Advanced TV Herstory

Love TV? TV women have brought us great lessons in leadership, achievement and diligence. It’s time their stories are told and in many cases, placed in the proper context of the women’s movement, social change and political trends. Representation of women on TV – whether it’s in the news, programming schedule or sports – is a fraction of the amount of screen time men get. Yet every generation of women is profoundly impacted by what they see. It’s more than the memory of watching it, it’s the confidence that if a girl or woman sees another doing it, she is more likely to believe in herself.

Advanced TV Herstory connects the dots of TV and feminism with American politics and culture. Within each episode, we zero in on the life lessons discovered through research and analysis. Shows from every era and genre, and the women who made them, get their place in the spotlight.

Hosted and produced by Cynthia Bemis Abrams

Presenting Margaret Cho

Sep 2, 2020

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...

Pepper Reed is a Reel Woman on the Rise

Aug 25, 2020

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...

Chanel Glover is a Reel Woman on the Rise

Aug 18, 2020

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...

Sanicole Young is a Reel Woman on the Rise

Aug 11, 2020

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...

Danielle Earle is A Reel Woman on the Rise

Jul 24, 2020

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...