A Look at TV Sitcom Very Special Episodes Featuring Author/Historian Lee Gambin - Part 2
Release Date: 04/17/2023
Original Media Influencer: Eleanor Roosevelt
Advanced TV Herstory
In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by author Angela Beauchamp to explore how Eleanor Roosevelt, a trailblazing communicator, shaped early public affairs programming. They discuss Roosevelt's prolific media presence, from her “My Day” newspaper column and radio broadcasts to her groundbreaking television appearances. The conversation highlights how Roosevelt’s political influence extended beyond her time as First Lady, using media to engage the public and advocate for change. Angela Beauchamp shares insights from her book Eleanor Roosevelt on...
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SNL's Gilda Radner: A Life Celebrated in Film
Advanced TV Herstory
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams and filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito pick up the conversation about documentaries, this time about Gilda Radner and the 2018 film, Love, Gilda. In fall 2024, Lisa was a guest along with Mallory Lewis to discuss the documentary, Shari and Lamb Chop. Lisa's journey from acting to filmmaking - shorts and feature length. Telling the life stories of women whose accomplishments and impact have been overlooked. Gilda's diaries about her long quest for a diagnosis. Comedians interviewed for the film like Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolf, Bill Hader and Melissa McCarthy expressed awe...
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A Trip to NYC's Paley Center: Revisiting Battle of the Sexes
Advanced TV Herstory
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams takes you to The Paley Center for Media in New York City, exploring its role in preserving television history and hosting key industry events like PaleyFest. Cynthia dives into The Paley Archive during her visit, her top destination. She recounts her observations while watching the iconic 1973 broadcast of Billie Jean King versus Bobby Riggs in the historic "Battle of the Sexes." Listen in as Cynthia unpacks the significance of the archive, her first searches in the database, and her candid reactions to Howard Cosell's commentary alongside Rosie Casals and Gene Scott....
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Comfort TV: Finding Joy with Karly Beaumont
Advanced TV Herstory
Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams speaks with Karly Beaumont, creator of Core Temp Arts and contributor to TV Movie Mistress, about the comforting power of television. As a Dominican native and lifelong creative, Karly shares her journey as a podcaster and media critic, offering insights into how shows like Bluey, You're the Worst, and UnREAL are her emotional touchstones during challenging times. Cynthia and Karly probe ways to navigate this time of uncertainty, including listening to understand and recognizing signs of fear. Damian Ali of TalkTeaV contributes a timely message about inclusion...
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Shari Lewis’ Reinventions: A Documentary on Legacy and Talent
Advanced TV Herstory
In this episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams discusses the compelling documentary Shari and Lambchop with Mallory Lewis and director Lisa D’Apolito (Love, Gilda). The film chronicles Shari Lewis' life and her constant reinvention across a variety of roles—TV show host, magician, dancer, singer, actress, author, and even symphony conductor. Featuring archival footage and interviews, this documentary uncovers the multifaceted talent of Shari Lewis, including her work as a feminist, philosopher, and visionary in children’s television. Sesame Street’s Megan Piphus...
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June and Pepper: Early 70s LGBTQ+ Allyship
Advanced TV Herstory
In the last 10-20 years, attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people in America have shifted due to more positive visibility and evolving cultural norms. Cynthia takes a look at two moments from 1970s television that revealed glimpses of LGBTQ+ allyship—a talk show moment and a 1974 episode of Police Woman. In 1970, June Lockhart appeared on The Virginia Graham Show and stopped the hostess in her tracks, pushing back on stereotypes and tropes common for the time. And the story of how a 54-year-old clip is available for viewing is its own testament to advocacy. LGBTQ+ scholar and media...
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Reliving 80s TV, feat. 80s TV Ladies
Advanced TV Herstory
I love to talk TV and I really enjoy every exchange with Susan and Sharon, otherwise known as the 80s TV Ladies. When their podcast, 80s TV Ladies, launched, they invited me to be a guest. It was a blast and over the last two years, the two podcasts have furthered a shared exploration of how women have been represented on television and the impact that representation has had on society as a whole and females, of all ages, in particular. Like Advanced TV Herstory, their show features interviews and analyzes the work of women both in front...
