80s TV Ladies

134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
80s TV Ladies

4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast. 80s TV Ladies is dedicated to the beloved female-driven shows of the 1980s! Do you love 80s pop culture, television and fabulous women? On our show, you’ll hear a breakdown of how these shows got made, how they were influenced by the times and, in turn, how they influenced pop-culture trends to follow. We love discussing the “two-steps forward, one-step-back” lens of media-driven feminism. Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they talk about the fabulous ladies of television: Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, A Different World, The Golden Girls and more. With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out. Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover. Scarecrow and Mrs. King Remington Steele Cagney & Lacey Season 2: Multiple episodes per TV show exploring representation and behind-the-scenes insight in science fiction, drama and sitcoms! Queer representation in 70s and 80s 9 to 5 television show It's a Living Designing Women Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas Star Trek Ladies Moonlighting Special guests: Eugenie Ross-Leming, Martha Smith, Robin Bernheim, Stephanie Zimbalist, Evan Ball, Debbie Evans, Barney Rosenzweig, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Karen Arthur, Cynthis Beemis Abrams, Matt Baume, Jane Epsensen, Drew Greenberg, Paul Kreppel, Bryan Edward Hill, Maggie Friedman, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Stan Zimmerman, Mary Lou Belli, Nana Visitor, Glenn Gordon Caron, Shery Main and more! We publish every other Wednesday. Tell us: Who should we interview and what's your favorite 80s Ladies television show? https://www.80stvladies.com

  1. The Facts of Life, The Nanny, Carol Burnett & Mama’s Family | Who Has the Best Holiday Episode?

    3 DAYS AGO

    The Facts of Life, The Nanny, Carol Burnett & Mama’s Family | Who Has the Best Holiday Episode?

    What's the best Christmas episode of The Facts of Life? The Nanny vs Mama's Family? Let's find out! If you grew up in the 80s, tuning in to the special “Holiday” episodes of our favorite shows was a winter ritual. Susan and Sharon bring that tradition home as they dive into the “Best Holiday Episodes” of three favorite 80’s and 90s TV shows -- The Facts of Life, Mama’s Family and The Nanny. Musical numbers, mixed-up gifts, screwed-up travel plans -- and lots of hot cocoa! 80’s TV “Holiday” episodes had them all -- and we loved them for it! So grab some eggnog and fruitcake, and listen as Susan and Sharon choose their personal favorite holiday episodes of the some of our favorite 80s TV Ladies shows! THE EPISODES The Facts of Life: S5, EP12 - “The Christmas Show” S6, EP13 - “Christmas in the Big House” S7, EP13 - “Christmas Baby” S9, EP12 - “It’s A Wonderful Christmas”   Mama’s Family: S3, EP13 - “Santa Mama” S6, EP14 - “Mama Gets Goosed” The Nanny: S1, EP8 - “The Christmas Episode” S3, EP14 - “Oy To The World” S6, EP10 - “The Hannukah Story”   BONUS! The Carol Burnett Show: S2, EP12 - Eileen Farrell, Bob Hope, and Marilyn Horne S8, EP13 - Alan Alda THE CONVERSATION  GO FIGURE -- Not a lot of Hanukkah or Kwanza episodes back in the 80s.Why did it take FIVE SEASONS before Facts of Life finally did a Christmas episode?S5, EP12 “The Christmas Show” - directed by Asaad Kelada.In S6, EP13 “Christmas in the Big House” -- Blair organizes a charity Christmas show for what she thinks is an orphanage -- but it turns out to be a men’s prison!Mickey Mouse Club veteran former Mousketeer Lisa Whelchel shows off her singing skills! Heck, all the ladies get to sing! NO ROOM AT THE INN? In the third Facts of Life Christmas episode, Blair’s mom gives birth -- It’s a Christmas baby episode!IS IT A WONDERFUL SHOW? Cloris Leachman gets center stage in the fourth -- and final -- Facts of Life Christmas episode, S9, EP10 “It’s A Wonderful Christmas”.Mama’s Family S6, EP14 “Mama Gets Goosed” -- The family is horrified when they meet their dinner -- a live goose that Mama plans to kill and cook for Christmas!The Nanny got a jump on Christmas episodes in S1, EP8 -- where complications from a gift Mr. Sheffield gives to Fran ends up fulfilling Gracie’s only Christmas wish!S3, EP14 “Oy To The World” -- The Nanny’s one and only ANIMATED EPISODE!S6, EP 10 “The Hanukkah Story” -- Susan and Sharon BOTH loved this Nanny episode where cultures clash when Fran tries to teach the Sheffields the importance of Hanukkah.PLUS -- BONUS HOLIDAY EPISODES from The Carol Burnett Show! - Alan Alda, star of the M*A*S*H TV show hit, sings with Carol! And plays one of Mama’s sons and Eunice’s brother in “The Family” in a hilarious, homecoming Christmas sketch.But is that a better episode than the Christmas special with incredibly famous opera stars, Eileen Farrell, Marily Horne and a surprise guest star Bob Hope?AND -- A BIG THANK YOU to our PATREON MEMBERS! We’ll tell you about NEW PERKS coming your way in 2025!So, join Susan and Sharon as they talk Ray Charles, Community, dreidels, Alan Alda, vegetarian Christmas dinners, talking dogs, opera, “Big Spender”, Bob Hope -- and confessional confessions!   AUDIO-OGRAPHY Watch three of The Facts of Life Christmas Episodes on YouTube.  Watch “Mama Gets Goosed” on PlutoTV. And “Santa Mama” a...

