I've been thinking about why no network is considering reviving American Bandstand. I know Dick tried to revive it in 2005, but that never happened. Do you see the show coming back anytime soon? I think it could do wonders for studios who want to push albums more. Indie bands could benefit from AB coming back.
Can American Bandstand make a return?
- Thread starter AdamStabelli
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An American Bandstand revival MIGHT, work, but the problem is that Disney/ABC will want to stuff a new show with nothing but pop stars from the Disney stable and all of the other popular non-Disney pop stars.
To make this really work, they'd have to try and feature more adult bands like
Broken Social Scene, Nickleback, Coldplay, U2, Arcade Fire, and all of the bands mentioned and featured in publications like Exclaim!. The only problem is, would ABC/Disney accept these bands, or reject them for being too whitebread and not as marketable as, say, Justin Bieber?
To make this really work, they'd have to try and feature more adult bands like
Broken Social Scene, Nickleback, Coldplay, U2, Arcade Fire, and all of the bands mentioned and featured in publications like Exclaim!. The only problem is, would ABC/Disney accept these bands, or reject them for being too whitebread and not as marketable as, say, Justin Bieber?
But the show did air on ABC, and presumably if revived would air on ABC sometime on Saturdays.
As for what I said about ABC forcing DCP to have nothing on American Bandstand but pop stars from Disney and pop stars generally, back in the past ABC did force the show to have on Kaptain Kool & The Kongs from The Kroft Supershow a few times, which Dick Clark resented.
The only way to not have this pressure would be for the show to be in syndication, but that market is as dead as a doornail. The show could be on MTV or MTV 2 (Much Music & Much More music here in Canada), but both channels would do the same thing as ABC would, most likely.
As for what I said about ABC forcing DCP to have nothing on American Bandstand but pop stars from Disney and pop stars generally, back in the past ABC did force the show to have on Kaptain Kool & The Kongs from The Kroft Supershow a few times, which Dick Clark resented.
The only way to not have this pressure would be for the show to be in syndication, but that market is as dead as a doornail. The show could be on MTV or MTV 2 (Much Music & Much More music here in Canada), but both channels would do the same thing as ABC would, most likely.
Just because it aired on ABC in the past doesn't mean it has to return to ABC. The last few years it was on the air it was syndicated. Disney didn't even own ABC the last time it broadcast American Bandstand. Though given the synergy between studios, networks and recording companies there is no doubt that any network/studio associated with a record label would have that label's artists featured on a revived American Bandstand appearing on that network.
As I said, syndication is dead, and unless most stations can be persuaded to part with their paid programming on weekdays and Saturday afternoons, it will have to be a network that airs American Bandstand, or a specialty channel.
But the same problem also exists on specialty channels as well; both MTV/VH1 and Much/Much More haven't shown anything but reality TV and reruns for the past nine years, and are loath to show anything with music on it. Of course, considering how pop-music orientated both channels are, a new American Bandstand would be right up their alley, especially if all that will air on it would be pop and nothing else (it would be nice to see the bands mentioned by the OP and myself be on said show, but considering what happened when Arcade Fire and Bon Iver performed and then won on the Grammys, provoking both sets of famous responses [Who the Fuck is Arcade Fire? and Who the fuck is Bon Iver?] and also that American Bandstand's about dancing anyway ['Nice beat, and you can dance to it'] I think that pop, dance, and some rock would be the bill of fare on a new version of American Bandstand.)
The other big question should be, 'Can The Midnight Special make a comeback?'
But the same problem also exists on specialty channels as well; both MTV/VH1 and Much/Much More haven't shown anything but reality TV and reruns for the past nine years, and are loath to show anything with music on it. Of course, considering how pop-music orientated both channels are, a new American Bandstand would be right up their alley, especially if all that will air on it would be pop and nothing else (it would be nice to see the bands mentioned by the OP and myself be on said show, but considering what happened when Arcade Fire and Bon Iver performed and then won on the Grammys, provoking both sets of famous responses [Who the Fuck is Arcade Fire? and Who the fuck is Bon Iver?] and also that American Bandstand's about dancing anyway ['Nice beat, and you can dance to it'] I think that pop, dance, and some rock would be the bill of fare on a new version of American Bandstand.)
The other big question should be, 'Can The Midnight Special make a comeback?'
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I'm not saying a new American Bandstand would or should be syndicated, just that at one time it was. I agree a revived show would probably be on network TV or basic cable. Not sure about the music channels, they don't seem to be interested in music programming.
Actually, syndication is not dead at all--it's just reverted back to the way it was long ago with it being chock-full of reruns of current and defunct shows, daytime talk shows, court shows, etc. The real obstacle to any new syndicated show is it being enticing enough to be sold to enough stations to warrant production.
I could actually see it working on Disney Channel, AB was always a light show about Top 40 songs. I could see teen-friendly acts with kids dancing and so on working there.
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