We know her as Meemaw, Mary Jo Shively, Emmie Sims, and the voice of Bo Peep. But Annie Potts is hooked on helping others—she’s very hands on—and she’s here to tell us about that part of her life. In doing so, she inspires us with her commitment and challenges us to “turn the car around.”
Annie’s charitable organization, The Heart Channels, provides direct support quickly and creatively to people at critical crossroads in their life. Its mission reflects what Annie witnessed growing up—that wherever there was a need, people opened their hearts and quietly stepped in to help however they could.
The Heart Channels also mirrors Annie’s belief that we are one human family, no matter where on the planet we are. By opening our eyes to the needs of others, we can respond lovingly and immediately—neighbor to neighbor and heart to heart.
I hope you’ll join us for this very special discussion. And please consider helping out. All donations to The Heart Channels—100%—are tax deductible and go directly to people in need.
On location at the Pop Culture Association (PCA) National Conference in Chicago, I spoke with Sherry Ginn, PhD, the current PCA president. Dr. Ginn is an impressive pop culture and science fiction scholar. I’m grateful that we found time to talk about our mutual interests in television and its impact of women in society.
Our discussion includes the evolution of science fiction in popular culture, the legacy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the problem with Dollhouse, female representation and role models, feminism, diversity, inclusion, norm breaking, and the special challenges created by male writers and showrunners in science fiction.
As a tireless editor and author, Dr. Ginn combines her love of sci-fi with her expertise in neuroscience research and psychology. Her written work presents thoughtful analyses on a range of previously under-explored topics such as women in science fiction television and sex in science fiction. Dr. Ginn has written or edited works featuring Doctor Who, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Fringe, and Dollhouse, among others.
Advanced TV Herstory’s commitment to connecting the dots of TV & feminism and American politics & culture continues with an examination of the pioneering women writers during the early days of TV.
My guest, Annie Berke, PhD, is the author of Their Own Best Creations: Women Writers in Postwar Television, part of the Feminist Media Histories book series by the University of California Press.
With a focus on 1949-1963, Dr. Berke’s foundational work appeals to scholars and students as well as others with an interest in gender roles, women in the workplace, and the cultural influence of women in media.
Along with a review of under-studied and influential women writers profiled in the book, our discussion leads to some interesting places, including the emergence of second-wave feminism and how postwar and current-day writers share many of the same struggles.
I know you’ll enjoy this fun and fast-paced episode. Thank you for listening!
10/10/23
Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Victoria Riskin, a second-generation filmmaker with a rich Hollywood legacy. Victoria's parents—Robert Riskin, a prolific, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and Fay Wray, best known for her role in the original King Kong—were instrumental in shaping the classic years of the motion picture industry.
And Victoria has crafted an impressive career all her own. She is a producer, writer, digital magazine publisher, PhD in psychology, and past president of the Writers Guild of America (WGA). She shares her experiences as WGA president and explains how power has shifted over time to the imbalance that has writers and actors on strike now in 2023.
We also learn how Victoria’s father tried leveraging his success with the studios to improve conditions for writers in the 1930s, but ultimately joined the Screen Writers Guild (SWG) as an early, active member. And, on the lighter side, you won’t want to miss Victoria’s stories from her trip to China with Norman Lear, Mary Tyler Moore, Larry Gelbart, and Carl Reiner.
Victoria knows Hollywood from deep inside. No doubt you’ll enjoy the interesting history and fun stories she shares with us.
9/12/23
I am very excited to share the first of a two-part conversation with author and TV/film historian, Lee Gambin. His double-volume work, "Tonight, On a Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious," provides a launch pad for our thoughtful and fast-paced discussion of the issues and activists behind TV’s “very special episodes,” which date back 50 years or more.
These TV events—featuring familiar, beloved characters—mixed serious topics with comedy so effectively that, in many cases, activists were born, movements were started, legislation was passed, and minds were changed.
Legendary showrunners like Norman Lear and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason used the sitcom format to normalize awareness and discussion of race relations, women’s issues, representation, discrimination, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ rights.
Fronting these issues shaped our culture in ways that should not be lost to history. Join us for a discussion of the iconic episodes and the legends who made them happen, as well as how they continue to impact us today.
