TV is once again attempting to bring legendary "girl detective" Nancy Drew to life. We dust off our very first episode for a look at past attempts to put the hugely popular Nancy Drew mysteries on the small screen. The book series' backstory is a fascinating look at ego & the evolution of publishing. Excerpts are included from Melanie Rehak's 2005 Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her.
We explore why the Sunday night series that paired actress Pamela Sue Martin's Nancy Drew with The Hardy Boys failed in 1977-1979 and how the books have impacted TV herstory.
10/18/19
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams revisits The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries on Sunday nights that aired 1977-79. She shares the background of the woman writer of teen fiction in the 1930s, the stringent standards placed on the girl detective character and Warner Brothers studio's attempt to put Nancy Drew on the silver screen. Cynthia ices the under-produced feminist vehicle by detailing how Pamela Sue Martin bolted for Playboy and wound up as a Dynasty Carrington.
6/24/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams walks through the high and low points of women television detective characters. Detectives followed the emergence of women in title roles of series, which happened at the same time feminist milestones Title IX and the campaign to ratify the ERA was changing American society. High points include Pamela Sue Martin's walk out on the The Nancy Drew Mysteries (1978) set, the 13 episodes of Mrs. Columbo, the spin off from an unseen character from the series Columbo. Cynthia looks at Charlie's Angels, Kate Jackson's reported influence on making the series more credible and the undervalued conclusion that there would be no Cagney and Lacey without Charlie's Angels.
3/5/16
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues the examination of the early years and struggle of television's groundbreaking series, Cagney and Lacey. She reviews the Movie-of-the-Week / pilot that starred Loretta Swit as Cagney, alongside Tyne Daly and the challenges presented by the casting of Meg Foster and an ever-changing time slot. Cancellations and resurrection are important life lessons.
11/6/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams considers the backstory of the creation of Cagney and Lacey to be essential feminist knowledge. She celebrates the creative process and patience that delivered the first ever women's Buddy/Cop show. Cynthia explains the roles of Barney Rosenzweig, Barbara Avedon and Barbara Corday and how they nearly didn't break through a television glass ceiling and change television.
9/22/15
The series Charmed, originally airing from 1998 to 2006 on the WB, can now be seen as a TV classic. Charmed tells the story of the three (sometimes four) Halliwell sisters who discover that they're powerful witches with the duty to fight all matter of evil.
With the 2018 reboot of Charmed premiering just earlier this week and declaring itself a "fierce, funny, and feminist reboot of the original," it's a prime opportunity to ask the question: is the original Charmed actually feminist? How does it compare to the reboot?
In this episode, we discuss Charmed's roots, its central themes, and the unwavering activism of two of its main actresses, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan, in the #MeToo movement. On top of that, we include a very brief history of feminism with reference to an amazing article by Constance Grady written for Vox.com.
10/18/18
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams examines the TNT original series that starred Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Cynthia puts her leadership professor hat on to highlight the character's personal and professional growth of the first four seasons.
7/15/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams resumes her review of TNT's original series, The Closer. The continued leadership growth of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson creates a rare long look of a police procedural female character. The character's challenges from Capt. Sharon Raydor, getting married challenges, alcoholism, ambition, succession and burnout are depicted with realism and grit.
10/25/15
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams recounts an important and progressive holiday episode of the series, Bewitched, which aired 1964 to 1972. Cynthia first details background on how the series's development, with its Hollywood veteran Elizabeth Montgomery, along side two actors who played her mortal husband, Darren. Montgomery was married at the time to William Asher and both served as the series producers. Cynthia provides details of how the story treatment landed on the desk of noted woman television writer Barbara Avedon. The holiday episode, which aired Dec. 24, 1970, boldly addresses series underlying message of diversity and tolerance for a nation that was immersed in social change.
12/13/16
Cold War espionage with an 80s feminist touch - The Americans (FX, 2013-2018) gave us a new form of anti-hero in Elizabeth Jennings, played by Keri Russell. Cynthia and guest author Linda Mizejewski discuss the award-winning series' women, its commitment to accuracy and the bold approach of depicting spies as real people.
4/14/22
Interview with Karen Romanko, author of Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters is a fun walk through 50 years of series and characters.
Romanko shares background, life-long interest in TV & processes for how she wrote the book.
Series we touch on: The Mod Squad and Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Honey West starring Anne Francis, Police Woman, Cagney & Lacey, Charlie's Angels, Rizzoli and Isles. The list goes on!
1/21/18
