Advanced TV Herstory
165 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 30 ratingsFinally, a podcast that studies, analyzes and celebrates women in TV. Thousands of comedies, variety shows and dramas have aired, yet the presence of strong women – both in front of and behind the camera - is an experience we need to understand better and embrace.
With an eye to aligning the leadership lesson, time capsule observation or fascinating backstory of a show’s success or failure, my goal of Advanced TV Herstory is to connect the treasures of the past to the great potential of today’s TV and online platforms. Tomorrow’s success is rooted in understanding what has come before us. So gear up for a little sociology, economics, strategy, storytelling and fun.
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Episodes
TV Talk Show Moment: Vivien Leigh as Herself
March 13, 2024 17:31 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBWe 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...
Intimacy Coordinating feat. Daytime's Yvonne Perry
February 06, 2024 11:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBHost 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 contr...
Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part II
January 20, 2024 11:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBIn 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 l...
Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part I
January 15, 2024 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBOUT 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...
TV Talk Shows: Hellman v. McCarthy
December 13, 2023 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MBWelcome 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 ...
Annie Potts: Hooked on Helping
November 21, 2023 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBWe 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 up—t...
TV Talk Shows: The First in a Series
November 17, 2023 11:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBJoin 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 storytelli...
Pioneer Women Writers of TV with Annie Berke, PhD
October 10, 2023 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBAdvanced 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 as we...
WGA, MTM and Hollywood Stories with Victoria Riskin
September 12, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBCynthia 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 Gui...
WGA, MTM & Hollywood Stories with Victoria Riskin
September 12, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBCynthia 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 Gui...
Women Leaders of WGA and SAG-AFTRA
August 16, 2023 10:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBLabor 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. Th...
Year 8: TV Herstory Prepares Us for Progress
July 03, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 19.5 MBA 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 Th...
Those Jefferson Women with Special Guest Elva Green (Pt. 2)
June 16, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBIn 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...
Those Jefferson Women with Special Guest Elva Green (Pt 1)
June 10, 2023 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.5 MBIn 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 wi...
1982 Barmaids, Carla and Diane
May 10, 2023 15:41 - 22 minutes - 21.2 MBHas “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 ...
A Look at TV Sitcom Very Special Episodes Featuring Author/Historian Lee Gambin - Part 2
April 17, 2023 12:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBI 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...
A Look at TV Sitcom Very Special Episodes Featuring Author/Historian Lee Gambin - Part 1
April 06, 2023 19:17 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBI 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 m...
Can ChatGPT Find the Essential Story in Oprah’s “The Women of Brewster Place”?
March 22, 2023 19:36 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBIn 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...
Jackie O, Michelle O, and a Backstairs Diary
February 15, 2023 22:08 - 23 minutes - 22.2 MBOn 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 Rooseve...
2022 In Memoriam, Part 2
January 25, 2023 01:53 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBAs 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 u...
In Memoriam: TV's Broadway and Music Women (part 1)
January 06, 2023 03:24 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBOur 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...
Kids' TV Pioneers Shari Lewis and Lambchop featuring Mallory Lewis
December 12, 2022 18:14 - 44 minutes - 41.5 MBMallory 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...
In Memoriam: Angela Lansbury / MSW
November 28, 2022 15:18 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBWe 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 C...
Year 7: A Brief State of the Podcast
August 25, 2022 17:00 - 13 minutes - 15.5 MBCelebrating 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://twi...
Top Rate TV Liza
June 19, 2022 19:46 - 30 minutes - 31.9 MBLiza 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/bo...
Women of The Americans
April 14, 2022 16:12 - 43 minutes - 49.4 MBCold 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://...
In Memoriam 2021
January 27, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 30.9 MBCynthia 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 AT...
Memoriam 2021
January 27, 2022 12:00 - 27 minutes - 30.9 MBCynthia 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.
Revisiting Diana Ross' Central Park Concert with Shayla Lawson (Pt. 2)
October 22, 2021 22:45 - 29 minutes - 34 MBThis 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 .
Revisiting Diana Ross' Central Park Concert with Shayla Lawson (Pt. 1)
October 17, 2021 21:42 - 34 minutes - 39.5 MBThis 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.
Carrie Fisher's Genius & These Old Broads
August 05, 2021 20:32 - 19 minutes - 22 MBCynthia delves into deep Hollywood history to help listeners understand and love Carrie Fisher's genius in the made-for-TV movie 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. RESOURCES These Old Broads - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207156/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds (2013) - https://www.goodread...
2020 Memoriam and Inspiration
February 15, 2021 01:46 - 23 minutes - 24.1 MBCynthia 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 de Havilland, 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 Britne...
Role Models in the 4-Female Sitcom
November 04, 2020 03:55 - 34 minutes - 37.1 MBCynthia 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 ...
Iconic Women, As Characters and Themselves
October 21, 2020 00:48 - 36 minutes - 37.2 MBIn 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) R...
