Best Cynthia Bemis Abrams Podcasts (2024)

1
Women Who Raise 13:22

3d ago13:22

13:22

This Mother's Day we celebrate the women who raise us, nurture and help us find our inner strength and outer voice. Typically, they are our mothers or stepmothers—but they also can be foster moms, grandparents, neighbors, dance teachers—any woman who holds a mirror up to our potential. They often enter our lives without warning and change us foreve…

1
Talking Sci-Fi with a Scientist: Dr. Sherry Ginn 30:02

22d ago30:02

30:02

On location at the Pop Culture Association (PCA) National Conference in Chicago, I met with Sherry Ginn, PhD, the current PCA president. Dr. Ginn is an impressive pop culture and science fiction scholar and I’m grateful that we were able to sit down and talk about our mutual interests in television and the impact of women in society. Our discussion…

1
TV Talk Show Moment: Vivien Leigh as Herself 18:57

2M ago18:57

18:57

We continue to celebrate the female voices that have provided a foundation for cultural advancement and modern discourse by featuring a rare TV talk show appearance by two-time Academy Award winner Vivien Leigh. The year was 1958. The show was “Small World,” hosted by American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. Appearing alongside Ms. Leigh are…

1
Intimacy Coordinating feat. Daytime's Yvonne Perry 42:54

3M ago42:54

42:54

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Yvonne Perry to Advanced TV Herstory. Yvonne is an award-winning actor, drama teacher, director, and intimacy coordinator. In addition to her work in film and primetime television, she originated the role of Rosanna Cabot on "As the World Turns." Yvonne’s experience in daytime TV, with its groundbreaking storyline…

1
Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part II 27:00

4M ago27:00

27:00

In this special episode, Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by guest co-host Ashley Pacini for the Parade of Accomplished Women 2023. Instead of a somber “in memoriam,” we’re bringing you a celebration of the talented, influential women who helped shape the television industry. In this second part of our tribute, we highlight the women of daytime, the …

1
Parade of Accomplished Women 2023 - Part I 20:22

4M ago20:22

20:22

OUT in 2024 - "In Memoriam" IN - Parade of Accomplished Women This is the first of our two-part celebration of some of the talented, influential females we lost in 2023. Guest co-host Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams for this discussion. The Reel Women interviews and profiles women in the industry to increase visibili…

1
TV Talk Shows: Hellman v. McCarthy 16:20

5M ago16:20

16:20

Welcome to the next episode in our special series on TV Talk Shows. Big talk show moments, especially the controversial ones, provide snapshots that we can use to examine our politics and culture at a singular point in time. Some of the moments we discuss in this series may be unfamiliar to you or they may seem obscure or forgotten, but that’s the …

1
Annie Potts: Hooked on Helping 46:34

6M ago46:34

46:34

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, provide…

1
TV Talk Shows: The First in a Series 18:10

6M ago18:10

18:10

Join host Cynthia Bemis Abrams as she launches a new limited series, TV Talk Shows, part of the Advanced TV Herstory podcast. In this first episode, Cynthia delves into a study that reveals women are more prominently featured in unscripted television shows than in scripted ones—another example of the industry’s inclination to front women in project…

1
Pioneer Women Writers of TV with Annie Berke, PhD 48:15

7M ago48:15

48:15

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 ser…

1
WGA, MTM and Hollywood Stories with Victoria Riskin 49:34

8M ago49:34

49:34

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 a…

1
Women Leaders of WGA and SAG-AFTRA 43:22

9M ago43:22

43:22

Labor Day 2023 will mark the major event of a combined strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Both unions are currently led by women: Fran Drescher, Meredith Stiehm, and Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. Even prior to the two union merger in 2012, SAG and AFTRA h…

1
Year 8: TV Herstory Prepares Us for Progress 20:55

11M ago20:55

20:55

A lot has happened politically and culturally since this podcast launched eight years ago. In this anniversary episode, I celebrate a number of wins while also reflecting on the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating past mistakes. For example, Lee Grant, an Oscar and Emmy-winning actress, overcame being blacklisted during the anti-…

