Family’s Craven holiday filmed for US television show (From Craven Herald)

Family’s Craven holiday filmed for US television show

12:00pm Friday 4th May 2012 in News

A reality show documenting an American family’s dream vacation is being filmed in and around Skipton.

Scenes from My Big Redneck Vacation, which airs on American TV channel Country Music Television (CMT), have been shot at Broughton Hall and on Skipton High Street.

The show follows the experiences of four country families from Louisiana and among the people they encounter is Skipton town crier Kevin Griffiths.

“The Clampets family got to see how we differ from the people in the South,” said Mr Griffiths, who was flmed doing a cry outside the town hall and at an unusual sporting event filmed at Broughton Hall, where the 13 cast members will be primarily based until June.

“They wanted me to do a shout to launch a sports event, which involved them skiing on a mattress that was being pulled by a quad bike.

“Before the competition, they played the Star Spangled Banner and God Save the Queen, which I sung along to. There was a heck of a wind blowing across Broughton so I didn’t stay long, but it was quite a bit of fun.”

The Coniston Hotel, at Coniston Cold, is also offering its facilities to the cast and crew.

Gillian Venning, head of sales and marketing at the Coniston, said the hotel was putting up 27 crew members until June.

“There will 12 or 13 episodes in the second series of the programme and they will be in the area for 14 weeks.”

She said the Craven area had been chosen as a base over locations in Leicestershire and Scotland and the Coniston would be hosting the crew most of the time, with the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton and The Lion in Settle also being used as alternative accommodation.

“This is an excellent boost for the local economy,” said Ms Venning, who added the cast members would be testing their skills by taking part in shooting, falconry, fishing and archery on offer at the hotel.

She also said that a barbecue, hosted by Coniston owners Michael and Ethne Bannister, was planned.

The Bull at Broughton has also played host to the cast and crew of My Big Redneck Vacation.

“The family have been into the pub twice, once for filming a scene where they were having drinks,” said the pub’s general manager, Rachel Geldeard.

“They were tasting some of the local drinks, but the guys like their lager so they were drinking Peroni, Becks and Jack Daniels. They’re a really nice family who are very down to earth, and are up for a laugh and a good time.”

She also said the Bull has been providing lunch and dinner for the crew when they filmed at Broughton Hall.

The second season of My Big Redneck Vacation – produced by Florida-based Pink Sneakers Productions – is expected to premiere on CMT in June 2012.

The first season, featuring 11 episodes about the Clampets moving into a $4 million summer rental mansion in the Hamptons of New York, aired on CMT earlier this year and helped the network reach its highest ratings ever for an original series.