♪♪ [ VOCALIZING ] >> BRENDAN HENEHAN WHO HAS PRODUCED "ALMANAC" FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES IS RETIRING IN MAY.

PRODUCERS ARE FAMOUS FOR LURKING BEHIND THE SCENES, CHOOSING SEGMENTS, TIMING THE SHOW, SUGGESTING QUESTIONS IN OUR EARS.

WE THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO DRAG BRENDAN OUT OF IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS FOR A FINAL CHAT.

I KNOW HOW UNCOMFORTABLE THIS IS FOR YOU, BUT.

>> WHAT THE HECK.

>> Cathy: YOU PREFER NOT BEING SEEN.

ANYWAY, YEAH, CONGRATULATIONS ON A HECK OF A CAREER BY THE WAY.

>> THANK YOU, I'VE HAD NO AMBITION, I'VE BEEN DOING THE SAME JOB FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES.

>> YOU DIDN'T PREPARE FOR A CAREER IN TV.

>> NOT AT ALL.

I WAS A SOCIOLOGY MAJOR FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?

I STUMBLED INTO THIS AREER, I HAD NO TRAINING, I HAD NO RIGHT TO BE DOING IT BUT LUCKILY I WAS WORKING NEXT TO SOMEONE WHO WASN'T VERY GOOD AND STARTED DOING THEIR JOB AND LO AND BEHOLD.

>> Eric: HOW DID YOU OME UP WITH THE NAME "ALMANAC" FOR THE SHOW?

IT'S FUNNY, MY BOSS BILL HANLEY HAD WORSE NAMES.

HE LIKED THE WEATHER VEIN AS A SYMBOL, HE THOUGHT THAT WEATHER WANE WOULD BE A GOOD NAME.

I SAID THAT'S A TERRIBLE NAME.

I WAS PLAYING WITH ENCYCLOPEDIA, COMPENDIUM, AND IT'S LIKE ALMANAC, IT'S A NICE CONCISE TERM, A STRONG WORD.

>> Cathy: I ALWAYS THOUGHT ALMANAC WAS A STATEWIDE SHOW BUT IT WASN'T AT THE BEGINNING.

>> THERE REALLY WASN'T A STATEWIDE NETWORK, THERE WAS NO SATELLITE SYSTEM TO DO IT.

IN THE BEGINNING UNLESS YOU BICYCLED TO TAPE, AND WE DID THAT IN THE EARLY DAYS, WE LITERALLY AFTER THE SHOW WOULD BRING A 3-QUARTER-INCH TAPE TO THE GREYHOUND STATION IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS, GET IT ON THE BUS, IT WOULD GET TO BEMIDJI, EARLY MORNING ON SATURDAY SOMEONE FROM BEMIDJI WOULD GO DOWN AND IT WOULD AIR IN BEMIDJI.

IT WAS CALLED BICYCLING AND YOU LITERALLY PUT IT ON A BUS.

>> Eric: HAVE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE SHOW REMAINED THE NAME?

WHAT ABOUT ANY EVOLUTION THERE?

>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN OME EVOLUTION.

LIVE MUSIC, WE DIDN'T HAVE LIVE MUSIC FOR A LONG TIME ON THE SHOW.

THE IDEA OF AN HOUR-LONG BUNCH OF DIFFERENT TOPICS, SOME SERIOUS, SOME FUN, AN ESSAY IN THE MIX, INTERACTIVE HISTORY QUESTION, THOSE WERE IN THE VERY FIRST SHOW, SO, PART OF IT IS REALLY THAT LARGER VISION, LARGELY THE VISION OF BILL HANLEY, MY COCREATOR, THAT IT'S UNTRUE.

>> Cathy: SO YOU WERE WHEN THETHE SHOW WAS FIRST ON STATEWIDE TV, I THINK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN WHAT, 1987?

>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO THIS IS A CLIP OF YOU BACK IN THE DAY TALKING ABOUT THE SHOW ON THE SHOW.

>> PUBLIC TELEVISION HAS THIS IMAGE OF BEING STAYED AND BORING AND SOMETIMES ALL TOO SERIOUS AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

WE COULD KEEP THE SERIOUS BUT WE COULD HAVE SOME FUN TOO AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH ALMANAC.

>> DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM SELLING THE CONCEPT IN-HOUSE?

>> I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SAY THIS, BUT, YEAH, IT WAS A NEW THING.

IT WAS A NEW THING AND IT WASN'T AN EASY SELL NECESSARILY.

WE WANTED AN HOUR.

WE DIDN'T HAVE AN HOUR BEFORE AND AN HOUR CAN BE A LONG TIME ON PUBLIC TELEVISION, THE IMAGE OF TALKING HEADS SCARED SOME PEOPLE HERE, BUT WE PROVED THAT YOU AN HAVE SOME FUN AND STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO DO SERIOUS THINGS TOO AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

WE COULDN'T DO THE SHOW AT HALF AN HOUR AND STILL HAVE FUN, WE HAD TO DO AN HOUR.

