Advanced Tv Herstory |women In Tv |television History | Feminism

Memories of teachers good and scary. Quite a highlight reel w/ extra attention to extraordinary performances, positive messaging & quirky style. Annalise Keating, Viola Davis' alter ego in How to Get Away With Murder; Hayley Mills in the forgotten Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Room 222

Susan Silver, noted pioneer comedy writer of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude & Square Pegs 2016 Presidential Election coverage by women reporters & analysts Ana Novarro of CNN      

What I’ve learned in producing these segments. Struck by what I don’t find, in conducting research.  

15th & final season of NBC's ER brought the accomplished Angela Bassett to lead the ensemble cast. Season begins with exposition of staff turnover. Workplace culture & tone set by Bassett's character Dr. Cate Banfield. Incredibly backstory that builds complex, intense Banfield character. Flashback to Dr. Mark Greene - bittersweet wisdom.    

Murphy Brown & creator Diane English - Season 4, unplanned pregnancy. Colleen Dewhurst as Murphy's mother Avery Brown. Dan Quayle comments about Murphy's story arc and perception of fatherhood. Classic ensemble comedy. Poignant performance by Candice Bergen AND her hair.

ER - award winning & new concept medical show All star cast through the years Representation of women in medical profession Carol Hathaway - nurse, supporting medical students she knows she's smarter than Susan Lewis - woman physician character stereotyped in situations & arcs

MTV launched careers beyond the 5 VJs. Cable TV's coverage of middle America plugged MTV directly into consumer living rooms Original format "Popclips" - brainchild of Monkee & genius Mike Nesmith; Sexism in the industry that still isn't discussed Profiles of women on the business side, agents of performers, video artists & a look at how Martha Quinn and Nina Blackwood were hired. Resource: I Want My MTV: the Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum Note: At one point, I suggest that the battle-tested video vet Sharon Oreck has enough stories to write a book. Well she did, in 2010. It's called Video Slut: How I Shoved Madonna Off an Olympic High Dive, Got Prince into a Pair of Tiny Purple Woolen Underpants, Ran Away from Michael Jackson's ... So I Could Bring Rock Videos to the Masses.

Anita Hill became a household name in an instant. Nationally televised hearings were booster rockets for C-SPAN. #69 in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of 20th Century. Aggressive questioning from men of both parties. Hill's work and legacy. Contiributor to 2003 Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium Author of 1995 Race, Gender and Power in America: The Legacy of the Hill-Thomas Hearings Author of 2011 Reimagining Equality: Stories of Gender, Race and Finding Home  

Emergence of women in title roles - mid 70s, Title IX, the ERA Barney Rosenzweig & Aaron Spelling Pamela Sue Martin's walk out on the Nancy Drew (1978) set 13 episodes of Mrs. Columbo - spin off from an unseen character from the series Columbo. Actors Kate Mulgrew & Peter Falk were about 35 years apart in age. Kate Mulgrew sheds light in her memoir Born With Teeth (2015). Charlie's Angels & Kate Jackson's influence. No Cagney & Lacey without Charlie's Angels

This 2016 episode was published just weeks before Anna "Patty" Duke's unexpected death. Duke, winner of an Academy Award, multiple Emmys and honored (pre-Tonys) for her Broadway performance of Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker," performed for 60 years. In addition to her screen work, her1987 best selling memoir "Call Me Anna" candidly discussed bipolar disorder/manic depression. This was before Carrie Fisher shared similar stories in the mid-90s. Audio from YouTube uploads from Duke's awesome Phil Donohue Show appearances 1987   Screen Actors Guild presidency    

It's all in the sound! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady & pioneering communicator. How often have we gotten to hear her speak (only a bit scripted)? She appeared on Frank Sinatra's Show appearance in 1959 and recites a poem in a voice that sends chills... Just 15 years later, Betty Ford, unapologetic feminist catapulted to the role of First Lady. Learn how the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, led to Cong. Gerald Ford's (MI) appointment. In August 1974, President Nixon's resignation elevated VP Gerald Ford to the presidency and with him was Betty, his true partner. Betty cast a new mold for First Ladies, with her outspoken activism on health, addiction and women's issues. Resources: Blanche Wiesen Cook's Eleanor Roosevelt: Volumes 1 & 2

Unscripted viewing of highlights of Super Bowl Halftime Shows t Performances by 6 women, all available on YouTube.  Omitted performances by major artists: Tina Turner, Mary J. Blige, Brittany Spears & Carol Channing because they either performed as a medley of talent or in the case of Ms. Channing, the video just isn’t available. 1982 with the Up With People performance. 1992 was the salute to the Winter Olympics that concluded with a performance by Gloria Estefan, 1996 Diana Ross arriving in a helicopter. 2003 halftime stages that featured Shania Twain and No Doubt, led by Gwen Stefani. Madonna’s in 2012 and Beyonce & Destiny’s Child in 2013.

