Pop! Goes the Country

Pop! Goes the Country is a weekly half-hour syndicated variety country music television series that originally aired from September 7, 1974 through 1982 for a total of 234 episodes.^[1] Originally hosted by Ralph Emery, the series was recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House and featured performances by and interviews with country music singers, both established celebrities and up and coming singers and musicians. In 1980, Tom T. Hall replaced Emery as the host. The comic actor Jim Varney joined the cast in the final season, as the show retooled as a "country music club", with Varney acting in comedy sketches featuring Tom T. Hall and the show's musical guests. The show also moved from the Opry House to Opryland USA's Gaslight Theater.^[2] It is also considered as a spin-off of The Porter Wagoner Show. The Statler Brothers sang the show's original theme song.

Pop! Goes the Country
Genre	Musical variety
Starring	Ralph Emery Tom T. Hall Jim Varney
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Production locations	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Running time	approx. 22-26 minutes
Production companies	Show Biz, Inc.
Original release
Network	First Run Syndication
Release	September 7, 1974 (1974-09-07) – January 1, 1982 (1982-01-01)

The series' title referenced the influence pop music was having on country music at the time on artists such as Barbara Mandrell, Lynn Anderson, Dolly Parton, and Anne Murray, all of whom appeared as guests on the program, although performers with more traditional styles such as Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and Mel Tillis were also featured during the show's run.

As of December 2014, the show is being rebroadcast on the cable network RFD-TV.

References

1. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 947. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
2. The Internet Movie Database

External links

• Pop! Goes the Country at IMDb
• Episode list at thetvdb.com