The description of D’Lo, Mississippi as “a small town with a big mayor” is accurate. Mayor John Henry Berry has taken steps to make big changes in D’Lo and bring some national exposure with his upcoming reality television series, “Small Town, Big Mayor,” that airs Thursday night on UP TV.
The comedic docuseries focuses on the charming and quirky small community of D’Lo, Mississippi. At the center of UP TV’s Small Town, Big Mayor is the quaint town of D’Lo, complete with one town hall, one Masonic lodge, 240 cows, three swimming holes, 74 rocking chairs, three churches, 456 big-hearted residents and a passionate mayor with an ambitious 95-point plan to revitalize his beloved town.
Each episode will tackle a different point on the mayor’s plan including a push to legalize golf carts in D’Lo, going green, putting the town on Kickstarter, building a library and launching a recruitment drive to find new volunteer firemen.
UP ordered nine additional episodes to join the previously aired pilot. Season one of the series will premiere Thursday, August 3, at 8:30 p.m. CT.
The docuseries follows the energized, fun-loving and ready-to-go Mayor John Henry Berry, his wife and kids, and members of the lovable community. Everyone puts their heart and soul into making D’Lo the greatest town in America. Working with the mayor is Mayor Pro Tem Ruth Griffin, who was born and raised in D’Lo. She is a powerful institution in local politics and was the first town board member to endorse John Henry when he announced he was running for mayor. The series also follows Jimmy “B’Baby” Feazall, whose infectious laugh brings a smile to everyone’s face, General Elton Berry, who is John Henry’s uncle, James More, the D’Lo Deputy and Mike Brown, John Henry’s best friend.
D’Lo, Mississippi, is a quaint and quirky town straight from the 1950's; nobody locks their doors, everybody knows everybody, and life is idyllic for its 456 residents. As Mayor Berry puts it, the town is tiny, but has a lot of heart. There’s only one problem: Main Street is shut down and people are leaving to live in the big city at alarming rates -- the possibility that D’Lo may cease to exist is real.
Mayor John Henry Berry is a fourth generation D'Lo native and perhaps the most passionate, hands-on public servant in America. The white-suit-wearing, golf-cart-driving, firebrand campaigned on the promise that he would restore D'Lo to its former glory, and he has four years to do it. John Henry has developed an ambitious, 95-point plan to save his beloved town and, just as importantly, preserve a way of life that is dying across America. But Mayor Berry's revitalization efforts are constantly complicated by the demands of his other duties as the town arbitrator, dog catcher, landscaper, sewer repairman, volunteer fireman, high school football announcer, Parish drummer and 4H Firearms Instructor. He’s also the father to four kids, Ashley, Ben, Autumn and Preston, and husband to the First Lady of D’Lo, Angie.
Small Town, Big Mayor is produced by American Chainsaws Entertainment and Captain Al’s Big Big Pictures. Royal Malloy, Colt Straub and Duke Straub are Executive Producers, with Alex Eastburg serving as Executive Producer and Showrunner.
Berry was briefly available for comment while taking a break from his promotional duties. He explained that the show is going to be new and that he had not seen any of the new episodes. When asked about his experiences on the show he said, “It’s a lot of hard work and it takes nearly 30 hours to make one episode.” He laughed and said, “Me and my family learned all about what a 12 hour day was.”
The finished product is fun, vibrant, and entertaining. When asked what the show means for the town of D’Lo Berry said, “The show is great and we already have a restaurant coming in. It was opened by Representative Andy Gipson. I hope that it brings in tourism and generates some interest about where it was filmed.”
Berry admitted that tourism dollars are important for a healthy town. Another cast member and Alderwoman of D’Lo, Ruth Griffin also made comments. Griffin explained that she has served as a member of the Board of Aldermen for over 30 years and has been through three Mayors before John Henry. Griffin said during her time on the board she has seen many improvements made throughout the town. She said, “We got our roads paved across the tracks, more lights installed, and many other improvements.” She believes the show is a great opportunity for the town and will help make it known to more than just its residents. Griffin said, “D’Lo is a small town but there is a lot that goes on here. We’re very excited that others can see what’s going on.”
“Small Town, Big Mayor” promises to be entertaining with the large cast of different personalities and the charisma of John Henry Berry. Most importantly it is a great opportunity for the town of D’Lo. Berry said, “D’Lo has been setting dormant for years, since I was a little boy, and now we are doing something about it.”
The series will premier Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on UP TV.