1
Those Jefferson Women with Special Guest Elva Green (Pt. 2) 20:11

11M ago20:11

20:11

In the second of our two-part episode, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams continues talking with Elva Green about her book, "The Jeffersons: A Fresh Look Back," which offers insights, interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare photos from the iconic TV series. Ms. Green reflects on one of the best episodes from the seventh season of the show, which fea…

1
Those Jefferson Women with Special Guest Elva Green (Pt 1) 20:53

11M ago20:53

20:53

In this first of a two-part episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Elva Green to discuss her book, "The Jeffersons: A Fresh Look Back." Ms. Green shares her personal journey as a writer and the impetus for the book, which offers insights, interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare photos from the iconic TV series. …

1
1982 Barmaids, Carla and Diane 22:51

1y ago22:51

22:51

Has “Cheers” aged well? Was Norm the norm in 1982? Was the toxic behavior in the show’s Boston-based bar a device to expose the destructive nature of misogyny or was it just a casual reflection of a patriarchal system? Carla Tortelli and Diane Chambers, the barmaids in the first season of the show, served as sparring partners for their coworkers, c…

1
A Look at TV Sitcom Very Special Episodes Featuring Author/Historian Lee Gambin - Part 2 40:17

1y ago40:17

40:17

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…

1
A Look at TV Sitcom Very Special Episodes Featuring Author/Historian Lee Gambin - Part 1 34:10

1y ago34:10

34:10

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 …

1
Can ChatGPT Find the Essential Story in Oprah’s “The Women of Brewster Place”? 16:16

1y ago16:16

16:16

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…

1
Jackie O, Michelle O, and a Backstairs Diary 23:17

1y ago23:17

23:17

On this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, we connect the dots between TV and feminism with American culture and politics by remembering the 1979 television miniseries, Backstairs at the White House. The series is based on the New York Times bestseller by Lillian Rogers Parks, a seamstress in the White House from 1939-1961. Parks based the book on he…

1
2022 In Memoriam, Part 2 30:17

1+ y ago30:17

30:17

As we wrap up our two-part In Memoriam for 2022 by honoring women with famous names and faces, we also pay tribute to those who were less visible yet made significant contributions to TV, movies, news, and science. This celebration is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of acting as a champion for other women. Their success does not detra…

1
In Memoriam: TV's Broadway and Music Women (part 1) 18:30

1+ y ago18:30

18:30

Our In Memoriam episodes have become an annual tradition. As the universe of known, talented women in TV gets larger every year, so too does the number of women that we honor. In this first of two episodes, we highlight some of the women of music and theatre who made significant contributions to our culture and society. We lost some very big names …

1
Kids' TV Pioneers Shari Lewis and Lambchop featuring Mallory Lewis 44:48

1+ y ago44:48

44:48

Mallory Lewis joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams for a fun chat about her book, Shari Lewis and Lambchop: The Team That Changed Children's Television. Mallory's book, published by University of Kentucky Press in fall 2022, is a collection of stories from Shari's childhood and career as a businesswoman and multifaceted entertainer. While Shari Lewis di…

1
In Memoriam: Angela Lansbury / MSW 29:28

1+ y ago29:28

29:28

We celebrate the creative life and career of Angela Lansbury with Bridget Kies, Assistant Professor of Film Studies and Production at Oakland University in Michigan. From MGM contract player to Tony-winning Broadway star to her role as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, Lansbury’s long and impressive career has touched generations of film, TV, …

1
Year 7: A Brief State of the Podcast 13:35

1+ y ago13:35

13:35

Celebrating the podcast's 7th complete year, Cynthia revisits highlights of the past year, muses on the state of TV and streaming today, and preaches the wisdom of owning physical copies of your favorites. CONNECT WITH ATVH AND CYNTHIA ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcast Archive - http…

