The Heartland Series is a television program about the culture of Appalachia and was created by WBIR in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1984 and ran through 2009. The program was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a special series celebrating the people and land of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
The hosts took cameras and held interviews with the last of the elderly mountain people on location. Each episode was three minutes and 40 seconds long designed to air in five minute time slots after the daily news on WBIR. The series became so popular that it ran for years rather than the three months it was originally planned to run.
Traditional music was a perennial topic, including performances by and interviews with musicians from East Tennessee, along with craftsmen who made musical instruments, and exploration of musical traditions such as old harp singing, songs and hymns, which demonstrate the Scottish and Irish influences on the region's music.
The Heartland Series is available to watch for free on YouTube if you are interested in this topic.
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That sounds like such an interesting program, I must look it up. Youtube has a ton of interesting stuff - I love the Antiques Roadshow UK and someone has just posted 6 of the latest programs so I've been enjoying them the past couple of days.
Oh thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love the Great Smoky Mountains! We go there every year. Lots of good memories.
Will check out the series. Thanks!
You're welcome, Kathy. I think you will really enjoy this series since you love the Smokies. :)
DeleteThat sounds like such an interesting program, I must look it up. Youtube has a ton of interesting stuff - I love the Antiques Roadshow UK and someone has just posted 6 of the latest programs so I've been enjoying them the past couple of days.
ReplyDeleteOh, I will have to look that one up too, Margie. I always enjoyed it.
DeleteThanks. Many of Glen's relatives live in and around Cumberland Gap and the entire area has always fascinated me.
ReplyDeleteHow neat, Cheryl. I know that area very well, and it is beautiful there.
DeleteI will go look that up and watch.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the show. :)
DeleteI'm excited about watching this!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it, Amanda.
DeleteI have to see this!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the show. :)
Deleteoh can't wait for this weekend! Sounds like something right up our alley!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoy it, Vickie. I hope you do too.
DeleteI had watched one of them previously. It was interesting but maybe more so since I have visited there several times and it is familiar.
ReplyDeleteYes, I usually find things more interesting if I know the area too, Anne.
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