and they go on a couple of public appearance dates. While never becoming romantic, they remained good friends. Meg later developed a romance with Luke Foley, the bespectacled record store clerk and fellow East Catholic student.
Sam Walker wins a track scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to East Catholic. Some in the majority-white student body (Sam's father Henry states that there are only three other black male students at East Catholic) resent Sam's presence, especially Tommy DeFelice, who is later expelled after falsely confessing to JJ's crime of breaking Beth's current boyfriend's windshield. Sam and Meg develop a friendship, even creating a record-swapping club while meeting at the Vinyl Crocodile record store.
In the season finale on May 18, 2003, Meg and Sam are caught in the riots that shook Philadelphia
Philadelphia 1964 race riot
The Philadelphia race riot took place in the predominantly black neighborhoods of North Philadelphia from August 28 to August 30, 1964. Tensions between black residents of the city and police had been escalating for several months over several well-publicized allegations of police brutality.This...
in the summer of 1964.
Season 2 (2003-2004)
Meg and Sam survive the riots unharmed, but the branch of Jack's store under Henry's management is destroyed. Gwen dies from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. JJ excels at boot camp and arrives in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. While on leave, he and Beth are reunited in Hawaii; they break up, but Beth soon learns she is pregnant with JJ's child, and she moves in with the Pryors.
Helen discovers that there might be a possible surgical treatment for Will's paralysis, and the early part of the season deals with Will's medical treatment. By the end of the season, Will's leg braces have been removed and he is able to walk normally.
Roxanne exchanges promise rings with boyfriend Lenny, and goes on tour with him before returning home. Later on, she dates Meg's ex-boyfriend, Luke. Meg dates a college boy, Drew, despite JJ and her father's strong dislike for him, but breaks it off when he ends up cheating on her,
Sam wins a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. Jack decides to run for the City Council
Philadelphia City Council
The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number...
. In the season finale on April 4, 2004, Sam's cousin Nathan is drafted and opts to go to jail rather than serve in Vietnam. Also in that episode, JJ is caught in a fierce firefight
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
, while Meg and Sam are arrested at a campus rally protesting the Vietnam war.
Season 3 (2004-2005)
The arrests widen the communications gap between parents and children, and inspire Meg to lead additional protests. A strict new headmaster also fires Meg up. An injured JJ wakes up in an American military hospital, and learns of his forthcoming child; Beth refuses to accept JJ's offer of marriage. Roxanne, estranged from her mother, moves in with the Pryors. JJ gets recruited for special, somewhat mysterious duty for the US government. Jack wins an upset victory for the City Council.As Thanksgiving nears closer, JJ is captured by the Viet Cong. He and his sergeant escape, but are presumed missing in action (the sergeant is later found buried in a shallow grave). The Pryors learn of JJ's "Missing In Action" status just before Thanksgiving.
Luke Foley returns to Philadelphia, and Roxanne, who moves out on her remarrying mother, moves in with him in a loft above the Vinyl Crocodile record store.
On a commercial-free special episode that aired November 21, 2004, JJ returns home. At episode's end JJ glares harshly at his mother. It could be a sign of things to come. In the next original episode, JJ becomes a Marine recruiter and suffers from post-traumatic flashbacks. He proposes to Beth. Beth and JJ are married on the January 23, 2005 episode. Helen becomes involved with a Catholic peace group.
As the show enters 1966, JJ marries Beth at a church ceremony. Jack Pryor, newly elected to the Philadelphia City Council, is forced to take a bribe, with the money going to help JJ repay some gambling debts. Eventually Jack votes to elect a local activist in his district. Reverend Davis, to the Police Review Board; essentially voting against the Council. For this act of disloyalty, several members of the police force beat up JJ after a traffic stop. Pete soon finds the culprits who attacked JJ and roughs them up, but Jack decides to resign from the Council.
Chris and Meg's relationship becomes more intimate, but Meg is troubled by reports that Chris helped set fire to a recruitment center. Despite this, Meg and Chris eventually have sex - with Chris revealing afterward that he did indeed lie to Meg about the recruitment center. Meg and Chris eventually break up, and Chris leaves Philadelphia.
Meg and Sam consider the possibility of a romantic relationship, but JJ and Nathan discourage the idea. Meanwhile, Jack and Pete's older brother Ted gets into a serious car accident, putting him on a respirator. After much soul searching, the Pryors decide to disconnect the machine. After returning home from a Rolling Stones concert, Meg finds her ex-boyfriend Chris standing in front of her home. He's just been drafted.
In the season/series finale, Meg and Chris both leave Philadelphia on Chris' motorcycle, with plans for them to live in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and campaign against the war. JJ Pryor applies for and receives a job in aeronautics, assisting in space suit design for future NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
missions to the moon.
"Past" events
- c. 1924 - Jack Pryor is born.
