• Clinton, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville, Fla. and Ocean Springs, Miss. featured throughout Season 8
• Season 8 is home to TrueSouth’s first commissioned score
• All episodes streaming on ESPN+

The Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth Presented by YellaWood is slated for its eighth season to debut on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

The TrueSouth crew will travel to four states throughout the season – making pit stops in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina – shining the spotlight on cooks, eaters and everyday heroes across the South.

Season 8’s episodes will air biweekly on SEC Network, with all new episodes available on demand on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ immediately upon airing.

Musicians, grounded in place, amplify TrueSouth stories. So do the relationships the crew has built across seasons. Charleton Singleton — trumpet player for Ranky Tanky, the Grammy Award-winning band from Charleston, SC., featured in season 3 — returns as a performer and commentator. Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars heads south to direct a roots orchestra concert in the town of Ocean Springs. Season 8 is home to TrueSouth’s first commissioned score. Mark Yacovone, a multi-instrumentalist from Oxford, Miss., composed music for episode 1 and led the band that performed it.

Episode 1 – Clinton, Ga.
Season 8 kicks off in Clinton, the small Georgia town where host and writer John T. Edge was born. During season 3, Edge began writing a memoir. House of Smoke, which publishes this September, brought Edge back to reconnect with the places and people that made him. The restaurants that catapult Edge back in time are Nu Way Weiners in nearby Macon, where he and his father ate chili-slaw dogs; and Fresh Air Bar-B-Que near Jackson, to which father and son traveled on pilgrimages. On this return to where he began, Edge asks honest questions about home and belonging that transcended the personal to become universal.

Episode 2 – Charleston, S.C.
This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the nation, the subject of endless magazine listicles and breathless influencer reels. Is it possible to sidestep the algorithms and really see and hear and taste Charleston? In the process can we learn something about the past and present South? Those are the questions the crew asked. Answers came in conversations with, among others, architect Reggie Gibson, observer of alleyways and courtyards; Jaime Tinoco and Pamela Sierra of Kooben Cafe Mexicano, the vibrant new brunch restaurant near the airport; Bethany and Dano Heinze of Vern’s, a neighborhood restaurant that out-punches its weight; and the daughters of the Albertha Grant, who serve red rice and okra soup at Bertha’s, the Gullah-soul mainstay named for their late mother.

Episode 3 – Jacksonville, Fla.
Across generations, people have flocked to this Atlantic Coast city to follow their dreams. Farm workers from south Georgia arrived here in search of jobs as longshoremen. Immigrants from Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries came in search of religious and economic freedom. Those dreams inspired prayerful songs like “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” And they inspired the hard work and adaptation that drives a sandwich culture here that’s second only to New Orleans. Getting to know the Salameh family, proprietors of All American Hot Dogs and Sandwiches; and the Doe and Boutros families, who run Russ Doe’s Sandwich Shop, we get a glimpse of what it takes to realize those dreams.

Episode 4 – Ocean Springs, Miss.
Walter Anderson was one of the most prolific and visionary artists the South has produced. His drawings, paintings, sculptures and ceramics reflect his mantra: “In order to realize the beauty of humanity, we must realize our relation to nature.” Beginning at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, this episode takes viewers on a search for beauty and truth. Along the way, the team pulls oysters from the water off Eagle Point and spend an idyllic Sunday at Wat Buddhametta Mahabaramee, the Thai temple in Gautier, where monks in saffron robes wok-fry cashew chicken for weekly fundraisers and a beautiful woman named Jume Bessier welcomes all.

Episode 5 – Behind-the-scenes
The behind-the-scenes episode returns for a sprint across the belly of the SEC, in search of really good cheeseburgers. Highlights include: Burger Burger in Biloxi, Miss., for po-boy loaves, layered with double patties and onion sauce; Troy’s Snack Shack in Montezuma, Ga., for beautifully sloppy chili-slaw burgers; Hamburger King near downtown Montgomery, Ala., for burgers that pick up an ideal char from the griddle; and Downton Grill in Macon, Ga., for a conversation with Will and Jenni Harris of White Oak Pastures in downstate Bluffton, who talk with Edge about the new-old promise of raising beef cattle on grass.

About TrueSouth
TrueSouth is an Emmy Award-winning limited series on Southern food and culture, airing biweekly on SEC Network. Four-time James Beard Award winner John T. Edge writes and hosts the show, which is executive produced by four-time New York Times best-selling author, ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson, and produced by Bluefoot Entertainment.

The series, now in its eighth season, revolves around two food stories told from one place, which TrueSouth sets in conversation to make larger points about Southern beliefs and identities. This season’s featured places are Clinton, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Ocean Springs, Miss., and a special behind-the-scenes finale to finish out season 8. Seasons 1-7 of TrueSouth are available in their entirety on ESPN+.

Music plays an integral role in TrueSouth’s storytelling via on-screen performances and on-screen credits. The TrueSouth playlist on Spotify shares the full soundtrack and score of every season of TrueSouth. SECSports.com/truesouth is a resource for all things TrueSouth – including photos, maps, music and information for each stop.

About SEC Network
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014. The network televises hundreds of games across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, Marty & McGee, Out Of Pocket, Read & React and Rally Cap, daily news and information with The Paul Finebaum Show and SEC Now, original content such as the Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth, SEC Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network’s digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN App and SECNetwork.com. Follow SEC Network on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter/X.