Kennonwood
A Summary
Logline: The true life exploits of democrat W.K. Henderson, Jr., the nation’s first radio “shock jock” during the onset of the Great Depression, and his run-ins with the government, chain stores, Huey Long, his republican wife and errant kids are explored in humorous detail.
“Kennonwood” is a series television concept based on the true life exploits of William Kennon Henderson, Jr., the nation’s first radio “shock jock”. Set in north Louisiana during the onset of the Depression, “Kennonwood” takes place at the Henderson country estate of the same name and follows the lives of the well-to-do Henderson family and their eccentric friends, employees and guests as they struggle with the loss of fame and fortune at the end of the Roaring Twenties.
Occupying center stage is Democrat patriarch W.K. Henderson, head of prosperous iron and timber concerns, whose one time hobby of radio broadcasting has become an obsession. His KWKH station, located on the 3500 acre Kennonwood compound, is the launching ground for pajama-clad all night tirades against Prohibition ("It sure is hot tonight and [rattling his glass] this ain't iced tea I'm drinking!"); the Federal Radio Commission ("They give the northern stations all the power they want but expect US to go in the basement and whisper"); and the anti-chain store movement ("As a boy, I peeked out from behind the barn once and saw Papa unload a stallion who proceeded to give our mare the same treatment you folks are getting from the chain stores!").
Henderson’s family is balanced out by his level-headed wife Josie, a staunch Republican activist, and their two children. Son Carter aspires to radio greatness while teenage wild-child daughter Kennon remains lost in the promiscuous ways of the bygone flapper era.
Engineer William Antony is the staff “mad scientist”, able to combine ordinary broadcasting equipment into supercharged flame throwing dynamos capable of boosting Henderson’s 3000 watts of licensed power tenfold and luring in listeners as far off as Hawaii. In constant defiance of the federal government, Henderson and Antony jump the dial and up the power at will, drawing the ire of Congress, Canadian farmers, and the mighty broadcasting chains of CBS, RCA and NBC.
Wild-eyed program director Paul Carriger (think Marty Feldman) experiments with Antony in the newest medium of television, and together they pioneer the far out concept of Ultra-High Frequency, forerunner of today’s cable television system.
“Kennonwood” introduces us to a railroad commissioner named Huey Long who, through the gift of unlimited airtime on KWKH soon would become governor of Louisiana. Local high school history professor Jimmie Davis reinvents himself on the air as a singing cowboy with his own political aspirations. Singing tenor Indian chief Kiutus Tecumseh dispenses free apples grown on his Washington state orchards to Kennonwood visitors while stumping for Native American rights, as parka-wearing Eskimo pianist, Simeon Oliver, comes to grips with summertime humidity in the South and his irrational fear of alligators. Cropdusters Van Lear Leary and Curry Sanders use Henderson’s KWKH plane to attempt new aviation records and develop military style in-air refueling techniques still used today.
Will Henderson struggles to keep the reins of his iron works, but his love is radio. When Henderson challenged the federal government over its use of the antiquated Radio Act of 1912 to try and keep his language and station’s power in check, their response was to create the FCC. Henderson’s rants against the proliferation of chain stores in America and what it would do to jobs was seen as alarmist at the time, yet his every word came true as the “Mom & Pop” stores of yesteryear have been all but eradicated by big box competitors.
“Kennonwood”. So much history, so many characters. Based on real life people at a very real time in American history. Serious issues, serious times. Handled the way it really happened…with true comedic flair.
90 second pitch video for Kennonwood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtqeppjDOis