Appalachia's Happiest Places

2026 TV-PG, G, G 1 Season

Appalachia is one of the most misunderstood regions in America and one of the most cinematic. This series reframes the narrative, taking audiences deep into Eastern Kentucky to experience the culture, creativity, and momentum that rarely make it on screen

Cast: Chase Crawford · Bryce Leatherwood · Erik Hubbard
Genre: Documentary Series · Documentary Series · Travelogue

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12 Episodes

1 - We Visited Loretta Lynn's Childhood Home 25 min

The team visits Loretta Lynn's childhood home in Butcher Holler and wraps the day at the Van Lear Coal Miner's Museum, celebrating the roots, resilience, and rich history of Eastern Kentucky.

2 - We Explored the Home of Country Music Legends 19 min

Inside Eastern Kentucky's soul: a full tour of the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum plus untold stories of Appalachian off-road culture, trail towns, and the people reshaping rural tourism and music history.

3 - Inside 24 Hours of Appalachia 22 min

We spent a full day embedded in Eastern Kentucky during 24 Hours of Appalachia, an endurance rally and community event designed to bring real economic impact, tourism, and visibility to rural Appalachian towns often left out of the conversation.

4 - We Spent 24 Hours on Kentuckyâ€™s Backroads 26 min

For 24 hours, we followed the backroads of Eastern Kentucky... Through small towns, hollers, ridgelines, and trails that most people pass without ever really seeing.

5 - Why Lee County Keeps Showing Up 19 min

Lee County has always found ways to celebrate life, even in hard seasons. What makes this place special isn't just the landscape. It's the resilience.

6 - Exploring Red River Gorge 18 min

We head off-road with local guides through historic railroad beds, tunnels, and thousands of acres of wilderness giving viewers a chance to experience the Gorge in a whole new way.

7 - We Took 100 Race Cars to a Kentucky Mountain Town 20 min

We head into Pineville for the SECA Appalachian Hill Climb Series, where more than 100 race cars from across the country descend on Bell County to compete, connect, and support the local community.

8 - Why Racers From Across the U.S. Are Coming to Kentucky 20 min

We meet racers, organizers, and locals who share why Pine Mountain is one of the most technical, thrilling, and meaningful hill climbs in the country and why they keep coming back year after year.

9 - Rediscovering Harlan County 21 min

We meet locals, artists, organizers, and entrepreneurs who are shaping Harlan County's future without forgetting its past.

10 - From Recovery to Opportunity: How Appalachiaâ€™s Happiest Places Came to Life 25 min

We step off the backroads and into a statewide conversation about recovery, opportunity, and how intentional investment can change lives.

11 - From Evarts High School to Hope High 32 min

We step inside the former Evarts High School a "1937 landmark that once stood at the heart of its community” and explore an ambitious vision to bring it back to life.

12 - How Hope High Could Change Eastern Kentucky 31 min

We explore how the Hope High project is creating real opportunity in Eastern Kentucky... Transforming a former school into a multi-purpose hub for workforce training, film production, healthcare access, and entrepreneurship.