From Lucille Ball to Tina Fey, from Joan Rivers to Margaret Cho, women have been rewriting the rules of comedy for decades — and they're not done yet. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by Lynn Harris, founder of Gold Comedy, to explore the legacy and future of funny women on TV. Together, they dissect the comedic influence of legends like Mary Tyler Moore, Moms Mabley, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus — and discuss why shows like SNL still present challenges for women today. With a nod to streaming, social media, and evolving industry gatekeepers, this episode dives into how women and non-binary creatives are shaping the next chapter of television comedy.

Background & Mentions

Gold Comedy – https://goldcomedy.com/

1.21 – Lucille Ball's Humility & Pride https://traffic.libsyn.com/advancedtvherstory/Lucille_Balls_Humility__Pride.mp3 6.15 – Presenting Margaret Cho https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/presenting-margaret-cho 11.1 – SNL's Gilda Radner: A Life Celebrated in Film https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/snls-gilda-radner-a-life-celebrated-in-film Book recommendations: Joan Rivers (1986) Enter Talking and Carol Burnett (2011) This Time Together Learn more about Moms Mabley https://nmaahc.si.edu/moms-mabley TV series Ellen (1994-98) S.4, e 22 The Puppy Episode https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnty3f WI Public Radio interview with Hacks creators https://www.wpr.org/culture/hacks-co-creators-on-their-emmy-winning-comedy-show

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