DULUTH AREA MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT "ALMANAC NORTH" HAS NOT RETURNED TO THE AIRWAVES AFTER THE HOLIDAY BREAK.

THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR THAT.

GREG GRELL, THE FIRST AND ONLY PRODUCER THE SHOW HAS EVER KNOWN, RETIRED LAST WEEK AS DID LONGTIME CO-HOST JULIE ZENNER.

THE PBS NORTH SHOW WILL BE ON HIATUS UNTIL EARLY FEBRUARY AS A NEW SET IS CREATED AND A NEW TEAM TAKES THE HELM.

SO WHAT DOES A PRODUCER WHO HAS BEEN BUSY ON FRIDAY NIGHTS FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES DO WITH HIS FIRST FRIDAY OF RETIREMENT?

GREG GRELL DROVE DOWN I-35 TODAY IN THE SNOW TO JOIN US HERE ON THE SET.

>> JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONLY SNOWING IN MINNEAPOLIS.

IT WASN'T SNOWING IN DULUTH.

>> Cathy: MY DEAR, WHEN YOU GO BACK, IT'S GOING TO BE SNOWING.

>> IT IS, I KNOW, YEAH.

>> Cathy: YOU CAN'T WIPE THE SMILE OFF YOUR FACE, I CAN'T BELIEVE WHY.

>> WELL, YEAH, IT'S KIND OF EXCITING, AFTER 31 YEARS, TO HAVE MY FRIDAYS FREE.

>> Cathy: IS IT JUST A BIT OF A LOST FEELING, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE THE SAME THING FOR 30 YEARS.

>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A GOOD WAY OF PREPARING FOR ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT HAVING TO BE IN THE STUDIO ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

BUT IT IS EXCITING.

I'M EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW AS WELL BECAUSE NEW BLOOD IS GOOD, I THINK.

>> Eric: I WATCHED THE FINAL EPISODE, I WANTED YOU TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DID YOU SAY YOU HAD 200 DIFFERENT GUESTS, LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR?

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: WIDE RANGE.

>> RIGHT, YEAH.

WHAT I ALWAYS LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE IS IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ON "ALMANAC NORTH," YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO HAS.

>> Cathy: FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THE ORIGIN STORY.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS MADE AT REPLICATING THE BIG SHOW, "ALMANAC."

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: BUT YOURS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT SURVIVED.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

WHAT WAS THE STORY BEHIND THAT?

>> I THINK WE'RE JUST GLUTTONS FOR PUNISHMENT, RIGHT?

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS CONSISTENCY.

WE HAD, YOU KNOW, HOSTS THAT STUCK WITH THE SHOW FOR A LONG TIME.

WE'VE ONLY HAD, LET'S SEE, WITH JULIE HAVING LOEWS -- HOSTED SHOW FOR 30 YEARS.

WE'VE BASICALLY HAD THREE HOSTS, JACK SUTHERLAND DID THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, DARON, ANCHOR AT THE ABC AFFILIATE IN DULUTH, WAS THE HOST OR 15 YEARS WITH JULIE ND NOW DENNY.

>> Cathy: YOU COULD HAVE JUST NOT DONE A SHOW LIKE THIS.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO FOLLOW "ALMANAC" HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES?

I MEAN, WHAT WAS THE PARK BEHIND IT?

>> Eric: GETTING THE NAME, TOO, RIGHT.

>> Cathy: I KNOW.

PAPER CLIP.

WHAT THE HECK.

>> THE NAME WAS FUN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE "ALMANAC," BUT WE WANT TO BE OUR OWN "ALMANAC" AND "ALMANAC NORTH" IS PROBABLY NOT THE CLEVEREST NAME YOU COULD COME UP WITH.

YEAH, WE DID USE THE PAPER CLIP FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS.

WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT LOGO.

I BELIEVE WHEN THE SHOW COMES BACK, FIRST FRIDAY F FEBRUARY, WILL HAVE A WHOLE NEW LOOK.

THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES.

WHY WE DECIDED TO DO IT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE MANAGEMENT BEFORE I WAS HIRED TO PRODUCE THE SHOW, BUT THE DECISION HAD BEEN MADE AT THAT POINT TO DO IT.

AND I THINK, ERIC, OU MIGHT REMEMBER, ACTUALLY I CAME DOWN HERE, KIND OF SHADOWED BRENDAN FOR A WEEK AND I DO WANT TO SHOUT-OUT TO KARI KENNEDY FOR NOT ONLY INVITE ME HERE BUT GIVE ME A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS.

