Circle Network announces ‘Austin City Limits: Country’ series

Series includes curated performances with never-before-seen interviews

Circle Network has announced it has licensed previously recorded performances from Austin City Limits, the longest-running music program in television history, and has combined them with never-before-seen interviews for a new series called Austin City Limits: Country. Hosted by legendary country singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, the weekly series will give fans a glimpse into what was going on in the artists’ careers at the time these shows were recorded, with episodes featuring Clint Black, the late Johnny Cash and June Carter, Reba McEntire, Kris Kristofferson, and others. Viewers will be able to still enjoy these original iconic performances, broadcast for the first time since their initial run, while Crowell will provide new commentary, history, and information for each act. Circle Network will air their remastered series starting Wednesday, June 8th at 10 pm ET..

The licensing of these iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) performances cements Circle Network’s ongoing commitment to bringing country music programming to its viewers. Over the course of 48 seasons, ACL has won a rare institutional Peabody Award, is the only television program to be awarded the National Medal of Arts, and has been specially recognized by TIME Magazine and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ACL continues to air weekly on PBS, and now its most iconic country episodes will make their way to Circle Network.

Austin City Limits: Country will air Wednesday nights starting on June 8th for a total of 12 episodes with a 1976 performance from Charlie Daniels Band. A 1980 appearance by Hank Williams Jr & Shake Russell – Dana Cooper Band follows on July 15th. June 22nd sees Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell from 1981. Kris Kristofferson’s 1981 performance from season seven will air on June 29th. Glen Campbell & Eddy Raven’s 1984 ACL performance will air July 6th. George Jones & Vern Gosdin original 1985 appearance airs July 13th. Ronnie Milsap’s 1986 episode airs July 20th. Johnny Cash with June Carter, Tommy Cash & The Cash Family that originally aired in 1987 follows on July 27th. Reba’s appearance from 1988 airs August 3rd. August 10th sees Dwight Yoakam & Patty Loveless from 1988. The series wraps August 17th with Clint Black with special guests Lisa Hartman Black, Eric Johnson and Ray Benson, originally airing in 1999.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com