Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump is an American documentary miniseries. It follows news station KPVM-LD in Pahrump, Nevada, and centers around news anchor Deanna O'Donnell, 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]
| Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump | |
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| Genre | Documentary |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
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| Running time | 28-29 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | August 2 – August 16, 2021 |
Plot
editVern 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
edit| No. | Title | Original air date [2] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Our Top Story" | August 2, 2021 | N/A |
| 2 | "Quitting Season" | August 2, 2021 | N/A |
| 3 | "Pahrump Gets Trumped" | August 9, 2021 | N/A |
| 4 | "Trunk or Treat" | August 9, 2021 | N/A |
| 5 | "Electile Dysfunction" | August 16, 2021 | N/A |
| 6 | "Vegas or Bust" | August 16, 2021 | N/A |
Production
editFenton 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
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71% based on 7 critic reviews, with an average rating of 9.00/10.[7]
References
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ "Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Lawrence, Christopher (August 1, 2021). "HBO series shows Pahrump's zany, heartfelt TV station". Pahrump Valley Times. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Greene, Steve (August 17, 2021). "'Small Town News': The Unconventional Road to a Different Kind of 2020 Story". IndieWire. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Small Town News". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
