Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito pick up the conversation about documentaries, this time about Gilda Radner and the 2018 film, Love, Gilda. In fall 2024, Lisa was a guest along with Mallory Lewis to discuss the documentary, Shari and Lamb Chop.
Highlights include Lisa's journey from acting to filmmaking - shorts and feature length and her passion to tell the life stories of women whose accomplishments and impact have been overlooked. Also, Lisa reflects on Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolf, Bill Hader and Melissa McCarthy expressions of awe and sanctity when reading Gilda's journals and writings for the film.
01/25/2025
This episode continues the insightful interview with Bill Jankowski, co-author of Patty Duke's memoir In the Presence of Greatness. Jankowski and host Cynthia Bemis Abrams delve deeper into Duke's experiences with Hollywood legends, her remarkable career spanning film, stage, and television, and her courageous advocacy for mental health awareness. Patty Duke's life was noted for her Oscar and Emmy-winning performances, her role in The Miracle Worker, and her openness about living with bipolar disorder. Bill also shares behind-the-scenes details of the memoir’s creation, Duke's reflections on forgiveness, and how her legacy inspires future generations.
5/3/18
Cynthia Bemis Abrams sits down with William Jankowski, co-author of In the Presence of Greatness, to discuss the remarkable life and legacy of Anna "Patty" Duke. From her groundbreaking roles in The Miracle Worker and The Patty Duke Show to her later years of mental health advocacy, Patty’s story is one of resilience and honesty.
Discover how Patty’s final memoir was shaped, featuring behind-the-scenes stories of her relationships with industry legends like Lucille Ball, Sharon Tate, and Gloria Vanderbilt. William shares how Patty Duke courageously reflected on her struggles with bipolar disorder and her triumphant moments in the spotlight.
The episode uncovers personal anecdotes from her time with legendary figures like Lucille Ball and Sharon Tate, revealing the depth of her impact on the entertainment world and beyond.
Episode Life Lessons
5/3/18
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams recorded this file 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 holds many important places in TV herstory. Cynthia recounts the impact the actor's 1987 best selling memoir Call Me Anna had on understanding and removing stigma around mental health. Duke candidly discussed bipolar disorder/manic depression on The Phil Donohue in 1987.
2/24/16
After 40+ years of effort, the number of highly visible women covering TV sports is minuscule. Podcast/radio regular Jim Jax participates in a herstoric look at legends and workhorses who made a difference. We discuss their achievements and career paths.
11/1/18
No podcast on women in television is complete without a long hard look at the life and career of Lucille Ball. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams found that even with a lot of research, Lucy left this world as a bit of a mystery. There's just not much written. Ball seemed to have kept wisdom to herself (or at least kept it closely held). Cynthia navigates Ball's public appearances and statements gleaned from available sources, finding points where Ball's humility and pride are profound. Kennedy Center Honors and then-Pres. Ronald Reagan celebrated Ball, but it's important to understand the contexts of Ball's run in with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and Communist blacklisting. There's the marriage and divorce from the Desi Arnaz and how it resulted in a settlement that included the studio. From talk shows to famous quotes, Cynthia walks a detailed history that makes Lucille Ball a solid feminist.
1/5/18
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams interviews Bryan Johnson, the force behind the wildly successful niche fan site The Concluding Chapter of Joan Crawford. Cynthia and Bryan discuss the careers of aging Hollywood stars, as depicted FX's Feud: Bette and Joan. They go on to list Crawford's late career appearances on TV and why she chose to step back from the public eye
5/20/17
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams has long thought of Florence Henderson's role of Carol Brady as having a worldwide effect. Every year at Mother's Day, Florence Henderson (1934-2016) sits atop every TV blogger's list. Cynthia finds Henderson's 2012 memoir, Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond, fascinating. Henderson tracks her humble beginnings, to Broadway, clear through to her extensive television career.
5/7/17
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, both the film and TV series, and how she 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.
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores the feminist legacy of Dinah Shore, who claimed she wasn't a feminist. Cynthia charts Dinah's early years, her radio career and the (then-radical) stands she took to ensure Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and other black performers received respectful treatment and airtime on TV and radio. As a woman with connections, she leveraged power in the 1950s that was rare. Cynthia goes on to explain how again Dinah leveraged her position to become the godmother to women's golf. Televised tournaments increased women player pay as Dinah fused her relationship with her national sponsors to add on the tournaments.
1/26/17
Long a Betty White fan, 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 hints of the eventual SueAnn Nivens.
7/27/15
Associate Producer Monica Rivera shares her deep interest in The Honeymooners & it's nothing short of amazing. Hear about how it so richly influenced this Gen Xer’s urban upbringing and how Audrey Meadows' "Alice" to Jackie Gleason’s "Ralph Kramden" - was another unsung talented feminist from TV’s first generation.
