Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

Susanne Simpson, Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer of MASTERPIECE, returns to Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters® for its 6th season's annual preview. We revisit last season's standouts, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, THE FORSYTES, and GRANTCHESTER's finale, then look ahead to MISS SCARLET's final season, THE FORSYTES season 2, and a new adaptation of Henry James's novel, The Portrait of a Lady. Susanne also goes behind the scenes on choosing stories, international co-productions, and AI's role in historical drama. Expect surprises!

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Check out our trailer to announce the new season (#6) of Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters® premiering at the March On! Festival, September 16, 7–7:45 PM ET, as part of the festival's virtual preambles.

As the nation marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, we'll be celebrating our 2026 miniseries, Revolution to Rights: America at 250, and sitting down with MS Now justice and legal affairs analyst Anthony Coley for a conversation you won't want to miss.

Register on the marchonfest.org website for this virtual preamble event. The full festival runs from September 29 - October 6.

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See you at March On!

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In episode 94 (Season 5 finale), The Boston Sisters talk with Lawrence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes (2007), a novel inspired by an 18th-century British military ledger of African Americans who gained freedom serving the British in the Revolution. Hill’s novel was adapted by the CBC into a miniseries in 2015. Hill discusses the novel's creation, Canada's complex history of slavery, shared African American/African Canadian history, and how book bans affect historical narratives.

Content Note: “The Book of Negroes” is a 1783 historic document of names of Black Loyalists who fought for the British and later settled in Nova Scotia. This history was the inspiration for the title and story for the novel by Lawrence Hill published in 2007. The original title was changed in the U.S. to “Someone Knows My Name,” but went back to the original title following the success of the 2015 miniseries adaptation. In the podcast, “Negroes” is only mentioned in this context (1783 ledger, book and series titles).

Lawrence Hill is the author of eleven novels and nonfiction works published worldwide and translated into many languages. His bestsellers include The Illegal and The Book of Negroes, which he adapted into an award-winning CBC/B.E.T. miniseries, and his memoir Black Berry, Sweet Juice, the first book-length exploration of Black and white, mixed-race identity in Canada. A professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph for thirty years, he has earned The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, an NAACP Image Award, CBC's Canada Reads (twice), a Canadian Screen Award, and for Aminata (the French translation of The Book of Negroes), Le combat des livres de Radio-Canada and Le Prix Folio-Télérama des libraires 2023. Lawrence Hill is a Member of the Order of Canada.

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The Boston Sisters talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff—co-executive producer of the 2024 Apple TV series FRANKLIN (starring Academy Award-winner Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin) inspired by Schiff’s award-winning book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America.

We get into the real Franklin: the improvised diplomacy that the Continental Congress never quite understood, his fascinating and fraught partnerships with the powerful women of the French court, his bitter rivalry with John Adams, and the painful estrangement from his loyalist son William.

This is the Franklin your American history class probably left out.
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Episode 92 is the 5th podcast in the "Revolution to Rights: America at 250" series,  which turns to the American Revolution and its impact on gender roles and political agency. This podcast spotlights the 2008 HBO miniseries JOHN ADAMS, which won 13 Emmy Awards and stars Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as John and Abigail Adams. 
Historians Cassandra Good (author, Founding Friendships), and Sara Georgini (series editor for The Papers of John Adams at the Massachusetts Historical Society) delve into the friendship and correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, and Abigail's influence through mixed-sex friendships.

"Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®" 2026 podcast schedule features a lineup of films and series about America’s 250-year history of advancing freedom since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The theme for the 10-part special series is Revolution to Rights: America at 250 and emphasizes stories that show that freedom is not just a state-of-being, but continuous collective actions that shape the  American identity and experience.

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In this Bonus VIDEO! episode of "Historical Drama with the Boston Sisters," Michon and Taquiena discuss their 2026 book picks for summer reading and beyond including: *Carole Boston Weatherford's "Kin: Rooted in Hope," a multi-generational narrative in verse about her family's history (See Episode 91); *Marjorie J. Spruill’s "Divided We Stand" (FX/Hulu MRS. AMERICA miniseries) which explores the women's rights movement in the 1970s (see Epsidoes 89 and 90).

Other books include David McCullough's "John Adams" (HBO miniseries), Stacy Schiff's "A Great Improvisation" (FRANKLIN Apple TV miniseries),  Lawrence Hill's "The Book of Negroes" (CBC/BET miniseries), *Vanessa Riley's "Queen of Exiles" (see episode 86), and Tom Reiss’ "The Black Count." 

This “From Page to Screen” bonus is the first full-length VIDEO podcast for “Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters®.”

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Thank you for listening...and/or watching!

Along with our announcement of the 2026 book picks for the annual “From Page to Screen" podcast, we invited one of the authors, Carole Boston Weatherford, award-winning children's book author to join us for a conversation about writing history for young readers. Carole's written 90 books (and counting) for children and youth about Americans who broke barriers and advanced freedom movements in U.S.history. 

Carole shares her journey into writing history for young readers, emphasizing the importance of diverse narratives. She describes her research process, including using primary sources and visiting historical sites. 

Carole also discusses her book (a "From Page to Screen" book pick) “Kin Rooted in Hope," a multi-generational family history, and addresses the significance of telling African American stories to foster empathy and understanding. It’s a book that has special meaning being her family story and a collaboration with her son Jeffrey Boston Weatherford, the book’s illustrator.

