Shebang was a daily dance show that ran on KTLA channel 5 in southern California from 1965-1968. On this episode host Casey Kasem (American Top 40) with guests Charlie O’Donnell, Don Grady (My Three Sons/The Yellow Balloon), Dick & Dee Dee (The Mountain’s High), Jewel Akens (The Birds and the Bees) and “others” celebrate the show’s 1 year anniversary by replaying the songs played on the first show from ‘65 including this #1 hit by the Supremes.
Dancers: As both shows were filmed in Hollywood, you might recognize some American Bandstand regulars including Jeff Hight (Swing Dance contest, I Fought The Law spotlight dance) with Melody McMurray dancing up on the Shebang riser, Sam at 6:13 (both Sam and Melody did Rate A Record for “Children and Flowers/It’s A Day”) as well as Steven Schreiner and the “ubiquitous” Famous Hooks, both on the Shebang riser singing Happy Birthday at the beginning of the show.
….And both Shebang and I celebrate our 1 year anniversary as I posted my first American Bandstand clip 1 year ago this week (that’s lame, I know, but it was a good excuse to highlight this fun Shebang clip, lol).
In the month after Shebang began in March of ’65, the April 24th TV Guide “As We See It” editorial section complained about the growth of “teen-age wriggle ‘n’ writhe shows, seven of which can be seen by viewers in Los Angeles each week: The Lloyd Thaxton Show, Shebang, 9th Street West, Hullabaloo, Hollywood a Go Go, Shiveree, and Shindig” (not to mention American Bandstand). The article went on to say these shows “offer long-haired boys and sloppily groomed girls” and have “turned dancing, which used to be graceful and romantic and fun, into a very questionable spectator sport”. I can’t imagine what this uptight writer would have thought about dancing and music just 4 or 5 years later, much less today! Hopefully they mellowed out in the 70’s. 🙂
Thank you to all you “wriggle ‘n’ writhers” and those (like me) who wish we could have been “back in the day”...or at least enjoy watching them now. Thanks for all of your comments and support this year, especially ABDancers-Jeff and dancer don- Don. This has been an absolute pleasure and I hope to continue posting many more clips in the future!
Airdate: March 16, 1966
26 май 2018
