When Jim Allen arrived at WEIU-TV in 2006 with an idea for a country music program, no one would have predicted the kind of success the show would experience.

Today, the Hootenanny Country Music Show brings in people from all over the Midwest to come and dance the night away.

Allen had performed traditional country music with his band, The Country Classics Band, for five years when he had the idea.

He also figured it would be a good way to bring more notoriety to Greenup, where the show is filmed.

“It’s absolutely the only show this part of the country where you can go and dance and then be on TV three weeks later,” said Allen, the show’s lead vocalist.

At 7 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, the WEIU-TV crew goes to the Greenup municipal building to tape the first segment of the three-hour show.

The show then airs at 7 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month on WEIU.

Lori Casey, the show’s producer, thinks one reason for the show’s success might be that Hootenanny is family-friendly, much like PBS and WEIU, so they work well together.

“When we first started filming, we knew it had already been a popular event, but we didn’t know how much it was actually going to catch on,” Casey said.

When the TV show first aired in February of 2007, the audience was small.

Today, the seats are filled and the municipal building room nearly reaches capacity with about 350-400 attendees.

“People watch it at home because they want to see if they know anyone and recognize any familiar faces,” Casey said. “It’s kind of like our own version of American Bandstand.”

Hootenanny features some original songs from Allen but mostly traditional country music from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

Casey said that it is especially popular among the older age group of about 65 years and up, and that some people on the dance floor are easily in their 80s and 90s.

“It has become a place for many grandparents to bring their grandchildren,” she said.

Casey said that the camera crew is made up of Eastern students and that even though the show is usually packed with an older age group, the students seem to have a fun experience.

“We always have a good time in production,” she said.

Denis Roche, WEIU general manager, said the show is set apart from the other programs because it is truly local, with all local musicians.

Roche said there is no plan to add any other performers to the show.

“This is Jim’s show,” he said, “He’s the star.”

The Hootenanny Country Music Show plans to perform in January in the Grand Ballroom at EIU as a fundraiser for the station.