Cynthia’s Desk

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Annie Potts!

TV and film actor Annie Potts came on Advanced TV Herstory to discuss her new charity dedicated to helping others. It’s often said, usually when one is debating whether or not to do something, that “you can’t get a hit if you don’t swing.” A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a social media post about Annie Potts and the...
Minimalistic "trust" text in black and white.

The State of Trust: Podcasters Score Big

This month, Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, released  some fascinating findings of listener opinions. Acast reports that half  of all U.S. podcast listeners consider podcasters the most trustworthy sources of information. YouTube comes in second. Mainstream journalism seems to have lost a lot of ground where credibility is concerned. My past is filled with numerous roles where I...
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Vanessa Redgrave Memoir, a book recommendation

Vanessa Redgrave memoir is worth reading, even if you know little or nothing about the famous actor. Before reading her 1994 autobiography, I only knew “of” Redgrave. I had seen a few of her films (Julia, Howard’s End), and heard her narrate as Nurse Lee on TV’s Call the Midwife. Further, I was aware of her reputation as a committed activist....
Emotional moment between two people

Televised Women’s Sports Drama: Summer Edition

Televised women’s sports delivered some great change this summer. Worldwide, sports will never be the same. Let's take a look at some of the drama. Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kissed women soccer  players who had just won the 2023 Women’s World Cup. His stunning  behavior detracted from Spain’s historic win and the team’s amazing  play. Each month, we...
two women hold picket signs that say SAG-AFTRA supports WGA and Writers Guild of America on Strike

SAG-AFTRA & The WGA: The Virtual Picket Line

SAG-AFTRA and the WGA strike of 2023 holds great implications for the entertainment industry, amid a sea of technological and economic change. Our mission is to connect the dots of TV and feminism to American culture and politics. This massive effort by Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a...
Breaking news on labor negotiations

Before Fran Drescher

Before Fran Drescher (star of TV's The Nanny) made headlines about entertainment industry labor struggles, the future of TV and film seemed solid. No one can dispute the powerful role TV and entertainment plays in today’s world, but is it in jeopardy? Advanced TV Herstory’s organic evolution has certainly been steered by the headlines of the  last eight years. SAG-AFTRA and the...
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Feminist TV History Podcast: Preparing for Progress

This is the script for our 8th anniversary episode (July 2023) Feminist TV history podcast celebrates its 8th anniversary with a look back, and forward! Happy Anniversary, listeners! It was in late June 2015 that I jumped into podcasting. I chose as my topical area the vast HIStory of television that had been little discussed, barely written about. I wanted to...
Group photo from 90s TV show

My So-Called Life Changed Mine

My So-Called Life, the TV series from 1994-95, literally changed understanding of the power of my podcast, Advanced TV Herstory. It was years after I launched Advanced TV Herstory that I arrived at the tagline: Connecting the dots of TV and Feminism to American Culture and Politics. Looking back, I am proud of my episodes and the voice they held in...
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Feminist TV Documentarian, a Title Earned

Feminist TV documentarian is not a title I set out to earn when I started podcasting in 2015. Award-winning TV writer Georgia Jeffries assigned the title spontaneously, during a zoom call . The scores of books read and interviews conducted have led me to threads of untold feminist history. Last year I wrote that I had undertaken writing a book....