Rivera also produces You Wanna Do What? a podcast that challenges listeners to step up and realize their dreams.
1/1/18
Look no further than TV news anchor Connie Chung’s groundbreaking career for the textbook definition of representation. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores Chung’s impact as a trailblazing Chinese-American journalist through the lens of her 2024 memoir, Connie, A Memoir.
This episode revisits Chung’s rise through national television journalism, her lasting legacy, and her influence on American culture—including the surprise moment during her 2024 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where young women named Connie honored her inspiration. Cynthia also reflects on Chung’s open letter in The Washington Post, written in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during the Kavanaugh hearings, and how Chung’s career helped define resilience in the face of systemic barriers.
04/01/2025
The Facts of Life & Living Single fans, enjoy a candid walk down memory lane in this interview with 40 year TV veteran Kim Fields. From parenting to finding voice, confidence and strength in this demanding world, our conversation covers it all, yet still leaves more to be discovered in her just-released autobiography, Blessed Life.
12/9/17
Actor Briana Venskus of Agents of SHIELD, Grace and Frankie, Walking Dead and Outcast shares oodles of wisdom about fan engagement, progress of LGBTQ storylines & casting and the strength of streaming platforms in attracting transformative writers. Venskus is part of Clexacon, an international LGBTQ women's media experience with major events in Nov. 2018 and April 2019.
10/4/18
As streaming service Sundance Now unveils the Australian psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps, co-star Jessica de Gouw talks with Cynthia about the series, her past roles in historical and fantasy dramas and the increasingly diverse world of international TV.
Jessica's recent prominent roles in series produced in the US, UK and Australia include that of Elizabeth Hawkes in (2016) Underground , Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray in Dracula from 2013-14in 2019's The Hunting and Lucy Lindsay-Hogg in The Crown (2019)
Sundance Now is AMC Networks’ premiere streaming service for engrossing true crime, heart-stopping dramas and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world.
The Secrets She Keeps is based on a novel of the same name by Michael Robotham. Early in the episode, Jessica mentioned she has just finished viewing (& highly recommends) HBO's I May Destroy You.
7/13/20
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomed Cuban-born actress Marlene Forte to talk about her career and progress for Latinx performers and creatives. Marlene speaks candidly about her persistence in advocating for herself and others, and to rise beyond crying mother and beaten up girlfriend roles written for women of color. Cynthia and Marlene close out the chat with themes of persistence, friends and representation.
2/22/17
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Susan Silver, writer for TV's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Maude" and "Square Pegs" and other projects to talk about her memoir, "Hot Pants in Hollywood: Sex, Secrets and Sitcoms." Susan shares her path to becoming a TV writer and the supportive environments she encountered.
4/23/17
3rd episode collaborating with The Reel Women profiling talented women in TV. Lawyer, teacher and playwright Chanel Glover of Los Angeles shares her projects building quirky stories about queer people of color (often women) and young people.
Glover tells her own story of exploring other careers and how writing has shaped her life. She weaves her background in advocacy into her writing and tells Cynthia and Ashley about real life experiences that are entertaining and insightful that should be brought to audiences.
Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women joins Cynthia for this episode. The Reel Women celebrates the successes of women in filmed entertainment.
8/18/20
Second in a series of profiles of careers that are rising despite the prevalence of -isms in the TV industry. Chicago-based Sanicole Young is a director, writer and cinematographer working on TV series and short films.
Sanicole, Cynthia and Ashley Pacini, of the industry networking group Reel Women, discuss Sanicole's path of experience and education at Columbia College in Chicago and her decision to remain in the Midwest, instead of moving to LA or NY.
Sanicole talks in-depth as well about her short film, Training Wheels and the power the 1997 film Eve's Bayou has had on her creative work.
Find Sanicole on Instagram and Twitter by her first name, Sanicole.
8/11/20
First in a series of profiles of careers that are rising despite the prevalence of -isms in the TV industry. Danielle Earle is a producer and teaches high school in Orange, NJ.
Danielle, Cynthia and Ashley Pacini, of the industry networking group Reel Women, discuss her path of experience and education and the steady stream of work at her production company, PLEntertainment.
Danielle talks in-depth as well about her series Brooklyn is in Love, Shonda Rhimes and the opportunities of job-shadowing and interning she secures for her students and her go-to networking favorites.
7/24/20
Sometimes we don't recognize or celebrate persistence while it's going on. This interview with Pepper Reed, part of the collaboration with The Reel Women, a community of women with careers in TV and film, is a testament to persistence.
In this episode led by Ashley Pacini, Pepper explains how writing and script supervising influence directing and why she chose the formal training that has prepared her to wear so many hats.
Ashley & Pepper discuss the positions for which living in Los Angeles or New York are essential, the power of networking and the importance of setting professional goals.
8/25/20
