Rachel Boston, a 2000 graduate of GPS here, is ready for her prime-time debut on NBC this fall. She has been cast in Dick Clark's American Dreams, which premiers on Sunday, September 29, at 8 p.m.
The one-hour weekly drama is set in early 60s Philadelphia as they brace for cultural turbulence ahead. American Bandstand is at the height of popularity; John Kennedy is president; and cultural changes are swirling around them as the story begins.
Ms. Boston is the daughter of Brenda and Terry Boston and the sister of Andrew and Brian Boston, all of Signal Mountain. She is the granddaughter of Millard and Elvia Billingsley of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
She is the former 1999 Miss Tennessee Teen USA; 1999 Miss Teen USA finalist; host of Kids Talk on WRCB, Channel 3; and has appeared on The Daily Show, Strangers with Candy, and other TV shows, as well as numerous voice-overs for radio and commercials for TV. She now resides in Los Angeles.
The pilot was taped in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the show is being taped at the historic Sunset-Gower Studios in Hollywood, Calif.
The show revolves around the youthful Pryor family of Philadelphia. There are four children in the family, and Rachel plays the girlfriend (Beth Mason) of J.J. Pryor (Will Estes, "7th Heaven"), the oldest son.
Other cast members include Brittany Snow ("Guiding Light"), Vanessa Lengies ("For Better or Worse"), Gail O'Grady ("NYPD Blues"), Tom Verica ("Providence"), Ethan Damph ("Collateral Damage"), Joseph Lawrence ("Blossom") and newcomer Sarah Ramos.
This evocative drama, set against the memorable, upbeat sounds of the early 1960s, depicts America as seen through the Pryor family as they brace for cultural turbulence ahead. Fifteen-year-old Meg, played by Brittany Snow, strains against her “good girl” image and embraces the mores of her more experienced teenage friend, Roxanne, played by Vanessa Lengies, as they achieve their dream of becoming dancers on Dick Clark’s locally produced “American Bandstand.”
Meg’s behavior and her mother’s new influences clash with rock-solid family patriarch Jim Pryor, played by Tom Verica. The mother is played by Gail O’Grady. Ethan Dampf and newcomer Sarah Ramos also star as Pryor family members. Joseph Lawrence and newcomer Ms. Boston round out the cast.