Shows
Creativity in CaptivityLOIS MAURER: PBS Mainstreets DirectorAt the age of 15 while growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lois knew she was destined to be producer/director. What she didn’t know was that over the next 40 years she would stay in Milwaukee and produce and direct content in every industry sector: corporate, non-profit, education, healthcare, and her favorite, broadcast TV. For the past 15 years she teamed up with comedian/actor John McGivern and created the number one local PBS show in the country, and was awarded two Emmy's for her effort. (Yes, regional Emmy's still count!) She is currently producing and directing John McGivern's Main Streets, a Midwest...2023-10-1943 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsDodgeville, WisconsinDodgeville, WI, is a close-knit yet welcoming driftless area community built on mining. Dodgeville has some legendary Wisconsin treasures, like Governor Dodge State Park, The House on the Rock and Bob’s Bitchin BBQ. There are legendary people, like Softball Coach Gene Van Dyke and the Reilly brothers. Dodgeville more recently attracted Steph’s Sweet Treats, White Oak Savanna and John McGivern, who has his eye on a house – again! In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and Art Director Aaron Johnson as they share favorite memories from fil...2023-04-2819 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsGoshen, IndianaGoshen is in Elkhart County, IN. This area makes 85% of recreational vehicles in the US. Dynamax, Janus Motorcycles, Goshen College and Radio Horizonte were surprising. Mexican food is a given here, but Neopolitan pizza at Venturi and Maple City Indian Restaurant? Yum! Add the Old Bag Factory and Quilt Gardens and what you get is joy. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Evan Watters as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-04-2017 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsIowa City, IowaIowa City is a college town. Go Hawkeyes! It’s also a literary town, home to Prairie Lights Books and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. It’s a farming town, growing well at Urban Greens and Wilson’s Orchard & Farm. And it’s an innovative town, with one-of-a-kinds like the National Advanced Driving Simulator, Unimpaired Dry Bar and Crepes De Luxe Café. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Ken Schellin as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-04-1319 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsMenomonee Valley - Milwaukee, WisconsinIn Milwaukee WI’s Menomonie Valley, The Harley Davidson Museum, Palermo’s Potawatomi Casino and BBC Lighting are well known and always fun. But there’s more happening here. Do you like pickled foods? Bay View Packing is for you. Art? Warehouse Art Museum is unreal. How about eating and drinking? Twisted Fisherman and Third Space Brewing got you! In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Lance Miller as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-04-0617 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsEscanaba, MichiganEscanaba, Michigan, has a “Yooper” culture all their own. You can taste it in the delicious pasties at Dobber’s and in the sweet wines at Leigh’s Winery. You can hear it in Ludington Park when nearly 100-year old City Band plays. You can feel it in the great outdoors while you fish with Beaver’s Lures or watch the sun rise at Terrace Bay Inn. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Evan Watters as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting...2023-03-3017 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsWinona, MinnesotaWinona, MN, is a city of 26,000 very lucky people, built on a Mississippi River sandbar. A Willet Hauser, artists make stained glass. Watkins Co. employees make tons of vanilla, and the crew at Wenonah Canoe make – guess. Sugar Loaf Bluff is a paradise for climbers, Yarnology is home for knitter and NOSH is heaven for John, because he’s an eater! In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Emily Annunziata as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-03-2317 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, Indiana, is such a great city to visit, but residents say the best part is living here. John knew it’s home to Vera Bradley and Sweetwater. But he didn’t expect a Diocesan Museum, a huge Public Library with genealogy center and Abe Lincoln collection, the most perfect Children’s Zoo or Coney Island Hot Dogs. What a great city! In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Lance Miller as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the communit2023-03-1617 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsWoodstock, IllinoisWoodstock, Illinois, may have been put on the map by the movie Groundhog Day, but it’s what John McGivern finds in real life that deserves the spotlight. Beside the movie tour stops, places like Cherry Tree Inn, Boss Straws, Ethereal Confections and Dented Gate Flower Farm make Woodstock the perfect little community. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Lance Miller as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-02-2316 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsAmana Colonies, IowaIowa’s Amana Colonies lived communally until 1932. Today their innovative past and welcoming hospitality draw visitors by the thousands. John McGivern is reminded of a simpler time at the Meat Shop, the Woolen Mill and Schanz Furniture, and very grateful for present amenities at Whirlpool Corp, the Ox Yoke Inn and Millwright Hotel. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Emily Annunziata as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-02-1617 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsHolland, MichiganWhat’s in Holland, Michigan, besides tulips? Get ready for all things Dutch, and much more. John McGivern clomps around in wooden shoes at the Windmill Gardens, satisfies his sweet tooth at Nelis’ Dutch Village and DeBoer Bakery, cherishes his wooden bowl from the Holland Bowl Mill, and is enthralled at the only Delft factory in North America. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Lance Miller as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-02-0917 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsBloomington, MinnesotaEverybody knows that Bloomington, MN is home to that Mall of America, but the behind-the-scenes tour was full of surprises for John McGivern. Then there’s the rest of the city. He didn’t expect to find a ski jump, the largest bicycle distributor in America, the first tap room in Minnesota and a goat farm! In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Emily Annunziata as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-02-0417 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsDe Pere, WisconsinDe Pere, WI is sometimes called a suburb of Green Bay, but don’t say that to anyone who lives there. John McGivern loved visiting both sides of downtown, the only Notbertine College in the world, making his own blend of Luna Coffee, opening the manual lock on the Fox Locks system and tasting all that Seroogy’s Chocolates has to offer. