Advanced TV Herstory

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 Me.” Ms. Rowell spent her youth in the foster care system. But with the help of many dedicated and caring women, she became an accomplished dancer and successful actor. Her memoir is a tribute to the women who raised her, and she describes them in loving and vivid detail.   “I was never meant to be raised by one mother, but by many.”  -Victoria Rowell  Ms. Rowell is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and has received 11 NAACP Image Awards. She is perhaps best known for her 20+ years on “The Young and the Restless” and eight seasons on “Diagnosis: Murder.” Rowell continues to act (look for “Summer Camp” in theaters May 31, 2024) and write, direct, and produce. Additionally, she has been recognized for her work with foster children and advocacy for education, the arts, and mental health awareness, support, and treatment.  As always, thank you for listening to Advanced TV Herstory. And, as we celebrate Mother’s Day and National Foster Care Month, please show your gratitude to the women in your life. You know who they are. RESOURCES The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir by Victoria Rowell https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-women-who-raised-me-victoria-rowell/1100571768 Victoria Rowell: Featured Speaker for the Paul & Louise Miller Lecture Series https://youtu.be/A2CrcdUXRv8?si=Cow9hEBhED1jGMLx National Foster Care Month https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/ Summer Camp (in theaters 31 May 2024) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26928684/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_1_act CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social PRODUCTION Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/ Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/  

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 representation and role models, feminism, diversity, inclusion, norm breaking, and the special challenges created by male writers and showrunners in science fiction.    As a tireless editor and author, Dr. Ginn combines her love of sci-fi with her expertise in neuroscience research and psychology. Her written work presents thoughtful analyses on a range of previously under-explored topics such as women in science fiction television and sex in science fiction. Dr. Ginn has written or edited works featuring Doctor Who, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Fringe, and Dollhouse, among others. Check out the Pop Culture Association’s website below to learn more about the benefits of membership. Thanks for listening! CONTACT DR. GINN and the POP CULTURE ASSOCIATION* Website - https://pcaaca.org/ e-mail - sherry@pcaaca.org  *formerly the Pop Culture Association / American Culture Association SELECT WRITTEN WORKS  Our Space, Our Place: Women in the Worlds of Science Fiction Television by Sherry Ginn, PhD - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2085421.Our_Space_Our_Place  Joss Whedon's Dollhouse: Confounding Purpose, Confusing Identity by Sherry Ginn, PhD - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/joss-whedons-dollhouse-sherry-ginn/1118329342 Power and Control in the Television Worlds of Joss Whedon by Sherry Ginn, PhD - https://www.acappellabooks.com/pages/books/228952/sherry-ginn/power-and-control-in-the-television-worlds-of-joss-whedon Being a Girl with The Doctor: Essays in the Feminine in Doctor Who (Edited by Gillian I. Leitch and Sherry Ginn) - https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/being-a-girl-with-the-doctor/ To Boldly Stay: Essays on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Edited by Sherry Ginn and Michael G. Cornelius) - https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/to-boldly-stay/ The Sex is Out of This World: Essays on the Carnal Side of Science Fiction (Edited by Sherry Ginn and Michael G. Cornelius) - https://www.abebooks.com/9780786466856/Sex-Out-World-Essays-Carnal-0786466855/plp CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social PRODUCTION Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/  

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 Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind” and Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” died in 1967 at the age of 53, but her legacy remains profound. And, while some of the opinions in this broadcast would be considered outdated now, you’ll hear that Ms. Leigh was not afraid to mix it up with some of the most strident male voices of her day. As always, thank you for listening. For the video version of this episode, visit @advancedtvherstory on YouTube.    RESOURCES Small World, Part 1 https://youtu.be/4c6kR9ORqUc?si=sXmP3bg5Cqzs63Zu Small World, Part 2 https://youtu.be/P5roaRH9rY0?si=gfMmZhJTtrqdY85l Small World, Part 3 https://youtu.be/tG0x68lPzso?si=TMitHcgm45BVl3Pf Taylor Mayes - https://www.youtube.com/@Taylormayes   CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social   PRODUCTION Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/ Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/  