    1h 2m
  2. Mama’s Family, Crushing on Stephanie Zimbalist & Private Lessons | Actor Eric Brown

    DEC 11

    Mama’s Family, Crushing on Stephanie Zimbalist & Private Lessons | Actor Eric Brown

    “I was the highest paid actor in Hollywood -- if you were counting by the word.”           - actor Eric Brown THE CONVERSATION TAKING THE PIPPIN BUS: Nine-year-old Eric played the lead in the original touring company of Bob Fosse’s Pippin! “It was 1974. I was the only child in a cast of adults. One-and-two-night stands. In a bus. Thirty states. Six months.”PRIVATE LESSONS: The lead got fired -- so Eric was promoted to star!15 GOING ON 30: In Private Lessons, Fifteen year-old Eric Brown, played a fifteen-year-old -- being seduced by a thirty-year-old woman! “My wife is still mad at my mother for letting me play that role!”KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL: Eric was kicked out of St. Francis Prep School for being in Private Lessons: “They said, “We think you’d do better at another school considering your career goals.” It was a very Franciscan way of saying, “Get out”.”MAMA’S FAMILY: “You know the rumors that Betty White had a dirty streak? All true.”On working with Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Dorothy Lyman, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Harvey Korman: “Everyone was so funny -- you were always laughing. They were constantly futzing, because they knew what was funny -- and if it wasn’t, they would fix it."DIRECTOR SPLIT: Mama’s Family had TWO directors: Harvey Korman worked with the actors, while someone else blocked out the camera moves (Roger Beatty).THE METAVERSE OF MAMA'S FAMILY: Vicki Lawrence started playing the at least 63-year-old “Mama” when she was in her late 20’s!THE EPISODE THAT NEVER WAS: Eric pitched an episode where he and Ken Barry -- both tap dancers -- could dance together in a talent show.  But it never happened.TAKE THE TOUPEE: Carol Burnett would do anything for a laugh -- including pulling the hairpiece off a certain co-star during taping -- when no one was expecting it!BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS, WORSE NEWS -- Mama’s Family gets cancelled.  Then it comes back!  But not with Eric.LOVING LAURA HOLT: After Private Lessons, Eric did a replay on Remington Steele -- playing a kid with a crush on an “older woman”: “I was head over heels in love with Stephanie Zimbalist. In real life!”BE KIND, REWIND: After jobs dried up in Hollywood, Eric moved to Monterey and got a job in a video store: “I was renting movies to people that I WAS IN.”FIRST RULE OF COMMUNICATION: For the MacArthur Foundation or a lost chicken in Queens: Know your goal.WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO TO HELP THE WORLD? Find what you love and offer that.So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Eric -- as they talk Listerine commercials, the Clinton campaign, Jon de Bont, Sarah Jessica Parker, Howard Hessman, Barry Williams, On Golden Pond, Ian Ziering, curfew “double standards”, working with women directors, Jerry Reed, Emmanuelle, Fred Willard -- and evil twins!   AUDIO-OGRAPHY Watch Mama’s Family for free on Pluto TV. Listen to Eric Brown’s podcast about philanthropy, Let’s Hear it. Or on Apple.  Check out what Eric Brown is doing now at Brownbridgestrategies.com. Enjoy Eric’s blog about traveling the world with his wife at Eat, Bicker, Love. PLUS -- AN “80’s TV LADIES” HOLIDAY SALE! Get 15% off on all merch at 80s TV Ladies a href="https://80stvladies-shop.fourthwall.com/"...

