It wasn't all about politics in 2015, but stories of government change, corruption and challenges loomed large in the headlines. With that, we present a collection of the stories that "Chicago Tonight" followers were most interested in over the past 12 months.

Comedy and tragedy blend in a theatrical retelling of an infamous tragedy: the Iroquois Theater fire that struck Chicago back in 1903.

We share what you had to say about some of our recent stories when we read viewer feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Emmy Award-winning JBTV founder and producer Jerry Bryant launched the nation’s longest-running music television show in 1984. We caught up with him to talk about the origins of his annual holiday show and some of the artists whose careers he's helped launch over the years.

In August 2001, a WTTW11 crew met guitarist Rick Nielsen in advance of a Cheap Trick show at Navy Pier. We had a backstage pass and front-row tickets. This interview and performance haven’t been seen in 14 years.

Gift wrap, feasts and relaxation are probably on tap this weekend. But what to do after holiday festivities? Check out our picks to continue the party.

A young, Harvard-educated, first-time candidate tells us why he believes he can defeat the state’s most powerful incumbent, House Speaker Michael Madigan. Paris Schutz brings us the report.

The University of Chicago answers activists' calls with a new trauma center in Hyde Park. One of the hospital's top surgeons joins us to discuss the details.

They are an unlikely group of lunch mates: a handful of Chicago police officers and 12 people working to rebuild their lives after serving time in prison. Brandis Friedman has the story.

The award-winning pastry chef and owner of Mindy’s Hot Chocolate in Bucktown shares her favorite holiday recipes from her first cookbook, “Cookie Love,” and talks about her latest baking business–a line of cannabis-infused desserts that will be sold to medical marijuana patients in Illinois.

Photographer Richard Nickel lived–and died–to save Chicago's architectural treasures. A new book takes us inside the mind of this legendary rebel by sharing his letters, drawings, notes and breathtaking images. Joining us to discuss the book and the man at the center of it are the authors, Richard Cahan and Michael Williams.

There's a new cat on the PBS block. We meet big-name local talent behind "Nature Cat."

The scroll, which bears the seal of one of China's most famous painters, makes few appearances outside of its vault at the Field.