- c. 1925 - Helen Dolan is born.
- c. September 1945 - Jack Pryor, presumably returning from fighting in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, conceives a child with Helen Dolan. - c. November 1945 - Jack Pryor and Helen Dolan are married.
- c. June 1946 - J.J. Pryor is born.
- c. 1946 - Beth Mason is born.
- c. 1947 - Sam Walker and Luke Foley are born.
- c. March 1948 - Roxanne Bojarski is born.
- c. August 1948 - Meg Pryor is born.
- c. 1951 - Angela Walker is born.
- c. 1951 - Patty Pryor is born.
- c. 1956 - Will Pryor is born.
Events depicted on screen
- November 1963 - Meg and Roxanne become regular dancers on American Bandstand.
- June 1964 - JJ and Beth graduate from high school.
- August 1964 - The Philadelphia riots take place.
- November 1964- 1964 US Presidential Election between Lyndon Johnson and Barry GoldwaterBarry GoldwaterBarry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
. (It's mentioned that Ted supported Goldwater.) - 1965 - Gwen Walker dies.
- June 1965 - Sam graduates from high school.
- November 1965 - Northeast Blackout of 1965Northeast Blackout of 1965The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
- November 1965 - Beth Mason gives birth to John Pryor III.
- January 1966- JJ returns home from Vietnam.
- April 23, 1966 - JJ Pryor and Beth Mason are married.
- June 1966 - Meg and Roxanne graduate from high school.
- July 1966 - Ted Pryor dies.
"Future" events
- June 1968 - Patty's graduation from high school is estimated to take place at this time.
- June 1974 - Will's graduation from high school is estimated to take place at this time.
- June 1984 - John Pryor III's graduation from high school is estimated to take place at this time.
Cancellation
On May 16, 2005, NBC announced their fall schedule for the 2005-06 season. Confirming months of speculation (and an unofficial confirmation article on May 1 by Reuters), American Dreams was formally canceled, a victim of low ratings.Never a strong performer in its Sunday 8:00 p.m. timeslot, the show's third-season ratings dropped 33% from its first season and 13% from its second season. In the third season, the show was regularly beaten in the Sunday night ratings by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Cold Case. On February 2, 2005, NBC reduced the number of third season episodes of American Dreams from 19 to 17. The network also moved the program away from its original Sunday night timeslot to Wednesday nights, airing before The West Wing. This put the show up against CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Survivor: Palau
Survivor: Palau
Survivor: Palau is the tenth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Its preview appeared during the final episode of Survivor: Vanuatu. Survivor: Palau premiered on February 17, 2005. The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD by CBS Home Video on August...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, and American Dreams could not compete against these popular programs.
As the third season wound down, actors on the show apparently saw the writing on the wall and filmed pilots for new shows to possibly air in the 2005-06 television season. Fans of American Dreams organized a postcard writing campaign to save the show. Fans sent over 5000 supportive e-mails to NBC after the season finale and sent several thousand postcards to the network as well. On May 4, 2005, fans flew an aerial banner over NBC's Burbank studios in support of the show, even as the show's sets were being dismantled at Sunset-Gower Studios, where it was filmed.
It had been reported that American Dreams may have been canceled as early as December 2004, primarily because of the interracial dating issue between Meg and Sam; Jonathan Prince mentioned in a Miami Herald article that he was able to get four additional episodes made by having companies such as Kraft and Nabisco pay for additional episodes in exchange for product placement (Campbell's Soups and Ford also participated in product placement episodes).
Series epilogue
The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
reported on April 12, 2005 that in late February, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
ordered two endings filmed for the season finale. The un-aired ending was a 12 minute segment set on July 20, 1969 (the day Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
landed on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
), with Meg returning home to face her family after a three year absence. NBC opted not to air the 12 minute epilogue when the third season finale aired on March 30, 2005, a month and a half before the official cancellation of the series. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported on July 26, 2005 that this epilogue was likely to air in a rerun of the third season finale in August or September, but the airing never materialized. NBC was unable to attract sponsorship for the segment, which reportedly contained many rock and roll oldies, resulting in expensive music licensing fees for the network.
Fourth season plotlines
In interviews, Jonathan Prince revealed that if American Dreams had been renewed for a fourth season, the following plotlines would have been included.- The fourth season would have picked up in January 1967.
- Meg would have returned to Philadelphia six episodes into the season after JJ goes to California with intentions to take her home.
- Roxanne would have taken a job as the hairdresser for American Bandstand.
- Jack would become angry after discovering that Helen had been using her job as a travel agent to help young men dodge the draft and flee to Canada.
- There would be tension in JJ and Beth's marriage, after Beth reluctantly agreed to JJ's wishes to postpone going back to college.
- Henry would re-marry and accept a new, deaf stepson into his home.