They Showed Us Who We Could Be
October 07, 2020 00:49 - 28 minutes - 29.7 MBDeep 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 ...
Celebrating Role Models & Memorable Characters
September 23, 2020 00:46 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBDeep 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, stude...
Presenting Margaret Cho
September 02, 2020 00:20 - 37 minutes - 33.1 MBWhen 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 be...
Pepper Reed is a Reel Woman on the Rise
August 25, 2020 23:06 - 27 minutes - 24.7 MBSometimes 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 Ang...
Chanel Glover is a Reel Woman on the Rise
August 18, 2020 21:18 - 24 minutes - 20.7 MB3rd 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...
Sanicole Young is a Reel Woman on the Rise
August 11, 2020 21:05 - 31 minutes - 27.7 MBSecond 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 a...
5 Years of Connecting the Dots of Feminism, TV & Culture
July 31, 2020 21:15 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBEvery 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 upda...
Danielle Earle is A Reel Woman on the Rise
July 24, 2020 23:23 - 34 minutes - 29.1 MBFirst 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 job-s...
Jessica de Gouw Talks International TV
July 13, 2020 21:25 - 27 minutes - 24.4 MBAs 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 Secret She Keeps trailer Jessica's recent prominent roles in series produced in the US, UK and Australia include that of Elizabeth Hawkes in (2016) Underground , Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray in Dracula from 2013-14in 2019's...
Writing for Kids & Tweens’ TV
June 01, 2020 00:42 - 50 minutes - 43.8 MB"A story is a story is a story." So says veteran TV writer Nina Bargiel who's been spinning live-action and animated yarns for years. Nina is an LA-based TV writer and producer who currently writes on Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon Network) and has other projects percolating. Nina describes her writing philosophy and goals, which focus on crafting stories in which kids see themselves, as well as are entertained. She and her brother co-wrote the coming-of-age bra episode for Lizzie ...
Mrs. America & 3-Dimensional Storytelling
May 03, 2020 19:48 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBWriting, storytelling and 3-dimensional characters are some of the many topics author/TV producer April Smith and Cynthia discuss. April shares behind-the-scenes insight into writing & researching Mrs. America. We also go back 40 years to discuss #MeToo and a timeless Lou Grant episode. Trailer: Mrs. America (Hulu/FX) Resources: Lou Grant episode Harassment on YouTube Douglass Daniel's Lou Grant: The Making of TV's Top Newspaper Drama April Smith's website Aprilsmith.net
Pt 4 Her Stories: Declining Ratings and Daytime's Demise
April 28, 2020 04:41 - 23 minutes - 22.1 MBDr. Elana Levine and Cynthia wrap up an extensive chat about daytime dramas by talking about the cancellation of many beloved shows. We discuss advertising, the loss of broadcast TV's prevalence in daytime and what replaced the serial genre. Dr. Levine is author of Her Stories (published by Duke University Press) and teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Pt. 3 Her Stories: Feminism & Inclusion in Daytime
April 23, 2020 02:45 - 42 minutes - 41.8 MBDaytime changed TV herstory with long arcs about adoptions, reproductive rights and rape. Dr. Elana Levine shares examples of how key stories aligned with social changes from the 60s until today. We also discuss the limited roles available for actors of color and how they often were positioned as secondary stories to to the white "super couple." Enjoy audio context clips from As the World Turns, All My Children, The Young and the Restless and Ryan's Hope. Dr. Elana Levine is a Professo...
Pt. 2 Her Stories with Elana Levine
April 19, 2020 19:50 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBDr. Elana Levine of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and author of Duke University Press' Her Stories shares insights into TV technology and artistic elements that upped daytime storytelling's game. We discuss how 1:1 conversations evolved to story arcs of General Hospital's "Summer on the Run," Nola's old Hollywood fantasies in The Guiding Light and other increasingly expensive and outrageous stories.
Pt. 1 Her Stories with Elana Levine
April 16, 2020 02:28 - 27 minutes - 28.4 MBDr. Elana Levine's recently published Her Stories (Duke Univ. Press) forms the backbone of this 4-part series on soap operas. This episode includes a look at the formative pioneers of serial storytelling - Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon and William Bell. Other topics covered who owned any given show and how that impacted business decisions and how technology changed storytelling. Future episodes from this Levine interview discuss Super Couples of the 90s, fantasy and traumatic storylines, repr...
Talking Adaptations with Abbe Wright
April 12, 2020 05:19 - 51 minutes - 42.6 MBSome of the freshest works on TV today are the result of screen adaptations of best selling novels. Abbe Wright of Penguin Random House, who is also podcast host of The Adaptables and Read it Forward, discusses this current trend of adaptations from the publishing and storytelling perspectives. Since the early days of TV, adaptations of stage and literature have delivered incomparable works to primetime viewers. We discuss the 1977 miniseries Roots, based on the book of the same name. Curr...