There are so many incredible people and stories here in Westport. (In fact, that's what this magazine is all about.) It’s also why, when TV veteran Amy Palmer moved here in 2021, she started toying with the idea of a Westport show. She came to Westport “for love,” she says, after years of living in New York City. She began her career in the late 1990s doing production on shows like the Beach House and TRL at MTV and VH1—which she says was “amazing”— but she had always wanted to be on-air talent. So she went out to the Hamptons to be a part of the startup Plum TV, creating and anchoring a series that featured unplugged concerts on the beach. From there, she went on to appear on NYC TV under Mayor Bloomberg, on a show she created and hosted called "NY360", which ran for five years and earned her Emmy nominations. She then created PowerWomenTV, which became a Taxi TV staple. She also started her own company, “working with large television personalities and brands on how to build their companies and content,” she explains.
Her move out to Westport inspired her to combine everything she’d learned into a show for our community specifically, a culmination of her experience creating locally-focused content and series with mass appeal. “The moment was right to do a show about lifestyle in Westport. It seemed like an incredible opportunity to create media through a hyperlocal lens, because I think that that's how people are living,” she says. And Westport, in many ways, felt familiar. “One thing I like about Westport is that you could move away from the city and feel like you've lost a part of yourself. But here, you feel like you went home,” she says of the vibrant community.
The Westport Show debuted this summer, with a focus on the women of Westport, including first selectwoman Jennifer Tooker and WEST owner Kitt Shapiro. “I'm a big believer that through stories, you empower people to live their aspirations,” says Amy. “It’s a cliche, but if you can't stop thinking about something, you have to do it. I’ve been thinking about The Westport Show for two-and-a-half years,” she says— ever since she first arrived and told PopUp Bagels founder Adam Goldberg “I'm gonna start a show and it's all gonna be about lifestyle in Westport. And you’re gonna be on it, because you’re going to be really famous one day.” (Amy, it should be said, has a knack for predicting the future.)
You can catch The Westport Show on social media @thewestportshow, on Gas Station TV all around Westport, and various platforms yet to be announced. If you love this town, you’ll love it, too. “I want people to feel entertained, informed, and inspired,” says Amy. Watch one episode and you'll see: mission accomplished.
“One thing I like about Westport is that you could move away from the city and feel like you've lost a part of yourself. But here, you feel like you went home."