New 'Small Town Christmas' TV series puts local yuletide traditions on national display
Emmy-nominated national news reporter and actress Megan Alexander has always loved Christmas, and she possesses a natural curiosity about how small towns across America celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
"I fell in love with Christmas when I was a little girl. The first time my parents took me to see the 'Nutcracker,' when I was about 5 years old, just fell in love with it," Alexander, 41, told The Christian Post.
"I was captivated by the music. I think the 'Nutcracker Suite' is some of the most beautiful music ever created. I walked down the aisle to the music of the 'Nutcracker' at my wedding."
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The "Inside Edition" correspondent she has always loved "what Christmas is."
"It's family. It's fellowship. It's food. It's traditions," she said.
It's her love for Christmas that has inspired her new travel show, "Small Town Christmas," a four-part series airing on UPtv. She travels across the country to showcase how small towns celebrate Christmas — from elaborate parades to spectacular Christmas trees.
"I have three small kids myself, and we love to travel during the holidays and see what's a small town spin on their Christmas parade? Or, how do they make their hot cocoa a little bit different? And I thought this would be a really great idea for a travel show," she shared.
In the first episode, Alexander travels to Branson, Missouri, where residents have a "giant, glorious military tree in their downtown." The tree is decorated with blue, silver and gold stars that represent current military members as well as those who've passed away.
"I walked it with a retired Army soldier, and it was really meaningful and moving," she recalled.
In the second episode, Alexander travels to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — where, naturally, residents take Christmas "very seriously," even performing a live Advent.
In Natchitoches, Louisiana, the town shown in episode three, Alexander learned of a version of "The Night Before Christmas" called "The Cajun Night Before Christmas." In this version, Santa is called "Papa Noel," and his sleigh is pulled by alligators.
In the final episode, Alexander visits Summerville, South Carolina, which she described as "the quintessential, all-American small town." There, she interviewed Father Scott, the priest of St. Paul's Church, who has a "very creative sermon on Christmas Eve."
"There's something for everyone in each of these four episodes," the media personality said.
A devout Christian and mother, Alexander said she's passionate about bringing quality, family-friendly entertainment to the big screen. A "big motivator" for bringing "Small Town Christmas" to life, she said, was having a show she could watch with her children.
"Like so many families, it's a struggle sometimes — 'Can we watch this? Is it appropriate?' And I've loved telling everyone, any age can watch this show. We're very mindful of that. And I think we need more positive content, especially for our children around the holidays," she emphasized.
"I wanted people to see that family values and Christmas spirit are alive and well in our small towns. I lived in New York City full time for seven years. I know what it's like to walk into a beautiful Catholic Church and have it be pretty empty, only a couple of people sitting in the pews. And then you go to the small towns, and the church is still the center of so much activity around the holidays. … I think it used to be that way in our country, too. Small towns keep that spirit alive. And it's very heartwarming and encouraging."
Fueled by the belief that God has called her the entertainment industry, Alexander said she strives to be "salt and light" in the world and bring positive entertainment to the masses.
"Whether we like it or not, media and entertainment are incredibly influential," she reflected. "I want to be on the good side of that; I want to contribute in a positive way, whether it's content that I can watch with my kids or just something uplifting and positive. … I'm a big believer [in] stop complaining and be a part of the solution. We have so many opportunities nowadays to put positive content out there and be a part of the solution."
Seeing the unique Christmas traditions in small towns, she said, inspired her to develop holiday ideas of her own, including a candy cane hunt in her neighborhood.
"People love Christmas," she said. "The world is divisive, but we can unite and come together over Christmas and Christmas activities."
Christmas "reminds us that we need each other," she said, particularly after a year of isolation. Alexander hopes "Small Town Christmas" brings a little bit of holiday cheer to viewers and reminds them of the beauty of the holiday.
"I think the country is hungry for a show like this coming off of COVID. I think we're again reevaluating and longing for those values and a return to community and faith," she told CP.
"I hope it's 30 minutes of a warm hug. I hope that people get a chance to just see other traditions, hear the Christmas music, get an inspirational message from these local pastors that I interviewed, or see something unusual," Alexander continued. "I hope it's just 30 minutes of positivity and cheer, and that [viewers] will be inspired that the Christmas spirit is alive and well. It's doing just fine in our country, and you can be a part of it."
Small Town Christmas is telecast Sundays through Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on UPtv.