>> Cathy: "ALMANAC" IS LIVE AND THERE'S AN ART TO LIVE TV I THINK, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT >> >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

PART OF IT IS THE SHOW STACK AND YOU WANT TO START THE SHOW WITH SOMETHING TIME LEACH, YOU PUT WHAT WE CALL AN ACCORDION SEGMENT AT THE VERY END, OFTEN OUR POLITICAL PANELS, IT CAN BE AS TIGHT AS 8 MINUTES AND AS BIG AS 12 MINUTES, SO YOU HAVE TO BURY TIME BECAUSE OF COURSE SOMETIMES THE HOSTS AREN'T GOOD AT ENDING THE SEGMENTS ON TIME.

I'M NOT SAYING YOU TWO BUT I'M SAYING THE HOSTS.

>> Cathy: WHAT?

>> YOU KNOW, AND THINGS HAPPEN, INTERVIEWS GET BETTER THAN THEY SHOULD, INTERVIEWS GO POORLY AND YOU GOT TO DUMP OUT EARLY.

YOU IDE TIME AND TRY TO MIX UP THINGS SO YOU MOVE FROM THE TABLE TO THE PIT AND -- >> Cathy: AND THIS IS CALLED THE PIT BY THE WAY, THE COUCH IS CALLED THE PIT.

>> WE CALLED IT THAT.

>> Eric: CHALLENGES DURING THE PANDEMIC?

>> BOY, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF CHALLENGES.

I THINK THE PANDEMIC IT'S LIKE YOU'RE DOING TV ITH ONE ARM TIED BEHIND YOUR BACK.

I REMEMBER WE HAD A MUCH SMALLER CREW IN THE STUDIO, LOCKED DOWN CAMERAS FOR A WHILE, GUESTS BY ZOOM, SOMETIMES WE HAD GUESTS TWO FLOORS BELOW IN THE MEASUREININE, REMEMBER THAT.

FOR A WHILE THEY WERE CROSS THE STUDIO.

IT WAS A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO I THINK AND LESS FUN, YOU COULDN'T HAVE COMPLEX SHOWS AND LIVE MUSIC AND ALL THOSE THINGS WE GET A KICK OUT OF.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO GOING BACK TO LIVE TV WHAT'S THE WEIRDEST, STRANGEST, ODDEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON LIVE TV DURING THE SHOW THAT YOU CAN THINK OF?

>> I REMEMBER WE HAVE KIND OF OTHER CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR WITH PERENNIAL CANDIDATES, REMEMBER BEA MOONY SHE WAS DRESSED IN A 19TH CENTURY NURSE'S UNIFORM, MARY JANE REAGAN AND RACKNER, SHE AD A BIG SPIDER ON HER DRESS.

>> A BROACH.

>> RACKER-PHOBIA.

AND THEN A GUY HOLDING A BIBLE, THEY ALL STARTED FIGHTING.

IT WAS A IGH POINT.

>> Eric: I DID A TERRIBLE JOB REFEREEING THAT ONE.

>> YOU WERE BY YOURSELF FOR SOME REASON.

>> Eric: I GOT RUN OVER.

>> I SAY CRAP, CRAP ON THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.

>> Cathy: I THINK AT THE BEGINNING THE PRODUCERS LIKED TO BE BEHIND THE CENES, YOU WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO BE TALENT.

>> OUR WHOLE GOAL IS NOT TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THE FREEZER SECTION AT GROCERY STORES.

>> YEAH, GOOD MOVE.

IT'S A GOOD MOVE.

BUT YOUR HANDYWORK IS SEEN OBVIOUSLY AND THAT INCLUDES SOME OF YOUR QUIRKY INTERESTS IN LIFE, SPECIFICALLY YOU AND I BOTH LOVE THE EVERGLEAM ALUMINUM CHRISTMAS TREES.

>> THIS IS A 7-FOOT VERGLEAM.

THE EVERGLEAMS WERE.

>> THEY WERE MADE IN MAN TOE WACK, WISCONSIN.

OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE COLOR WHEEL.

THAT'S THE KEY TO THIS, ADAM, AS WE KNOW.

THIS ONE IS SO MESMERIZING BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE COLOR WHEEL.

THAT'S ORIGINAL TOO, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, THAT'S A VINTAGE COLOR WHEEL AS WELL.

>> THAT COULD SORT OF FIRE VERY EASILY.

>> WELL, WE'VE MADE A LITTLE SWITCH HERE, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE JOINED BY SOMEBODY ELSE, KARI KENNEDY.

