In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams discusses the compelling documentary Shari and Lambchop with Mallory Lewis and director Lisa D’Apolito (Love, Gilda). The film chronicles Shari Lewis' life and her constant reinvention across a variety of roles—TV show host, magician, dancer, singer, actress, author, and even symphony conductor. Featuring archival footage and interviews, this documentary uncovers the multifaceted talent of Shari Lewis, including her work as a...

In the last 10-20 years, attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people in America have shifted due to more positive visibility and evolving cultural norms. Cynthia takes a look at two moments from 1970s television that revealed glimpses of LGBTQ+ allyship—a talk show moment and a 1974 episode of Police Woman. In 1970, June Lockhart appeared on The Virginia Graham Show and stopped the hostess in her tracks, pushing back on stereotypes and tropes common for the time. And the story of how a 54-year-old clip...

I love to talk TV and I really enjoy every exchange with Susan and Sharon, otherwise known as the 80s TV Ladies. When their podcast, 80s TV Ladies, launched, they invited me to be a guest. It was a blast and over the last two years, the two podcasts have furthered a shared exploration of how women have been represented on television and the impact that representation has had on society as a whole and females, of all ages, in particular. Like Advanced TV Herstory, their show features...

Welcome to our annual anniversary episode where I share thoughts on the podcast's evolution —improvements, opportunities, and what’s in store for the future. With this look back at the podcast highlights and TV moments that have taught us and inspired us, I also recommit to our mission:  Connecting the dots of feminism & TV and American politics & culture. Can you believe we’re heading into our 10th year?! When I started the podcast in 2015, I wasn’t sure where Advanced TV Herstory...

Della Reese (1931-2017) was a singer, talk show host, actor, ordained minister, and much more. Her career, which spanned seven decades, was marked by faith, resilience, and her ability to break barriers in predominantly white and male-dominated industries.  In 1969, Ms. Reese made history as the first black woman to host her own talk show. Almost more variety show than talk show, every episode offered an entertaining mix of sketch comedy, music, and interviews.  Before her own talk show,...

This Mother's Day we celebrate the women who raise us, nurture and help us find our inner strength and outer voice. Typically, they are our mothers or stepmothers—but they also can be foster moms, grandparents, neighbors, dance teachers—any woman who holds a mirror up to our potential. They often enter our lives without warning and change us forever—though sometimes it takes years for us to realize it.  These are my thoughts on Victoria Rowell’s compelling 2007 memoir, “The Women Who Raised...

On location at the Pop Culture Association (PCA) National Conference in Chicago, I met with Sherry Ginn, PhD, the current PCA president. Dr. Ginn is an impressive pop culture and science fiction scholar and I’m grateful that we were able to sit down and talk about our mutual interests in television and the impact of women in society.  Our discussion includes the evolution of science fiction in popular culture, the legacy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the problem with Dollhouse, female...

We continue to celebrate the female voices that have provided a foundation for cultural advancement and modern discourse by featuring a rare TV talk show appearance by two-time Academy Award winner Vivien Leigh.  The year was 1958. The show was “Small World,” hosted by American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. Appearing alongside Ms. Leigh are motion picture executive Samuel Goldwyn and British writer and entertainment critic Kenneth Tynan.  Ms. Leigh, best known for her work as...

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Yvonne Perry to Advanced TV Herstory. Yvonne is an award-winning actor, drama teacher, director, and intimacy coordinator. In addition to her work in film and primetime television, she originated the role of Rosanna Cabot on "As the World Turns." Yvonne’s experience in daytime TV, with its groundbreaking storylines and thoughtful intimacy handling, has informed her approach to work today.  Cynthia and Yvonne reflect on the wins in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA...

In this special episode, Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by guest co-host Ashley Pacini for the Parade of Accomplished Women 2023. Instead of a somber “in memoriam,” we’re bringing you a celebration of the talented, influential women who helped shape the television industry. In this second part of our tribute, we highlight the women of daytime, the often-overlooked creatives working behind the scenes, and—new this year—the women of reality shows. It is especially difficult to preserve the...

OUT in 2024 - "In Memoriam" IN - Parade of Accomplished Women  This is the first of our two-part celebration of some of the talented, influential females we lost in 2023.   Guest co-host Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams for this discussion. The Reel Women interviews and profiles women in the industry to increase visibility and opportunity for the next generation of women who want to work in television, film, and media.  Cynthia and Ashley pay respects to...

Welcome to the next episode in our special series on TV Talk Shows. Big talk show moments, especially the controversial ones, provide snapshots that we can use to examine our politics and culture at a singular point in time. Some of the moments we discuss in this series may be unfamiliar to you or they may seem obscure or forgotten, but that’s the point. We’re here to preserve TV Herstory. Today, when alternative facts are part of our daily life, it’s especially instructive to look back...