- JJ would continue working for the company designing spacesuits for the manned mission to the moon.
- The Apollo 1 fireApollo 1Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
would somehow figure into the fourth season plotline. - Patty would serve as the Team Manager for the East Catholic football team.
Accuracy
Despite its popularity as a family drama, American Dreams was heavily criticized for its various levels of historical inaccuracy. Several historic events were restaged earlier or later in the show's timeline to fit a plotline, and some of the music and pop culture references do not match up with either historic fact or the show's current timeline. Several arguments between the show's loyal fanbase can be traced to whether the show should be viewed as a chronologically accurate representation of life in 1960s Philadelphia, or is instead an idealized combination of mnemonic images and pop culture references from points throughout the 1960s, much as the film The Wedding SingerThe Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
was for the 1980s.
Some examples of these disputes include:
- A running plotline is the appearance of Meg and Roxanne as dancers on American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, which still tapes a daily after-school show in Philadelphia; where in real life the show moved to Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in February 1964 and was only broadcast once a week, on Saturday afternoons (in real life, the studio used for Bandstand was later appropriated by the stations of public broadcastingPublic broadcastingPublic broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
operation WHYYWHYYWHYY may refer to:* WHYY-TV, a television station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, United States* WHYY-FM, a radio station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
after WFIL's donation of them shortly after moving to their new City Line Avenue studios). - In the pilot episode, Jack makes a reference to Ara ParseghianAra ParseghianAra Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
and Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. The pilot was set in November 1963 while Parseghian was hired by Notre Dame in December. - In the first year, JJ Pryor Jr supposedly attended Lehigh UniversityLehigh UniversityLehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
on a football scholarship in 1963 but joined the Marines when injured to pay for college. Lehigh doesn't have athletic scholarships but gives financial grants in aid instead. Thus he would have still had financial aid even if injured. - The Philadelphia 1964 race riotPhiladelphia 1964 race riotThe Philadelphia race riot took place in the predominantly black neighborhoods of North Philadelphia from August 28 to August 30, 1964. Tensions between black residents of the city and police had been escalating for several months over several well-publicized allegations of police brutality.This...
depicted in the first season finale started at night, not in the daytime, as depicted in the show. Television footage of the riots shown on the episode actually came from the Watts riotsWatts RiotsThe Watts Riots or the Watts Rebellion was a civil disturbance in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California from August 11 to August 15, 1965. The 5-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, and 3,438 arrests...
of 1965 Los Angeles. - During the show's first season, the music of several artists, such as the Kinks, Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
and Manfred MannManfred MannManfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
, are heard and referenced in 1963, months before the Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
(February 1964) that triggered the musical British InvasionBritish InvasionThe British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
. - When the Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, the scene is set up so that the first song the Beatles play is "I Want to Hold Your HandI Want to Hold Your Hand"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded in October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment....
", which was the Beatles' first American hit, but was not the first song played on Ed Sullivan (that honor goes to "All My LovingAll My Loving"All My Loving" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , from the 1963 album With The Beatles. Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP...
"). - In one episode in the show's third season, set in late November 1965, the East Coast BlackoutNortheast Blackout of 1965The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
and the Leonid meteor shower were both "rescheduled" so that they would fall on the same day that Beth Mason gave birth to JJ Pryor's son. - In a first-season episode, Meg and Roxanne gush over meeting the group Jay and the AmericansJay and the AmericansJay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane , Kenny Vance and Sandy Deanne , though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.-Early years:They were...
, and Roxanne is especially enamored with "Carl, the drummer" (the group neither had a member named Carl, nor a drummer, in real life). Also in real life, there were two lead singers known as "Jay" - Jay Traynor, who sang on their hit "She Cried", and Jay Black, who replaced Traynor for the group's other hits - yet on the episode, it is assumed that there was only one "Jay" who sang all the hits without interruption. - In the show's first season, set in November 1963, Meg Pryor and Luke Foley argue over the merits of Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and Luke hands Meg a 45 of Dylan singing "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
." In fact, Dylan did not write or perform the song until 1964, and he never released it on a commercial 45 (it appeared on his "Bringing It All Back Home" album released in early 1965), although the Byrds' rendition of it was a hit single. Note that before Luke hands meg the Dylan record, he specifically says that it is "an advanced copy of the record that won't be released until next year." - References are made in the show's second season to I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, which was still a year away from premiering. On top of that, "the big band theme song" heard, is the one introduced at the beginning of the show's second season (which was a re-creation of the original theme). It was performed & produced by LA guitarist Rick Fleishman, and it also featured LA session drummer Paul GoldbergPaul GoldbergPaul Goldberg is an American jazz/rock/R&B drummer.Goldberg was born in Washington DC. At age seven, relocated to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began studying the drumset w/ jazz great Don Hirsh, and continued studying drumset through grade school...