Carole Boston Weatherford’s’s books have garnered 2 NAACP Image Awards and 18 American Library Association Youth Media Awards, including a Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award and 4 Caldecott Honors. Her career achievements have been recognized with the North Carolina Award for Literature, the Nonfiction Award from the Children’s Book Guild and induction into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. A retired English professor, she lives in Baltimore, MD

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TIMESTAMPS

Introduction and Overview of the Podcast (0:01)

Carole Boston Weatherford's Writing Journey (4:07)

Historical Research Process and Inspirations (7:31)

Selecting Historical Events and People (10:53)

Creating "KIN: Rooted in Hope" a multigenerational family story (15:09)

History "Our Only Road Map" (18:53)

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Episode 90 is part 2/2 of a conversation about the real history in the 2020n FX series MRS. AMERICA"and the story of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) with historian Marjorie J. Spruill. Part 2 explores the rise of Phyllis Schlafly's anti-ERA campaign, which gained traction by appealing to religious conservatives. Spruill highlights key figures like Bella Abzug, Glory Steinem, Shirley Chisholm, Betty Friedan, Jill Rukelshaus, Brenda Feigen-Fasteau, and Lottie Beth Hobbs, and the pivotal 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston. Marjorie J. Spruill also gives us an update on the current status of the ERA.

MRS. AMERICA tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash. Tthe series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 70s shifted the political landscape for generations.

Marjorie J. Spruill's 2017 book, “Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women's Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics,” was a key resource for this 2020 FX series. Spruill is  Distinguished Professor Emerita of History at the University of South Carolina. She specializes in United States history, particularly women's and gender history and the history of the American South. She gives frequent addresses on woman suffrage and modern feminism and anti-feminism, and serves as a consultant for documentaries and to the media. Majorie is currently chair of the Scholars Advisory Council of the National Women’s History Museum.

MRS. AMERICA is the 5th historical drama in the , a 10-part miniseries, REVOLUTION TO RIGHTS: AMERICA AT 250, featuring historical dramas that emphasize that freedom is not just a state-of-being, but continuous collective actions that shape the  American identity and experience.

TIMESTAMPS

0;03 Introduction to REVOLUTION TO RIGHTS Podcast Series

7:06 Overview of MRS. AMERICA and Key Figures

14:45 Schlafly's Campaign and Anti-ERA Movement

22:23 Lottie Beth Hobbs and the Anti-ERA Movement

30:12 The National Women's Conference and Pro-Life Rally

38:30 Impact of the National Women's Conference

46:52 The Status of the ERA Today

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In episode 89 explores the history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the key people fighting for its ratification and demise as seen in the series MRS. AMERICA. with Marjorie J. Spruill. Marjorie’s 2017 book “Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women’s Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics” was a key resource for this 2020 FX series.

MRS. AMERICA tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly. Through the eyes of the women of the era – both Schlafly and second wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus – the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 70s shifted the political landscape for generations. Source: FX

Marjorie Spruill is  Distinguished Professor Emerita of History at the University of South Carolina. Marjorie specializes in United States history, particularly women's and gender history and the history of the American South. She gives frequent addresses on woman suffrage and modern feminism and anti-feminism, and serves as a consultant for documentaries and to the media. Majorie is currently chair of the Scholars Advisory Council of the National Women’s History Museum.

MRS. AMERICA is the 5th historical drama in the REVOLUTION TO RIGHTS: AMERICA AT 250, a 10-part miniseries featuring historical dramas that emphasize that freedom is not just a state-of-being, but continuous collective actions that shape the  American identity and experience.

TIMESTAMPS

0:03 Introduction to REVOLUTION TO RIGHTS - AMERICA AT 25 series

4:02 Welcoming Marjorie J Spruill, author of DIVIDED WE STAND

4:16 Overview of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

7:48 Evolution of Feminism and Women's Rights

12:48 Role of Technology in Women's Rights Movement

17:29 The Political Landscape of Women's Rights

22:37 The Debate Between Rights Versus Privileges

27:46 The Impact of Economic Forces on Women's Rights

37:33 The Role of Political Figures in Women's Rights

42:45 The Legacy of ERA and Women's Rights Movement

47:36 Conclusion and Intro to Part 2

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The Boston Sisters talk about the PBS MASTERPIECE series THE FORSYTES, a prequel to and reimagining of John Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga,” with Sharon D. Johnson, script consultant for MASTERPIECE including THE FORSYTES series. The conversation explores themes of art versus commerce, family dynamics, and societal expectations in the conflict between pragmatism and passion, particularly in the characters of Soames (Joshua Orpin) and Jolyon Forsyte (Danny Griffin). Their  dynamic draws parallels to contemporary issues of artistic freedom and societal pressures. The podcast also lifts up the real-life inspiration for two characters: Issac Cole (Owen Igiehon), the Fosyte’s company lawyer; and Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington (Josette Simon), a wealthy heiress and friend of the Forsyte family.

TIMESTAMPS

Introduction and Overview of the Podcast (0:01)

Discussion on THE FORSYTES and Its Themes (5:06)

Historical Context and Character Dynamics (10:03)

Art vs. Commerce and Historical Parallels (15:43)

Contemporary Relevance and Personal Stories (25:42)

Character Development and Themes (30:44)

Black Characters Inspired by Historical Figures  (35:30)

Final Thoughts and Future Conversations (41:03)

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