    1h 23m
  3. All My Children, Mama’s Family, The Nanny | Giving Thanks for Dorothy Lyman

    NOV 27

    All My Children, Mama’s Family, The Nanny | Giving Thanks for Dorothy Lyman

    “The roles I’ve played on soap operas are infinitely superior to any roles I’ve played anywhere else. They are about women and women’s stories. The men are just there to screw you -- or screw you over.” -- Dorothy Lyman Just three chicks sitting around talking... Susan and Sharon clean house -- and air some dirty laundry -- with The Nanny director and Emmy-award winning actress Dorothy Lyman. You may know her as Opal Gardner from the long-running soap opera All My Children or as Naomi Oates Harper from Mama’s Family. But did you know she also directed an astonishing 74-episodes of the classic Fran Drescher comedy, The Nanny? THE CONVERSATION One-day of work a month on Search For Tomorrow was enough to keep Dorothy from “serving cheeseburgers.” The pay was $400 -- and rent in NY was only $65!COMING CLEAN ABOUT SOAPS: Soap operas addressed abuse and abortion and mental illness and many other issues long before prime time TV. “I think it helped a lot of women stuck at home feeling the same things.”ON SOAP OPERA FANS: “I couldn’t buy myself a beer anywhere in America the whole time I was on the soaps. The fans are different. They feel like they know you.”WHEN CAROL BURNETT CALLS: “Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence would watch me as Opal on ‘All My Children’ during their lunch hour on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ -- that was their ritual. And that’s how I got the job on ‘Mama’s Family’.”A COUPLA WHITE CHICKS SITTING AROUND TALKING: on directing the long-running, Off-Broadway hit starring Susan Sarandon and Eileen Brennan.TRY AGAIN: Mama’s Family was completely reconceived after the first pilot. “We shot one that was really awful. I think the problem was, it was too mean. And it wasn’t funny at all.” THERE’S THE DOOR: After directing three seasons of The Nanny, Dorothy says, “I never got another job directing a single moment of television. I spent many years thinking I’d done something terribly wrong. But it was because I was over 50 -- and I was a woman.”What do you do when Hollywood directing gigs go away? You buy a chicken farm in upstate New York and start writing plays, of course!ON CHANGE: “Change is where it’s at. Nothing stays the same. And I’ve always been one of those people -- if I wanted to do something, I did it.”ON DIRECTING: “It fits my personality. I’m bossy.” So join Susana and Sharon -- and Dorothy -- as they talk Milton Berle, Edge of Night, Celine Dion, visiting Egypt, Another World, Bette Midler, The Women’s Room, Fran Drescher, baked croutons -- and “Where do you keep your Emmys?” AUDIO-OGRAPHY Watch Mama’s Family for free on Pluto TV. Follow Dorothy Lyman at Instagram.com/dorothy_lyman Native American Heritage Month Find out more at NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov For more information about the land you live on go to Native-land.ca BLACK FRIDAY DEAL! It's an “80’s TV LADIES” HOLIDAY SALE! - Get 20% off on all merch at tinyurl.com/8TLshop Make sure to use promo code “Festive80s”!   CONNECT Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladiesa href="http://eepurl.com/h1YPWH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...