. (It's the one most viewers were familiar with in 1966). - The MonkeesThe MonkeesThe Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
perform on the Bandstand stage in January 1966, despite their television series not even premiering until September 1966, or the four actors playing the Monkees even performing a live concert until a year later. - In an episode set in January/February 1965, Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
(Jennifer Love Hewitt) appears on American Bandstand to sing "These Boots are Made for Walking" despite the fact the song was not released until 1966. - While working at the space suit company, JJ Pryor meets Gus GrissomGus GrissomVirgil Ivan Grissom , , better known as Gus Grissom, was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and a United States Air Force pilot...
, and they discuss the Apollo 1Apollo 1Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
mission. Grissom later says, "Get me back to Cape CanaveralCape CanaveralCape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
." In reality, the Apollo 1Apollo 1Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
mission was not designated by that number or name until after the accident that claimed the lives of Grissom and two other astronauts (at the time the mission was known as Apollo/Saturn 204), and the reference to Cape CanaveralCape CanaveralCape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
would have been wrong, as the area where the space center was located had been renamed "Cape Kennedy" during the 1960s. While the town was officially renamed back to Cape CanaveralCape CanaveralCape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
in 1973, the space center was (and still is) known as the Kennedy Space Center, and at least three years had passed since the town was renamed from Cape Canaveral to Cape Kennedy; so although it is not impossible that in a casual conversation Grissom would have used the traditional name, it is still unlikely that this would happen. - Artists such as Blake SheltonBlake SheltonBlake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, John Ondrasik and Joss StoneJoss StoneJocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
are allowed to perform their current pop hits, which in real time would have been 40 years away from ever existing. - Neither The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
nor Ricky NelsonRicky NelsonEric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
ever performed on the Bandstand stage in real life (Nelson's father Ozzie refused to allow his performing son to appear on anybody else's TV series, even if such appearance might help increase record sales); but that didn't stop the producers from staging performances by those artists in this series. - The Who is shown performing on Bandstand in the show's third season, set in 1965 - 1966. However The Who's first performance in the United States wasn't until the Monterey Pop FestivalMonterey Pop FestivalThe Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
in 1967. - In an episode that is supposedly taking place in the spring of 1965, two customers at the TV store, played by Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
actors John AnistonJohn AnistonJohn Anthony Aniston is a Greek-American actor and the father of actress Jennifer Aniston. He is best known for his role as Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama Days of our Lives, which he originated in July 1985 and has played continually since then.-Early life:Aniston was born Yannis...
and Frances ReidFrances ReidFrances Reid was an American dramatic actress. Although she starred in many productions, she is best known for her portrayal of Alice Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of our Lives from its debut in November 1965 until her death on February 3, 2010.-Biography:Born in Wichita Falls, Texas,...
, were watching an episode of Days of our Lives on a TV (Frances was watching herself on an early episode). Days of our Lives did not premiere until November 8, 1965. - In an episode purporting to take place in the summer of 1966, a character on "American Bandstand" is asked to rate the Rolling Stones' song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
", despite the song being over a year old. - In a late third-season episode, Meg, Roxanne and Luke sit outside Connie Mack Stadium with lawn chairs, listening for free to the Rolling Stones, who are playing a live concert at the stadium. Luke makes a reference that he heard a Bob Dylan concert at Connie Mack Stadium for free this way. Bob Dylan did not play Connie Mack Stadium as an outdoor venue in 1966 or earlier.
- In another third season episode that takes place in June 1966, the Mamas and the Papas appear on American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
to perform "California Dreamin'California Dreamin'"California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...
". However, the Mamas and Papas actual appearance on the show was in February 1966, they did not appear again in June of that year. - Characters are depicted as listening to Cream'sCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
"I Feel FreeI Feel Free"I Feel Free" is a song first recorded by British rock group Cream. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown, its music by Jack Bruce. It was the first track on the US issue of their debut album, Fresh Cream , and the band's second hit single...
" and The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'Gimme Some Lovin'"Gimme Some Loving" is a song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis and Muff Winwood, and originally performed by The Spencer Davis Group. The basic riff of the song was borrowed from the Homer Banks song " A Lot of Love", written by Banks and Willie Dean "Deanie" Parker. The song was a UK #2 in...
" as early as the summer of 1965, despite neither song being released until late in 1966, after the series had ended.
Special guests
During the show's run, several contemporary artists recreated performances of artists from the 1960s. These recreations were often performed on the American BandstandAmerican Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
stage, although several performances took place at a performing area adjacent to the Vinyl Crocodile record store. In the second and third seasons, several of the recreations took place at The Lair, a coffee house/student union facility on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
The contemporary artists, along with the songs they performed and the artist they "interpreted", are listed below.
