Advanced TV Herstory

Cynthia Bemis Abrams

1 Creator

Finally, 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.

#3 in the Top 100 metoo All time chart

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What is Advanced TV Herstory about?

... connecting the dots of TV and feminism to American culture and politics.

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Seasons

Top 10 Advanced TV Herstory Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Advanced TV Herstory episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Advanced TV Herstory for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Advanced TV Herstory episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Presenting Margaret Cho

Advanced TV Herstory

09/02/20 • 37 min

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.

Celebrating Role Models & Memorable Characters

Advanced TV Herstory

09/23/20 • 34 min

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, student at Temple University and blogger at Medium, a place where writers, influencers and podcasters get the word out. Find her work at www.maryamazeeza.com –

Instagram: @NeptunesNegress and Twitter: @OilyEyelids.

Summer Martin, co-host and podcaster

Twitter @summerygory, Instagram: unconventional _woman

podcast https://www.tuwpodcast.com/

Chris Spags' YouTube Channel - Tami Taylor

The Cosby Show YouTube Channel - Night of the Wretched clip

- - - -

Past relevant episodes of this podcast:

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong author of Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted:

Women of MTM (1970-77)

Women of MTM: Words, casting & fashion

Women Writers of MTM

Dr. Robin Means Coleman on Debbie Allen’s transformation of A Different World

Cagney & Lacey

6 Lost Episodes of Cagney & Lacey

Concept to Pilot: Cagney & Lacey

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Angela Bassett Leads ER's Final Season (2008-9)

Advanced TV Herstory

05/13/16 • 26 min

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores the 15th (final) season of NBC's "ER" and the accomplished Angela Bassett's presence as a lead character of the ensemble cast. The drama begins with exposition of department staff turnover and Cynthia details the workplace culture and tone set by Bassett's character, Dr. Cate Banfield. Over the course of the 9 month plot, Cynthia explores the well-crafted backstory that guides the complex and intense Banfield character.—Cynthia Bemis Abrams

Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part II

Advanced TV Herstory

01/20/24 • 27 min

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 legacy of lesser-known women in an ever-expanding industry, but their influence is no less important. That’s why we consider this a call to action. We lost these women over the past year, but we must not lose the memory of them or their contributions to television history.

Thank you for joining us as we honor the enduring spirit of women in television.

THE REEL WOMEN

Ashley Pacini on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypacini/

Website - https://thereelwomen.com/

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelwomen

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thereelwomen/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thereelwomen/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thereelwomen

AUDIO CLIPS and REFERENCES Clips have been edited for length.

Remembering Jacklyn Zeman (General Hospital) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLfhlDtk-x0

Ellen Holly on Being at the March on Washington in 1963 (Foundation Interviews) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aige_YvQGU

Ellen Holly on her New York Times article “How Black Do You Have to Be?” (Foundation Interviews) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkEmOWaiWF4

How Black Do You Have to Be (NY Times, 1968) - https://www.nytimes.com/1968/09/15/archives/how-black-do-you-have-to-be-how-black-do-you-have-to-be.html

The Colors of Black (NY Times, 1968) - https://www.nytimes.com/1968/10/06/archives/the-colors-of-black.html

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - @cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

Talk Show First, Della Reese

Advanced TV Herstory

06/12/24 • 18 min

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, Ms. Reese established herself as a prominent television personality by appearing and performing on shows led by Merv Griffin, Ed Sullivan, Phil Donahue, and Johnny Carson. In fact, she was chosen as the first black woman to sub for Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show.

But aside from her earlier accomplishments, Ms. Reese is perhaps best known to today’s audiences for her popular television series, “Touched by an Angel,” where she appeared with Roma Downey, John Dye, Valerie Bertinelli, and a guest cast that featured many of the biggest names in television and film.

In her 1997 memoir, “Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above,” Ms. Reese reflects on the challenges she faced and overcame throughout her life, including racism and financial exploitation, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to helping others. It’s an inspirational look at a remarkable life.

RESOURCES

Touched by an Angel https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108968/

Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/angels-along-the-way-my-life-with-help-from-above-9780399143427

Television Academy Foundation – Foundation Interviews: Della Reese on Having a Brain Aneurysm https://youtu.be/kw0tsFyZO5w?si=Qtqsw WSyHyjrh6H7

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/

TV Talk Shows: The First in a Series

Advanced TV Herstory

11/17/23 • 18 min

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 and representation in scripted television.

Cynthia then outlines the focus of the TV Talk Shows series, which will explore the historical context, memorable moments, and surprising controversies surrounding unscripted hosts and guests. The episode concludes by acknowledging the pioneering achievements of Della Reese as the first black woman to fill in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and Betty White's stance against the broadcast network executives who were reluctant to feature performers of color on her 1950s talk and variety show.

RESOURCES

Foundation Interviews - Della Reese on Guest Hosting “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” - https://youtu.be/M8hfse64sFU?si=8cIu3DrRN2AIdiBL

The Television Academy Foundation – Della Reese - https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/della-reese

“He Stays”: Betty White refused to remove Black dancer from her show in 1954 - https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/01/01/betty-white-black-dancer-arthur-duncan/9067252002/

Retro Televisions – The Betty White Show (11-29-54) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k23zM-eLoI

CBS Los Angeles KCAL - https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/women-more-represented-on-reality-tv-than-scripted-shows-sdsu-report-finds/

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/

Year 8: TV Herstory Prepares Us for Progress

Advanced TV Herstory

07/03/23 • 20 min

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/

Cable, Audiences and Evolution: TV For and About Women

Advanced TV Herstory

05/01/19 • 24 min

We need to be smarter consumers of media! This 400 level session on the evolution of cable (tech + the business structure) features insights from author, scholar, podcaster Dr. Amanda Lotz.

Find more at TVHerstory.com

Learn more about Amanda Lotz, her books, articles and her podcast "Media Business Matters"

Learn more about art historian, professor, author Emily L. Newman and her books

Talking Sci-Fi with a Scientist: Dr. Sherry Ginn

Advanced TV Herstory

04/14/24 • 30 min

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 - [email protected]

*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://freemus...

Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part I

Advanced TV Herstory

01/15/24 • 20 min

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 the creatives who played pivotal roles in front of, and behind, the cameras. In addition to well-known names, they honor women who hustled for years as largely unheralded day players, others who stepped up to provide representation of the unseen, and several who risked their careers to speak truth to power.

While we can’t feature all the remarkable women who died in 2023, we believe it’s important to highlight the contributions and careers that might otherwise go unnoticed so that they are not lost to history.

Thank you for listening and be sure to tune in to the second half of Parade of Accomplished Women 2023.

THE REEL WOMEN

Ashley Pacini on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypacini/

Website - https://thereelwomen.com/

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelwomen

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thereelwomen/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thereelwomen/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thereelwomen

AUDIO CLIPS and REFERENCES

Sinead O’Connor - https://youtu.be/8LcmJErI8IQ

Inga Swenson - https://youtu.be/-4hjBu23hws

Cindy Williams - https://youtu.be/d-PlT-sHRTE