American Dreams Ongoing thread (1 Viewer)

[Marty M]

Didn't the Astros come into the league in 1965, though?

Houston's baseball team was the Colt 45s from 1962 - 64 and then became the Astros in 1965. Good point about the contact lenses. I remember a few kids with them in the mid 60s, but I am sure they were fairly expensive then.

 

[Thomas H G]

And since I wasn't born yet, the songs being a year ahead of schedule doesn't diminish the enjoyment out of them.

Same here. I wish they would keep the songs honest to when they were released. I like that sort of attention to detail.

Man I really like this show, and I hope now that football season is winding down, it gets more love from the viewers.

Glad to see Beth back.

I got a feeling that Henry is digging himself a hole.

I liked Luke's old look. He's a sell out.

 

[Lew Crippen]

How much did contact lenses cost in the mid-60s? I mean, where does a high school kid get the money for them (Luke).

IIRC, $200 or so in the late 50s–early 60s, which was a lot of money back when minimum wage was $1.25/hr. Even so, I had a lot of friends who got them beginning in the early 60s. High school/college age girls of my acquaintance were early adopters, followed by guys playing sports.

By the mid-60s they were no big deal, but I don’t recall guys getting them in order to impress a girl. Probably happened though.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I wish I had contact lenses when I was playing football in high school because I was blind as a bat without my glasses, and it would have made a big difference for me on the field at the time. I remember them being expensive in my high school days, 15-20 years after the current American Dreams days.

 

[Marty M]

And since I wasn't born yet, the songs being a year ahead of schedule doesn't diminish the enjoyment out of them.

You are probably among the majority of this sentiment, but since I was 16 in 1965 I have a vivid memory of these songs. One year really makes a difference to someone who experienced these songs.

I would have expected more accuracy from a Dick Clark production. But in the end, I don't let this stop me from enjoying this wonderful show. I will concede that the out-of-sequence songs they have chosen went with the context of the show.

 

[Rob P S]

It's been renewed for next season!!!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ion_pickups_dc

 

[Lew Crippen]

 

[Don Black]

Kick ass. Las Vegas and American Dreams make the Sunday->Monday transition more bareable.

 

[Rob P S]

I just learned of an upcoming chat with Jonathan Adams:

http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20040206002/tscript.htm

 

[Patrick Sun]

2/15/04

A lot of thing went down, most of it dealt with secrets and betrayal, moving on different paths.

Will doesn't want to give up the crutches, and prodding by Jack isn't working, so Pete concocts a situation that gets Will to walk on his own power without the crutches. Jack was amused by how Pete did it (Pete drove Will around in his patrol car to deliver his newspapers, and then freaked out Will, claiming the patrol car's radiator was going to blow and there wasn't time to get his crutches, so Will walked/ran with Pete away from the patrol car, and Pete confronted Will with this new development, though Pete wants to use the crutches a little longer).

Henry decides to go through with new store deal and he finally breaks the news to Jack, and Jack is quietly calm about the news, but it hit him hard, "it's just business". Henry also tells Jack that the store is on a street just 3 blocks away. Henry felt bad about this, but he had to do what he thought was best for his and his family's future.

Patty was infatuated with Luke, who was teaching her "Downtown" on the piano. Later Patty finds out the Rox and Luke are now a couple, and she's really hurt by it and confronts Rox for lying to her at the record store. This has Rox second-guessing their decision to hide their romance from Meg (and Patty).

Patty was in the middle of reading Meg's diary, but gets calls to dinner by Helen, so she leaves the diary out in the open. Later Helen comes across it and start snooping and finds out about Meg and Drew.

Meg is still seeing Drew. Jack thinks she's quit seeing him. There's a father-daughter event at Bandstand, and Jack plays father to Rox as well, though he can't dance with a damn. During a dance between Meg and Jack, a photographer with a new Polaroid camera snaps their photo and Jack is impressed by the 1 minute developing time. Meg can't bear her secret any longer and decides to tell her parents about her and Drew. Jack, having a hard day already with Henry's news, blows up in Meg's face and tells her to go to her room and he wasn't going to put up with her lying to him. Then Helen admits that she knew up Meg and Drew (though for only a short time), but Jack thinks Helen is lying to him as well.

JJ's platoon has a French lady photographer with them as they do their mission. JJ got surprised by a grenade that lands right next to him, but luckily it was a dud. During the mission that resulted in a strategic retreat by the US forces, JJ loses his St. Christopher's medal, and while the troops are doing some recon, JJ goes looking for his medal, but is surprised by a VC soldier and immediately shoots him before he can be shot. This messes with JJ, and he takes some time to listen to the tapes sent from home that describe the situation before all of the events have unfolded in the interim, taking on an ironic bent to the situation.

Meg hears through the walls that Helen knew about her and Drew (but doesn't quite know how, it's not clear if she suspected that her diary was read). Meg packs up a suitcase and sneaks out of the house, and headed for her boyfriend in college.

Oh, Nick Lachey showed up playing Tom Jones singing "It's Not Unusual". His British accent wasn't all that good, and he sang the song like Nick Lachey, not Tom Jones.

 

[Don Black]

Anyone else amused that the actor who plays Drew is like a decade senior to Brittany Snow? Hollywood...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, Britney Snow is one of the rare young actresses actually playing close to her real age.