SO IS HIS THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, THE BIG REVEAL?

OKAY, SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BRENDAN HENEHAN AFTER 40-SOME YEARS IS RETIRING, IN CASE YOU'RE JUST TUNING IN.

AND WE ARE SO THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT KARI KENNEDY WILL BE THE NEW PRODUCER OF "ALMANAC."

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> THANK YOU.

I'M EXCITED TO KEEP WORKING ON THE SHOW.

>> Cathy: IT'S -- YOU GOT BIG SHOES TO FILL, THOUGH.

>> YEAH, WE'LL BE OKAY.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: THERE YOU GO.

>> NOW, MY BIG QUESTION IS?

>> WHAT?

>> ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE ALUMINUM TREE TRADITION IN DECEMBER?

>> Cathy: WELL, YOU BETTER.

>> AS LONG AS I CAN ONVINCE YOU TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND WHICH I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON IF E TAKES HIM WITH HIM I'M JUST GOING TO GO TO HIS HOUSE BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE HE LIVES, I'M GOING TO SNEAK IN, CONSPIRE WITH HIS WIFE BECAUSE SHE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FEWER BOXES OF TREES IN THE HOUSE AND I'LL BRING THEM BACK.

>> Cathy: I KNOW HOW TO PUT THEM TOGETHER SO IT'S FINE.

>> IT WILL BE FINE, TREES WILL ALWAYS REMAIN ON THE SET.

>> Cathy: I WAS WORRIED.

>> I KNOW THE VIEWERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.

>> Eric: HOW FAR BACK DO YOU TWO GO?

[ LAUGHTER ] >> WE WORKED 30 YEARS AGO ON A DOCUMENTARY PROJECT.

>> Cathy: WOW.

>> "MINNEAPOLIS PAST."

KARI WAS IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE KNEW OF EACH OTHER BUT WE HADN'T WORKED WITH EACH OTHER UNTIL THEN AND THEN I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT EXACTLY THE CHAIN OF EVENTS WERE AFTER THAT THAT YOU ENDED UP WORKING ON "ALMANAC."

>> I DON'T EITHER REALLY.

I MEAN, WE HAD A UCH LARGER DEPARTMENT, WE AD LOTS OF PROJECTS GOING ON AND WE WOULD GO THROUGH THESE CYCLES, OUR BOSS BILL HANLEY WOULD GO THROUGH CYCLES WHERE HE WOULD KIND F SHUFFLE PEOPLE AROUND AND SOMEHOW I LANDED ON ALMANAC.

BRENDAN DIDN'T ASK TO HAVE ME ON ALMANAC, I DIDN'T ASK TO WORK ON ALMANAC, NEITHER ONE OF US WERE UNHAPPY BUT FOR GOD'S SAKES 29 YEARS LATER WE DIDN'T THINK WE'D BE STILL SITTING HERE.

>> Cathy: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BRENDAN ABOUT PRODUCING, CREATING A SHOW?

>> I MEAN, IT'S ALLED PRODUCTION BUT IT IS A PRODUCTION, YOU HAVE TO PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER, MAKE IT WORK TOGETHER.

THERE'S KIND OF ALMOST A DANCE TO LIFE TV THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN DOING A TAPE PIECE BECAUSE IT'S LIVE, YOU DON'T GET TO EDIT IT AND YOU DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE DO, I ALWAYS SAY, WELL, IT'S KIND OF CONTROLLED CHAOS.

IF YOU WANT YOUR WEDDING OR YOUR EVENT TO GO OFF WITHOUT A HITCH OR AT LEAST PEOPLE THINK IT WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH, HIRE A LIVE TV PRODUCER BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES.

>> Eric: WHAT IS KARI KENNEDY GOING TO DO TO PUT HER INDIVIDUAL STAMP ON THIS FABLED FRANCHISE?

>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S A REASON WE'VE BEEN ON THE AIR THIS LONG.

I THINK T'S A PLACE PEOPLE COME FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE AND POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS WHERE YOU CAN HEAR DIFFERENCES AND PEOPLE AREN'T SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER, SO YOU CAN REALLY HEAR THOSE DIFFERENCES.

SO IT'S MY GOAL TO CONTINUE THAT.

I'M EXCITED TO HAVE US CONTINUE TO SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STATE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SINCE THIS NEW LEGISLATURE STARTED UP IS I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR LEGISLATURE.

IT HAS -- IT IS MORE DIVERSE THAN IT'S EVER BEEN.

IT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITIES OF OUR STATE MORE THAN IT EVER HAS AND THAT'S EXCITING TO ME.

IT MEANS THERE'S A NEW GENERATION OUT THERE WHO CARED ENOUGH TO RUN FOR OFFICE, THEIR CONSTITUENTS CARED ENOUGH TO