Advanced TV Herstory

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams considers the backstory of the creation of the hit buddy-cop series, Cagney & Lacey (1982-1988) to be essential feminist knowledge. Cynthia provides insights into the creative process and patience that defied network and production preferences, making the series stronger with every setback. Cynthia explains the roles of producers Barney Rosenzweig, Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday and how they nearly didn't break through a television glass ceiling and change television.

Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams finds influence and representation throughout the depths of television, including the animated series, The Power Puff Girls (1998-2004).

As Third Wave Feminism took root, a rare animated series featuring three main girl characters Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup held up a magical, colorful mirror. Suddenly, for viewers of all ages, agency, problem solving and fighting for what's right were natural traits for girl characters. Cynthia provides the backstory of creator Craig McCracken and the controversy which the series generated among feminists and elementary school principals.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams provides the long overdue look at the primary women characters of Emmy award-winning series Hill Street Blues. Characters Lucy Bates (uniformed police officer) played by Betty Thomas and Joyce Davenport (confident public defender) portrayed by Veronica Hamel.

The two characters provided moral and ethical voice in arcs and story lines that were otherwise the precursor to police procedural dramas. Cynthia notes the two women characters were rarely in same scene and never garnered many lines or airtime each week, yet influenced women to pursue careers in law enforcement and the law.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams frames the appearance of the prime time serial drama genre of the 1970s, which began with Dallas and included Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Dynasty and The Colbys.

Cynthia discusses the series' longlasting appeal to the older audiences by casting acclaimed film actors Barbara Bel Geddes and Jane Wyman. For TV, these women filled roles considered rare: older woman with quiet power vs. older woman with vocal, aggressive agency. Either way, it was long overdue representation of older woman that is still rare today.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams celebrates the early career and influence of Debbie Allen, the groundbreaking actor, choreographer, director, producer, and businesswoman. This episode explores her journey from Howard University to her star-making role as Lydia Grant in Fame (1982-1987).

In both the film and TV series, Allen shaped the future of Black storytelling on television. Cynthia details Allen's early struggles as a New York actress, her first television role on Good Times, and her breakthrough as Anita in Broadway's 1980 revival of West Side Story. From dancing in the streets of Harlem to guiding A Different World behind the scenes, Allen's legacy in entertainment is unmatched.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams celebrates the classic coming-of-age drama My So-Called Life (1994-1995)and its creator and writer, Winnie Holzman. The Gen X drama revolves around mothers and daughters and has become a generational touchstone.

While many of the short-lived series' stories revolve around timeless teenage angst, there's an undeniable, embedded perspective from Holzman, as female storyteller. Cynthia explores the mother-daughter relationships of the mid-90s, early days of the internet's arrival into households, but before social media and phones changed family life.

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams recounts the heyday of feminism, when tennis ace Billie Jean King accepted the challenge to play the aging men's champion Bobbie Riggs in a prime time match. The backstory of King agreeing to the offer is fascinating and reveals the risk King took on behalf of feminism and the progress of Title IX, women's rights and the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Resource: Selena Roberts' 2005 A Necessary Spectacle: Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs and the Tennis Match that Leveled the Game

Added post-release of this episode: YouTube 1973 broadcast of tennis match https://youtu.be/R9C5XNREzNg?si=4O9Nv5K8ynL30ur0

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Longtime Betty White fan, Advanced TV Herstory host Cynthia Bemis Abrams reviews the career and actions of the accomplished comedian and actor, Betty White. Working from Betty's own memoirs, Cynthia recounts how Betty was bitten by the acting bug and her early roles.

Highlighting Life With Elizabeth, one of the earliest titled female in a comedy (1953-55), Cynthia observes the early traits of the eventual SueAnn Nivens character from The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Resources: Betty White, An Intimate Portrait, Memoir, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't), 2011

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examines the TNT original series that starred Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Cynthia puts her leadership professor hat on to highlight the character's personal and professional growth of the series' first four seasons.

Resource: The Leadership Challenge by William Kouzes and Barry Posner

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

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

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

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams takes a feminist deep dive into Sports Night, Aaron Sorkin's fast-paced workplace comedy that lasted just two seasons.

The series, starring Felicity Huffman, Josh Charles, Peter Krause, and Robert Guillaume, explored the power of mentorship in a high-pressure newsroom environment.

This episode examines how strong, multi-layered mentor-mentee relationships shaped the show's core characters, particularly Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman), Natalie Hurley (Sabrina Lloyd), and Isaac Jaffe (Robert Guillaume).

Cynthia discusses the series' enduring relevance in portraying professional growth, journalistic integrity, and workplace dynamics for women in leadership.

Plot Summary: Sports and journalism collide in Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night (1998–2000), a show praised for its smart dialogue, ethical dilemmas, and engaging newsroom relationships.

This episode explores:

• How Dana Whitaker, as a female newsroom leader, navigated workplace challenges.
• The mentor-mentee relationship between Isaac Jaffe and Dana, and in turn, Dana's guidance of Natalie.
• Ethical journalism themes and how the show's portrayal of integrity in media remains relevant today.
• Why Sports Night continues to be a fan-favorite despite lasting only two seasons.

The discussion highlights the evolution of workplace mentorship, the barriers women face in male-dominated industries, and the real-world applications of the show's lessons.

Episode Resources Referenced Shows and Networks: Sports Night (1998–2000)

Related Episodes: Sports Night: More Relevant Than Ever (4.20) https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/d099dbfb-e591-4877-879b-6a7781c7b9f2.mp3