1
Top Rate TV Liza 30:24

2y ago30:24

30:24

Liza Minnelli is celebrating 50 years since Cabaret, her big break film.TV revealed of Liza's talents as well as her love of performing which was not always detected on film. Cynthia spotlights Liza sharing the stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Muppets, Goldie Hawn, Robert Plant, Guns & Roses, Shirley MacLaine and Diahann Carroll in a host of for…

1
Women of The Americans 43:09

2y ago43:09

43:09

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. Linda Mizejewski's book Th…

1
In Memoriam 2021 27:03

2+ y ago27:03

27:03

Cynthia recounts the lives and careers of talented TV women who died in 2021. While some died unexpectedly of disease, the long list features names of women who worked well into their golden years. Join this celebration of their impact on TV and come away with renewed energy to cheer on the amazing women in your own circle, while they're still arou…

1
Revisiting Diana Ross' Central Park Concert with Shayla Lawson (Pt. 2) 29:45

2+ y ago29:45

29:45

This is the second of 2 episodes featuring a deep discussion with poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson about 1983's Showtime worldwide stream of Diana Ross' concert in a summer deluge. Lawson delivers a candid description of the herstoric concert's impact and what Diana Ross and her authenticity mean to women of color in Lawson's 2020 book, Th…

1
Revisiting Diana Ross' Central Park Concert with Shayla Lawson (Pt. 1) 34:32

2+ y ago34:32

34:32

This is the first of 2 episodes featuring a deep discussion with poet, author, and professor Shayla Lawson about 1983's Showtime worldwide stream of Diana Ross' concert in a summer deluge. Lawson delivers a candid description of the herstoric concert's impact and what Diana Ross and her authenticity mean to women of color in her 2020 book, This Is …

1
Carrie Fisher's Genius & These Old Broads 19:16

3y ago19:16

19:16

Cynthia delves into deep Hollywood history to help listeners understand and love Carrie Fisher's genius in the made-for-TV movie These Old Broads. All in their late 60s, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor look like they had a ball in this send-up of aging and the scandals of Hollywood's golden years. RESOURCES Thes…

1
2020 Memoriam and Inspiration 23:45

3y ago23:45

23:45

Cynthia pays tribute to the TV women in front of and behind the camera who passed away in 2020, including such big names as film & TV legend 104-year-old Olivia de Havilland, actor/singer Ja'Net DuBois of Good Times, daytime's Marj Dusay, Glee's Naya Rivera and the woman who brought us The Magic School Bus, Joanna Cole. Cynthia lists well-known old…

1
Role Models in the 4-Female Sitcom 34:29

3+ y ago34:29

34:29

Cynthia chats role models and memorable characters found in the 4-Female sitcom construct, with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast. Guest Wendy Burns-Ardolino contributes insights into what qualities and traits viewers look for in their role models and how 4 women characters offer fluidity to leading conversations. Excerpts from Mara…

1
Iconic Women, As Characters and Themselves 36:54

3+ y ago36:54

36:54

In the 3rd of 4 episodes about role models and memorable characters, Cynthia and Summer delve deep into some of the most crafted, defined, distinct women characters to ever grace the dramatic small screen. They follow it up with a list of similarly refined, authentic real women – whose growth and stature have unfolded over the decades. Dr. Camille …

1
They Showed Us Who We Could Be 28:04

3+ y ago28:04

28:04

Deep chat with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast about role models & memorable characters and what they meant for us, our aunties, mothers and friendships. We discuss the powerful impressions of Freddie Brooks of A Different World, The Flying Nun's Sister Bertille and Homeland's Carrie Mathison. Temple University student Maryam Muha…