Season one
- Michelle BranchMichelle BranchMichelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
, as Lesley GoreLesley GoreLesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in...
performing "You Don't Own MeYou Don't Own Me"You Don't Own Me" is a popular song written by the Philadelphia songwriters John Madara and David White, and recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, when Gore was 17 years old. The song reached No...
" (Episode 2) - Nick CarterNick Carter (musician)Nickolas Gene "Nick" Carter is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer and actor. He is best known as a member of the pop group, Backstreet Boys. He went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during their hiatus. He has made occasional television appearances and...
& Ric Felix (aka Ricky Godinez and later billed as Ricky G), as "Jay"Jay BlackJay Black is an American singer, also known as "The Voice," whose height of fame came in the 1960s when he was the lead singer of the band Jay and the Americans. The band had numerous hits including "Cara Mia", "Come a Little Bit Closer", and "This Magic Moment".Black was born in New York and grew...
and one of the members of Jay and the AmericansJay and the AmericansJay and the Americans was a pop music group popular in the 1960s. Their initial lineup consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane , Kenny Vance and Sandy Deanne , though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black.-Early years:They were...
(respectively), performing "Come A Little Bit Closer" (Episode 6) - Usher, as Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, performing "Can I Get a WitnessCan I Get a Witness"Can I Get a Witness" is a 1963 hit song by Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label. Written and produced by Motown songwriting and producing team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song was built among gospel-styled music and heralded Gaye's beginnings in the church with a rhythm and blues/rock and roll setting...
" (Episode 7) - AshantiAshanti (singer)Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
, as Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, performing "Walk on By" (Episode 10) - Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
, as Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, performing "Wishin' and Hopin'Wishin' and Hopin'"Wishin' and Hopin" is a song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach which was a Top Ten hit for Dusty Springfield in 1964.The song was first recorded by Dionne Warwick and was the B-side of Warwick's single "This Empty Place" in the spring of 1963; the track was also featured on Warwick's debut...
" (Episode 14) - Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
, as Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, performing "Baby WorkoutBaby Workout"Baby Workout" is an R&B song by Jackie Wilson from the album of the same name. The track is about Wilson urging a girl to dance all night with him. It was Wilson's biggest hit of his singles that charted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It was his fifth and penultimate...
" (Episode 18) - LeAnn RimesLeAnn RimesLeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
, as Connie FrancisConnie FrancisConnie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, performing "Where the Boys Are" (Episode 19) - Duncan SheikDuncan SheikDuncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...
, as Bobby DarinBobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, performing "Beyond the Sea" (Episode 19) - Vivian GreenVivian GreenVivian Green is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:Green was born May 22, 1979 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and songwriting at a very young age. At the age of thirteen, she...
, as Brenda HollowayBrenda HollowayBrenda Holloway is an American singer and songwriter, a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s...
, performing "Every Little Bit HurtsEvery Little Bit Hurts"Every Little Bit Hurts" was originally a 1964 hit single for Motown soul singer Brenda Holloway, written by Ed Cobb.Though she was against recording the song again , she reluctantly recorded the song and the label released it in the summer of the year...
" (Episode 20) - Rosey, as Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, performing "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" (Episode 20) - B2KB2KB2K was an American R&B music group. The group met in 1998, established in 2001, and managed by music producer Chris Stokes with Lil' Fizz, J-Boog, Raz-B, and Omarion as members. The group disbanded in 2004 due to internal disagreements.-2001-2002: B2K:...
& Marques HoustonMarques HoustonMarques Barrett Houston is an American R&B singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. A member of the R&B singing group Immature/IMx until 2002, he went solo in 2003. He is also the cousin of J-Boog, former member of the R&B/Hip-Hop group B2K....
, as The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, performing "My Girl" (Episode 22) - The ThornsThe ThornsThe Thorns are an American acoustic rock band formed in 2002 as a project of Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge, and Shawn Mullins.The band toured the United States and Europe throughout 2003, in support of their eponymous debut album.-Discography:...
, as the Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, performing "Warmth of the Sun" (Episode 23) - Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, as The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, performing "All Day and All of the NightAll Day and All of the Night"All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the British band The Kinks from 1964. It can be found on their debut album "Kinks". It reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart and #7 on Billboards United States chart in 1965....
" (Episode 23) - Ashley Williams, as Sandie ShawSandie ShawSandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
, performing "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" Always Something There to Remind Me" is a song written in the 1960s by songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David.-First charting versions:...
" (Episode 24) - Stacie OrricoStacie OrricoStacie Joy Orrico is a Contemporary Christian and R&B singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 1998, she signed to ForeFront Records when she was 12 years old, and recorded her first album Genuine , which sold 13,000 in the first week of release.After her first album she signed to a new record...
, as the lead singer of The AngelsThe Angels (band)The Angels are an American girl group, best known for their 1963 million selling #1 hit single, "My Boyfriend's Back".-History:The group originated in New Jersey as The Starlets which consisted of sisters, Barbara "Bibbs" and Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut, Bernadette Carroll, and Linda Malzone. They had...