 

[Jon.M]

I missed the first couple of seasons (well, season and a half), but I've really taken a liking to this show. I'd love to catch up if it ever comes out on DVD. That's probably wishful thinking though, since I assume the music rights issues would be a nightmare.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Meg packs up a suitcase and sneaks out of the house, and headed for her boyfriend in college.

I think that she is headed for Roxanne. I never watch the previews for the next show, so I could be wrong here, but no way would she have been able to stay with her boyfriend in the college dorm room—not in the mid-60s.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Very true Lew! She can always turn around and go back home though.

Did our troups in 'Nam really wear undershirts in that heat? They wer hardly even breaking a sweat.

Anyway, I think that the encounter with the VC was supposed to be his first face-to-face kill, which sets a milestone of sorts of troups.

Glenn

 

[Patrick Sun]

When has Meg thought rationally in the heat of the moment? I think Drew points her back to either her family or Rox.

Patty might be the real problem child soon enough.

 

[Marty M]

I really liked how Pete tricked Will into leaving the car without his crutches. I was also impressed that the music played on this episode were songs popular in 1965, the year the show is supposed to be taking place. This is evidenced by the sign for the American Bandstand show, AB 65. I remember when they started doing that.

 

[Tony_La]

From NBC.com

OLD ENOUGH TO FIGHT 2004-02-22
(Not really a spoiler, rather a preview, but just in case you don't want to know about the upcoming episode.)

CHRIS ISAAK GUESTS STARS AS ROY ORBISON, JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT RETURNS AS NANCY SINATRA WITH ALISON SWEENEY AND FARAH FATH ENTERTAINING IN THE USO, AS JOHN ANISTON AND FRANCES REID APPEAR IN PRYOR TV AND RADIO, AND TYLER HILTON AS A SINGER - After running away from home, Meg (Brittany Snow) decides she needs a new look and enlists Roxanne (Vanessa Lengies) for a makeover. A worried Helen (Gail O'Grady) finds Meg staying at Roxanne's, and asks her to return home, but her relationship with her parents continue to be strained until something drastic happens with her boyfriend. In addition to dealing with his problems at home, Jack (Tom Verica) realizes that he has some issues at work with Henry (Jonathan Adams), and makes a pivotal decision that will change the future of Pryor TV & Radio. On the other side of the world, JJ (Will Estes) and the troops are entertained by the USO, a much needed distraction as JJ struggles with the realities of war. Chris Isaak ("Let Me Down Easy," "The Chris Isaak Show") guest stars as Roy Orbison singing, "Pretty Woman." Jennifer Love Hewitt reprises her role as Nancy Sinatra with "These Boot Are Made for Walking", and "Sunny." NBC's "Days Of Our Lives" guest stars with Alison Sweeney as Miss USA, Farah Fath as a Playboy Bunny, John Aniston as a man seeking employment at Pryor TV & Radio, and Frances Reid as a woman watching the premiere episode of "Days Of Our Lives" in the store. Tyler Hilton guest stars as a singer singing the Beatles "I've Just Seen a Face." Rachel Boston, Ethan Dampf, Arlen Escarpeta, Sarah Ramos also star.

I guess I should hide this too, just in case:

Any thoughts on the issue with Drew? Going by the preview I just saw with Meg saying "How long has this been going on?" I'm gonna say that Drew and Beth have been seeing each other. Or, what she says could be dealing with Rox and Luke. Thoughts?

(Admin note - removed spoilers now that the episode has aired)

 

[Patrick Sun]

2/22/04

So JJ lost his nerve out there after shooting a VC, but gets a pep talk by his father after paying off another soldier for the phone time. Jennifer Love Hewitt does reprise her role has Nancy Sinatra, even mentions that her dad saddled her brother with "Frank Jr." on him when JJ explains his name to her as she signs something for him.

Will is making steady progress in his walking, and can do his paper route on his own, though it takes him longer to do it. He's got some bully troubles, though.

Henry gets frustrated by the muslin leader wanting to not grease the building inspectors, to wait, but Henry can't wait.

Jack is worried about the Appliance King moving into Philly. He makes Henry a partner to keep him with the store. The appearance of John Anniston while "Days of Our Lives" was playing was pretty amusing since he appears on the show now and has for over a decade.

Meg tries to stay with Drew, but he shows her the door, so Meg stays with Beth the first night. Jack gives Helen a week to deal with Meg, or he'll deal with her in her own way.

With Rox and Patty's help, Helen convinces Meg to come home. But things are still tense.

I liked Chris Isaac doing his "Roy Orbison" bit on American Bandstand.

Rox and Luke continue to hide their relationship from Meg.

Meg's hair is now straight, not curly/wavy. She looks 2-3 years older with straight hair.

Meg finds out that Drew's been carrying on with another coed. She leaves. She goes to Bandstand, crying, sees Rox from across the street, but decides to run away from her inexplicably. Eventually she shows up at home, Jack, painting a table leg sees her, notices she's crying, and hugs Meg as she sobs on his shoulder. Helen sees this play out from the window.

 

[Karl_Luph]

Another very fine episode. Meg is learning the hard way about the joys and heartaches of love. I'm sure the final scene touched alot of hearts out there from people who remember their first heartbreak and could relate . I kinda have a feeling this will be a positive thing for the Pryor family , and a mutual respect for parents and daughter. Now Patty may turn out to be their biggest challenge in the years to come,lol!