Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN original series 'Talkin' Country' to follow Ken Burns' 'Country Music' beginning Sept. 15

AETN original series 'Talkin' Country' to follow Ken Burns' 'Country Music' beginning Sept. 15

Posted 10 Sep 2019

"Talkin' Country," the Arkansas PBS's local nightly recap of Ken Burns' documentary series "Country Music," will premiere Sunday, Sept. 15, at 9 p.m. Discussing each night's episode will be host Bob Robbins, Arkansas radio icon and 105.1 The Wolf morning personality, along with country music experts Charles Haymes, country music journalist and vice president of the Arkansas Country Music Awards, Jon Raney, chief engineer at Raney Recording Studio, and other special guests.

"Country Music," an eight-part, 16-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and produced by Burns and his long-time collaborators Dayton Duncan and Julie Dunfey, will premiere on AETN Sunday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.

The film follows the evolution of country music over the course of the 20th century as it eventually emerges to become "America's music." The first four episodes will air Sept. 15 through Wednesday, Sept. 18, and the final four episodes will air Sunday, Sept. 22, through Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 each night. Immediately following each episode, AETN will air the local series "Talkin' Country."

Guests for "Talkin' Country" will include:

• Episode one – Mark Jones, son of Grandpa and Ramona Jones of "Hee Haw," and Dave Smith, host of Ozark Highlands Radio.
• Episode two – Bob Brumley, president of Albert E. Brumley and Sons Music, Mark Jones and Dave Smith.
• Episode three – Songwriter Charley Sandage and acoustic musician Tim Crouch, fiddle player for Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson and others.
• Episode four – Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Roy Cash, songwriter and nephew of Johnny Cash; Bobby Crafford, drummer and manager of Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers; and Lee Anthony, former studio owner and record producer.
• Episode five – Country music artist Barbara Fairchild, best known for her 1973 hit "The Teddy Bear Song," and Roy Cash.
• Episode six – Flap Jones, host of "Not Necessarily Nashville" on KUAR FM 89.1, and songwriter and musician Brad Williams of The Salty Dogs.
• Episode seven – Nathan Hunnicutt, president of the Arkansas Country Music Awards, Flap Jones and Barbara Fairchild.
• Episode eight – Professional guitarist Charlie White, guitarist for Wynonna Judd, and Preston Palmer, musician and owner of Palmer Music.

"Country Music" explores crucial questions – "What is country music?" and "Where did it come from?" – while focusing on the biographies of the fascinating trailblazers who created and shaped it – from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe and Bob Wills to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and many more – as well as the times in which they lived. Much like the music itself, the film tells unforgettable stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people.

Additional information about AETN's local "Country Music" campaign, including all the ways to watch, locally-produced content and more is available at aetn.org/countrymusic.

"Country Music" will stream for free on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. The first four episodes will be available timed to the Sunday, Sept. 15, premiere and the second four timed to the broadcast of episode 5 on Sunday, Sept. 22 (each episode will stream for a period of three weeks). PBS station members will be able to stream the entire series via Passport for a period of six months beginning Sunday, Sept. 15.

"Country Music" is a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, DC.

The Arkansas PBS is Arkansas's only statewide public media network, which enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through the distinct channels AETN PBS, AETN Create, AETN PBS KIDS, AETN World and AETN AIRS on SAP. Audiences can also watch on several digital platforms, and members with AETN Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at aetn.org. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).