, performing "My Boyfriend's Back" (Brittany Snow and Vanessa Lengies were the backup singers on Orrico's cover of the song) (Episode 25) - Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, as Martha ReevesMartha ReevesMartha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
of Martha and the VandellasMartha and the VandellasMartha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
, performing "Nowhere To Run" (Episode 25)
Season two
- Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, as Brenda LeeBrenda LeeBrenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
, performing "Sweet Nothin's" (Episode 26) - Vanessa Soul, as Barbara Lewis, performing "Baby I'm Yours" (Episode 26)
- MonicaMonica (singer)Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
, as Mary WellsMary WellsMary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s...
, performing "My GuyMy Guy"My Guy" is a 1964 number-one hit single recorded by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's dedication to the goodness of her man .The single became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown's first female star, and reached the...
" (Episode 27) - Lil' KimLil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, as Shirley EllisShirley EllisShirley Ellis is an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" , "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song"...
, performing "The Clapping SongThe Clapping Song"The Clapping Song" is an American song, written by Lincoln Chase, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game"...
" (Episode 28) - Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, as The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, performing "You Really Got Me" (Episode 29) - Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, as Martha ReevesMartha ReevesMartha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
of Martha and the VandellasMartha and the VandellasMartha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
, performing "Dancing in the Street" (Episode 30) - Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, as Fontella BassFontella BassFontella Bass is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.-Early life:...
, performing "Rescue Me"(Episode 31) - Kembra Shannon, as Kim Weston, performing "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)" (Episode 32)
- SteadmanSteadmanSteadman is a British indie rock band, formed in Hastings in 1998. The band's original name was The Dharmas, but they changed the name after they canceled their contract with the label Arista, and signed with lead singer Simon Steadman's own label, Freeloader Recordings. Steadman's first album,...
, as the Dave Clark Five, performing "Do You Love Me" (Episode 32) - Hilary DuffHilary DuffHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
and Haylie DuffHaylie DuffHaylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the older sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff...
, as The Shangri-LasThe Shangri-LasThe Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember ".- Early career :...
, performing "Leader of the Pack" (Episode 33) - Richie SamboraRichie SamboraRichard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
, as Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
of the YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, performing "For Your Love" (Episode 34) - Jennifer Love HewittJennifer Love HewittJennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
, as Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, performing "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (Episode 35) - Brad PaisleyBrad PaisleyBrad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, as Ricky NelsonRicky NelsonEric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, performing "Dream Lover" (Episode 35) - Josh Kelly, as Barry MaguireBarry MaguireBarry Maguire is a Dutch/Irish footballer, who plays in midfield and defense. He currently plays for Dutch Eredivisie side VVV-Venlo.-Club career:...
, performing Eve of DestructionEve of Destruction"Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in 1965. Several artists have recorded it, but the best-known recording was by Barry McGuire. This recording was made between July 12 and July 15, 1965 and released by Dunhill Records. The accompanying musicians were top-tier LA session...
(Episode 35) - Macy GrayMacy GrayMacy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
, as Carla ThomasCarla ThomasCarla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.-Childhood:...
, performing "B.A.B.Y" (Episode 37) - Charlotte MartinCharlotte MartinCharlotte Ann Martin is an American singer-songwriter, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's On Your Shore and 2006's Stromata...
, as Petula ClarkPetula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
performing "DowntownDowntownDowntown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
" (Episode 38) - Nick LacheyNick LacheyNicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
, as Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, performing "It's Not Unusual" (Episode 38) - Chris IsaakChris IsaakChristopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
, as Roy OrbisonRoy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, performing "Pretty WomanPretty WomanPretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
" (Episode 39) - Jennifer Love HewittJennifer Love HewittJennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
, as Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, performing "Sunny" (Episode 39) - Ricky Fante, as Wilson PickettWilson PickettWilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
, performing "Land of 1000 Dances" (Episode 40) - Liz PhairLiz PhairPhair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, as Jackie DeShannonJackie DeShannonJackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
, performing "When You Walk in the Room" (Episode 41) - Tyra Banks, as a member of The VelvelettesThe VelvelettesThe Velvelettes was an American singing girl group, signed to Motown in the 1960s.-Early years and establishment:The group was founded in 1961 by Bertha Barbee McNeal and Mildred Gill Arbor, students at Western Michigan University. Mildred recruited her younger sister Carolyn , who was in 9th...
, performing "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" (Episode 42) - Evan & Jaron, as The Everly BrothersThe Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, performing "Wake Up Little Susie" (Episode 42) - Jason MrazJason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, as Dion DiMucciDion DiMucciDion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, performing "Ruby Baby" (Episode 43) - Fefe DobsonFefe DobsonFelicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
, as Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, performing "River Deep - Mountain HighRiver Deep - Mountain High"River Deep – Mountain High" is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Considered by producer Phil Spector to be his best work, the single was successful in Europe, peaking at #3 in the United Kingdom, though it flopped on its original release in the United States...