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 of America (WGA). She shares her experiences as WGA president and explains how power has shifted over time to the imbalance that has writers and actors on strike now in 2023. We also learn how Victoria’s father tried leveraging his success with the studios to improve conditions for writers in the 1930s, but ultimately joined the Screen Writers Guild (SWG) as an early, active member. And, on the lighter side, you won’t want to miss Victoria’s stories from her trip to China with Norman Lear, Mary Tyler Moore, Larry Gelbart, and Carl Reiner. Victoria knows Hollywood from deep inside. No doubt you’ll enjoy the interesting history and fun stories she shares with us.  RESOURCES Victoria Riskin's website - https://www.victoriariskin.com/  Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir - https://www.victoriariskin.com/index.php/about Projections of America - http://projectionsofamerica.com/ The Last Best Year - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Best_Year Bluedot Living -  https://bluedotliving.com/ CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 WGA, first led by a woman in 2001, represents writers on a myriad of issues like credit, contracts, and benefits. Today, these unions are on strike, with primary issues of artificial intelligence to create content and fabricate performers, and how payment formulas for writers and performers will be commensurate with successful streaming. Since the WGA declared its strike and actors followed, Advanced TV Herstory has stood resolutely with all the talented creators. This episode tells of the dedication to workers’ rights and social progress within a distinct and complex business model. AUDIO CLIPS & RESOURCES Fran Drescher - https://youtu.be/J4SAPOX7R5M Gabrielle Carteris -  https://www.sagaftra.org/videos/president-gabrielle-carteris-discusses-sag-aftra%E2%80%99s-covid-19-efforts RCA Selectavision commercial - https://youtu.be/dFtyMNTD2f4 ABC7 in Los Angeles - https://abc7.com/wga-writers-guild-strike-rally/13303288/  https://www.sagaftra.org/ https://www.wga.org/ CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, which has expanded its focus to champion inclusion of the six major identities of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type in media and entertainment. In addition to looking back on some of Advanced TV Herstory’s episodes from the past year, I celebrate ATVH’s inclusion in IMDb and the anticipation of reaching a new audience. Because ATVH is not beholden to sponsors, I can proudly say that I provide an unfiltered view of both historical and current obstacles to full representation and valuation. Many of these obstacles are at the center of the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild and the use of artificial intelligence. With a commitment to recognizing the importance of representation and critical thinking in the face of rapidly changing media landscapes, I thank you for your support of this podcast over the last eight years and I look forward to uncovering and sharing more untold stories of women in the year to come. This is why I podcast.   MENTIONS AND REFERENCES I Said Yes to Everything by Lee Grant - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18693908 Intimate Portrait - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0896232/ CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ATVH ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 Ms. Sanford’s contribution to the series and Ms. Sanford recounts her professional friendship with Zara Cully (Mother Jefferson). We also look back at Ms. Sanford’s 1981 Emmy acceptance speech As with other programs under the guidance of Norman Lear, “The Jeffersons” appealed to a wide audience and often tackled serious, ground-breaking subject matter. Please join us as we discuss its legacy. SHOP AND CONNECT WITH ELVA GREEN The Jeffersons: A Fresh Look Back Eddie Green: The Rise of an Early 1900s Black American Entertainment Pioneer   https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/search?q=elva+diane+green Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/elva.green.712/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elva.green.712/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/elvagreen123/   AUDIO CLIPS Isabel Sanford Emmy Acceptance Speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUfFd1vNS4I Isabel Sanford on Zara Cully (and other castmates) - https://youtu.be/5wqimrfTBn0 Marla Gibbs on Isabel Sanford - https://youtu.be/6sdguNXxtBc   OTHER MENTIONS John McWhorter, PhD - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McWhorter The Jeffersons: And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds (S7 E13) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0614811/ Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061735/   CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured   PRODUCTION Podcast Editing by Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 Rhea Perlman and Shelley Long, the actors who portrayed Carla and Diane, both were incredible actors with excellent comedic timing.  Cynthia Bemis Abrams takes a closer at their work and celebrates their contributions as two of the strong, female characters that emerged on television in the 1980s. She discusses the interplay among the regular characters at the bar, the foundational toxic environment, and the influence of female writers and showrunners on comedies of the era. MENTIONS & REFERENCES  ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Shelley Long interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNagwFVh9xs CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

