American Bandstand

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As the host of this dance show on ABC, Dick Clark became known as "America's oldest teenager". American Bandstand originated in Philadelphia, and went national in 1957. It was a weekday show until 1963, when it switched to Saturdays only. In 1987, the show left ABC for syndication, where it lasted only one year.

While working on American Bandstand, Clark was host of a few other shows:

• The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show, another dance party show, 1958-60
• The $10,000 Pyramid and successor series
• TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes with co-host Ed McMahon
• New Year's Rockin' Eve, an annual special where Clark would host the dropping of the ball at midnight in Times Square on New Year's Eve. It started in 1972 and has continued right up through 2012.

Tropes used in American Bandstand include:

• The Announcer: Charlie O'Donnell, who would later become famous as the announcer of Wheel of Fortune.
• Long Runner: 37 seasons.
• Show Within a Show: It actually served as one in the short-lived series American Dreams (with contemporary artists playing the roles of classic acts from The Sixties)
• Title Theme Tune: ...On the Bandstand! (Bandstand!)
• Trans-Atlantic Equivalent: Top of the Pops