" (Episode 43) - Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, as Curtis MayfieldCurtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, performing "Woman's Got Soul" (Episode 44)
Season three
- Brandy NorwoodBrandy NorwoodBrandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, as Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, performing "I Heard It Through the GrapevineI Heard It through the Grapevine"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...
" (Episode 45) - Nicole RichieNicole RichieNicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
, as the lead singer of The ExcitersThe ExcitersThe Exciters were an American pop music group of the 1960s. They were originally a girl group, although a male member was added later. The group consisted of lead singer Brenda Reid, her husband Herb Rooney, Carolyn Johnson and Lillian Walker....
, performing "Tell Him" (Episode 46) - Hawk NelsonHawk NelsonHawk Nelson is a Christian rock band from Peterborough, Ontario. The band has become very popular in the Christian music scene and was voted "Favorite New Artist" by CCM Magazine in their February 2006 Reader's Choice Awards. In 2006 Hawk Nelson won a No...
, as The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, performing "My Generation" (Episode 47) - Phantom PlanetPhantom PlanetPhantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, as The ZombiesThe ZombiesThe Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, performing "Tell Her No" (Episode 50) - Fantasia BarrinoFantasia BarrinoFantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
, as Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, performing "Respect" (Episode 52) - Otis and the Elevators, as Jimmy Smith, performing "Got My Mojo Working" (Episode 52)
- Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, as Brenda LeeBrenda LeeBrenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
, performing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (Episode 53) - JoJo, as Linda RonstadtLinda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, auditioning for Bandstand with "That'll Be The DayThat'll Be the Day"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets and Linda Ronstadt. It was also the first song to be recorded by The Quarrymen, the skiffle group that subsequently became The Beatles...
" (Episode 53) - 112112 (band)112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
as The Four Tops, performing "Reach Out, I'll Be There" - Van HuntVan HuntVan Hunt is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He released his debut album, Van Hunt, in 2004, and a follow-up, On the Jungle Floor, in 2006, both on Capitol Records...
, as Jimmy RuffinJimmy RuffinJimmy Ruffin is an American soul singer, and elder brother of the late David Ruffin of The Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."-Life:...
, performing "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (Episode 56) - John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
, as Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, performing "Uptight (Everything's Alright)Uptight (Everything's Alright)"Uptight " is a 1966 hit single recorded by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label. One of his most popular early singles, "Uptight " was the first Stevie Wonder single to be co-written by the artist....
" (Episode 59) - Fountains of WayneFountains of WayneFountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, as The HolliesThe HolliesThe Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
, performing "Bus Stop" (Episode 60)
Performances at the Vinyl Crocodile
- India.ArieIndia.ArieIndia.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
, as Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, performing "Come Ye" (Season 1, Episode 15) - Keb 'Mo, as Son HouseSon HouseEddie James "Son" House, Jr. was an American blues singer and guitarist. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music...
, songs performed currently unknown. (Season 1, Episode 12)
Performances at the Lair
- John Ondrasik from the band Five for FightingFive for FightingFive for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. He is best known for his piano-based rock, such as the Top 40 songs "Superman " , "100 Years" , and "The Riddle" .-Early years:...
, performing a folk arrangement of his 2004 recording "If God Made You" - Art AlexakisArt AlexakisArthur Paul "Art" Alexakis is best known as the American singer, composer, and lead guitarist of the rock band Everclear. He has been a member of several notable bands, in addition to his own work as a songwriter for other artists...
, as Country Joe McDonaldCountry Joe McDonaldCountry Joe McDonald is an American musician who was the lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.-Personal life:...
, performing "I Feel Like I'm-a Fixin' To Die Rag" - Joss StoneJoss StoneJocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
, performing a folk arrangement of her 2005 hit "Right to Be WrongRight to Be Wrong"Right to Be Wrong" is a song by English soul singer-songwriter Joss Stone from her second studio album, Mind Body & Soul . Written by Stone, Desmond Child and Betty Wright, the track was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November 2004 as the album's second single. It peaked at number...
" - Alanis MorissetteAlanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
, as a folk singer performing her original composition "Offer" - Bonnie McKeeBonnie McKeeBonnie Leigh McKee is a North American singer-songwriter, formerly signed to Reprise Records. She released her debut album Trouble in 2004, which was a minor success. The single "Somebody" was included in the soundtrack to the 2004 comedy film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!...
