Before Adrian Peterson and the Vikings take the field this season to chase more records and improve upon last season’s 8-8 mark, FSN North will log the first impressive achievement of the season when Vikings Weekly airs its 100th original episode on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. The show will also be re-aired on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
“Vikings Weekly has been a tremendous outlet for our fans and all FSN viewers to receive an inside glimpse of the Vikings organization and our players,” Steve LaCroix, Vikings Vice President of Sales & Marketing/Chief Marketing Officer said. “We congratulate our broadcast team on the airing of the 100th episode and we look forward to many more creative stories that consistently have that special, personal touch for our fans.”
Vikings Weekly is a fun, weekly magazine show that dives deeper into both human interest and on-field stories surrounding the Minnesota Vikings. The show is hosted by Ann Carroll, a local product who was hired away from the St. Louis area to help create a meaningful and insightful weekly show about the Purple.
Carroll, who works with other talented crew members, is responsible for writing, producing, narrating and hosting the show. She, along with producer Skip Krueger, has been creating Vikings Weekly shows since its first episode in August of 2006.
“I was hired for the job from St. Louis,” Carroll said. “We got here and the plan was to create a weekly magazine show that was fun and would give viewers something they wouldn’t normally see from other outlets. It wasn’t going to be a studio show or a coaches show. It’s shot on location and it gives viewers a unique perspective on the team.”
The show’s initial episode included Carroll’s first interview with Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and a segment on quarterback tips with Brad Johnson. Since then, Carroll and the show’s crew have been to Duluth and Crosby and Wisconsin, and everywhere in between.
“I’m the biggest fan out there,” Carroll explained. “I know the viewer and what the viewer wants to see. So, it’s a matter of me trusting my instincts and pursuing the stories that are going to interest Vikings fans.”
Carroll says some of the show’s finer moments included spending a day with Adrian Peterson at his home in Minnesota and taking in a Minnesota Wild game with Coach Childress.
“Those are examples of stories we love to bring to the fan because they aren’t going to get that from other programs,” Carroll said. “I want to get to know the Vikings players and coaches for the fan and we want to make the fans cheer for the Vikings.”
The 100th episode will feature three segments dedicated to reviewing Coach Childress’ ride in an F/A-18 Hornet in Duluth and will also include highlights of the show’s first 100 episodes.
Also airing this week on FSN North is Vikings GamePlan: Training Camp edition. The show will be hosted by Vikings radio play-by-play talent Paul Allen and will air on Friday night after the Twins postgame show.