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...

On this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, we connect the dots between TV and feminism with American culture and politics by remembering the 1979 television miniseries, Backstairs at the White House. The series is based on the New York Times bestseller by Lillian Rogers Parks, a seamstress in the White House from 1939-1961. Parks based the book on her own experiences and on those of her mother, Maggie Rogers, who, as a maid in the White House from 1909-1939, was encouraged by Eleanor Roosevelt...

As we wrap up our two-part In Memoriam for 2022 by honoring women with famous names and faces, we also pay tribute to those who were less visible yet made significant contributions to TV, movies, news, and science.   This celebration is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of acting as a champion for other women. Their success does not detract from our own—instead, it strengthens us all.   The wonderful women featured in this episode will continue to entertain and teach and...

Our In Memoriam episodes have become an annual tradition. As the universe of known, talented women in TV gets larger every year, so too does the number of women that we honor. In this first of two episodes, we highlight some of the women of music and theatre who made significant contributions to our culture and society. We lost some very big names in 2022, but as you’ve come to expect with these episodes, we also celebrate the talent and achievements of those who were not quite thought of as...

Mallory Lewis joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams for a fun chat about her book, Shari Lewis and Lambchop: The Team That Changed Children's Television. Mallory's book, published by University of Kentucky Press in fall 2022, is a collection of stories from Shari's childhood and career as a businesswoman and multifaceted entertainer. While Shari Lewis died from cancer in 1998, Lambchop continues to charm audiences with the help of her sister, Mallory. FULL VIDEO INTERVIEW YouTube: ...

We celebrate the creative life and career of Angela Lansbury with Bridget Kies, Assistant Professor of Film Studies and Production at Oakland University in Michigan. From MGM contract player to Tony-winning Broadway star to her role as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, Lansbury’s long and impressive career has touched generations of film, TV, and theatre goers. Professor Kies' work has been published in numerous academic journals and edited collections. She is co-host of the Cabot...

Celebrating the podcast's 7th complete year, Cynthia revisits highlights of the past year, muses on the state of TV and streaming today, and preaches the wisdom of owning physical copies of your favorites.

Liza Minnelli is celebrating 50 years since Cabaret, her big break film.TV revealed of Liza's talents as well as her love of performing which was not always detected on film.  Cynthia spotlights Liza sharing the stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Muppets, Goldie Hawn, Robert Plant, Guns & Roses, Shirley MacLaine and Diahann Carroll in a host of formats that showcased her dramatic, dancing and singing.  Resources include: Lorna Luft's Me and My Shadows ...

Cold War espionage with an 80s feminist touch - The Americans (FX, 2013-2018) gave us a new form of anti-hero in Elizabeth Jennings, played by Keri Russell. Cynthia and guest author Linda Mizejewski discuss the award-winning series' women, its commitment to accuracy and the bold approach of depicting spies as real people. Linda Mizejewski's book The Americans, published by Wayne State Press https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/americans Slate's podcast series on The Americans...

Cynthia recounts the lives and careers of talented TV women who died in 2021. While some died unexpectedly of disease, the long list features names of women who worked well into their golden years. Join this celebration of their impact on TV and come away with renewed energy to cheer on the amazing women in your own circle, while they're still around. The list includes: Betty White, Cloris Leachman, Jessica Walter, Cicely Tyson, Markie Post and Mary Wilson of The Supremes.

This is the second of 2 episodes featuring a deep discussion with poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson about 1983's Showtime worldwide stream of Diana Ross' concert in a summer deluge. Lawson delivers a candid description of the herstoric concert's impact and what Diana Ross and her authenticity mean to women of color in Lawson's 2020 book, This is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope .

This is the first of 2 episodes featuring a deep discussion with poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson about 1983's Showtime worldwide stream of Diana Ross' concert in a summer deluge. Lawson delivers a candid description of the herstoric concert's impact and what Diana Ross and her authenticity mean to women of color in her 2020 book, This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope.

Cynthia delves into deep Hollywood history to help listeners understand and love Carrie Fisher's genius effort of the made for TV movie (2001) These Old Broads. All in their late 60s, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor look like they had a ball in this send-up of aging and the scandals of Hollywood's golden years.

Cynthia pays tribute to the TV women in front of and behind the camera who passed away in 2020, including such big names as film & TV legend 104 year old Olivia deHavilland, actor/singer Ja'Net DuBois of Good Times, daytime's Marj Dusay, Glee's Naya Rivera and the woman who brought us The Magic School Bus, Joanna Cole. Cynthia lists well known older women successfully leveraging social media and weighs in on #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay and the entertainment industry's treatment of...