    1h 2m
  4. Punched off a Train by Clint Eastwood and the Path to Resilience | Stuntwoman Marneen Fields

    NOV 13

    Punched off a Train by Clint Eastwood and the Path to Resilience | Stuntwoman Marneen Fields

    Susan and Sharon are thrilled to sit down with award-winning singer, songwriter, actress -- and stuntwoman -- Marneen Fields. As a gymnast, swimmer and stuntwoman in the 1970s and 80s, Marneen’s career sky-rocketed with roles on Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Lou Grant, Quincy, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Man from Atlantis, The Fall Guy, Murder She Wrote, Dynasty -- as well as the Clint Eastwood film The Gauntlet. But it was only after a devastating car accident ended her career as a stuntwoman that Marneen found her way back into life by finally embracing her childhood dream of writing and singing songs.  Her story is one of resilience, renewal -- and the power of persevering when life’s challenges seem overwhelming. THE CONVERSATION FIRST BASS: What do you do when you’re the littlest girl in school -- but end up having to playing biggest instrument -- the stringed bass?How a background in gymnastics led Marneen directly into her career as a stuntwoman.IN DEMAND: As an experienced stuntwoman in Hollywood, Marneen’s phone rang off the hook for 15 years.THE FALL GIRL: In 1976-77, Marneen was one of the top stuntwomen in the world.ROSES FROM BRUCE: One of her favorite acting jobs was playing Lee Stetson’s long-lost love “Dorothy” on Scarecrow & Mrs. King.FALLING FOR “QUINCY”: What is it like doing a high-fall off a 76-story building in puffy slippers and a negligee?!?The secret of being a successful stuntwoman? Look like a lot of famous actresses!Getting pushed out of a jet by James Garner!Getting punched off a train by Clint Eastwood!PERFECT PITCH: Marneen’s love for music survives her near total hearing loss in both ears.Just as her acting career was taking off, Marneen was involved in a car accident that nearly took her life -- and led to over a decade of operations and excruciating pain. But on the other end was a whole new life in music… So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Marneen -- as they talk Shirley Jones, Battlestar Galactica, scuba diving, dating stuntmen, mouth-to-mouth with Patrick Duffy -- and “becoming the broken-hearted songwriter I was meant to be!” AUDIO-OGRAPHY Find all of Marneen’s work on Facebook. And Instagram at Instagram.com/HeavenlyWaterfallProductions. Find Marneen’s book The Illusive Craft of Acting at Amazon. Get more info and help support Marneen’s film, Who’s Going To Take Care of Me? at Crowdfundr. CONNECT Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list. Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS Find help or ways to help at AbortionFunds.org Support Democracy at DemocracyDocket.com Support freedoms at ACLU.org REMEMBER: Make sure your vote counted. Track your ballot ata...

    58 min
  5. Fan Bar: Get Insider Info on Scarecrow and Mrs. King w/ The Mrs. King’s Chronicles

    OCT 30

    Fan Bar: Get Insider Info on Scarecrow and Mrs. King w/ The Mrs. King’s Chronicles