1
Celebrating Role Models & Memorable Characters 34:27

3+ y ago34:27

34:27

Deep chat with Summer Martin of The Unconventional Woman Podcast about role models & memorable characters and what they meant for us, our aunties, mothers and friendships. We discuss the impact of Freddie Brooks of A Different World, Mary Richards of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Cosby Show's Clair Huxtable and others on us and generations older a…

1
Presenting Margaret Cho 37:12

3+ y ago37:12

37:12

When she starred in All-American Girl in 1994-5, Margaret Cho became a TV Herstory groundbreaker. All-American Girl was the first network sitcom to feature an all Asian-American cast. Cho discusses lessons from the series in depth with Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women and Cynthia. This interview caps a summer series collaboration of Advanced TV Hers…

1
Pepper Reed is a Reel Woman on the Rise 27:26

3+ y ago27:26

27:26

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 w…

1
Chanel Glover is a Reel Woman on the Rise 24:33

3+ y ago24:33

24:33

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 ba…

1
Sanicole Young is a Reel Woman on the Rise 31:30

4y ago31:30

31:30

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 educati…

1
5 Years of Connecting the Dots of Feminism, TV & Culture 13:26

4y ago13:26

13:26

Every year Cynthia provides an annual report of the podcast experience. Links below for previous eps. She shares observations about the timeliness and relevance of the Broadcast 41 series and a conversation with Univ. of North Carolina professor and author Dr. Charlene Regester. Cynthia offers up an item from the podcast bucket list (which may beco…

1
Danielle Earle is A Reel Woman on the Rise 34:06

4y ago34:06

34:06

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 productio…

1
Jessica de Gouw Talks International TV 27:11

4y ago27:11

27:11

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. The Secret She Keeps trailer Jessica's recent prominent roles in series produced i…

1
Writing for Kids & Tweens’ TV 50:50

4y ago50:50

50:50

"A story is a story is a story." So says veteran TV writer Nina Bargiel who's been spinning live-action and animated yarns for years. Nina is an LA-based TV writer and producer who currently writes on Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon Network) and has other projects percolating. Nina describes her writing philosophy and goals, which focus on c…

1
Mrs. America & 3-Dimensional Storytelling 49:17

4y ago49:17

49:17

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. Trailer: Mrs. America (Hulu/FX) Resources: Lou Grant episode H…

1
Pt 4 Her Stories: Declining Ratings and Daytime's Demise 23:45

4y ago23:45

23:45

Dr. Elana Levine and Cynthia wrap up an extensive chat about daytime dramas by talking about the cancellation of many beloved shows. We discuss advertising, the loss of broadcast TV's prevalence in daytime and what replaced the serial genre. Dr. Levine is author of Her Stories (published by Duke University Press) and teaches at the University of Wi…

1
Pt. 3 Her Stories: Feminism & Inclusion in Daytime 42:42

4y ago42:42

42:42

Daytime changed TV herstory with long arcs about adoptions, reproductive rights and rape. Dr. Elana Levine shares examples of how key stories aligned with social changes from the 60s until today. We also discuss the limited roles available for actors of color and how they often were positioned as secondary stories to to the white "super couple." En…

1
Pt. 2 Her Stories with Elana Levine 26:19

4y ago26:19

26:19

Dr. Elana Levine of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and author of Duke University Press' Her Stories shares insights into TV technology and artistic elements that upped daytime storytelling's game. We discuss how 1:1 conversations evolved to story arcs of General Hospital's "Summer on the Run," Nola's old Hollywood fantasies in The Guiding Li…

1
Pt. 1 Her Stories with Elana Levine 27:24

4y ago27:24

27:24

Dr. Elana Levine's recently published Her Stories (Duke Univ. Press) forms the backbone of this 4-part series on soap operas. This episode includes a look at the formative pioneers of serial storytelling - Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon and William Bell. Other topics covered who owned any given show and how that impacted business decisions and how tech…

1
Talking Adaptations with Abbe Wright 51:19

4y ago51:19

51:19

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 l…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Cynthia Bemis Abrams Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide