In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.” But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers. * Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English Written by Lucas Reilly Produced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas Reilly Voice Actors: Josh Fisher, Zaron Burnett, Karl Keadle Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things come to a head in Hailey as Bruce Willis enlists the help of a rogue security force to chase unwanted visitors out of town. Soon, a life-altering event threatens to end the love affair between Willis and Hailey. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hailey, Idaho isn’t the only small town Bruce Willis wants to remake. He sets his sights on Penn's Grove, New Jersey, his actual hometown, and promises big things to come for the economically-strapped region. But red tape and negative press threaten to leave the town with a broken heart—and leave Hailey wondering if they’re still on Willis’ good side. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willis announces he’s starring in and producing a major feature film - a Kurt Vonnegut adaptation - that will be shot in the state of Idaho. He even gives some local actors their big screen breaks. But in a bid to retain almost complete creative control, Willis upends both his career and the lives of his Idahoan neighbors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small town bureaucracy slows Willis’ ambitions, the police go after his inner circle and some Hailey residents are just saying no to Bruce. When lawsuits start popping up, Willis steps out of the shadows and flexes his political muscle. It turns into a statewide battle when the federal government proposes dumping nuclear waste 60 miles away from Hailey. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Willis opens his biggest investment in Hailey yet—the two-story Mint bar and nightclub. Major acts draw modest crowds, but the real attraction is Willis and his band, who show up unannounced and rock long into the night. But having a major nightlife hotspot in the sleepy town leads to some big city problems, problems that leave some wondering where did the real Hailey go? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willis ventured into big business with his gimmicky Planet Hollywood franchise, but after being a quiet Hailey resident for several years, Willis buys and renovates a restaurant and bar, and soon an old movie theater. When blockbuster Hollywood premieres start happening on Hailey's main street, residents soon realize that Willis' persona casts a big shadow. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An incident involving an angry Willis and even angrier police officers prompts the star to rethink his life in the spotlight. Just when Willis has had enough, an accident opens the door to a different life in Hailey, Idaho. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of the most famous movie stars in the world, there aren’t many places Bruce Willis can feel comfortable. He decides to exit Los Angeles and seek solace in a tiny Idaho town in the hopes he can blend in as a regular guy. But can anyone thirty feet tall on movie screens ever seem small? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.