Sump'n Else

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Sump’n Else was a live teen dance show that aired in 1965-68 on Channel 8 WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas. The format was similar to that of American Bandstand, featuring a youthful host, Ron Chapman, who went on to local fame as the long-time morning host of KVIL 103.7 FM. The show featured nationally known guest performers, including The Monkees, Herman's Hermits, Paul Revere and the Raiders, 13th Floor Elevators, Sonny and Cher and Frank Zappa. Sump’n Else also featured a group of local “go-go” dancers. They included Joan Prather, who later played a recurring role in the television program “Eight is Enough."

Sump’n Else was an afternoon staple on Channel 8. It was a big attraction for area high school students who came from throughout North Texas to see and be seen on the show. The program broadcast live from NorthPark Center shopping mall in a storefront studio that featured a soundproof window so shoppers and fans could see the daily action. When major music acts appeared on the program, police officers were located both inside and outside the mall directing traffic and handling the large crowds. A youth-oriented clothing store called Pois'n Ivy opened next to the studio and advertised on the show, capitalizing on the local popularity of the program.

The final broadcast of Sump’n Else was in January 1968. A reunion show, hosted by Ron Chapman, was broadcast live from the Galleria Dallas shopping mall in Dallas on Sept. 7, 1985, in a simulcast with Channel 8 and KVIL radio.