Advanced TV Herstory Cynthia Bemis Abrams

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.
FOLLOW AND DONATE TO THE HEART CHANNELS
The Heart Channels - https://www.theheartchannels.org/
On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theheartchannels
On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theheartchannels/
CONNECT WITH ANNIE POTTS
Cameo (all proceeds go to The Heart Channels) - https://www.cameo.com/anniepotts
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisanniepotts/?hl=en
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 projects that are less expensive to produce. She also touches on the recent strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and representation in scripted television.
Cynthia then outlines the focus of the TV Talk Shows series, which will explore the historical context, memorable moments, and surprising controversies surrounding unscripted hosts and guests. The episode concludes by acknowledging the pioneering achievements of Della Reese as the first black woman to fill in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and Betty White's stance against the broadcast network executives who were reluctant to feature performers of color on her 1950s talk and variety show. 
RESOURCES 
Foundation Interviews - Della Reese on Guest Hosting “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” - https://youtu.be/M8hfse64sFU?si=8cIu3DrRN2AIdiBL
The Television Academy Foundation – Della Reese - https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/della-reese 
“He Stays”: Betty White refused to remove Black dancer from her show in 1954 - https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/01/01/betty-white-black-dancer-arthur-duncan/9067252002/
 Retro Televisions – The Betty White Show (11-29-54) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k23zM-eLoI
CBS Los Angeles KCAL - https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/women-more-represented-on-reality-tv-than-scripted-shows-sdsu-report-finds/
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 
Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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!
CONNECT WITH ANNIE BERKE
Website - https://www.annieberke.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-berke-ph-d-a102509/
Instagram, X (Twitter), and Bluesky - @sayanniething
RESOURCES
Pioneer Peg Lynch - https://around.uoregon.edu/content/library-exhibit-celebrates-legacy-tv-pioneer-peg-lynch
The Broadcast 41 by Carol A. Stabile - https://broadcast41.uoregon.edu/
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 
Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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. 
RESOURCES
Victoria Riskin's website - https://www.victoriariskin.com/ 
Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir - https://www.victoriariskin.com/index.php/about
Projections of America - http://projectionsofamerica.com/
The Last Best Year - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Best_Year
Bluedot Living -  https://bluedotliving.com/
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 
Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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 had elected nine strong and inspiring women to lead their labor causes like health and pension benefits, residuals, and managing during COVID. The WGA, first led by a woman in 2001, represents writers on a myriad of issues like credit, contracts, and benefits.
Today, these unions are on strike, with primary issues of artificial intelligence to create content and fabricate performers, and how payment formulas for writers and performers will be commensurate with successful streaming. Since the WGA declared its strike and actors followed, Advanced TV Herstory has stood resolutely with all the talented creators. This episode tells of the dedication to workers’ rights and social progress within a distinct and complex business model.
AUDIO CLIPS & RESOURCES
Fran Drescher - https://youtu.be/J4SAPOX7R5M
Gabrielle Carteris -  https://www.sagaftra.org/videos/president-gabrielle-carteris-discusses-sag-aftra%E2%80%99s-covid-19-efforts
RCA Selectavision commercial - https://youtu.be/dFtyMNTD2f4
ABC7 in Los Angeles - https://abc7.com/wga-writers-guild-strike-rally/13303288/ 
https://www.sagaftra.org/
https://www.wga.org/
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 
Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

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-Communist era. Her resilience and courage in speaking out against injustice serve as a lesson for today.
I also highlight the work of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, which has expanded its focus to champion inclusion of the six major identities of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type in media and entertainment.
In addition to looking back on some of Advanced TV Herstory’s episodes from the past year, I celebrate ATVH’s inclusion in IMDb and the anticipation of reaching a new audience.
Because ATVH is not beholden to sponsors, I can proudly say that I provide an unfiltered view of both historical and current obstacles to full representation and valuation. Many of these obstacles are at the center of the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild and the use of artificial intelligence.
With a commitment to recognizing the importance of representation and critical thinking in the face of rapidly changing media landscapes, I thank you for your support of this podcast over the last eight years and I look forward to uncovering and sharing more untold stories of women in the year to come.
This is why I podcast.  
MENTIONS AND REFERENCES
I Said Yes to Everything by Lee Grant - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18693908
Intimate Portrait - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0896232/
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ATVH
ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 
Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory/featured
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/