Advanced TV Herstory

Angela Lansbury's remarkable career spanned generations and mediums — from her early days at MGM to her iconic portrayal of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote . In this tribute episode, Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by Professor Bridget Kies of Oakland University to celebrate Lansbury's creative influence and enduring presence in film, television, and theater. Listene...

Welcome to the anniversary episode of Advanced TV Herstory ! This week marks 7 years since the inception of the podcast, and we're celebrating by reflecting on the past year's content, discussing the current state of TV, and exploring the topics we plan to cover in the future. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examines the evolving landscape of podcasting and the recent controversies surrounding platforms...

In celebration of Liza Minnelli's 50-year legacy since the Academy-award winning film Cabaret, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores the powerhouse performer's enduring influence on television and stage. Drawing from moments often overshadowed by her film career, this episode revisits Minnelli's unforgettable appearances with Goldie Hawn, The Muppets, Judy Garland tributes, and the Wembley Stadium ev...

It's a rare TV series that offers 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, publ...

It's the new year and Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams 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...

In this second part of the two-episode series, Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues her deep discussion with poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson about Diana Ross' unforgettable 1983 Central Park concert. They explore how the Showtime broadcast amplified Ross' leadership during the rainstorm and the concert's lasting cultural impact. Drawing from Lawson's book, This Is Maj...

Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson to revisit Diana Ross' iconic 1983 Central Park concert. As captured in Lawson's book, This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope , this rain-soaked performance is explored through the lens of cultural significance, representation, and the resilience of women of color. Togeth...

Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams dives into the fascinating world of Hollywood's golden era through the 2001 made-for-TV movie These Old Broads . Written by the legendary Carrie Fisher, this film features Hollywood icons Shirley MacLaine, Fisher's mother Debbie Reynolds, Dame Joan Collins, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Cynthia explores the film's themes of aging, scandal, and the powerf...

Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams pays tribute to the TV women in front of and behind the camera who passed away in 2020. including such big names as film and TV legend 104 year old Olivia deHavilland, actor/singer Ja'Net DuBois of Good Times , daytime's Marj Dusay, Glee 's Naya Rivera and the woman who brought us The Magic School Bus , Joanna Cole. Cynthia lists well known older wome...

Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams 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...

In the 3rd of 4 episodes about role models and memorable characters, Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Summer Martin, of The Unconventional Woman podcast examine some of the most crafted, defined, distinct women characters to ever grace the small screen. They follow it up with a list of similarly refined, authentic real women – whose growth and stature have unfolded over the decad...

During COVID-19, Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast spoke at length about role models and memorable characters, and what they meant for us, our aunties, mothers and friendships. They discussed the kinds of characters audiences find relatable, based on age, self-esteem, ethnic diversity and naivete. Cynthia and Summer also discuss th...

Cynthia Bemis Abrams, host of Advanced TV Herstory sits down for a deep COVID Zoom 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 ot...

In 1994, Margaret Cho made TV history as the star of All-American Girl, the first network sitcom with an all-Asian-American cast. In this conversation with Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women and Cynthia Bemis Abrams of Advanced TV Herstory , Cho reflects on the series' groundbreaking legacy and how representation in Hollywood has (and hasn't) evolved. The discussion explores: Lessons from All-America...

TV and film professional Pepper Reed shares her path from acting to script supervising to directing. In this episode guest-hosted by Ashley Pacini, Pepper discusses how her work in sci-fi and fantasy genres intersects with her training, her thoughts on ageism, and the importance of professional goal-setting. As a longtime collaborator with The Reel Women, Pepper's story is one of grit, growth, and...

This episode of Advanced TV Herstory continues the Reel Women series and spotlights the dynamic Chanel Glover — a filmmaker, teacher, lawyer, and playwright whose work centers queer people of color and real-life storytelling. Co-hosted by Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Ashley Pacini, the conversation explores Chanel’s career pivot from attorney and educator to screenwriter, and how advocacy informs her...

Chicago-based director and cinematographer Sanicole Young joins Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and guest co-host Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women, to discuss her journey in filmmaking, education, and rising through the entertainment industry outside the typical Hollywood path. In this intimate conversation, Sanicole reflects on her creative process, the importance of representation,...

Every year host Cynthia Bemis Abrams provides an annual report of her experience producing Advanced TV Herstory . This year, 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 so...

Danielle Earle is a filmmaker, educator, and founder of PLEntertainment. In this episode, she joins Cynthia and Reel Women collaborator Ashley Pacini to discuss how she balances a career in production with her role as a digital media teacher at Orange High School in New Jersey. Key topics include: Danielle’s career path from animator to live-action filmmaker The mission behind her web series Brook...

As streaming service Sundance Now unveils the Australian psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps , co-star Jessica de Gouw talks with Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams about the series. Also in COVID lockdown, Jessica discusses her past roles in historical and fantasy dramas and the increasingly diverse world of international TV. Jessica's recent prominent roles in series produce...

Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams thinks it's important to discuss children's programming and animated storytelling as the cultural influencers. "A story is a story is a story," 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 Netwo...

TV writer and producer April Smith returns to chat with host Cynthia Bemis Abrams about layered storytelling, the politics of representation, and what it means to write truthfully in different eras of feminism. They discuss Smith's work on the 2020 Hulu series Mrs. America , which dramatized the women's movement of the 1970s and the political resistance to the Equal Rights Amendment. Together, the...

Dr. Elana Levine and Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examine the downfall of daytime dramas. They discuss the economic pressures, evolving audience demographics, and shifts in network decision-making that led to the genre's decline. Topics include advertising revenue challenges, the rise of alternative entertainment platforms, and the lasting impact of soap operas on television stor...

Daytime dramas reshaped TV herstory, tackling complex societal issues such as adoptions, reproductive rights, and rape. Dr. Elana Levine joins Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams to provide insights into how soap operas mirrored social changes from the 1960s to today. This episode explores the limited roles for actors of color, often sidelined to secondary storylines, and the centrality...

In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory , host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues the conversation with Dr. Elana Levine, author of Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera and US Television History . Dr. Levine explains how advances in TV production technology shaped storytelling, leading to increasingly sophisticated visuals and outrageous narratives. Together, they explore how soap operas transitioned to lo...