"It was like Nixon going to China." Commentary by guest & media/gender scholar Wendy Burns-Ardolino;  Season 4 of Designing Women. Delta Burke's weight gain, tabloid harrassment. Rumors of Burke being "difficult to work with" Linda Bloodworth Thomason writes "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?" & Burke sends TV's first direct message about bodyshaming to the America.   Resources: Delta Burke's 1998 Delta Style: Eve wasn't a size 6 and neither am I Wendy Burns-Ardolino's (2015) TV Female Foursomes and Their Fans: Featuring the Golden Girls, Designing Women, Living Single, Sex and the City, Girlfriends, Cashmere Mafia and Hot in Cleveland  

Wendy Burns-Ardolino Professor at Grand Valley State University (MI) Background Research & interest for her 2015 book TV Female Foursomes and Their Fans 4-female theory Example shows Living Single - different in many ways Yvette Lee Bowser as seasoned showrunner  

Lucy left this world as a bit of a mystery. She left so much unexplained, kept wisdom to herself (or at least kept it closely held). Kennedy Center Honors  House Un-American Activities Committee > Ronald and Nancy Reagan > Divorce; DesiLu Studio settlement > Kindred spirit Carol Burnett > Suffering no fools, including Dick Cavett > Barbara Walters and the game face > Advocating for Emmy Award for Writing > Viv tells stories > Bette Midler in awe Great resource: Stefan Kanfer's Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life & Comic Art of Lucille Ball. * Two TV interview clips (Johnny Carson Tonight Show 1969 and a Barbara Walters Special 1977) retrieved from YouTube contain background noise that we were unable to filter out.    

Podcast Episode Description   In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores Diana Ross’ legendary 1983 Central Park concert, where music and leadership collided amidst a torrential downpour. Discover how Ross captivated a bi-racial crowd, managed chaos with grace, and turned a challenging performance into a cultural milestone. From the event’s impact on early premium cable streaming via Showtime to Ross’ resilience and bond with her fans, Cynthia connects the dots between pop culture, feminism, and the business of entertainment.  Join us as we dive into the stories behind the scenes, including the NYC Parks Department's role, the significance of this moment for Ross’ career, and how it paved the way for new media opportunities. How did Diana manage to hold it all together in such adverse conditions? What does her leadership teach us today? Podcast Episode Plot Summary Diana Ross’ 1983 Central Park concert is a story of resilience, cultural significance, and the dawn of new med

Treva Silverman, the primary writer for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, broke ground as one of the few women in the writers' room during television's golden age. In this episode, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams to discuss Silverman’s career, legacy, and the challenges of writing smart, funny TV from a woman’s perspective. The conversation includes: Treva Silverman’s influence on Lou, Ted, and Georgette The power of delegation and leadership in collaborative TV writing The cold audience response to the pilot episode and how it reshaped Rhoda Why humility and collaboration were key to the show's lasting legacy Silverman was part of a team that changed the game for women in television. From Emmy interviews to Armstrong’s deep research, this episode highlights Silverman’s voice, influence, and the second-wave feminist momentum that fueled her career. Related ATH episodes: 1.15 Women of MTM Pt. 1 (https://traffic.libsyn.com/advancedtvher

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues her conversation with author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, digging deeper into the brilliant women behind The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In this episode, they explore how casting, style, and behind-the-scenes leadership shaped not just the series — but TV history. Armstrong shares insights from her book Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, focusing on the show's female writers and creatives: Writers like Susan Silver, Jenna McMahon, Gail Parent, and Marilyn Suzanne Miller Casting director Ethel Winant's eye for chemistry and strong ensemble balance Costume designer Mimi Kirk and stylist Leslie Hall's visual influence on Mary, Rhoda, and Sue Ann How “Rhoda” spun off — and the cultural impact of letting women lead storytelling Armstrong recounts the discovery of writers who never expected their work to define a generation — or become a feminist TV landmark. It's a celebration of the unsung women who made MTM iconic.   YouTube Audio Version Available: https://youtu.be/cl42oUL3GJ

Guest Jennifer Keishin Armstrong; Background, Northwestern University. Resource: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (2013) Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted – and All the Brilliant Minds Who Made the Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic. Women behind the scenes enthusiastically agreed to be interviewed for book. > The Rhoda look, Chuckles the Clown funeral  

The Movie-of-the-Week Pilot with Loretta Swit as Cagney. Limits with MASH contract. Auditions by prominent TV/film actresses, Meg Foster gets the nod. Powerful writing, ever-changing timeslot. Canceled with a caveat > Foster out, Gless in. It's a really great story!