Do you think had "American Dreams" came out during the 90s it would have fared better? Did reality TV hinder "American Dreams" success, or do you think it would've just looked like a wannabe version of "The Wonder Years?"
shareIt may have been given a better chance because during the 90's people were able to accept a more original idea rather than the manufactured shows that we unfortunately see today.
It probably would have been hit or miss though. Especially with the Wonder Years like you said being an extremely popular show during its run, though The Wonder Years was a comedy- drama with a lean towards drama like most late 80's- mid to late 90's sitcoms.
I mean look at Mad Men today it was basically a sleeper hit, then ABC and NBC both tried to copy the success with Pan Am and The Bunny House and failed, though both shows did have fans. With American Dreams it was a ratings thing and the show had guest stars and copy written music in every episode with a show like that you have to be able to have higher ratings to support a budget.
It defiantly would have had a better chance in a time when quality was actually cared about and people preferred written drama over "reality" TV but still it would have been hit or miss no mater when ever it came out. Period pieces are always hit or miss depending on the writing and accuracy and portrayal.
I agree about period pieces being hit or miss because people want accuracy.
I think people were more accepting in the '90s and '80s and we didn't have all the reality garbage.
I think the '90s wanted more family sitcoms that were either kind of "adult" or crude like "Married With Children." Of course, you had your cheesy family sitcoms, also.
I am still baffled that "Unhappily Ever After" had 5 seasons and "American Dreams" could barely muster 3 seasons.
Unhappily Ever After success comes from the fact that it was on The WB so the ratings were going to be lower regardless, plus the show was basically about Nikki Cox's character after it was clear she was the break out character due to her looks. It also came on just about the time that Married with Children went off the air so the fans of that show probably went to watch that show seeing it was basically "What if Al Bundy went nuts" in its theme.
You are defiantly right about reality shows having a big influence on American Dreams and other shows cancelations. 2005 was just around the time that reality stars started to become prominent. Dancing With the Stars came on in 2005, American Idle was at its peak through out the entire rum of American Dreams, E! was just starting to make successful shows like the Girls Next Door.
Its very funny that with all the fans of reality shows on network shows many reasons that cable has become much more popular because a lot of people are still more interested in a story compared to "reality" series.
Plus like we both agree the accuracy is a huge reasoning behind the success of a period show. The time line of this show was all over the place, where as a show like Mad Men is pretty accurate for the most part. Plus it is more adult than American Dreams where the whole family could get into it. Another factor thanks to cable is that Network TV tries to be much more adult so family style shows have really disappeared.
Why would ratings for shows on the WB be lower?
I agree. Guys thought Nikki Cox was hot, and it was basically a third-rate MWC.
How was "American Dreams" inaccurate other than the date of singers coming on to Bandstand?
The WB had always had lower because it was a newer network that mostly aired teen drama's all be it they were aimed for family audiences. It is the reason it became The CW and if you look at the ratings for its most popular shows and put them against network TV you would assume that the show would be canceled. Its the same with all cable channel shows the ratings tend to be lower but that does not mean they don't have hit shows. Obviously shows like 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, Smallville and Super Natural all were big hits.
It would take a while to list all the inaccuracies but one of the major ones was American Bandstand was filmed in LA at the point of the start of the show. Obviously it makes a show more interesting though if it is based somewhere other than LA or NYC.
It is mostly when the bands performed but also a lot of other minor stuff but there were a quite a few. A lot of songs that are mentioned either did not exist as of yet as well. Which is what critics mostly had a problem with.
It was still an extremely good show and obviously the target teen audience was not going to pick up on these and most likely not a lot of baby boomers either.
Yeah, I think I heard something about JJ going into Vietnam "too soon" or they weren't really drafting college boys until 1965 or something.
Yeah, I heard the real Bandstand moved to LA in 64/65ish.
Yeah those were some of them. Also when they had The Monkees perform when their TV show didn't even exist as of yet so the band didn't exist, The Apollo 1 mission was not even named that as of yet when it was talked about on the show etc...
shareI was going to add. It's kinda sad people just fawned over Nikki Cox for her looks, but I think Brittany and Vanessa and the other females are very pretty and natural and no one seemed to care then...well, look who has the career now.
shareI can actually picture AD in the 90s. Except it wouldn't be Brittany Snow because she would be too young. Say it was 1995. Probably Marley Shelton would be Meg, they would have some guy who looked like Jonathan Brandis or Erik Von Detten by JJ. They would pick two unknown little kids to be Patty and Will. Heck, even Geoff Pierson could probably be the dad. I don't know who could be the mother. They would be very over the top and wacky if it was straight comedy, if it was more like a drama it would be like a period piece "Melrose Place" or Heaven forbid, like "Dawson's Creek."
Then again, it would probably barely last 4 seasons and people would be saying "The Wonder Years um what?"
American dreams tackled a lot of things which were considered kind of dated to do in the 1990's
They did not just focus on JJ the young football star turned aspiring Astronaut/solider.
A good amount of time was given to feminist issues (birth control, illegal abortion, gender roles) racial segregation/intergration black power movement and even disability issues (will's polio, Jimmy comes back from Vietnam in Wheelchair and is concerned that his life is over, Gwen dies of cancer, JJ injures foot and cannot play football on scholarship--has to go off to war).
American Dreams tackled a lot of things which were considered kind of dated to do in the 1990's
They did not just focus on JJ the young football star turned aspiring astronaut/solider.
A good amount of time was given to feminist issues (birth control, illegal abortion, gender roles, sexual harassment) racial segregation/intergration black power movement and even disability issues (will's polio, Jimmy comes back from Vietnam in wheelchair and is concerned that his life is over, Gwen dies of cancer, JJ injures foot and cannot play football on scholarship--has to go off to war).
Even with the music and guest stars, it wasn't considered 'hip' to do these issues back then. It was a very interesting show and I am sorry that it did get cancelled. I am MAD that only one season got released on DVD.
I remember when this show came out, people compared it to the short lived 1984-1985 show CALL TO GLORY, which was about Craig T Nelson and his family in the air force in Colorado circa 1963. People said that was such a better show than American Dreams
I was 11 in 1984, and I don't recall CALL TO GLORY at all !
Then they would have probably used different actors because Brittany Snow and Vanessa Lengies would be too young to play teenagers
Boston and Philly love to slander us, but they don't have as many fans as us
If they had waited a few years until after "The Wonder Years" had ended it could have worked. Instead of seeming like a knock-off trying to compete, it would have become a natural home for fans of the era/nostalgia. I'm a picturing a scenario of now that "Wonder Years" is over, what else is on that's similiar.
"Forget reality, give me a picture"-Remington Steele