, as Janis JoplinJanis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, performing "Summertime" - Hayley WestenraHayley WestenraHayley Dee Westenra is a New Zealand soprano, classical crossover artist, songwriter and UNICEF Ambassador. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached No. 1 on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide...
performed "Who Painted the Moon Black?" from her album PurePure (Hayley Westenra album)Pure is the first internationally published Album by Christchurch, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. Her previous albums were released only in New Zealand and nearby Australia. This album also received professional consultation from the legendary Sir George Martin who helped to create its...
on episode 46. - Blake SheltonBlake SheltonBlake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, performing his song "Playboys of the Southwestern World" from his 2003 CD "The Dreamer". - Ben TaylorBen Taylor (musician)Benjamin Taylor is a musician and actor. He is the son of folk rock artists James Taylor and Carly Simon. His sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician. Ben Taylor bears a striking resemblance to his famous father and has a singing voice akin to him as well...
as Cal Cooper, performing his original song "Surround Me". - Gavin DeGrawGavin DeGrawGavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
, performing "The Tracks of My Tears"
Other guest star appearances
- Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, as Barbara EdenBarbara EdenBarbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
of I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries... - Tavis SmileyTavis SmileyTavis Smiley is a talk show host, author, liberal political commentator, entrepreneur, advocate and philanthropist. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi and grew up in Kokomo, Indiana. After attending Indiana University, he worked during the late 1980s as an aide to Tom Bradley, the mayor of...
, as Thurgood MarshallThurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991... - Brian McKnightBrian McKnightBrian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
, as Stokely CarmichaelStokely CarmichaelKwame Ture , also known as Stokely Carmichael, was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. He rose to prominence first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party... - Kevin McCorkle, as astronaut Gus GrissomGus GrissomVirgil Ivan Grissom , , better known as Gus Grissom, was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and a United States Air Force pilot...
- Rich VosRich VosRichard Ira "Rich" Vos is an American comedian. Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, Vos has been a working stand-up for decades. Colin Quinn described Vos in his early days as a "Jersey Hack"....
, as Lenny BruceLenny BruceLeonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist... - Eric the MidgetEric the MidgetEric Lynch , better known as Eric the Midget or Eric the Bedhumper, is known solely as a fan of The Howard Stern Show. He is considered a part of the Wack Pack, though membership is unofficial. Lynch is tall, weighs , and uses a motorized wheelchair, in addition to various other afflictions...
, as Travel Agency Customer - Kristen BellKristen BellKristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
, as Amy Fielding Season 1 #16 - Randy JacksonRandy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
, as Band Manager
DVD releases
The first season of American Dreams was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in September 2004. Fans are clamoring for the release of the remaining two seasons, and despite some reports and promises that plans are in the works, as of May 2011, no formal release dates have been announced. Prince has promised that the series epilogue
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
will appear in the third season DVD release. However, it is widely believed that the huge number of licensed songs on the series make future DVD releases cost prohibitive, although Prince said that was not the case. On January 26, 2009, it was reported that Prince and other producers from the show were negotiating to get the final two seasons released on DVD, along with including the unaired epilogue.
No recent news was made until June 21, 2010, where it was reported that the producers "are closer than ever to debuting a boxed set of all three seasons of American Dreams on DVD". However, negations seem to have stalled.
| American Dreams - Season One (Extended Music Edition) | ||||
| Set details | Special features | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stacie Orrico Stacie Joy Orrico is a Contemporary Christian and R&B singer-songwriter and occasional actress. In 1998, she signed to ForeFront Records when she was 12 years old, and recorded her first album Genuine , which sold 13,000 in the first week of release.After her first album she signed to a new record... and the Cast |
|||
| Release date | ||||
| September 7, 2004 | ||||
It should be noted that there are music alterations in the Season 1 DVD release in order to keep music licensing costs down. Prince has noted that the first season retains about "80% of the original music", keeping music he deemed critical to particular scenes, as well as performances of guest stars and music for the Bandstand dancers while replacing some background songs with "cheaper needle-drops" from the '60s. Prince said he doubted even hard-core fans would notice the difference.
Soundtrack
On May 6, 2003, Hip-O Records released American Dreams - Original Soundtrack 1963-1964, with original and new recordings featured in the show's first season.Broadcasts
American Dreams was shown for three years on NBC from 2002 to 2005. The first two seasons were shown in the United Kingdom (on the Hallmark ChannelHallmark Channel (UK)
The Universal Channel is a television channel owned by NBCUniversal.The channel mainly broadcasts United States imports including drama series and TV movies such as House MD and Law & Order. However the channel also screens British dramas including Hustle and Spooks, and Australian series like Sea...
and Trouble) and in Poland (TV Puls
TV Puls
TV Puls is a Polish commercial television channel, which was based on Telewizja Niepokalanów with the support of companies such as PKN Orlen, KGHM Polska Miedź, PZU Życie, Prokom and which started broadcasting in March 2001. Due to financial problems, ended broadcasting on April 1, 2003...
).
External links
- American Dreams at EpisodeWorld.com