>> Cathy: OUR CURRENT PRODUCER.

BRENDAN HENEHAN THE ORIGINAL PRODUCER OF THE SHOW.

>> Eric: I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, THE DULUTH AREA, RANGE, SUPERIOR, IS A BETTER NEWS MARKET THAN THE TWIN CITIES.

INTERNATIONAL BORDER, TWO STATES, SHIPPING, ESOURCES, HOT POLITICS, DON'T YOU THINK THAT'S TRUE?

>> I THINK, TO SOME EXTENT, YEAH.

I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR GUESTS JUST NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS, St. PAUL, BEING THE ECONOMIC GENERAL -- ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE STATE, WHICH IS TRULY TRUE.

THEY THOUGHT DULUTH WAS GOING TO BE THE NEXT CHICAGO WITH THE PORT AND TRAINS OUT TO THE WEST, ALL THAT.

IT'S A GREAT MARKET.

IT'S A GREAT MARKET FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS.

THINK OF REEL YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER.

FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T NOW, PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL SHIP THEIR REEL AROUND, HE WE USED TO SHIP IT, NOW WE PUT IT ON THE INTERNET, WATCH IT THAT WAY.

THE PICTURES ARE GREAT.

YOU'VE GOT THE LAKE.

YOU'VE GOT THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER.

BEAUTIFUL SHIPS COMING AND GOING.

WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE OPEN, "ALMANAC," IRON ORE PIT, THAT'S HOME, THAT'S WHERE I'M FROM.

>> Cathy: WHERE DOES ALMANAC NORTH FIT IN THE NEWS ECOSYSTEM IN DULUTH?

>> I THINK IT'S VERY RESPECTED.

AS PUBLIC TELEVISION IS, A LITTLE NICHE, IT'S FOR THE FOLKS HAT ARE REALLY NERDS, YOU KNOW, NEWS NURDS -- NERDS, PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

IF YOU WATCH A NEWSCAST, NO OFFENSE, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT NEWSCASTS, YOU GET MAYBE A 20-SECOND SOUND BITE, TWO 15-SECOND SOUND BITES, I LOVE THE ABILITY TO WATCH BODY LANGUAGE.

YOU GET SOMETHING FROM THAT, RIGHT?

YOU'VE INTERVIEWED A THOUSAND POLITICIANS, YOU CAN TELL WHEN SOMETHING SNEAKY IS GOING BY JUST BY WATCHING BODY LANGUAGE.

>> Eric: ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THE OCCASIONAL DOCUMENTARY OR TEACH OR CONSULT?

>> I'M -- >> Cathy: YOU'RE YOUNG.

>> I'LL THROW MY HAT OUT THERE FOR FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES.

DON'T KNOW IF I'LL SAY YES TO EVERYTHING.

I HAVE AGREED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF WORK FOR PBS NORTH, FF AND ON IF THEY NEED ME.

I VOLUNTEERED TO COME IN AND DO PLEDGE BREAKS.

I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR 30 YEARS.

WE'VE DONE SOME TOGETHER.

>> Cathy: I KNOW WE HAVE.

TO PITCH OR PRODUCE?

>> NO, I'M NOT GOING TO PRODUCE.

I'LL DO THE ON-AIR PART.

>> Cathy: WOW, GOOD FOR YOU.

WHAT WAS THE GREAT JOY IN DOING THIS JOB FOR YOU?

BEING A PRODUCER IS NOT AN EASY JOB.

PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST ALL ABOUT US IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

IT'S NOT.

THE PRODUCER MAKES THE SHOW SING.

WHAT WAS THE GREAT JOY FOR YOU IN THIS?

>> HOW HARD COULD IT BE, IT'S JUST TELEVISION, RIGHT?

IT'S GETTING GUESTS TO BE IN THE STUDIO ON FRIDAY NIGHT, RIGHT?

I EAN, OUR SHOW WAS TOTALLY A STUDIO-BASED SHOW.

WE HAVE SOME FIELD REPORTS NOW, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE 30 YEARS AGO.

WHEN THEY HIRED ME, THEY SAID, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY HELP.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE COME TO THE STUDIO, WHICH IS WHAT THIS SHOW IS AS WELL.

GETTING PEOPLE HERE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, YOU HAVE TO FORM THE REPUTATION, HAVE A REPUTATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT PEOPLE WELL.

>>