COLUMBIA -- In 1985, long before late-night talk show host David Letterman -- the oracle credited with giving the band their first big national break -- ever heard "Hold My Hand," four guys from the University of South Carolina ventured from their dorm room to jam out at a local bar called Pappy's.

What started as a will-play-for-beer gig birthed South Carolina's musical force, Hootie and the Blowfish. The success that followed the concert at Pappy's marked the turning point for the rookie band and the beginning of a period in rock 'n' roll history known as "the Hootie era."

At 9 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 15 years after the band's multi-platinum debut album "Cracked Rear View" hit record store shelves, ETV will air the new "Carolina Stories" documentary, "The Next Big Hootie."

Encore presentations will air at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 19; 9 p.m. Thursday, July 23; 5 p.m. Sunday, July 26; and 10 p.m. Thursday, July 30.

In the early 1990s, the "Seattle Sound" gained mainstream notoriety, as Nirvana created a new genre known as "grunge" and blazed a trail for groups like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.

Not many years later, a certain up-and-coming South Carolina band enjoyed similar good fortune, storming onto the music scene with their own refreshingly distinct sound. But why didn't Hootie's success have the same effect on South Carolina bands that Nirvana did with bands in the Seattle area?

This hour-long road trip with homegrown Palmetto State rockers takes a nostalgic glance back at the accomplishments of Hootie and the Blowfish as well as the missed opportunities and unrealized dreams of their contemporaries. Other bands spotlighted in the program include Cravin Melon, Edwin McCain, Danielle Howle, The Root Doctors, Treadmill Trackstar, Jay Clifford and Jump Little Children.

Featuring old and new footage from some of South Carolina's best music venues, this flashback also includes candid conversations with members of Hootie -- and industry insiders -- about the highs and lows of life in the music biz.

Then, when all is said and done, the documentary boldly peeks behind the velvet curtain in hopes of discovering who might be poised to be the next big Hootie.

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