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and content producer Ken Schellin as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-01-2818 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsLincoln Square - Chicago, IllinoisChicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood boasts a main street straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. John McGivern enjoys the German roots still present, but also finds many ethnicities in this diverse neighborhood. A few highlights include the Old Town School of Folk Music, Merz Apothecary, Gene’s Sausage and Timeless Toys. In this episode you’ll hear from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer, and newest addition to the Main Streets team Emmy Fink as they share favorite memories from filming and interesting stories from the community.2023-01-2318 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsSeason 2 IntroductionWelcome to season 2 of John McGivern’s Main Streets! The Main Streets podcast takes you behind the scenes of this popular TV program. As we explore great communities across the Midwest on the show each week, you can come here to get the inside scoop from John, Main Streets producer and director Lois Maurer and the content producer of that week’s episode. To kick off the new season, John and Lois are joined by Wisconsin-loved TV personality and newest addition to the Main Streets team Emmy Fink. Learn about what has changed since season 1 and...2023-01-1610 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsSister Bay, WisconsinSister Bay was named after the unincorporated Sister Islands just off the horizon in the bay.Its endless shoreline has been a hotspot for tourists since the late 1800s.2022-05-0315 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsKalamazoo, MichiganIn 1900, Kalamazoo was the celery capital of the world! No kidding. The nearby “mucklands” are perfect for growing celery! In the second half of the 1800s, Kalamazoo was known as paper city. The Bryant Paper Company here in Kalamazoo became the largest Michigan manufacturer of book paper. And by World War II, a score of local mills made Kalamazoo the largest paper producer in the nation.2022-04-1912 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsLe Claire, IowaLe Claire is a storied river town, a classic Mississippi River port that boomed in the mid–19th century. The old river pilot homes are still here, which are testament to the fact that river pilots were needed because here is where the river makes a sharp turn to the west. LeClaire is about 15 miles northeast of the Quad Cities and is so close that it’s considered by some to be a suburb of the Quad Cities.2022-04-0914 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsIndiana DunesFormed more than 10-thousand years ago by glaciers, the area was first the home of the Miami and Potawatomi tribes. The area quickly thrived thanks to its location to not just Lake Michigan, but also rivers –helping the fur trade and eventually steel production, flourish. But the water wasn’t the only mode of transpiration that brought in commerce. Railroads brought in goods and people. Today, the Indiana Dunes are a hot spot for visitors in the Midwest and beyond.2022-04-0314 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsRochester, MinnesotaRochester is located in Southeastern Minnesota. It’s about an hour and a half drive southwest of the Twin Cities and about 50 miles due east of Winona on the Mississippi River. Today, Rochester has residents and visitors from all around the world. The city’s population is about 120,000 and the Mayo Clinic employs over 40,000 of them.2022-03-2814 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsGalena, IllinoisThis charming town in northwest Illinois is named after a mineral mined here 20 years before the gold rush in California. It was a booming mining town in 1860 with a population of over 12000 when Ulysses S Grant moved here. Grant and the lead mines are no more, but the buildings still are.2022-03-1913 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsMilwaukee's Harbor District, WisconsinThe Harbor District has been a hub of prosperity for hundreds of years –first as a rice marsh with plentiful fish and game, then as an economic hub that served industries throughout the state. Roughly, the boundaries are Pittsburg Avenue on the north side of Harbor District, Bay Street to the south, South First Street to the west and Lake Michigan to the east.2022-03-1313 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsSouth Bend, IndianaSouth Bend is on the St. Joseph River and got its name because the city sits on the river’s southernmost bend. The first residents were the Miami and Potawatomi tribes –and the river access eventually drew in an influx of fur traders. Established in 1865, South Bend saw a business boom in industry thanks to the St. Joseph River. Studebaker, Oliver Chilled Plow, and Singer Sewing machines were just a few of the big names. But we can’t forget the University of Notre Dame. It’s a huge influence on the economy and culture in South...2022-03-0514 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsStillwater, MinnesotaOn the corner of Myrtle and Main Streets in Stillwater, Minnesota began. So why here? Well... when Wisconsin became a state in 1848, that left people WEST of the St. Croix river “high and dry” with no government. So, the people of Stillwater held a territorial convention right hereand voted to send a delegate to Washington D.C. to organize a new territory called “Minnesota”which became a territory in 1849, and a state in 1858. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit...2022-02-2612 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsRockford, IllinoisRockford is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago area. It was originally known as “Midway Village” because, for travelers, it was halfway between Chicago and Galena. This city was known for industrial manufacturing in the last century but today it’s been retooled into a center for healthcare and aerospace technology. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor.2022-02-2017 min
John McGivern's Main StreetsSouth Haven, MichiganBeing right on Lake Michigan, South Haven Michigan has always been a port city. In the late 1800s, the surrounding timber industry gave way to farming, but another industry grew very well here–the resort and tourism industry. John & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor.2022-02-1315 minJohn McGivern's Main StreetsGreen Lake, WisconsinJohn & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor. This city has the same name as the lake. Green Lake is about seven miles wide, and its maximum depth is 237 feet, making it the deepest natural lake in all of Wisconsin. It’s a great spot for fishing, golfing, sailing, canoeing, hiking, biking, and pretty much any relaxing outdoor activity you can think of. Some people even come here to SCUBA dive.2022-02-0611 minJohn McGivern's Main StreetsDubuque, IowaJohn & his producer Lois Maurer on the drive home as they chat about their impressions of the community and share interesting stories that may have hit the cutting room floor. Dubuque is in Iowa, where Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois would meet if the Mississippi didn’t divide them. This was and is, first and foremost, a river town. The mighty Mississippi is worked, revered and enjoyed here by locals and visitors alike.2022-01-3016 minJohn McGivern's Main StreetsIntroductionWelcome to John McGivern's Main Streets, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of this popular TV program. We're kicking off this podcast to give you more of what you love. Great stories about communities across the Midwest featuring actor and comedian John McGivern.2022-01-2404 min