By: DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
"Dry Creek," the television show based
on creator Les McDowell's childhood memories of Pike and Adams counties,
has been selected as a finalist for a national award.
The show is nominated in the Best
Series-Family Friendly category of the fifth annual CableFAX Program
Awards which honor the best in cable content and people.
"Our goal has always been to create a show
that families could sit down together to be entertained and uplifted,
and we are honored to be acknowledged by the CableFAX editors," said
McDowell, who also serves as writer and producer for the series.
A ceremony for honorees will be held Oct. 30 in New York City.
Set in Florida in the 1880s, each episode of
"Dry Creek" reminds viewers that there are old-fashioned answers to
modern day problems.
Each storyline conveys a basic truth or
moral through humor, common sense, kindness and honesty. The "My Rose"
episode, which was submitted for award consideration, teaches that
kindness promotes healing.
BlueHighways TV airs the series and touted
the show as "unique" among cable programs because of its original
storylines and the passion and imagination of its cast and crew.
" ‘Dry Creek' is a treasure for BlueHighways
TV," Stan Hitchcock, chairman and CEO of the network, said in a news
release. "We are thrilled that the judges have recognized this series as
being a step above and given it their nomination."
Nominated along with "Dry Creek" in the
family-friendly category are "The Good Night Show" on Differences,
Sprout; "R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour" on the Hub TV Network; "Clue,"
the Hub TV Network; and "Family Game Night," Hub TV Network. Sprout is
owned by Comcast, and Hub TV Network is owned by Discovery.
The award nomination is another milestone
for McDowell, who began using a $100 Zoom camera just over two years ago
to film himself doing cowboy poetry to post on YouTube. When a few of
his buddies started coming over to watch, the performances turned into
scenes and eventually the show that emphasizes family values. The
production set at McDowell's ranch in Parrish, Fla., south of Tampa,
expanded for the show's second season.
"It's just taken off," McDowell said in
July. "People started donating state-of-the-art HD cameras and (offered)
to help us in any way."
Twelve HD episodes now are available on BlueHighways TV.
McDowell was born in Pittsfield, lived in
Pike County, moved to California at the age of 5 and came back "home" to
visit his grandparents for three weeks every summer. He still comes
"home" most years for the Milton Corn Carnival and the Pike County Fall
Color Drive. He spent a career in radio, but always
wanted to be a cowboy. He got his chance as the owner of the Rocking M
Ranch just outside the frictional town of Dry Creek in the television
show of the same name. "Everybody knows where Dry Creek is," McDowell
has said many times. "It's inside each and every one of us."
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379
WHERE TO WATCH THE SHOW:
"Dry Creek" airs on the Pursuit Channel,
which is Dish 240 and Direct 608, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and repeats at
7:30 a.m. Wednesday. It airs on Blue Highways TV at 6:30 p.m. Saturday
with an encore presentation at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Exciting!
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