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documentary series

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Porter Ridge, a new reality show set in rural Spencer, Indiana, is the latest brainchild of Duck Dynasty‘s creator Gurney Productions.

In contrast to the duck-call empire built in West Monroe, Louisiana, Porter Ridge is a comedic documentary series centered on Terry Porter and his Country Auto Parts company.

Porter Ridge will premiere on the Discovery Channel at 10:30 p.m., on August 13.

A tight-knit circle of friends in Owen County sought out the limelight of cable television, according to Discovery Channel executive producer Joe Weinstock.

Jeff Watson, known as Jeff the Bear Man because of the eight brown bears he owns, watched an episode of Duck Dynasty and found contact information for that show’s co-creator, Scott Gurney.

“[Jeff Watson] literally cold-emailed [Scott Gurney], saying <<I have some great neighbors who surround me in this little rural community in Southern Indiana. You need to come check them out>>,” Joe Weinstock said.

“You can imagine Scott getting many of these types of emails. For some reason, he responded to this one.”

On Porter Ridge Road, Scott Gurney discovered salvage yard owner Porter, described as a “fast-talking, shirtless, wild man” in Discovery promotional material.

“He does not wear a shirt, and he probably has one of the most beautiful tans known to man,” Joe Weinstock said.

Porter Ridge is a new reality show set in rural Spencer, Indiana, from the Duck Dynasty's creator

Porter Ridge is a new reality show set in rural Spencer, Indiana, from the Duck Dynasty’s creator

Porter Ridge viewers will meet Dirty Andy, a bearded deal maker, and Elvis Larry, a garbage man who loves to share gossip.

“This is so real, so visceral, so authentic,” Joe Weinstock said.

“You can’t put a better group of characters together. It’s amazing how all these individuals just live by each other.”

While Duck Dynasty is based on the Robertson family, owners of Duck Commander, no cast members of Porter Ridge live in a mansion.

“Money is not the most important object for these individuals,” Joe Weinstock said.

“It’s family, religion and fun.”

In addition to Porter being shirtless and Jeff Watson keeping bears on leashes, Porter Ridge features demolition derbies, pumpkins launched from cannons and rivals who live on nearby Dog Killer Ridge.

Joe Weinstock said Porter Ridge isn’t designed to make Hoosiers look bad.

“When people see the show, I believe they’re going to come away feeling pretty darn good,” said Joe Weinstock, an Oklahoma native who worked for MTV Networks, Spike TV and Gurney Productions before being hired by Discovery in 2012.

“It has a lot of heart. In the end, these neighbors who all unite and live on Porter Ridge Road love each other.”

When MTV aired Buckwild, a Jersey Shore successor set in rural West Virginia, the 2013 show wasn’t well-received in its home state.

“This show plays to ugly, inaccurate stereotypes about the people of West Virginia,” Senator Joe Manchin said in December, before the first episode aired.

Buckwild ceased production following a cast member’s death. Shain Gandee died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in April after stranding his Ford Bronco in deep mud.

Duck Dynasty, meanwhile, is a runaway hit. The premiere of its third season on cable network A&E attracted 8.6 million viewers in February, making it the year’s No. 1 “nonfiction” cable series.

Porter Ridge will air on 12 consecutive Tuesdays, and the show is expected to receive promotion throughout Shark Week – the signature Discovery Channel programming that begins August 4.

Joe Weinstock said the likelihood of a second season of Porter Ridge should be known after a month of episodes air.

“I feel like this is something really special,” Joe Weinstock said.

“It’s bottled and packaged like no other show you’ve seen.”

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Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour has been posted online.

Arts website The Space is hosting the footage, discovered during the making of a new documentary about the film.

The documentary shows The Beatles taking a break from the Magical Mystery Tour coach at a fish bar in Taunton, Somerset.

The film was first broadcast by the BBC on Boxing Day 1967.

Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour

Previously unseen footage of The Beatles sharing fish and chips while filming their 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour

It was not a hit, confusing the festive audience, and was savaged by critics in reviews that branded it “rubbish”.

The film will be shown on 6 October on BBC Two for the first time in more than 33 years.

It will follow a new documentary, Arena: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, looking at the film’s “artistic merit and cultural significance”.

Arena has placed the previously unseen footage, which it said was reclaimed from the “cutting room floor”, into a new short film made in association with The Beatles’ record label Apple.

Featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, it was shot en route to Newquay, Cornwall, the final destination of the Magical Mystery Tour.

The video is available to watch online on The Space, the arts website developed by the Arts Council and the BBC.

It is part of a spin-off project from award-winning documentary series Arena, called The Arena Hotel.

The project will see the show open up its archive of 600 films to audiences in a “virtual hotel” environment.

“Few people have seen Magical Mystery Tour in its entirety and the material in the chip shop has never been shown anywhere,” explained Arena editor Anthony Wall.

“It captures perfectly the fabulous world of The Beatles at this time.

“They’re happily rubbing shoulders and sharing a simple meal with the other passengers on the coach, and at the same time creating an extraordinarily avant garde film, which of course would soon be broadcast by the BBC to a dumbstruck nation.”

This week marks 50 years since The Beatles had their first hit record with their single Love Me Do.

Released on 5 October 1962, it went to number 17 in the charts.

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