Peerless City Documentary

Watch now on PBS Passport HERE.

If you've heard of Portsmouth, Ohio, it's because you're either 1.) from there, or 2.) seen it mentioned in a headline that claims it is the "pill mill capital of America." But, before it was "ground zero for the opioid epidemic," it was the "Peerless City," hyped by enthusiastic boosters, revered by its residents, and economic rival to Cincinnati and other cities along the Ohio River.

In the 1960's, the city council adopted a new city slogan. Portsmouth, Ohio officially became "Where Southern Hospitality Begins." It's a slogan that has stuck with the city through economic decline and the rise of the opioid crisis. To this day, the local government dons the slogan on its letterhead, and you'll see it welcome you to town on city limit signs.

As Portsmouth not only recovers from hard times, but leads the nation in treatment practices for persons suffering from opioid addiction, a new nickname has garnered earnest attention among local business owners and current city boosters. They've taken to calling Portsmouth, "Comeback City." After years of strife, it's making a comeback, and maybe one day, even achieving the peerless status of which its people were proud.

The film, "Peerless City," tells the story of Portsmouth, Ohio, from its days as the "Peerless City," through its time as "Where Southern Hospitality Begins," to the present day, as it works to be the "Comeback City." We explore the impact a slogan has on civic pride, on a sense of history, and how a slogan can inspire a sense of belonging in the people who live in the place it is meant to represent.