Advanced TV Herstory

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams interviews playwright, producer, actor, and author Domenica Feraud about the lasting influence of television on identity, relationships, gender, and body image.
Drawing from her book You Are What You See, Feraud discusses how shows such as Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and Beverly Hills, 90210 shape viewers’ ideas about womanhood and relationships. The conversation explores eating-disorder representation, sexual assault, sexual harassment, misogyny, Latina stereotypes, and the importance of adding historical and cultural context when revisiting older programs. Cynthia and Domenica also discuss women’s roles behind the scenes, generational media literacy, and how television can both reflect and reinforce social attitudes.
DOMENICA FERAUD
Domenica's website: https://www.domenicaferaud.com/
ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Episodes mentioned:
Reboots, One Day at a Time and Rita Moreno https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode...
Latina Grit: Diversity, Representation and Persistence https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode...
Representation with Caroline Heldman https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode...
MeTV Exec Neal Sabin on Classic & Comfort Television https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode...
Eating Disorders on TV and Women's Stories https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode...
Claws (TNT) view on demand https://www.tntdrama.com/shows/claws
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
CHAPTERS
[00:36] Introduction: Domenica Feraud
[02:06] An international upbringing
[03:44] Playwright, author, actor, producer
[04:47] Book: You Are What You See
[07:38] Learning from teen dramas
[09:34] Who decides what is acceptable?
[12:16] Power players and decision makers
[17:00] Women showrunners make a difference
[19:31] Gilmore Girls
[22:40] Peripheral people and privilege
[23:55] Essay: The Move Star and Me
[27:56] The universality of power dynamics
[29:55] Fresh content
[31:05] One Day at a Time reboot
[33:31] Diverse populations in entertainment
[34:58] The value of physical media and syndication
[38:38] College-age audience for "You Are What You See"
[39:46] Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams speaks with Caroline Heldman, PhD, about the power of media to shape cultural change and the political imagination. They explore how television, streaming, film, advertising, social media, and AI influence who audiences see as leaders, experts, protagonists, and decision-makers.
Heldman explains her work developing "The Scully Effect" as it related to representation of women in STEM fields. Further, she stresses the importance of both quantitative and qualitative representation, the impact of inclusive storytelling on career aspirations, and continuing gaps affecting women, people of colour, LGBTQIA+ people and those of differing physical abilities and size.
Resources noted:
The Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media — Research and practical resources for representation in entertainment and advertising, including the “Be It, See It” message. https://geenadavisinstitute.org/
Stacy Smith at USC — Professor and Founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative https://an nenberg.usc.edu/faculty/stacy-l-smith
Dr. Martha Lauzen at SDSU — Media representation research.
Common Sense Media — Media research and guidance for families and educators. https://about.commonsensemedia.org/
Caroline Heldman’s forthcoming book — The Presidential Gender Penalty: From Victoria Woodhull to Kamala Harris. https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/presidential-gender-penalty-9798216392248/

Advanced TV Herstory episodes mentioned:
1.10 (2015) Hill Street Blues' Davenport & Bates https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1c37565a-dcb6-4b5a-833c-a877c306c407.mp3

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
TIMESTAMPS
[00:37] Introduction: Caroline Heldman, PhD
[03:47] Representation of women, girls, and others
[06:17] The Scully Effect
[09:34] Research and resources on inclusivity in media
[11:43] Quantity and quality of representation
[14:12] Representation of race
[16:43] The impact of AI and social media
[21:51] Statistics on porn and AI
[27:11] Federal and state legislation
[30:06] Change, social movements, and double standards
[33:40] A backlash to progress
[36:02] Influential TV women
[38:49] Upcoming book: Presidential Gender Penalty

Minnesota-born actor Linda Kelsey reflects on her television career, including her role as reporter Billie Newman on Lou Grant (1977–1982) and her guest appearance on M*A*S*H in 1976. She discusses her Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, her work across television, and how the writers and directors of Lou Grant tackled controversial social topics that helped give the series lasting cultural significance.
Linda and Cynthia discuss Billie Newman’s importance as representation of women in the male-dominated field of journalism post-Watergate, her on-screen relationship with Margaret Pynchon, and her off-screen connection with Nancy Marchand.
Linda revisits the controversy surrounding Ed Asner’s political statements and the show’s cancellation, then shares her enduring passion for acting—especially live theater, where the immediate response of an audience makes every performance unique.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Book — (1996) Lou Grant: The Making of TV’s Top Newspaper Drama by Douglass Daniel.
Advanced TV Herstory episodes -
TV Writer April Smith on Lou Grant, Cagney & Lacey and Storytelling (2017) https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/646f4a94-f444-4ab9-b351-058a23238b0f.mp3
Mrs. America and TV's Dimensional Feminism (featuring April Smith in 2020) https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e0f75b62-4be6-4857-9a15-cf9fe3f5465c.mp3