Cynthia chats role models and memorable characters found in the 4-Female sitcom construct, with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast. Guest Wendy Burns-Ardolino contributes insights into what qualities and traits viewers look for in their role models and how 4 women characters offer fluidity to leading conversations. Excerpts from Mara Brock-Akil, showrunner of Girlfriends and the Irish cast of Derry Girls with showrunner Lisa McGee (YouTube) https://youtu.be/5y7jcmkotw4 (M...

In the 3rd of 4 episodes about role models and memorable characters, Cynthia and Summer delve deep into some of the most crafted, defined, distinct women characters to ever grace the dramatic small screen. They follow it up with a list of similarly refined, authentic real women – whose growth and stature have unfolded over the decades. Dr. Camille Saroyan (Bones) Chris Cagney and MaryBeth Lacey (Cagney & Lacey) AnnaLiese Keating (How to Get Away With Murder) Olivia Pope (Scandal) ...

Deep chat with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast about role models & memorable characters and what they meant for us, our aunties, mothers and friendships. We discuss the powerful impressions of Freddie Brooks of A Different World, The Flying Nun's Sister Bertille and Homeland's Carrie Mathison. Temple University student Maryam Muhammad adds her perspective on Cree Summer's Freddie Brooks. - - - - - Maryam Muhammad, student at Temple University and blogger at Medium, a...

Deep chat with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast about role models & memorable characters and what they meant for us, our aunties, mothers and friendships. We discuss the impact of Freddie Brooks of A Different World, Mary Richards of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Cosby Show's Clair Huxtable and others on us and generations older and younger. Temple University student Maryam Muhammad adds her perspective on Cree Summer's Freddie Brooks. - - - - - Maryam Muhammad,...

When she starred in All-American Girl in 1994-5, Margaret Cho became a TV Herstory groundbreaker. All-American Girl was the first network sitcom to feature an all Asian-American cast. Cho discusses lessons from the series in depth with Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women and Cynthia. This interview caps a summer series collaboration of Advanced TV Herstory and The Reel Women, a community that celebrates the successes of women in filmed entertainment. Other topics: How a white person can become...

Sometimes we don't recognize or celebrate persistence while it's going on. This interview with Pepper Reed, part of the collaboration with The Reel Women, a community of women with careers in TV and film, is a testament to persistence. In this episode led by Ashley Pacini, Pepper explains how writing and script supervising influence directing and why she chose the formal training that has prepared her to wear so many hats. Ashley & Pepper discuss the positions for which living in Los...

3rd episode collaborating with The Reel Women profiling talented women in TV. Lawyer, teacher and playwright Chanel Glover of Los Angeles shares her projects building quirky stories about  queer people of color (often women) and young people. Glover tells her own story of exploring other careers and how writing has shaped her life. She weaves her background in advocacy into her writing and tells Cynthia and Ashley about real life experiences that are entertaining and insightful that should...

Second in a series of profiles of careers that are rising despite the prevalence of -isms in the TV industry. Chicago-based Sanicole Young is a director, writer and cinematographer working on TV series and short films. Sanicole,  Cynthia and Ashley Pacini, of the industry networking group Reel Women, discuss Sanicole's path of experience and education at Columbia College in Chicago and her decision to remain in the Midwest, instead of moving to LA or NY. Sanicole talks in-depth as well...

Every year Cynthia provides an annual report of the podcast experience. Links below for previous eps. She shares observations about the timeliness and relevance of the Broadcast 41 series and a conversation with Univ. of North Carolina professor and author Dr. Charlene Regester. Cynthia offers up an item from the podcast bucket list (which may become an episode of its own soon) which has to do with a talented showrunner who was driven from the industry 30 years ago. There's a book update...

First in a series of profiles of careers that are rising despite the prevalence of -isms in the TV industry. Danielle Earle is a producer and teaches high school in Orange, NJ. Danielle, Cynthia and Ashley Pacini, of the industry networking group Reel Women, discuss her path of experience and education and the steady stream of work at her production company, PLEntertainment. Danielle talks in-depth as well about her series Brooklyn is in Love, Shonda Rhimes and the opportunities of...

As streaming service Sundance Now unveils the Australian psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps, co-star Jessica de Gouw talks with Cynthia about the series, her past roles in historical and fantasy dramas and the increasingly diverse world of international TV. The Secrets She Keeps is based on a novel of the same name by Michael Robotham. Early in the episode, Jessica mentioned she has just finished viewing (& highly recommends) HBO's I May Destroy You.