List of country television and radio shows
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
The following lists American TV and radio shows of note that were either predominantly related to country music or had a significant impact on the country music genre:
Television
Listed alphabetically:
- ABC Barn Dance - 1949, spin-off of the National Barn Dance radio program
- American Idol - 2002–present, a singing competition on Fox that spans many popular genres, including country music. The show has launched the careers of several country stars, including season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, season 10 winner Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin, Kristy Lee Cook, Danny Gokey, Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, and Lauren Alaina. Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, while primarily specializing in pop rock, has also dabbled in the country format.
- Austin City Limits, 1976–present, PBS
- The Beverly Hillbillies, situation comedy series that featured a country theme song and appearances by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
- Can You Duet? (CMT, 2008–2009), launched the careers of Steel Magnolia and Joey & Rory, among others
- Country Hoedown (1956-65), CBC country-western music series.
- Country Showdown (1982-present), national country music talent search; finals have aired on GAC and TNN
- Country Style, DuMont Network
- Country Style, USA, syndicated by the US Army as a recruiting aid
- Crook & Chase, hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase, 1986 to present, currently on RFD-TV. A radio countdown show also bears the name.
- Cross Canada Barndance, 1961–1962, charter program of the CTV Television Network (Canada)
- Crossroads, 2002–present, limited-run program on CMT that features country musicians playing music sets with non-country singers, usually rock musicians
- Don Messer's Jubilee, 1957–1973, CBC and syndicated program responsible for popularizing folk and country music in Canada
- Five Star Jubilee, 1961 program on NBC-TV (spin-off of Jubilee USA)
- The Ford Show, 1956–1961 (NBC), a general variety program hosted by country-western and gospel singer Tennessee Ernie Ford
- The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, 1969–1972
- Glór Tíre (Country Voice) reality TV from Galway, Ireland on TG4, 2003–2009
- Grand Ole Opry, simulcast of the radio program, has aired on ABC (1955–56), PBS (1978–81), TNN (1985–2001), CMT (2001–03), and GAC (2003–09).
- Hannah Montana, from Disney Channel, features Billy Ray Cyrus as retired country superstar "Robbie Ray Stewart" (an obvious fictional portrayal of Cyrus himself), the father of the titular character, teenager-turned-rock star "Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart" (played by Cyrus's real-life daughter, Miley Cyrus).
- Hayloft Hoedown on ABC from Philadelphia, 1948
- Hee Haw, featuring Buck Owens and Roy Clark as co-hosts, although Owens departed the series at the end of the 1986 season; popular for its purposely cornball jokes, shapely women, and country music guest stars; The series ran on network television, 1969–1971, but was picked up in syndication beginning with the '71-'72 season and remained on the air through May 1992.
- The Johnny Cash Show (1969–1971) on ABC-TV
- The Lawrence Welk Show (1951–1982), general musical variety program that launched the careers of country musicians Lynn Anderson, Clay Hart and Ava Barber
- Lost Highway, a significant BBC documentary on the history of country music
- Midwestern Hayride, on WLW-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio and later carried nationally by NBC and then ABC
- Nashville, 2012-present, ABC hourlong drama series about country musicians. The series has released several singles as tie-ins to the TV show, many of which have reached the lower ends of the Hot Country Songs charts. (Not to be confused with the 2007 docudrama of the same name that lasted only two episodes.)
- Nashville Now, hosted live by Ralph Emery, the cornerstone nightly program for The Nashville Network from 1983 through 1993. Featured puppet co-host Shotgun Red.
- Nashville Star country music talent show that produced such stars as Miranda Lambert, Buddy Jewell, George Canyon, Chris Young, Kacey Musgraves and Sean Patrick McGraw
- The Old American Barn Dance, DuMont Network, 1953
- Ozark Jubilee, 1955–1960, ABC - the first network TV series featuring country music stars. Hosted by Red Foley and was renamed County Music Jubilee in 1957 and Jubilee USA in 1958.
- Pop! Goes the Country, a weekly syndicated country music variety television series, hosted by Ralph Emery, from 1974–1980, and then Tom T Hall during 1980-1981, and lastly Jim Varney for a handful of episodes through 1982.