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
TIMESTAMPS
[01:14] Introduction: Linda Kelsey
[03:38] Leaving Hollywood for Minnesota
[06:05] Working in the theater
[10:01] Lou Grant (1977-1982)
[11:47] Becoming Billie Newman
[17:45] Representation of working women
[23:32] Day by Day with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
[24:49] M*A*S*H" and the evolution of Margaret Houlihan
[28:44] Women writers and harassment
[34:35] Storytelling and real-life issues
[38:19] Nancy Marchand, Mrs. Pynchon & Katharine Graham
[41:09] Ed Asner, Ronald Reagan, and the "Lou Grant" cancellation
[47:17] Billie Newman's TV legacy

Linda Kelsey, Lou Grant, Billie Newman, women in television, women journalists on TV, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Ed Asner, Nancy Marchand, television history, classic TV interviews, female representation in media, live theater, Advanced TV Herstory

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams interviews Dr. Clare Sears about her upcoming book on Killing Eve for Wayne State University Press’s TV Milestone Series.
Dr. Sears explains why Killing Eve qualifies as milestone television. The series created groundbreaking queer representation and framing within the traditional spy thriller genre.
Further, Sears explains how Killing Eve's creators subverted the cat-and-mouse thriller to stage desire, obsession, and power in ways TV rarely allows women characters to inhabit.
They also explore the show’s lasting impact on contemporary television and the series's fandom's focus on every detail.
Wayne State University Press https://wsupress.wayne.edu/
Clare Sears, PhD https://claresears.com/
Past Advanced TV Herstory interviews from TV Milestone authors:
Women of the Americans, featuring Linda Mizejewski https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/e1a3d34b-bfb6-4e03-848e-bf067e98f87e.mp3
Murder She Wrote, Lansbury & the Power of Cozy Mysteries with Bridget Kies https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bc08ce87-33ed-465f-904e-8ce604b5f9d2.mp3
CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/

Summer means the anniversary episode of Advanced TV Herstory. Cynthia Bemis Abrams reflects on the journey of her podcast, sharing insights and stories that shaped episodes during the past year. She revisits instances from interviews and correspondence that fortify her examination of storytelling through TV, and how it documents social progress and challenges.
Highlights:
Gratitude and Community: Cynthia expresses her appreciation for the loyal listeners and contributors who have supported the podcast throughout its journey.
Impact of Broadcasting: Discussions with guests like Neil Sabin and Alissa Shapiro from Weigel Broadcasting explore the enduring power of cable TV in shaping cultural narratives.
Influential Women in TV: Cynthia shares conversations with actors such as Stepfanie Kramer, Denise Nicholas, and Jonelle Allen, highlighting the role of feminism and progressive writing in classic TV series like Hunter, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, In the Heat of the Night and Room 222.
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: Cynthia plugs the 2025 interview about Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman with creator Beth Sullivan, about her approach to using history to tell universal stories with a moral twist.
Navigating AI and SEO: Cynthia candidly discusses the challenges posed by AI and SEO in the podcasting world, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and originality.
Personal Reflections: Heartfelt thanks to family and colleagues who have inspired and supported the podcast's mission.

Episodes Mentioned:
Denise Nicholas; Trailblazing Actor & Writer
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/62ef89a3-220d-452b-9a08-bad38d976087.mp3

Dr. Quinn Creator Beth Sullivan on Feminist Storytelling
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8bd5fcc8-c74d-4a63-8eaa-32df63503145.mp3

Hunter, Fame & Feminism with Stepfanie Kramer
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/fa19d380-cfdf-4b17-9c43-75d8ee28a070.mp3

The Donna Reed Show: Feminism, Legacy & Innovation (Mary Owen)
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/17aa1f7e-5795-46ba-bdae-7a5344b18944.mp3

Cable TV Profiles Regina Jones, Iconic “Soul” Founder (Alissa Shapiro)
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/70d9fdac-6513-45a9-8336-6b10882d127d.mp3

MeTV Exec Neal Sabin on Classic & Comfort TV
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8493b35a-d505-4c3a-9008-55f55c0c3f70.mp3

Minnesota’s TV Legacy: Women, News & Cultural Power
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/93855928-091e-49c5-89cd-6421967e8a99.mp3

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY
Monthly Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/advancedtvherstory/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@advancedtvherstory
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bemis-abrams-5046573/
PRODUCTION
Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/
Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/
Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/
TIMESTAMPS
[00:37] Anniversary 2026
[02:37] Reviews and discoverability
[03:59] Guests in 2025-2026
[06:51] Operation Metro Surge
[07:52] The listener experience and website upgrade
[10:01] AI and SEO
[13:27] Protecting artists and creativity
[16:56] Mission and family