''Goin' Country'' is a
reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
, produced by Wes Whatley with Orion Multimedia, that began airing Sunday mornings at nine in August 2010 on the
Versus channel. It follows former
American Idol contestant
Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy Lee Cook (born January 18, 1984) is an American country music singer and television personality. She was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of ''American Idol''. In 2005, Cook released her first album called ''Devoted''. In ...
and is centered on
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and her search for a new recording contract. Eight episodes were shot for the first season. No new episodes have aired on
NBC Sports Network.
Production
The show grew out of a relationship between Cook and firearms and outdoor equipment manufacturer
Browning which started after Cook was shown wearing a Browning hat during an American Idol segment. Browning is a sponsor of the show.
The
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
of the show first aired May 22, 2010 and featured Cook hunting
Texas white-tail deer and writing a new song in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
.
Cook was joined on the show by family, friends and celebrity guests, including fellow former American Idol contestant
Blake Lewis, and
country music singers
Jake Owen and
Aaron Tippin.
Controversy
The show has drawn the ire of
PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
who issued a statement referring to it as her "Fifteen Minutes of Shame" and suggesting she should instead follow in the footsteps of fellow American Idol alumni
Kellie Pickler,
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
and
Simon Cowell who PETA says have used their fame and talent to speak up for animals. Cook responded to PETA's comments with positive statements about hunting and pointed out that the show also highlights her animal-related charity, "Kristy Lee's Horse Heaven Foundation", which rescues abused or neglected horses.
[http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/ourcountry/49805/kristy-lee-cook-debuts-hunting-reality-show-peta-reacts/ ] News of the show has also provoked a negative reaction from some of her fans.
References
External links
*
* {{official, url=http://goincountry.com/
''Goin' Country'' at Versus
2010s American reality television series
2010 American television series debuts
2012 American television series endings