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Connect the dots of TV and feminism to American culture and politics with host Cynthia Bemis Abrams. Interviews with top names - in front of and behind the scenes - offer insights into TV that has shaped American culture and influenced the world. Check out episodes with actors Annie Potts, Margaret Cho, Stepfanie Kramer of Hunter, Kim Fields of Facts of Life and Living Single, and daytime's Cady McClain.  Television veteran writers Georgia Jeffries, Victoria Riskin and April Smith are featured in episodes that explain storytelling as a writing craft. These discussions will forever change how you watch TV. Explore issues of race through interviews with academics Robin Means-Coleman and Charlene Regester, and influencer Karly Beaumont. Ever since the #MeToo Movement of 2017-18, Cynthia has highlighted key episodes and events surrounding sexual harassment - fictional and real life.  With listeners around the world, Cynthia celebrates the progress of representation in media and captures the stories and insights that make TV a powerful storyteller and mirror of truth. In 2025, Cynthia started revealing more about the book she and a colleague are writing. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at www.tvherstory.com. Promise,  your data will never be sold.
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  2. June and Pepper: Early 70s LGBTQ+ Allyship

June and Pepper: Early 70s LGBTQ+ Allyship

Sep 10, 2024

Episode Summary

In this episode, Cynthia delves into pivotal moments from 1970s television that highlighted LGBTQ+ allyship. She explores a memorable appearance by June Lockhart on The Virginia Graham Show in 1970 and a groundbreaking 1974 episode of Police Woman featuring Angie Dickinson as Sgt. Pepper Anderson. These moments were not only significant in their time but also serve as early examples of how media can challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity. She also highlights the impact of Steven Capsuto's book, Alternate Channels, which provides a comprehensive history of LGBTQ+ representation in media and the role of allies in advocating for more positive depictions.

Key Topics

  • June Lockhart's Stand: How her appearance on The Virginia Graham Show challenged common stereotypes of the time.
  • Police Woman's Influence: Analyzing the 1974 episode that showcased Angie Dickinson's character as an ally.
  • Steven Capsuto's Alternate Channels: The importance of this book in tracing the history of LGBTQ+ representation in media.
  • LGBTQ+ Visibility and Allyship: The evolving portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in media and the crucial role of allies in this progress.

The overall trend in American society has been toward greater understanding and support for LGBTQ+ people and this is, to a significant degree, the result of advocates and allies pushing for more positive and diverse characterizations in popular culture. Television largely ignored lesbians until the 1970s and even then, the characters were bitter, violent, and unstable. With just a few sentences, June Lockhart, in real life, and Angie Dickinson, as Sgt. Pepper Anderson, showed viewers the power of LGBTQ+ allyship. 

STEVEN CAPSUTO

Website - http://alternatechannels.net/

Alternate Channels, 20th Anniversary Revised Edition (2020) by Steven Capsuto
http://alternatechannels.net/book/

MENTIONS

June Lockhart, Virginia Graham, Angie Dickinson, Rev. Troy Perry, Art Metrano, Donna Mills, Lois Nettleton, Randy Wicker, Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis, Lassie, Lost in Space, Petticoat Junction, General Hospital, Quincy M.E., Police Woman, The Bold Ones, Medical Center, Charlie’s Angels, Cagney & Lacey, The Kinsey Report, Stonewall, HIV/AIDS, Metropolitan Community Church

CLIPS

The Virginia Graham Show, with June Lockhart and Rev. Troy Perry (1970)
 https://youtu.be/Xm2q-F6FdoY?si=35Z6kF8pN4rQotjd

Police Woman, Flowers of Evil, S1E8 (1974)
https://youtu.be/o6oBmnhsblA?si=U-_5nIvhYSQyLLPo

CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS AND ATVH

ATVH Newsletter – https://tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://tvherstory.com

Email - advancedtvherstory@gmail.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory

Bluesky Social - https://bsky.app/profile/cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

PRODUCTION

Video - Nivia Lopez - https://nivialopez.com/

Audio - Marilou Marosz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Music - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/