The time is 1946-2000. The Place is Elmwood Springs, Missouri. World War II has ended. Neighbour Dorothy broadcasts daily from her front room - to an audience across the state - the antics of her wayward son Bobby and adolescent Anna Lee. It's hard to keep secrets in a community like theirs, but life isn't perfect, and even Neighbour Dorothy has a tragedy as well hidden as it can be.

Into their midst comes the Oatman Family, white Southern Gospel singers who arrive for a pharmaceutical convention, and blow the place away. And then there's Hamm Sparks, a super-salesman everyone likes and trusts; and Charlie Fowler, the poultry king who can see the future in a bucket-to-go; and a wealth of other unforgettable residents. Not to mention the brand new Three Little Pigs Cafeteria, with its pink neon pig casting a glow over the high street and pointing the way to the future...