STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Peter Horton, whose “New Amsterdam” medical drama airs on Tuesday nights, was suffering from a horrible cold as he attended a gathering for the Sun Valley Institute at Rasberrys just after New Year’s.
But Horton and his 15-year-old daughter have become invested in the Sun Valley Institute and its Sun Valley Forum because of its efforts to find solutions for climate change. Horton even serves on its advisory board.
But, while climate change may be what drives him in the Wood River Valley, many of those attending the reception wanted to talk about Horton’s NBC-TV show. And when he told of the show’s Talk Back Tours through rural America to find story lines that could be addressed on the show, attendees immediately began clamoring for Horton to bring the Talk Back Tour to the Wood River Valley.
He listened.
The Talk Back Tour will make a stop in Carey on Saturday, March 21.
Attendees will be treated to a screening of an episode of “New Amsterdam” that highlights the show’s commitment to exploring and revealing issues affecting America.
Afterwards, “New Amsterdam” star Ryan Eggold and Executive Producer Peter Horton will field individual stories from the audience that might inspire a storyline for the show, which revolves around a medical doctor who is attempting to solve systemic health care issues at a hospital.
The show was inspired by Eric Manheimer’s memoir about 12 patients at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital, plus his own battle with throat cancer.
The idea behind the Talk Back Tour is to capture stories not being told by Hollywood, especially those emanating from rural America. Stories from the Talk Back Tour will provide fodder for future shows, helping to drive a bigger conversation around the real issues facing rural Idaho and rural America, said Horton.
“The Talk Back Tour is our attempt, in an election year, to bridge the divide, to go to communities we normally don’t go, to reach out, to ask them what we’re missing. We want them to tell us their stories,” he added. “This project is part creative and part patriotic. Part self-serving, as it helps us expand our horizon, and part ethical, as it hopefully helps reach across from a traditionally ‘Blue’ community to a ‘Red’ community to listen, learn and lean in.”
The issues facing rural Idaho mirror those facing rural communities across the country, said Mike Higgs, a Sun Valley Institute board member and chairman of the Carey-Picabo Chamber of Commerce.
“Rural economics are struggling, and they face formidable challenges, including vulnerability to increases in wildfires, droughts, floods and other climate-exacerbated risks,” said Higgs. “At the same time, the rural way of life is attractive to many. Hosting this event in Carey is an opportunity to have the voices of rural Idahoans heard and amplified on an unconventional stage.”
Tickets for the screening and Talk Back are free. They’re available at https://careytalkback.eventbrite.com.