We know her as Meemaw, Mary Jo Shively, Emmie Sims, and the voice of Bo Peep. But Annie Potts is hooked on helping others—she’s very hands on—and she’s here to tell us about that part of her life. In doing so, she inspires us with her commitment and challenges us to “turn the car around.” Annie’s charitable organization, The Heart Channels, provides direct support quickly and creatively to people at critical crossroads in their life. Its mission reflects what Annie witnessed growing...

Join host Cynthia Bemis Abrams as she launches a new limited series, TV Talk Shows, part of the Advanced TV Herstory podcast.  In this first episode, Cynthia delves into a study that reveals women are more prominently featured in unscripted television shows than in scripted ones—another example of the industry’s inclination to front women in projects that are less expensive to produce. She also touches on the recent strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, emphasizing the importance of storytelling...

Advanced TV Herstory’s commitment to connecting the dots of TV & feminism and American politics & culture continues with an examination of the pioneering women writers during the early days of TV. My guest, Annie Berke, PhD, is the author of Their Own Best Creations: Women Writers in Postwar Television, part of the Feminist Media Histories book series by the University of California Press.  With a focus on 1949-1963, Dr. Berke’s foundational work appeals to scholars and students...

Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Victoria Riskin, a second-generation filmmaker with a rich Hollywood legacy. Victoria's parents—Robert Riskin, a prolific, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and Fay Wray, best known for her role in the original King Kong—were instrumental in shaping the classic years of the motion picture industry. And Victoria has crafted an impressive career all her own. She is a producer, writer, digital magazine publisher, PhD in psychology, and past president of the Writers Guild...

Labor Day 2023 will mark the major event of a combined strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Both unions are currently led by women: Fran Drescher, Meredith Stiehm, and Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. Even prior to the two union merger in 2012, SAG and AFTRA had elected nine strong and inspiring women to lead their labor causes like health and pension benefits, residuals, and managing during COVID. The...

A lot has happened politically and culturally since this podcast launched eight years ago. In this anniversary episode, I celebrate a number of wins while also reflecting on the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating past mistakes. For example, Lee Grant, an Oscar and Emmy-winning actress, overcame being blacklisted during the anti-Communist era. Her resilience and courage in speaking out against injustice serve as a lesson for today. I also highlight the work of The...

In the second of our two-part episode, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues talking with Elva Green about her book, "The Jeffersons: A Fresh Look Back," which offers insights, interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare photos from the iconic TV series.  Ms. Green reflects on one of the best episodes from the seventh season of the show, which featured a tour-de-force performance by Isabel Sanford (Louise Jefferson). We listen to classic interview clips: Marla Gibbs (Florence) assesses...

In this first of a two-part episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Elva Green to discuss her book, "The Jeffersons: A Fresh Look Back." Ms. Green shares her personal journey as a writer and the impetus for the book, which offers insights, interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare photos from the iconic TV series. Ms. Green interviewed cast and crew members, including the legendary Norman Lear and the incomparable Marla Gibbs, who—after forming a bond with...

Has “Cheers” aged well? Was Norm the norm in 1982? Was the toxic behavior in the show’s Boston-based bar a device to expose the destructive nature of misogyny or was it just a casual reflection of a patriarchal system?   Carla Tortelli and Diane Chambers, the barmaids in the first season of the show, served as sparring partners for their coworkers, customers, and each other. Carla was at home at "Cheers." Diane was a fish out of water. Carla and Diane could not have been more different. But...

I am very excited to share the second of a two-part conversation with author and TV/film historian, Lee Gambin. His double-volume work, "Tonight, On a Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious," provides a launch pad for our thoughtful and fast-paced discussion of the issues and activists behind TV’s “very special episodes,” which date back 50 years or more.   These TV events—featuring familiar, beloved characters—mixed serious topics with comedy so effectively that, in...

I am very excited to share the first of a two-part conversation with author and TV/film historian, Lee Gambin. His double-volume work, "Tonight, On a Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious," provides a launch pad for our thoughtful and fast-paced discussion of the issues and activists behind TV’s “very special episodes,” which date back 50 years or more.   These TV events—featuring familiar, beloved characters—mixed serious topics with comedy so effectively that, in...

In 1989, Oprah Winfrey produced and starred in the two-part TV miniseries, The Women of Brewster Place, which was based on Gloria Naylor’s award-winning debut novel. The book, and the movie, explore a variety of personal issues and social themes faced by seven African American women who live in an urban housing project.   When, just for fun, we asked the new artificial intelligence software, ChatGPT, to connect Oprah’s cultural influence with themes from the book/movie, the AI chatbot got...