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 in-depth information via the guest experts
*Promote area resources
Happy 40th Anniversary!
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"The Mary Hanson Show" is celebrating its 40th year on television! (We are not counting the two years that we didn't tape due to Covid restrictions, though the show did continue to air these years.) The award-winning program began on October 31,1980, and it 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.
Watch our anniversary retrospective, "Forty Years and Counting!" on YouTube. The link: https://youtu.be/FFii7E5No-k In this half hour you will see clips from the show going back to the early 80's and up to the present including a clip from "The Screening Room" as well as one from "The Wishing Well," two other shows Mary co-hosted and hosted for years. "The Screening Room" aired for seven years, and the children's show, "The Wishing Well," was one Mary hosted for 14 years. Mary wants to thank first her fantastic crew, most of whom worked on the show for years and years, some up to 30 plus! We are also so grateful for the underwriters who have kept the show going. You can see a list of these organizations, foundations and individuals on this website under "About Us." And finally our thanks to the wonderful viewers who have been so supportive and loyal in myriad ways. Now on to the next years! |
1982 cover story
2016 magazine cover story
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TPT 2.2, Public Television
season 23 Was Our Last Season on TPT
Reatha Clark King talks with Mary about race relations.
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The Mary Hanson Show's twenty three year run on TPT came to an end in 2020, 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 the interviews that we are taping now are also uploaded to YouTube. See the YouTube section on this website. Look for the show on MCN6, now called the Minnesota Community Channel, every weekday night (except Thursdays) at 9 PM. It also airs at 4:30 PM on Sundays. In addition, there is a 9 AM mini-series airing every Thursday through Saturday on MCN6. (This channel interconnects the 14 cable systems in the seven county metro area in Minnesota.) MTN, SPNN and PACT TV also carry the show. Check the show's "Airing Schedules" above for more details. |
Understanding Depression: The Suicide connection
NOW in Spanish
Jim Jordan, MD, Co-Producer and Co-Host of special series on depression
“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.
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.