Advanced TV Herstory

In this first episode of the Her Stories series, Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Dr. Elana Levine explore the history of soap operas and their cultural significance. They discuss how TV pioneers like Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon, and William Bell used the genre to address complex social issues, including reproductive rights, family dynamics, and societal taboos. This episode examines the rise of daytime dr...

Some 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. Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Abbe discuss the current trend of adaptations from the publishing and storytelling perspectives. Since the early days of TV, adaptations of stage an...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues her conversation with Emmy Award-winning actress Cady McClain. Best known for her iconic role as Dixie Cooney on All My Children , Cady shares her experiences transitioning from daytime TV star to accomplished director and arts advocate. Through her documentary Seeing is Believing: Women Direct , Cady highlights the stru...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams sits down with Emmy Award-winning actress Cady McClain to explore her groundbreaking career in daytime television. Best known for her role as Dixie Cooney on All My Children , Cady became the first actor to win Daytime Emmys for performances on three different soap operas. This two-part interview delves into her early beginnings a...

The groundbreaking legal series L.A. Law (1986-1994) lived a glamorous, full life. Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examines the series pilot, written by Steven Bochco ( Hill Street Blues ) and Terry Louise Fisher (writer/producer of Cagney & Lacey ), with a critical, 21st century feminist eye. What's revealed is a time capsule of office life that reveals sexism, racism, and gene...

End of year lists that honor the memories of celebrities and prominent figures are a tradition that this podcast has passed up in recent years. A deeper look at the list of prominent TV women lost in 2019 calls out not just the well-known women - usually actors - but also those who built careers behind the scenes. Join Cynthia in celebrating the vast body of work of notable names: Katherine Helmon...

TV is once again attempting to bring legendary "girl detective" Nancy Drew to life. We dust off our very first episode for a look at past attempts to put the hugely popular Nancy Drew mysteries on the small screen. The book series' backstory is a fascinating look at ego & the evolution of publishing. Excerpts are included from Melanie Rehak's 2005 "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Cre...

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams revisits Anita Hill's groundbreaking testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991. Before the #MeToo movement and the widespread conversations about workplace harassment, Hill's testimony ignited national discussions about power, credibility, and gender dynamics in politics. This refreshed episode from 2016 explores how Hill's testimony changed the landscape fo...

The topic of Hollywood Blacklisting has recently added a chapter - the impact it had on the budding TV industry, and more specifically, women. Researched and backed by FBI files of author/scholar Dr. Carol Stabile (University of Oregon), this 4 episode series of Advanced TV Herstory mentions names of talented women whose careers were maliciously ruined with the 1950 publication of Red Channels . T...

This 4-episode series examines anti-communism/McCarthyism blacklisting's impact on the careers of women who likely would have changed the look, depth, and sound of TV. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and author/scholar, Dr. Charlene Regester of the University of North Carolina, have a frank conversation about how racism, stereotyped roles, and Jim Crow laws delayed TV's depiction of Black life by more t...

The topic of Hollywood Blacklisting has recently added a chapter - the impact it had on the budding TV industry, and more specifically, women. Researched and backed by FBI files of author/scholar Dr. Carol Stabile (University of Oregon), this 4 episode series mentions names of talented women whose careers were maliciously ruined with the publication of Red Channels. You'll also hear from another a...

The topic of Hollywood Blacklisting has recently added a chapter - the impact it had on the budding TV industry, and more specifically, women. Researched and backed by FBI files of author/scholar Dr. Carol Stabile (University of Oregon), this 4 episode series mentions names of talented women whose careers were maliciously ruined with the publication of Red Channels. Stabile delivers quotes, right...

Join Cynthia in celebration of 4 years of independent podcasting about TV women - those behind the camera as well as in front of it. Cynthia thanks her team of Jen Edds, Catherine Yang and Elsie Escobar and recaps highlights and changes made to the show's format and outreach. She also does some deep thinking about social change, social media, feminism and the power of representation as the enterta...

How did cable TV transform into a powerhouse for original programming and reruns that shaped narratives about and for women? In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by scholar, author, and podcaster Dr. Amanda Lotz to unpack the financial and cultural shifts that revolutionized women's television. From Lifetime and Bravo to HBO and TV Land, Cynthia and Amanda...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams sits down with art historian, professor, and author Emily L. Newman to examine how made-for-TV movies tackled the sensitive subject of eating disorders. From the 1980s through today, these stories offered a platform to educate audiences while reflecting societal pressures on women. They discuss milestone productions such as Kate's...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores the evolution of cable TV and its pivotal role in elevating women’s voices on screen. Joined by media scholars Dr. Amanda Lotz and Emily L. Newman, the discussion highlights the birth of cable channels like Lifetime, Hallmark, OWN, and Oxygen—spaces dedicated to telling women’s stories. They cover the business side of cab...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examines how cable TV disrupted traditional broadcasting, creating new opportunities for women's stories. Joined by Dr. Amanda Lotz and Emily L. Newman, the conversation dives into the economics of cable, the rise of niche programming, and the industry's shift to serve specific audiences. Discover how cable provided platforms for...

In this final episode of the Advanced TV Herstory series on The Judy Garland Show , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Garland scholar Angela Ingersoll examine the feminist lessons from Judy Garland’s groundbreaking TV series. This episode focuses on how Garland’s persistence, defiance, and storytelling offer modern insights into women’s roles in the entertainment industry. With reflections on her famo...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Chicago-based guest Angela Ingersoll describe the remarkable roster of guests and performances that defined The Judy Garland Show . From Barbra Streisand and Ethel Merman to Lena Horne and Diahann Carroll, the show’s blend of emerging talents and established stars made history. Judy Garland used her platform to highlight diver...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Emmy-nominated performer Angela Ingersoll take a hard look at the monumental production pressures Judy Garland faced during her legendary CBS variety show. The Judy Garland Show was given an unprecedented budget, setting high standards in production quality with lighting, set design, and costumes by the legendary Bob Mackie. Despit...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Emmy-nominated performer and Garland scholar Angela Ingersoll return to examine the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland's passing. With a deep dive into The Judy Garland Show , Cynthia and Angela explore the male-dominated narratives that shaped Garland's legacy, from books to documentaries. Through a feminist lens, the discussion cen...

What role does Judy Garland and her short-lived TV series play in TV Herstory? This episode explores storytelling, persistence, and sexism in entertainment, offering modern lessons on power within television. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by Emmy-nominated performer and Garland scholar Angela Ingersoll to discuss Judy’s impact and the feminist insights drawn from her work. A particular focus...

Advanced TV Herstory knows no boundaries when it comes to examining women characters on television, and the animated holiday classic Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is fair game! Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams conducts a character analysis of the two women, the protagonist and antagonist respectively and wanders into a plot that seems more complex than the norm. Based on Elmo Shroppshire's song of t...

Much like the athletic world itself, TV was slow to include women in sports reporting. After 40+ years of effort, the number of highly visible women covering TV sports remains minuscule. That reality prompted Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams to connect with podcaster/radio regular Jim Jax in an herstoric look at legends and workhorses. Listeners will enjoy a rich list of the achievem...

Enjoy this special episode hosted by Advanced TV Herstory sound designer, Catherine Yang. Catherine was influenced by the original series of Charmed and intrigued at the prospect of a high quality reboot. Charmed (1998 -2006) aired on the WB, and is now considered TV classic available on streaming and DVD. Charmed tells the story of the three (sometimes four) Halliwell sisters who discover that th...