 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 many cases, activists were born, movements were started, legislation was passed, and minds were changed. Legendary showrunners like Norman Lear and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason used the sitcom format to normalize awareness and discussion of race relations, women’s issues, representation, discrimination, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ rights. Fronting these issues shaped our culture in ways that should not be lost to history. Join us for a discussion of the iconic episodes and the legends who made them happen, as well as how they continue to impact us today. CONNECT WITH LEE GAMBIN Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 1: 1957-1985 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-1-1957-1985-paperback?_pos=1&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 2: 1986-1998 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-2-1986-1998-paperback?_pos=3&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r Cinemaniacs - https://cinemaniacs.com.au/ SOUND CLIPS Diff’rent Strokes: The Bicycle Man (S5.E16-17) -https://youtu.be/XX-yeqTaltE Designing Women: Killing All the Right People (S2.E4) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cozd3HN6xS8 All in The Family: Edith’s 50th Birthday (S8.E4-5) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eGFuSpSn1U BOOKS / ARTICLES Norman Lear Memoir - Even This I Get to Experience - https://www.normanlear.com/the-book PERTINENT EPISODES OF ADVANCED TV HERSTORY  Designing Women 1, Body-shaming 0 - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/designing-women-1-bodyshaming-0 Sports Night: More Relevant Than Ever - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/sports-night-more-relevant-than-ever Eating Disorder Movies: TV For and About Women - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/eating-disorder-movies-tv-for-and-about-women ATVH NEWSLETTER Sign up at https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Website:  https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcasts:  https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Music:  Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 many cases, activists were born, movements were started, legislation was passed, and minds were changed. Legendary showrunners like Norman Lear and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason used the sitcom format to normalize awareness and discussion of race relations, women’s issues, representation, discrimination, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ rights. Fronting these issues shaped our culture in ways that should not be lost to history. Join us for a discussion of the iconic episodes and the legends who made them happen, as well as how they continue to impact us today. CONNECT WITH LEE GAMBIN  Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 1: 1957-1985 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-1-1957-1985-paperback?_pos=1&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 2: 1986-1998 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-2-1986-1998-paperback?_pos=3&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r Cinemaniacs - https://cinemaniacs.com.au/ SOUND CLIPS Diff’rent Strokes: The Bicycle Man (S5.E16-17) - https://youtu.be/XX-yeqTaltE Designing Women: Killing All the Right People (S2.E4) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cozd3HN6xS8 All in The Family: Edith’s 50th Birthday (S8.E4-5) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eGFuSpSn1U BOOKS / ARTICLES Norman Lear Memoir - Even This I Get to Experience - https://www.normanlear.com/the-book PERTINENT EPISODES OF ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Designing Women 1, Body-shaming 0 -  https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/designing-women-1-bodyshaming-0 Sports Night: More Relevant Than Ever - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/sports-night-more-relevant-than-ever Eating Disorder Movies: TV For and About Women - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/eating-disorder-movies-tv-for-and-about-women ATVH NEWSLETTER Sign up at https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Website:  https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcasts:  https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured PRODUCTION Music:  Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/  

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 it… sort of right. Sort of. It dispassionately summarized many of the challenges faced by the women in the story. And it mentioned Oprah’s commitment to highlighting personal and social issues. But ChatGPT failed to find the essential storyline. And it’s no wonder. The online content about The Women of Brewster Place neglects the underlying racism that’s at work when urban planners and policymakers target the destruction of specific neighborhoods in the name of progress. As long as history is “written by the victors,” the online trough that feeds artificial intelligence will prevent AI, and the people who rely on it, from making the most crucial connections of all. MENTIONS AND REFERENCES  We encourage you to visit your local bookseller or library. Book by Gloria Naylor -  The Women of Brewster Place -https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/women-of-brewster-place-gloria-naylor/1102236580 -https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/women-of-brewster-place-gloria-naylor/1102236580 Movie on YouTube - The Women of Brewster Place - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-XFelzSXfc People Magazine Article - Oprah Goes Hollywood - https://people.com/archive/oprah-goes-hollywood-vol-29-no-23/ Book by Carol Stabile, PhD - The Broadcast 41 - https://thereadingwarehouse.com/book.php?ISBN=9781912685424 Podcast Series (first of four) - Calculated Efforts to Preserve Power: TV Women Blacklisted - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calculated-efforts-to-preserve-power-tv-women-blacklisted/id1014759821?i=1000445356348 Vulture Article - 30 Years Ago, The Women of Brewster Place Cracked Open the Door for Queer TV - https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/the-women-of-brewster-place-theresa-lorraine.html Vice Article -  I’ve Made More Than 1,700 Wikipedia Entries on Women Scientists and I’m Not Yet Done - https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34k9e/wikipedia-pages-women-scientists-jessica-wade-stem CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured  

