Premieres Tuesdays, July 18 - Aug. 1, 2023 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS App
The American South is known for its boundless creativity, absorbing personalities and evocative landscapes. SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS, a new three-episode series from PBS, Arkansas PBS, and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Craig Renaud, follows some of the region’s most compelling and influential contemporary creators to the places they call home — the communities that fertilize the stories they tell in books, songs, poems, plays, and on screens large and small.
SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS traverses the South, from the mountains of Appalachia to the Gulf of Mexico, revealing a vivid patchwork of diverse American stories that celebrate the resilience and joy of Southern people — and the magnitude of gifts from the region’s writers.
Among the featured creatives are some of the most recognized storytellers from the worlds of literature, music, television, and film, including authors Jesmyn Ward, Michael Twitty, Angie Thomas, and David Joy; poets Jericho Brown and Natasha Trethewey; songwriters Jason Isbell, Thao Nguyen, Lyle Lovett, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Adia Victoria, Amanda Shires and Justin Moore; songwriter/screenwriter/actor Billy Bob Thornton; songwriter/actor Mary Steenburgen; and screenwriters Qui Nguyen and Michael Waldron.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1 premieres Tuesday, July 18 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Southern creators of literature, music, and film - Billy Bob Thornton, Adia Victoria, Jericho Brown, David Joy, and Mary Steenburgen - reveal deep bonds with the South and the indelible imprint the region has made on their lives and work.
Episode 2 premieres Tuesday, July 25 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Six of the South’s most influential creators take us home to the places that define them: author Angie Thomas, singer/songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, author Michael Twitty, country legend Lyle Lovett, and screenwriter Qui Nguyen.
Episode 3 premieres Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Southern creators of literature, music, and film - Billy Bob Thornton, Adia Victoria, Jericho Brown, David Joy, and Mary Steenburgen - reveal deep bonds with the South and the indelible imprint the region has made on their lives and work.
Watch On Your Schedule:
The documentary series premieres Tuesdays, July 18-Aug. 1 on KPBS TV, PBS.org, and the PBS App.
SOUTHERN SOUNDS:
In addition to the three-part broadcast series, SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS includes a six-part companion series from PBS Digital Studios called SOUTHERN SOUNDS. The digital series explores the intersection of music and story, with a distinctly Southern perspective. Directed and produced by Keith Maitland (“Dear Mr. Brody,” “Tower”) and Terry Lickona (AUSTIN CITY LIMITS), the series offers both a front-row seat and backstage pass to the storytelling process. In each episode, series host Thao Nguyen invites audiences to see a new Southern Artist at work — each a unique voice reflecting the character and culture of their home community — and to explore that artist’s relationship to their hometown through the lyrics of their songs. The digital series will launch on PBS’ YouTube channel on July 11.
Credits:
Created by filmmaker Craig Renaud and Courtney Pledger of Arkansas PBS, who also executive produce. Filmmakers: Keith Maitland, Terry Lickona, Juan Arredondo, Nathan Willis, Jamal Hodge, Denise Godoy, Andy Sarjahani, Stephen Bailey and Héctor Tapia. Bill Gardner is the executive in charge for PBS.
