September 22, 2000: “Tennessee’s Wild Side” debuts on NPT, Nashville Public Television!

Take a walk on Tennessee’s Wild Side this fall when a new outdoors television show produced by The Renaissance Center debuts on PBS stations across the state.

“Tennessee’s Wild Side is an action-packed outdoors series that will appeal to more than the avid hunter or fisherman,” said Steve Hall, multimedia director for The Renaissance Center. “Our program will feature segments that will be interesting to every outdoorsman as well as women and young viewers.”

With the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as the major underwriter, Tennessee’s Wild Side is being produced by The Renaissance Center, a not-for-profit educational, arts and multimedia facility in Dickson, Tenn., in cooperation with NPT.

“NPT is happy to present this series for Tennessee’s public television audiences, in cooperation with our sister PBS-member stations across the state,” said Beth Curley, vice president and station manager of Nashville Public Television. “NPT shares The Renaissance Center’s high expectations for “Wild Side” and we trust the series will quickly gain a strong following among Tennessee’s outdoors enthusiasts.”

The show will be a magazine-style format with hosts Bill Cody and Janet Ivey anchoring from The Renaissance Center studio and a collection of correspondents reporting from across the state. One regular feature will include the youngest of country music’s Mandrell sisters with Irlene Mandrell doing a segment called “Irlene Mandrell: Straight Shooter,” in which she helps viewers understand how to get started in outdoor activities involving firearms.

“Whether you are a parent searching for something cool to do outdoors with your kids this weekend, an avid hunter or fisherman, a boater or a hiker, Tennessee’s Wild Side is a great show for anyone who loves the outdoors,” said Hall.

“What sets Tennessee’s Wild Side apart from other outdoor-oriented shows is The Renaissance Center team of national award-winning, professional story-tellers, photographers and editors who produce the program with help from correspondents who are already known television personalities in Tennessee,” Hall said.

Also unique to the program is original animation for the show’s opening sequence created by the staff at The Renaissance Center.

“Not only is our highly talented multimedia staff producing a high quality program on a regular basis, but other areas of The Renaissance Center are pitching in to create a show that is head and shoulders above any other outdoors show around,” said Hall.

Produced in co-operation with NPT, Tennessee’s Wild Side is also already scheduled to air this fall on WKNO in Memphis, WSJK in Knoxville, WLJT in Martin, WTCI in Chattanooga and WCTE in Cookeville.

While Tennessee’s Wild Side will cover a wide ranging field of topics, it also will include regular features such as “Reel Tips” and “Hints for the Hunt,” as well as frequent appearances from “Wild Side Gourmet” Tommy Pardue. Segments in the shows will cover topics such as mountain biking, mentor hunts, skeet shoots, hunting safety, the hidden treasures of Tennessee, environmental protection, wildlife management, caving and more, in addition to traditional hunting and fishing. There also will be celebrity segments in which personalities from the music and entertainment worlds take viewers along on their favorite outdoor activities.

Dave Woodward, TWRA’s chief of information and education, said the agency is excited to see a show that it hopes will have an appeal for the whole family. He said Tennessee’s Wild Side will be a celebration of the outdoors, which will inspire viewers to enjoy everything Tennessee has to offer.

“A show like Tennessee’s Wild Side has long been a dream of the agency,” said Gary Myers, executive director of TWRA. “Hopefully Tennessee’s rich wildlife heritage can be promoted to an even greater audience through the series.”

“We really appreciate the fact that TWRA is supporting us in this,” said Hall. “They share with us a passion to protect and celebrate the incredible outdoor resources that Tennessee offers.”

For more information on Tennessee’s Wild Side, call The Renaissance Center at (615) 740-5600, NPT at (615)259-9326 or on the Web at www.wnpt.net or TWRA’s Information and Education Division at (615) 781-6502 or on the Web at www.state.tn.us/twra.

Back...