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 to keep a diary of her time serving the various first families.    MENTIONS AND REFERENCES  (We encourage you to visit your local bookseller or library.) Jackie Kennedy - Interview with Sander Vanocur, NBC - March 1961 - https://youtu.be/j3ZvIzL1JbI My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House - by Lillian Rogers Parks in collaboration with Frances Spatz Leighton - https://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Years-Backstairs-White-House/dp/092389196X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+30+years+backstairs+at+the+white+house&qid=1676494328&sr=8-1 Michelle Obama - Speech at 2016 Democratic National Convention - https://youtu.be/4ZNWYqDU948 White House Historical Association - https://www.whitehousehistory.org CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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 inform us for decades thanks to syndication. They are why I podcast. MENTIONS AND REFERENCES   (We encourage you to visit your local bookseller or library.) Women Who Reported Watergate (July 2, 2017 podcast)  https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/women-who-reported-watergate Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2847470-audition Kirstie Alley - List of Works https://www.biblio.com/kirstie-alley/author/15520 Nichelle Nichols on Martin Luther King, Jr. https://youtu.be/zrzygziT11I Beyond Uhura by Nichelle Nichols https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/672094.Beyond_Uhura Sacheen Littlefeather was a Native American icon. Her sisters say she was an ethnic fraud  https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Sacheen-Littlefeather-oscar-Native-pretendian-17520648.php Louise Fletcher Wins Best Actress: 48th Oscars (1976) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGl5U7nNlkY Dizzy & Jimmy by Liz Sheridan  https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dizzy--jimmy-my-life-with-james-dean--a-love-story_liz-sheridan/348349/ Reeling Back by Michael Walsh https://reelingback.com/articles/creative_women_needed CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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 a “big name.” REFERENCES AND MENTIONS In Memoriam: Angela Lansbury / MSW https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/in-memoriam-angela-lansbury-msw Pat Carroll: Gertrude Stein was never a bore https://www.csmonitor.com/1981/0108/010861.html Debbie Allen Shapes a Different World https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/debbie-allen-shapes-a-different-world Olivia Newton-John - the Making of “Physical” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXitXrVsndg Olivia Newton-John on Murphy Brown https://youtu.be/YrwqwZ02gM0 Erica Gimpel on Twitter: @ericagimpel www.freemusicarchive.org CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7eYcoRGL70&t=263s GET THE BOOK Shari Lewis and Lambchop: The Team that Changed Children’s Television by Nat Segaloff and Mallory Lewis UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PRESS https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813196268/shari-lewis-and-lamb-chop/ Watch for the documentary, Shari and Lambchop, to be released in 2023. CONNECT WITH MALLORY TikTok: @yourfavlambchop Website:  https://mallorylewisandlambchop.com/home Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mallorylewisandlambchop CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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 Cove Gazette podcast and in 2023 will publish a book about Angela Lansbury and Murder, She Wrote. Cabot Cove Gazette - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cabot-cove-gazette-a-murder-she-wrote-podcast/id1592905783 Clip from S. 4, E. 20 Showdown in Saskatchewan.

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. CONNECT WITH ATVH AND CYNTHIA ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1061873.Me_and_My_Shadows The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special https://youtu.be/oOmjvgaT9-A The Muppet Show (Nov. 1979) Copacabana clip  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCGSZmTsX7o The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood, or Oh Wolf, Peter Wolf https://youtu.be/DixzC8Fur5g UK Daily Mail interview about the early days of HIV/AIDS https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2004484/Liz-Taylor-taught-live-life-Liza-Minnelli-pays-moving-tribute-friend.html CONNECT WITH ATVH AND CYNTHIA ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured

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 https://slate.com/tag/the-americans Advanced TV Herstory episode on Viewers for Quality TV https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/tending-the-fandom CONNECT WITH ATVH AND CYNTHIA ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured    

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. CONNECT WITH ATVH AND CYNTHIA ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/  Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured