The Last One is the Emmy award-winning PBS television special on moonshine in Appalachia, featuring Popcorn Sutton and JB Rader, who were relatively unknown outside of Maggie Valley at the time of filming. The film relies on source footage that was also used for the cult classic This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I'll Ever Make. Both films were produced by Neal Hutcheson (also camera and editing), while the original concept for the project was created by Popcorn Sutton. The similar titles have caused a lot of confusion ever since.
The primary filming was done in June 2002. Hutcheson gave "The Last Run" to Sutton to sell on VHS copies in the fall of that year and produced his own documentary version for film festivals, where it failed to attract any interest whatsoever. He then produced a new version for television, adding interviews and illustrations for greater context. It first appeared on SCETV in South Carolina in November 2008, then on UNCTV in North Carolina in early 2009, after which it was distributed to PBS markets around the United States and remained an audience favorite for many years.
