Marty Stuart Details Plans for Potential New TV Show

The work that Marty Stuart did on The Marty Stuart Show that aired original episodes between 2008 and 2014 on RFD-TV has withstood the test of time, evidenced by the continued popularity of the show in reruns. Some 156 original shows aired from the series which featured Stuart and his backing band The Fabulous Superlatives and Eddie Stubbs as announcer, along with many special guests over the years, including country legends that would go on to pass away, marking The Marty Stuart Show as one of their final appearances.

“The mission statement there was to put our arms around the culture of traditional country music inside the walls of Nashville before it completely disappeared off the edge of planet Earth. And we accomplished that,” Stuart said in 2017. “At the end of the 156 episodes and six or seven seasons, you know what? Mission accomplished. Let’s move on … That particular show is in the books now. It’s in history books.”

Nonetheless, country fans have been salivating at the prospects of Marty Stuart returning to television in some capacity. He said after closing the door on the Marty Stuart Show‘s return, “I love TV, and I think there’s another television show in development, probably for another network. But we are absolutely going to go back to the TV cameras in the next couple years, I think.”

Now we have more details on what exactly Marty Stuart has in the works, and it will be tied into his Congress of Country Music in Philadelphia, Mississippi, which will be opening its first phase, The Ellis Theater, on December 8th.

“I see it as 30-minute episodes, revolving around going out to obtain an artifact, rescuing it and bringing it back,” Stuart tells Billboard. “Every show will start in the warehouse in Philadelphia, Miss., where everything is staged right now. You get the story behind the artifact and it’s a treasure hunt. If there are musical instruments involved, we try to bring the past and present together.”

The original impetus for Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music was to give a permanent home to the some 20,000 country music artifacts Stuart has amassed over his career. If the show comes into full production, it will dovetail into what Marty Stuart is doing in his hometown. The pilot episode for the potential series is currently being edited, with the hopes of finding a home for the full production eventually.

“For instance, the lyrics to [Hank Williams, Sr.’s] ‘I Saw the Light’ or ‘Cold, Cold Heart,’ it makes a lot of sense for one of his grandkids to sit there and sing them,” says Stuart. “It’s showing how artifacts are relevant in the hands of somebody current. We take for granted that everybody knows who Hank Williams is, but there’s a whole new generation that needs to be educated. It’s a way to bring past, present, and future, entertaining and educating at the same time.”

Marty Stuart has had a busy week. On Tuesday, November 22nd, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville along with his backing band The Fabulous Superlatives of “Cousin” Kenny Vaughan, “Handsome” Harry Stinson, Chris Scruggs, and Mick Conley. Then on this week’s Friday Night Grand Ole Opry (11-26), Marty Stuart will be celebrating his 30th Anniversary as a member.

Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives also just released a new song called “Country Star” ahead of a new album to be announced soon.

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