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Year 9: A Look Back and Ahead
Advanced TV Herstory
Welcome to our annual anniversary episode where I share thoughts on the podcast's evolution —improvements, opportunities, and what’s in store for the future. With this look back at the podcast highlights and TV moments that have taught us and inspired us, I also recommit to our mission: Connecting the dots of feminism & TV and American politics & culture. Can you believe we’re heading into our 10th year?! When I started the podcast in 2015, I wasn’t sure where Advanced TV Herstory would go. But it's important to reflect on one's work, solicit and discuss feedback,...
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Talk Show First, Della Reese
Advanced TV Herstory
Della Reese (1931-2017) was a singer, talk show host, actor, ordained minister, and much more. Her career, which spanned seven decades, was marked by faith, resilience, and her ability to break barriers in predominantly white and male-dominated industries. In 1969, Ms. Reese made history as the first black woman to host her own talk show. Almost more variety show than talk show, every episode offered an entertaining mix of sketch comedy, music, and interviews. Before her own talk show, Ms. Reese established herself as a prominent television personality by appearing and performing...
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Women Who Raise Us - A Tribute From Victoria Rowell
Advanced TV Herstory
In this special Mother’s Day episode of Advanced TV Herstory, host Cynthia Bemis Abrams explores the profound impact of women who shape our lives, with inspiration from Victoria Rowell’s compelling memoir, The Women Who Raised Me. Rowell, a two-time Emmy nominee and 11-time NAACP Image Award winner, shares her incredible journey through the foster care system and the women who nurtured her into a successful actor, dancer, and advocate. From her iconic roles on The Young and the Restless and Diagnosis: Murder to her advocacy for foster children and mental health, Victoria Rowell’s story...
info_outlineI 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 date back 50 years or more.
These TV events—featuring familiar, beloved characters—mixed serious topics with comedy so effectively that, in many cases, activists were born, movements were started, legislation was passed, and minds were changed.
Legendary showrunners like Norman Lear and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason used the sitcom format to normalize awareness and discussion of race relations, women’s issues, representation, discrimination, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ rights.
Fronting these issues shaped our culture in ways that should not be lost to history. Join us for a discussion of the iconic episodes and the legends who made them happen, as well as how they continue to impact us today.
CONNECT WITH LEE GAMBIN
Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 1: 1957-1985 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-1-1957-1985-paperback?_pos=1&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r
Tonight, On A Very Special Episode: When TV Sitcoms Sometimes Got Serious Volume 2: 1986-1998 - https://bearmanor-digital.myshopify.com/products/tonight-on-a-very-special-episode-when-tv-sitcoms-sometimes-got-serious-volume-2-1986-1998-paperback?_pos=3&_sid=72a8817db&_ss=r
Cinemaniacs - https://cinemaniacs.com.au/
SOUND CLIPS
Diff’rent Strokes: The Bicycle Man (S5.E16-17) -https://youtu.be/XX-yeqTaltE
Designing Women: Killing All the Right People (S2.E4) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cozd3HN6xS8
All in The Family: Edith’s 50th Birthday (S8.E4-5) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eGFuSpSn1U
BOOKS / ARTICLES
Norman Lear Memoir - Even This I Get to Experience - https://www.normanlear.com/the-book
PERTINENT EPISODES OF ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Designing Women 1, Body-shaming 0 - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/designing-women-1-bodyshaming-0
Sports Night: More Relevant Than Ever - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/sports-night-more-relevant-than-ever
Eating Disorder Movies: TV For and About Women - https://advancedtvherstory.libsyn.com/eating-disorder-movies-tv-for-and-about-women
ATVH NEWSLETTER
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PRODUCTION
Music: Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/