Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump

Last updated
Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump
Small Town News KPVM logo.png
Genre Documentary
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Fenton Bailey
  • Randy Barbato
  • Nikki Calabrese
  • Nelson Walters
  • Nancy Abraham
  • Lisa Heller
Producers
  • Christi Martinelli
  • Steven Sims
Cinematography
  • Diego Lopez
  • Arlene Nelson
Editors
  • Francy Kachler
  • George Mandi
  • Chris McKinley
  • Ryan Neill
Running time28-29 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseAugust 2 (2021-08-02) 
August 16, 2021 (2021-08-16)

Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump is an American documentary miniseries. It follows news station KPVM-LD in Pahrump, Nevada, as they take on the challenge of expanding into the Las Vegas market. It consists of 6 episodes and premiered on August 2, 2021, on HBO. [1]

Contents

Plot

Vern Van Winkle, the owner of KPVM-LD in Pahrump, Nevada, takes on the challenge of expanding into the Las Vegas market for more exposure.

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air date [2] U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Our Top Story"August 2, 2021 (2021-08-02)N/A
2"Quitting Season"August 2, 2021 (2021-08-02)N/A
3"Pahrump Gets Trumped"August 9, 2021 (2021-08-09)N/A
4"Trunk or Treat"August 9, 2021 (2021-08-09)N/A
5"Electile Dysfunction"August 16, 2021 (2021-08-16)N/A
6"Vegas or Bust"August 16, 2021 (2021-08-16)N/A

Production

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato came across KPVM-LD while working on their documentary Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal, the two decided to then pitch a television series about the station, however, they could not get a network interested in a pilot. [3] Bailey and Barbato also found Public-access television to be a ground for new talent and ideas. [4]

The series picked up traction at the end of 2017, with principal photography commencing in January 2020. [3] The series doesn't have a credited director due to the fact not everyone was on set or involved with the edit, with editing taking longer than filming. [5]

In June 2021, it was announced HBO would produce and distribute the series, with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato serving as executive producers under their World of Wonder banner. [6]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71% based on 7 critic reviews, with an average rating of 9.00/10. [7]

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References

  1. "HBO's "Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump," An Affectionate Portrait of an Independent Local News Station, Debuts August 2". The Futon Critic . June 22, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  2. "Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump". The Futon Critic . Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Lawrence, Christopher (August 1, 2021). "HBO series shows Pahrump's zany, heartfelt TV station". Pahrump Valley Times . Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  4. Meek, Andy (August 16, 2021). "Meet The Small-Town Nevada News Crew That HBO Decided To Make A TV Show About". Forbes . Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  5. Greene, Steve (August 17, 2021). "'Small Town News': The Unconventional Road to a Different Kind of 2020 Story". IndieWire . Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  6. "HBO's SMALL TOWN NEWS: KPVM PAHRUMP, An Affectionate Portrait Of An Independent Local News Station, Debuts August 2". WarnerMedia . June 22, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  7. "Small Town News". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 5, 2021.