The Heartland Series

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Heartland Series is a TV program from WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. It explored the culture and life of Appalachia and ran regularly from 1984 through 2009, with a limited return starting in 2010. Over its 25-year run, the show produced about 1,900 short episodes and 150 longer half-hour programs.

What the show was about
The series focused on the people, land, and natural history of the Southern Appalachian region. Topics included geology, wildlife, native plants, invasive species, Native American lifeways, archaeology, and regional history. It featured re-enactments, crafts, traditional music, and profiles of local culture. The program generally avoided politics and controversial religious practices.

Where and how it was made
Production took place in and around the Smoky Mountains and other East Tennessee locations such as the Museum of Appalachia, Rugby, Roan Mountain, Savage Gulf, and Cumberland Gap. Bill Landry hosted and narrated the show, and was known for his friendly, storytelling approach. Steve Dean served as executive producer for two decades, and Doug Mills was the cameraman for most episodes. The show began with very short three- to four-minute segments designed to air during and after daily news.

Expansion and audience
In 1998 the program expanded to a 30-minute version that aired on Saturdays, while continuing the original five-minute format on weekday mornings. The Heartland Series gained a loyal audience and was also broadcast on WTVC in Chattanooga and for several years on the Travel Channel under the name Appalachian Stories.

End of production and revival
WBIR announced in 2009 that production would end later that year, mainly for economic reasons. The last taping occurred August 8, 2009, at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee, before a large crowd. The final broadcast was moved to a prime-time slot in October 2009. Public reaction to the cancellation led to a revival: in 2010 producer Steve Dean was brought back to produce four more hour-long episodes, and more hour-long installments followed through 2011.

Recognition and legacy
The Heartland Series earned four Emmy Awards, six Iris Awards, medals from the New York International Film and Television Festival, and a Theodore Roosevelt Award for Best Outdoor Documentary. It is remembered for Landry’s engaging interviewing style, which drew out stories from people across Appalachia. Many hours of footage are archived at the McClung Museum in Knoxville, and the series has informed Appalachian studies curricula and exhibitions. US embassies around the world have kept tapes of The Heartland Series as a resource on life in Appalachia. The show’s theme music is an arrangement of the Gaelic ballad He Mandu, played on the hammered dulcimer by Guy Carawan.