I had the absolute pleasure of spending two years restoring 81 hours of the ABC television series The Jimmy Dean Show (1963-1966) for the Jimmy Dean Estate. Sadly, I can’t post the entire series but I do have two of my creations you can watch. Both offer a great overview of the series. And they won a few awards too! • This was a historic television series for Country music. And consider this, while Jimmy Dean was introducing artists like Roger Miller and Buck Owens in the ABC Studios on West 57th Street in NYC, down the road at the CBS Ed Sullivan Theater on West 53rd Street, The Beatles were taking the stage and changing the world. It was an amazing time and all happening in the same neighborhood. And you can witness it in this historic music television series. Oh, by the way, Hee Haw came directly out of The Jimmy Dean Show. But that’s another story for another time.
THE JIMMY DEAN SHOW (ABC 1963-1966)
Short Documentary
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about The Jimmy Dean Show is in this short documentary (well, almost everything). The television series featured country performers such as George Jones, Buck Owens and Dean's former band member Roy Clark, along with pop artists like the Everly Brothers and Gene Pitney. Comics Jackie Mason, Don Adams, and Dick Shawn also appeared. The Muppet character Rowlf the Dog (performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz) debuted as a regular on the show. And during the premiere episode of the series in 1963, Dean interacted with an animated Fred Flintstone. There were also a number of "premieres" including the first television appearance of Hank Williams, Jr., who at the tender age of fourteen sang several songs of his legendary late father, Hank Williams. • This short documentary won a SPECIAL JURY AWARD at the Houston International Film Festival, as well as a BRONZE Telly Award. And yep, that's me as the narrator.
THE JIMMY DEAN SHOW
Season One DVD Infomercial (2016)
The hour-long weekly music / variety television series was seen prime time on ABC for three seasons from September 19, 1963 to April 1, 1966 out of ABC Studio One in New York. Its first season was written by Peppiatt and Aylesworth (who would later create Hee Haw). That and so much more is offered in this Infomercial, hosted by Country Music Hall of Famer, Bill Anderson and Jimmy Dean's widow, Donna Dean-Stevens. Also included are some great insights from Merle Haggard and Bobby Bare. Check out the video. . . or even better, buy season one on DVD! • This Infomercial won a PLATINUM award at the Houston International Film Festival as well as a SILVER Telly award.
THE STRING with CRAIG HAVIGHURST
WMOT-FM (2017)
Middle Tennessee State University’s WMOT-FM is Nashville’s only Americana public radio station. Craig Havigurst is a writer / producer / speaker who is host of “The String,” a weekly music interview / magazine radio show and podcast. Craig talked to me in depth about my restoration of The Jimmy Dean Show. We chatted about what it took to bring this historic 50+ year old series into the 21st Century. Plus you get to see a little behind-the-scenes in post-production.