The Mary Hanson Show

Welcome

The Mary Hanson Show is the longest running independently produced cable program in the United States, having been on the air regularly since 1980. The weekly show was on pubic television, TPT 2.2 for 23 years, up until 2020. The award-winning show focuses on health and social issues and has provided a forum for area and national experts and leaders. Host and producer Mary Hanson views her role as a conduit between guest and viewer, and the result is in-depth discussions of contemporary topics.

Mission of the show:
*Bring ideas and knowledge of the guests to a larger audience
*Provide a forum for thoughtful, in-depth conversation
*Share responsible information from the guest experts 
*Celebrate the lives of MN leaders
*Highlight area resources                                                      

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Happy 40th Anniversary!

"The Mary Hanson Show" is celebrating its 40th year on television!  The award-winning program that began on October 31,1980, has aired continually since then.  The first show was taped in Fridley at Northern Cablevision as a local origination program and reached the only three suburbs that had cable in the Metro area at that time --  Bloomington, St. Louis Park and Fridley.  When Mary sought underwriting at a local bank, the officer asked, "What's cable?"  Mike Johnson was the program's first Director and persuaded Mary to name the show using her name, feeling that this title would communicate to viewers that it was a talk show.

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Reatha Clark King talks with Mary about race relations.

TPT 2.2, Public Television 
season 23 Was Our Last Season on TPT

The Mary Hanson Show's twenty three year run on TPT sadly came to an end this year due to staff cuts and the need for budget tightening at TPT.  We deeply appreciate the support that Twin Cities Public Television gave to the show for all these years. 

The show continues to air on multiple cable television systems, and all the interviews that we are taping now are also uploaded to YouTube.  See the YouTube section on this website.

Look for the show on the Metro Cable Network, Channel 6, Monday nights at 9 PM. (This channel interconnects the 14 cable systems in the seven county metro area in Minnesota.) MTN, SPNN and PACT TV also carry the show.  See the "TV Schedules" for details.

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 Understanding Depression:  The Suicide connection
NOW in Spanish

“Entendiendo la Depresion: La Conexion Suicidio” (Understanding Depression: The Suicide Connection) aired on public television's TPT 2.2 in Spanish as did the English version. If you missed this, go to www.understandingdepression.org. The new home for the this series, as well as the two original series, is now www.namimn.org but you can also access all three series here on this website -- not only the Spanish translation of the suicide series, "Understanding Depression: The Suicide Connection," but also the English version as well the first series "Understanding Depression, Hope Through Treatment."

The first two series were taped at KSTP TV and the Minneapolis Television Network and have been broadcast in English on public television's TPT 2.2, KSTP TV,  the Metro Cable Network - Channel 6, MTN and many other cable systems in MN and surrounding states.  James Jordan, MD, psychiatrist, and Mary Hanson, MSW, LISW, are the co-hosts and co-producers of both series.

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