4/6/23
I am very excited to share the second of a two-part conversation with author and TV/film historian, Lee Gambin. His double-volume work, "Tonight, On a Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious," provides a launch pad for our thoughtful and fast-paced discussion of the issues and activists behind TV’s “very special episodes,” which date back 50 years or more.
These TV events—featuring familiar, beloved characters—mixed serious topics with comedy so effectively that, in many cases, activists were born, movements were started, legislation was passed, and minds were changed.
Legendary showrunners like Norman Lear and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason used the sitcom format to normalize awareness and discussion of race relations, women’s issues, representation, discrimination, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ rights.
Fronting these issues shaped our culture in ways that should not be lost to history. Join us for a discussion of the iconic episodes and the legends who made them happen, as well as how they continue to impact us today.
4/17/23
In 1989, Oprah Winfrey produced and starred in the two-part TV miniseries, The Women of Brewster Place, which was based on Gloria Naylor’s award-winning debut novel. The book, and the movie, explore a variety of personal issues and social themes faced by seven African American women who live in an urban housing project.
When, just for fun, we asked the new artificial intelligence software, ChatGPT, to connect Oprah’s cultural influence with themes from the book/movie, the AI chatbot got it… sort of right. Sort of. It dispassionately summarized many of the challenges faced by the women in the story. And it mentioned Oprah’s commitment to highlighting personal and social issues. But ChatGPT failed to find the essential storyline.
And it’s no wonder. The online content about The Women of Brewster Place neglects the underlying racism that’s at work when urban planners and policymakers target the destruction of specific neighborhoods in the name of progress. As long as history is “written by the victors,” the online trough that feeds artificial intelligence will prevent AI, and the people who rely on it, from making the most crucial connections of all.
3/22/23
Writing, storytelling and 3-dimensional characters are some of the many topics author/TV producer April Smith and Cynthia discuss. April shares behind-the-scenes insight into writing & researching Mrs. America. We also go back 40 years to discuss #MeToo and a timeless Lou Grant episode.
5/3/20
Some of the freshest works on TV today are the result of screen adaptations of best selling novels. Abbe Wright of Penguin Random House, who is also podcast host of The Adaptables and Read it Forward, discusses this current trend of adaptations from the publishing and storytelling perspectives.
Since the early days of TV, adaptations of stage and literature have delivered incomparable works to primetime viewers. We discuss the 1977 miniseries Roots, based on the book of the same name. Current works like Little Fires Everywhere, Normal People, and Big Little Lies (all written and backed by women) are achieving great success with a new approach to storytelling.
4/11/20
From Dancing with the Stars to her latest documentary, Nevertheless, Producer, director in both TV & film Sarah Moshman tells stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Join us as we discuss funding, Netflix, representation, worldwide impact, privilege & unity. Learn more about Moshman & her work.
8/9/18
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomed April Smith to Advanced TV Herstory, to discuss writing quality plots from a woman's point of view, side by side with men in the writers' room. Novelist April Smith got her start telling stories on TV for award winning shows like Lou Grant, Cagney & Lacey and Chicago Hope. She highlights her career that began writing short stories in Boston, but found her way to Los Angeles through help from friends. Series featuring April Smith's work include James at 15/16, Lou Grant Cagney & Lacey (writer & producer) and Chicago Hope.
Smith's fiction work (mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction) includes the FBI Special Agent Ana Grey series.
7/19/17
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong to discuss the women behind the scenes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Jennifer tells of her experience having the creative women agree to be interviewed for her book, and together, they recall the Rhoda look and the infamous Chuckles the Clown funeral.
11/12/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues her conversation with author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong about her book "Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show A Classic." They discuss the contributions and stories of writers Susan Silver, Jenna McMahon, Gail Parent, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Monica McGowan Johnson, Gloria Banta and Pat Nardo. Jennifer shares insights into the Mary-Rho banter, Mary and Rhoda's "looks," the spin off series "Rhoda" and the impact of having a woman cast the show.
11/18/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong to talk about what she learned researching her book "Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic." Jennifer shares insights into the key role of Treva Silverman who helped develop all the characters.
11/23/15
