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Advanced TV Herstory

Advanced TV Herstory

By: Cynthia Bemis Abrams Feminist TV Documentarian
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 Connect the dots of TV and feminism to American culture and politics with host Cynthia Bemis Abrams. Interviews with top names - in front of and behind the scenes - offer insights into TV that has shaped American culture and influenced the world. Check out episodes with actors Annie Potts, Margaret Cho, Stepfanie Kramer of Hunter, Kim Fields of Facts of Life and Living Single, and daytime's Cady McClain. Television veteran writers Georgia Jeffries, Victoria Riskin and April Smith are featured in episodes that explain storytelling as a writing craft. These discussions will forever change how you watch TV. Explore issues of race through interviews with academics Robin Means-Coleman and Charlene Regester, and influencer Karly Beaumont. Ever since the #MeToo Movement of 2017-18, Cynthia has highlighted key episodes and events surrounding sexual harassment - fictional and real life. With listeners around the world, Cynthia celebrates the progress of representation in media and captures the stories and insights that make TV a powerful storyteller and mirror of truth. In 2025, Cynthia started revealing more about the book she and a colleague are writing. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at www.tvherstory.com. Promise, your data will never be sold.2026 Cynthia Bemis Abrams Media Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Minnesota's TV Legacy: Women, News & Cultural Power

    Minnesota's TV Legacy: Women, News & Cultural Power
    Feb 6 2026
    Lifelong Minnesotan and veteran podcaster Cynthia Bemis Abrams reflects on Minnesota's outsized influence on American television, journalism, and culture in this timely solo episode of Advanced TV Herstory. Prompted by recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis beginning in December 2025, Cynthia revisits the mission of the podcast and reframes it through Minnesota's unique television legacy. Drawing from decades of podcasting experience, she examines how television created empathy, civic awareness, and cultural cohesion — and why that legacy still matters. The episode highlights Minnesota-born or Minnesota-connected women who shaped American TV and public life, including Judy Garland, Jessica Lange, Lea Thompson, Marion Ross (Happy Days), Mary Tyler Moore, Loni Anderson and others. Cynthia also reflects on the role of comfort television, women in news, and storytelling during moments of national stress. Closing the episode, Cynthia discusses the mood on the ground in Minnesota in January and February 2026 following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. She explains constitutional principles raised by current government actions and shares vetted resources for listeners seeking to support legal, housing, and food assistance efforts in the Minnesota. Find a cause to support at https://www.standwithminnesota.com Mentioned Loni Anderson (1995), My Life in High Heels https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1054028.My_Life_in_High_Heels 10.12 – Comfort TV: Finding Joy with Karly Beaumont https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/comfort-tv-finding-joy-with-karly-beaumont Themes Covered Minnesota's television and news legacy Women in broadcast journalism and acting Comfort TV and cultural resilience Civic responsibility and constitutional principles Storytelling during periods of social unrest Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Advanced TV Herstory ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Email - advancedtvherstory@gmail.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social Production Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/ Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
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    18 mins
  • Cable TV Profiles Regina Jones, Iconic "Soul" Founder

    Cable TV Profiles Regina Jones, Iconic "Soul" Founder
    Jan 20 2026
    TV herstorian Cynthia Bemis Abrams spotlights Regina Jones, a pioneering media entrepreneur who made history as the first Black woman to publish nationally with a focus on soul music. In this episode, Cynthia is joined by Alissa Shapiro, executive producer of Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?, a documentary that explores Jones' impact and SOUL Newspaper, and premieres on Weigel Broadcasting's Dabl TV, Story TV, and Start TV in February 2026 for Black History Month. Together, they discuss: The founding and cultural legacy of SOUL NewspaperHow Jones uilized print media to amplify Black voices in musicHer role as a trailblazer in Black women's media historyWhy SOUL Newspaper deserves a place in American pop culture canonThe significance of airing this acclaimed documentary on cable today Shapiro also shares behind-the-scenes insights into producing the documentary, which blends decades of preservation work, journalism, and archival research into a powerful portrait of Jones' life and survival. References: SOUL Newspaper https://www.soulpublications.co/ Who the Hell is Regina Jones? https://whoisreginafilm.com/ Related Episodes About Documentaries: 11.3 – TV Cooking Show Pioneer Julia Child feat. Julie Cohen https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/tv-cooking-show-pioneer-julia-child-feat-julie-cohen 11.1 – SNL's Gilda Radner: A Life Celebrated in Film https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/snls-gilda-radner-a-life-celebrated-in-film Cynthia Bemis Abrams and Advanced TV Herstory ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Email - advancedtvherstory@gmail.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social Production Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/ Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
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    23 mins
  • The Donna Reed Show: Feminism, Legacy & Innovation

    The Donna Reed Show: Feminism, Legacy & Innovation
    Jan 2 2026
    Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Mary Owen, daughter of Golden Age film and TV icon Donna Reed, to explore how The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966) pushed boundaries, challenged norms, and influenced portrayals of motherhood and feminism in sitcoms. Reed's character, Donna Stone, was the first TV mom to lead a show focused on everyday family life — earning her a Golden Globe and backlash from Second Wave Feminists. Mary shares first-hand stories about growing up on set, preserving her mother's legacy, and how progressive ideas—like casting a Black neighbor boy—were shut down by networks despite the show's attempts at representation. Cynthia and Mary also compare The Donna Reed Show's storytelling to that of I Love Lucy, Hazel, and Betty White's Life with Elizabeth. This rich conversation reframes Reed's influence on pop culture, sitcom structure, and feminism — and challenges what we think we know about "trad wives." Related Episodes 80s Monied Matriarchs: Ellie Ewing and Angela Channing https://traffic.libsyn.com/advancedtvherstory/80s_Monied_Matriarchs.mp3 Betty White's Career in TV https://traffic.libsyn.com/advancedtvherstory/Betty_White.mp3 Episode Life Lessons Progress often happens in "small steps," even when it isn't widely recognized in the moment. Feminist impact can emerge from unexpected places — even from characters previously thought of as "traditional." Representation battles have long histories, often hidden behind network decisions. NoteSeasons 1–5 of The Donna Reed Show are widely available on streaming and DVD. Seasons 6 & 7 are not available due to rights held by a different entity (not the Owen family). CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com Email - advancedtvherstory@gmail.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social PRODUCTION Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/ Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
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    41 mins
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