Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump

(Redirected from Vegas or Bust)

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
GenreDocumentary
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
NetworkHBO
ReleaseAugust 2 (2021-08-02) –
August 16, 2021 (2021-08-16)

Plot

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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

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  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. ^ a b 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.
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