    There is no fandom like the Scarecrow & Mrs. King fandom -- passionate, dedicated and absolutely obsessed with red hats, train stations, the Q bureau, and Cream-&-Wood 1983 Ford LTD Country Squire Station Wagons. In this episode, Susan and Sharon meet up with super-fans Taya Johnston, Jennifer Peterson and Miranda Thomas from The Mrs. King’s Chronicles, a re-watch podcast about -- what else? -- Scarecrow & Mrs. King! From Beaverton, Oregon… to Clarkston, Michigan… to Florence, Kentucky -- these three women (plus their fourth partner, Lexie Fiema who couldn’t make the recording) know their SMK! In this fast-moving and funny conversation, you’ll find out everything you ever wanted to know about podcasting, Amanda King, Lee Stetson and Firefly -- but were afraid to ask…  THE CONVERSATION What do you do when you want to spend more time with your friends and your favorite show?  The answer is easy -- you do a podcast!GETTING HOOKED ON SMK: sometimes it’s in college, sometimes it’s a commercial, sometimes… it’s your mom!IT WAS A THING: recording your favorite shows onto cassette tape so you could listen to them later.Lexie -- the “90s Baby” of the podcast -- wants to know why Lee and Amanda don’t use their cell phones more often. And what’s up with the “two Germanys” thing?PODCAST PIONEER: Miranda has also done internet radio and podcasts about Firefly and Felicity and Alias and Heroes and Chuck!Why do certain shows inspire rabid fandom? And others… not so much.SUBURBAN SPY: The compelling fantasy wish-fulfillment of “Being Mrs. King.”At the “Hollywood Show” fan meet-up: Bruce Boxleitner had his own fanboy moment when he saw TV’s “Batman” -- Adam West. But he never got to meet him because he refused to cut in line in front of other fans…THE ELECTRIC CAMPFIRE: How television -- and now podcasts -- became our place of communal story-telling and shared emotional connection.Ship of Spies? Was there really an SMK cruise? Did anyone get married? Go to a strip club?So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Taya and Jennifer and Miranda! -- as they talk 80s retro-love, podcast tangents, Dungeons & Dragons, Miami strip clubs, sweater vests, the Star Wars Christmas Special, living in the Matrix -- and throwing rocks at Cincinnati!  AUDIO-OGRAPHY Listen to the Mrs. King’s Chronicles podcast at MKCPodcast.com    Check out Taya’s website CallMeaCab.com Find Miranda’s Firefly podcast at Serenityfirefly.com Find out more about Columbia Willamette River Keepers Willamette-riverkeeper.org Get The Ultimate Fan’s Guide to Scarecrow & Mrs. King at Amazon. CONNECT Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list. Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON.  VOTE The Presidential Election is Tuesday, November 5! Get info and find your polling place at Vote.org This year is the...

    1h 6m
  6. Who Can Turn the World on With His Smile | Bruce Boxleitner, Part 2

    OCT 23

    Who Can Turn the World on With His Smile | Bruce Boxleitner, Part 2

    “Katie and I, our relationship could be a little exciting -- I had to watch my step, I had to toe the line. I had to behave myself or I’d get taken to the principal’s office... And she was the principal.” -- Bruce Boxleitner In Part Two of their conversation, Bruce reflects on the differences between doing TV then and now, his relationship with Kate Jackson -- and how the long hours can sometimes turn your co-stars into your family… Bruce Boxleitner’s television career started way back in 1973 with an appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and he has since appeared in over 100 films and TV shows including Gunsmoke, Baretta, Police Woman, Hawaii 5-0, Babylon 5, Crossing Jordan, Commander in Chief, American Dad, Cold Case, Heroes, Chuck, NCIS, Supergirl, The Orville, When Calls The Heart, How The West Was Won, Bring ‘Em Back Alive, The Gambler and Tron. THE CONVERSATION THE UGLY SIDE OF LEE STETSON: When Lee slaps Amanda in “Burn Out” (S2; EP.21) What was going on? --  “Kate said, “Hit me.” It was no fun. I didn’t enjoy doing it at all.”ON THE JAZZ: In Europe, Mel Stuart -- a saxophonist -- fell in with some local jazz musicians and ended up sitting-in in clubs all over Munich.DOUBLE TROUBLE: Bruce finds out the strange reason his stunt double Gary Davis did the pilot’s helicopter stunts with no safety cable!On doing network TV: “This is where I come off sounding like a grumpy old man, but in my day, we had fun. Nobody is having fun anymore. Because we have cell phones on the set, everyone’s on their cell phone. No one’s talking.”WHO CAN TURN THE WORLD ON WITH HIS SMILE? Bruce got his first gig on The Mary Tyler Moore Show because the producer owed his agent a favor.On doing a streaming series: “I’m doing a series now -- six episodes. They call that a series? I call it a two-parter.”Bruce gets a surprise walking onto the Gunsmoke set when he discovers the entire town is built inside a soundstage.On filming pilots: “George Clooney says he’s the king of the unsold pilots. Well, buddy, I’m the runner-up!”While shooting The Orville, Bruce finds out that the biggest SMK fan… is Seth McFarlane!How do you marry Lee and Amanda? Should you marry Lee and Amanda?So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Bruce -- as they talk How The West Was Won, Ted Knight, Tron, Juanita Bartlett, Susan Diol, Police Woman, and pranking Martha Smith -- and Kate Jackson -- AND Beverly Garland… and the sad, tragic life of “Dean, the Boyfriend”! AUDIO-OGRAPHY Find out more about Bruce Boxleitner at Facebook.com Follow him at Instagram.com/BoxleitnerBruce Follow him at Twitter.com/BoxleitnerBruce Catch him on Cameo at Cameo.com/BoxleitnerBruce Watch S2, Ep. 21: Burn out on Tubi Get The Ultimate Fan’s Guide to Scarecrow & Mrs. King by David Johnson, Taya Johnston and Sabine Ludewig at Amazon.  CONNECT Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list. Support us and get ad-free episodes on a...

