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Welcome to Advanced TV Herstory, the podcast that connects the dots of TV & feminism and American politics & culture. We tell the stories of women in TV who have had a profound impact on the confidence and aspirations of generations of girls and women.

We highlight the pioneering journalists, talented actresses, and gutsy writers who challenged societal norms and provide historical context for their achievements within the cultural and political trends of the time. By exploring the past, we ensure that the struggles, triumphs, and milestones of these women are not lost to history.

Hosted and produced by television scholar Cynthia Bemis Abrams, Advanced TV Herstory is more than just a podcast. It is a research-based examination of the evolution of television and women in our society. Each episode is an opportunity to inspire listeners to believe in themselves, challenge norms, break barriers, and shape the future of television and our world.

Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at www.tvherstory.com/.

Sep 18, 2017

It was the late 1970s and Norman Lear and Tandem Productions were on a winning streak. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams draws the family tree of hits All in the Family, Maude and Good Times. Good Times, which aired 1974 to 1980 broke ground in many ways and Cynthia ties its development to a 1965 Federal Report: “The Negro Family: The Case for National Action." Before Good Times hit production, there was controversy over the Evans' family structure: single mother or nuclear family

Listen in to hear how and why Esther Rolle & John Amos stood firm to the family being led by two parents and how they endured six difficult seasons. Cynthia also pays tribute to Esther Rolle's lifetime record of civil rights activism.

Key resource: Christine Acham's Revolution Televised: Prime Time and the Struggle for Black Power, (University of Minnesota Press, 2005)