- Talent Varieties, a country music talent show in 1955 on ABC-TV.
- The Porter Wagoner Show, aired from 1960 to 1979 and featured a young Dolly Parton and Mel Tillis.
- That Good Ole Nashville Music, 1970–1985
- Troubadour, TX, 2011–present, regionally syndicated television series following the lives of various singers and songwriters as they chase their dreams (or, for successful artists, live their dreams) across the state of Texas. The series features performance and documentary elements.
- Saturday Night Jamboree from New York on NBC, 1949-50.
- The Statler Brothers Show, the highest rated show on The Nashville Network from 1991 until its last episode in 1998.
- The Tommy Hunter Show, 1965-92, a weekly variety show starring Canadian musician Tommy Hunter; it replaced Country Hoedown on the CBC lineup and was seen in the United States on TNN from 1983 until 1992.
- Village Barn on NBC from 1948–50, broadcast from a New York City nightclub. The first (and first live) country music program on network TV
- The Wilburn Brothers Show, long running syndicated country variety television series, hosted by The Wilburn Brothers, running between 1963 and 1974. Launched the career of Loretta Lynn
- Windy City Jamboree from Chicago on DuMont, 1950
Radio
Listed chronologically by date of first airing:
- National Barn Dance, the original country music radio show. The Grand Ole Opry was spun off from this show in 1928. (1924–1968)
- Grand Ole Opry, the most famous country music radio program, broadcasting on WSM from Nashville. (1925–present)
- Jamboree, airing from WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia. Spun off a popular music festival, the Jamboree in the Hills. (1933–2007). A "Wheeling Jamboree" on rival station WKKX (2010–present) claims this series as part of its history.
- Renfro Valley Barn Dance, 1939–1957, stage show continues to bear the name
- Renfro Valley Gatherin', Sunday morning country music program airing nationally from Renfro Valley, Kentucky. (1943–present)
- Korn’s-A-Krackin’, from KWTO in Springfield, Missouri and carried by the Mutual Broadcasting System (1946-195?).
- Big D Jamboree, from KRLD in Dallas, Texas. (1947–1960s)
- Louisiana Hayride, featured Hank Williams and Elvis Presley in their early years. (1948–1960)
- The Red Foley Show, 1951–1961 on NBC.
- Ozark Jubilee, 1954–1961, from KWTO-AM. Helped launch the careers of Porter Wagoner, Brenda Lee and other country and rockabilly stars. Aired on ABC Radio from 1954–1960, and on NBC Radio from 1960 to 1961.
- U.S. 1 Trucking Show/Midnight Cowboy Radio Network, overnight country music and talk show based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, targeted toward truck drivers, hosted by Bill Mack (1969–2003). Mack continues a show on satellite radio, while the original show itself is now the Midnight Radio Network, a talk-only program hosted by Eric Harley.
- American Country Countdown, a spinoff of American Top 40 hosted by Don Bowman (1973–1978), Bob Kingsley (1978–2005), and Kix Brooks (2006–present).
- The Truckin' Bozo, overnight country music and talk show targeted toward truck drivers, hosted by Dale Sommers. (1984–2003, continued as a talk-only program on satellite radio until Sommers's death in 2012)
- Crook & Chase, hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase (1986–present)
- Country Countdown USA, radio countdown hosted by Lon Helton. (1992–present)
- Country Gold, classic country request program hosted at various times in its history by Mike Fitzgerald (1992–?), Big John Howell (1999 – 2006), and Josh "Rowdy Yates" Holstead (2006–12). A split in the ownership of the show in 2012 led to two shows bearing the name: one hosted by Holstead, and another by Randy Owen (2012–present)
- After Midnite, nationally syndicated overnight country music program hosted by Blair Garner (1993–2013) and Cody Alan (2014–present). Garner now hosts America's Morning Show.
- The Lia Show, nationally syndicated evening country music and interview program hosted by Lia Knight. (mid-1990s to present)
- Country Music Greats Radio Show, hosted by Jim Ed Brown (2003–2015)
- Country Top 40, hosted by Bob Kingsley (2006–present)