    1h 5m
  7. The Scarecrow and his Mrs. King | Bruce Boxleitner, Part 1

    OCT 16

    The Scarecrow and his Mrs. King | Bruce Boxleitner, Part 1

    “Kate was able to go off script. Then I found I could go with her. Pretty soon we’re doing stuff that is not on the written page. That’s where we found the little ‘in-between’ moments.”  - Bruce Boxleitner Susan and Sharon are so excited to talk with the star of one of their favorite 80s TV shows of all time -- Bruce Boxleitner from Scarecrow & Mrs. King!  Bruce’s television career started way back in 1973 with an appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He has since appeared in over 100 films and TV shows including Gunsmoke, Baretta, Police Woman, Hawaii 5-0, Babylon 5, Crossing Jordan, Commander in Chief, American Dad, Cold Case, Heroes, Chuck, NCIS, Supergirl, The Orville, When Calls The Heart, How The West Was Won, Bring ‘Em Back Alive, The Gambler and Tron. In Part One of this two-part interview, Bruce reflects on getting the role of Lee Stetson, working with Kate Jackson and the cast of Scarecrow & Mrs. King and filming some of the show’s most memorable episodes during the summer of 1984 in Europe. THE CONVERSATION GETTING THE SHOW: "I was in a daze. I ended up on the roof... The security guard down below: 'What are you doing up there?' 'I don't know!'"UN-“HAPPY DAYS”: How Bring ‘Em Back Alive fought a losing battle on Tuesday nights against Richie Cunningham and the Fonz… But how it led to Bruce’s most famous TV role of all time!CALLING ALL SPIES: What was it like auditioning with Kate Jackson -- in front of the same executives that just cancelled his last show?On Mel Stuart: “He was the best. I miss him so much. He made me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever worked with.”THE OLD CAR: Driving that ’63 Porsche Speedster around Washington, D.C. during the pilot: “It died after every take.”THE NEW CAR: a 1984 Corvette: “It fit me like a pair of fiberglass pants.”Gary Davis -- Bruce’s secret stunt double -- did all Lee Stetson’s stunts, and doubled for Bruce more times than you might think.NOT TOO MANY GUNFIGHTS AT 8PM: The Scarecrow editors assembled a gag reel of all the times top agent Lee Stetson lost his gun.SAVING MS. SMITH: While filming in Munich, Bruce and Martha Smith walked into the wrong punk bar. Bruce got her out -- but only after throwing some Stetson-style punches!Working in the Alps and in Amanda's house with Jean Stapleton -- “I wish she could have done more episodes.”One of Bruce’s favorite episodes? S2; EP1 “To Catch a Mongoose”S2; EP21: “Burn Out” -- and the scene where Lee slaps Amanda. How did that feel for Kate -- and Bruce?So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Bruce -- as they talk Beverly Garland, James Garner, quirky humor, Scotland Yard, Lee Stetson’s wardrobe, “When should we kiss?”  -- and what happened the day Moonlighting premiered! Make sure to join us NEXT EPISODE for Part Two of our conversation with Bruce Boxleitner! AUDIO-OGRAPHY Find out more about Bruce Boxleitner at Facebook.com  Follow him at Instagram.com/BoxleitnerBruce Catch him on Cameo at Cameo.com/BoxleitnerBruce Watch S2, Ep. 21: Burn out on Tubi Read the NY Times review of Bruce’s 1973 Broadway play debut, Status Quo Vadis. And...

    41 min
  8. Casting Jeff Bridges, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightly and more | Marcia Ross, part 2

    OCT 9

    Casting Jeff Bridges, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightly and more | Marcia Ross, part 2

    ‘The Princess Diaries’, ‘Romy & Michelle’, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’, ‘Clueless’… Whenever I think my work doesn’t mean anything to anyone at any time and never will… somebody says to me, ‘Those movies -- I watched them and I showed them to my kid.” -- Casting Director Marcia Ross In Part Two of our conversation with Casting Director Marcia Ross, Susan and Sharon discuss the changing business of Hollywood, favorite finds, shrinking budgets, and going from in-person auditions -- to auditioning on tape -- to just clicking on a link…       Casting Director Marcia Ross has been instrumental in putting together amazing ensembles for classic films and TV shows since 1983. Susan and Sharon sit down this week with Ms. Ross to go behind the scenes and discover exactly how today’s “unknown” turns into tomorrow’s “big discovery” -- and who makes it happen. Among the young actors Marcia is credited with discovering: Anne Hathaway, Heath Ledger, Paul Rudd, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Garner and Amy Poehler. THE CONVERSATION To cast the pilot of Models Inc. , they auditioned “one thousand women” -- including Carrie Anne Moss!Angelina Jolie didn’t get cast -- because she “didn’t have the right look” according to Aaron Spelling.8TL's own producer Melissa Roth worked on Models Inc, too -- as a camera assistant!Casting Princess Diaries: Anne Hathaway was perfect because “you had to believe she could be both things. (a real person and a princess)”Chris Pine in Princess Diaries 2: “He read for me and I was like, “Can you come back this afternoon?” He was an unknown, but within a day he had the part.The challenge of casting sequels -- how are you gonna get everyone back?BURNING BRIDGES: How do you tell your star Jeff Bridges that the actress he wants you to cast… just isn’t right?Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion -- Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino got the lead roles … but SNL's Will Ferrel and Chris Kattan ended up on the cutting room floor.“It’s a hard business. And it’s hard to have longevity because people always want the next new thing.”So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Marcia -- as they talk Jean Smart, Jeremy Renner, Lizzie McGuire, Julie Andrews, Johnny Depp, Scarecrow & Mrs. King -- and watching The Flintstones Friday nights at 7:30! AUDIO-OGRAPHY Find out more about Marcia Ross and Jeff Kaufman’s documentary film work at FloatingWorldPictures.com. To see Nasrin, go to NasrinFilm.com Watch the Terrence McNally documentary Every Act of Life on YouTube, Amazon, or Apple. or search on Roku. Need some 80s TV Ladies merch?!? Check out our GRAND OPENING SALE. CONNECT Visit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts and more. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list. Check out Instagram/80sTVLadies. Support us and get ad-free episodes ona...

    50 min
4.9
out of 5
56 Ratings

About

4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast. 80s TV Ladies is dedicated to the beloved female-driven shows of the 1980s! Do you love 80s pop culture, television and fabulous women? On our show, you’ll hear a breakdown of how these shows got made, how they were influenced by the times and, in turn, how they influenced pop-culture trends to follow. We love discussing the “two-steps forward, one-step-back” lens of media-driven feminism. Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they talk about the fabulous ladies of television: Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, A Different World, The Golden Girls and more. With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out. Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover. Scarecrow and Mrs. King Remington Steele Cagney & Lacey Season 2: Multiple episodes per TV show exploring representation and behind-the-scenes insight in science fiction, drama and sitcoms! Queer representation in 70s and 80s 9 to 5 television show It's a Living Designing Women Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas Star Trek Ladies Moonlighting Special guests: Eugenie Ross-Leming, Martha Smith, Robin Bernheim, Stephanie Zimbalist, Evan Ball, Debbie Evans, Barney Rosenzweig, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Karen Arthur, Cynthis Beemis Abrams, Matt Baume, Jane Epsensen, Drew Greenberg, Paul Kreppel, Bryan Edward Hill, Maggie Friedman, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Stan Zimmerman, Mary Lou Belli, Nana Visitor, Glenn Gordon Caron, Shery Main and more! We publish every other Wednesday. Tell us: Who should we interview and what's your favorite 80s Ladies television show? https://www.80stvladies.com

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