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80s TV Ladies: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast.80s TV Ladies is dedicated to the beloved female-driven shows of the 1980s! Do you love 80s pop culture, television and fabulous women? On our show, you’ll hear a breakdown of how these shows got made, how they were influenced by the times and, in turn, how they influenced pop-culture trends to follow. We love discussing the “two-steps forward, one-step-back” lens of media-driven feminism.Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they talk about the fabulous ladies of television: Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, A Different World, The Golden Girls and more.With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out.Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover.Scarecrow and Mrs. KingRemington SteeleCagney & LaceySea
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- 4 days ago38 min
80s TV Movie Ladies | 1985: Lucille Ball, Daphne Zuniga in Stone Pillow
“I was so impressed with her performance. She’s almost unrecognizable.” – Susan Lambert Hatem, on Lucille BallThe 80s TV Ladies launch a brand-new series looking back at 1980s television movies with Stone Pillow(1985), the CBS drama in which 74-year-old Lucille Ball plays a woman living on the streets of New York City, opposite a young Daphne Zuniga. Spoilers ahead!Welcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward, and where we work together to make a better tomorrow! Today, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem (with producer Melissa Roth) kick off a new series on 80s TV movies with one of the most surprising projects of an 80s TV lady’s career. On November 5, 1985, the one and only Lucille Ball starred in Stone Pillow as Florabelle, an older woman living on the streets of Manhattan with a shopping cart that holds everything she owns. Daphne Zuniga plays Carrie Lang, an idealistic young social worker who goes out to learn what life is really like for people without homes.The ladies cover the movie, the stars, the people behind the camera, how it was received, and what happened to Lucy right after it aired. Plus, Susan climbs up on her soapbox about why getting an ID is so hard, and why it matters.THE CONVERSATIONLucy Like You’ve Never Seen Her: Lucille Ball was born in 1911, co-invented the modern sitcom with Desi Arnaz, and became the first woman to head a Hollywood studio. Her company Desilu even gave us Star Trekand Mission Impossible. After no series since Here’s Lucy ended in 1974, she pitched this movie to CBS after seeing a shopping bag lady in New York, and named the character after her grandmother.Daphne Zuniga’s Big Year: In 1985 she starred in Stone Pillow, Vision Quest with Matthew Modine, and The Sure Thing with John Cusack, before Spaceballs, Melrose Place, and One Tree Hill. The ladies agree Lucy gets the heft of the story, while Carrie’s character is a little underwritten.The People Behind the Camera: Director George Schaefer, the Tony winner and Hallmark Hall of Famelegend with five Emmys and a record number of Directors Guild nominations. Writer Rose Leiman Goldemberg, a former TV Guide staffer who became a “queen of TV movies,” wrote The Burning Bed the year before and died in 2025 at age 97. And Oscar-winning cinematographer Walter Lassally, who shot Zorba the Greek and Tom Jones.How It Was Received: A ratings hit that landed in the week’s top 10 with a 33 share, even though critics were mixed. The New York Times called it a carefully contrived tearjerker but praised Lucy for being in total control of the role. Fans love it today, with an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lucy followed it with the short-lived sitcom Life with Lucy in 1986.Homelessness, Shelters & the System: In the 80s, awareness was growing as the social safety net frayed. The ladies discuss the shelter scenes, Flora’s trip to a brutal Brooklyn shelter, a social worker sent out on her own, and why losing an address can mean losing access to services, to travel, and even to the vote.A New Series & Your Suggestions: Female-driven stories were a big part of 80s TV movies, and the ladies are excited to look at more of them, including The Burning Bed. Plus, help us pick a fun title for the series, and tell us which TV movies we should cover!NEXT EPISODE TEASERDon’t miss our next episode, when the ladies are back with another fabulous look at the shows and stars that made 80s TV great! Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGStone Pillow (1985): Watch on YouTube (there are a few different versions), or find the 2005 Koch Vision DVD on eBay. See the Apple TV listing and the Wikipedia page.The New York Times Review: Read John J. O’Connor’s “Lucille Ball Plays A Bag Lady On CBS” (November 5, 1985).Rose Leiman Goldemberg: Learn more about the writer on her website <a href="https://www.roseleimangoldemberg.com/" target="_blank" rel
- 2 weeks ago55 min
The Best 80s TV Halloween Episodes! Elvira, Punky Brewster, Rosanne & More
Trick or treat! The 80s TV Ladies count down their top seven Halloween and spooky episodes of 80s TV, from Elvira to Facts of Life to Roseanne, and judge each one a trick or a treat. Happy Halloween!“In a haunted house, the scariest thing is usually someone telling you that you’re imagining it.”– Susan Lambert HatemWelcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we love to grab a blanket and some hot chocolate and watch scary shows peeking through our fingers! In Season 4, Episode 25, our 110th episode, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson and producer Melissa Roth hand out full-size candy bars. Way back in Season 1, we tacked a fun-size Halloween list onto the end of our Robin Bernheim interview. This time, it’s the good stuff.The rules are simple: the episode must be female-driven, it must be from the 1980s, and it must be spooky, silly, or both. Susan, Sharon and Melissa judge every pick a Trick or a Treat as they go chronologically, so you can watch the decade get spookier, then sillier, then really, really weird. Along the way, they share Halloween candy scares of the 70s and 80s, their own Halloween plans, and the scary movies and commercials that traumatized them as kids. Plus, Melissa has a spooky mystery for YOU to solve!THE CONVERSATION- Elvira’s Movie Macabre (1981): The Queen of Halloween herself! Cassandra Peterson’s campy horror host took the show national, built a whole brand, co-wrote the 1988 movie Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and still owns the character. The ladies also discuss her 2021 New York Times bestselling memoir, Yours Cruelly, Elvira.- Laverne & Shirley, “Ghost Story” (1983): Time for a confession: it’s a ghost story, not a Halloween story, and the ladies own up to putting it on their Season 1 list. Plus, Penny Marshall’s Hollywood history behind the camera as the director of Big, and why this episode is the lone Trick.- The Facts of Life, “The Halloween Show” (1983): Edna’s Edibles, a vanishing customer, a butcher strike, and a very big knife. It’s The Facts of Life meets Sweeney Todd, with Charlotte Rae having a blast and a shout-out to director Asaad Kelada, our Season 3 guest.- Punky Brewster, “The Perils of Punky” (1985): The two-part spooky cave adventure that traumatized a generation, plus the animated spinoff where Glomer turns everyone into pumpkins. A Treat with a warning: watch it before you show it to a child!- Murder, She Wrote, “Reflections of the Mind” (1985): Jessica Fletcher, Angela Lansbury and a haunted mansion. It aired the Sunday after Halloween, so call it a Halloween hangover, and it’s a story about gaslighting and women believing women. Plus a shout-out to our Murder, She Wrote costumer guest, Eilish Zebrasky, and her “cuppa” stories with Ms. Lansbury.- Kate & Allie, “Halloween II” (1986): Two divorced best friends and their kids go to war in a Halloween prank battle between the generations. Why is it called Halloween II when there is no Halloween I? And how did it help start a TV tradition that runs all the way to Roseanne and Brooklyn Nine-Nine?- Roseanne, “Boo!” (1989): The Conners turn their house into a haunted tunnel of terror in a blood-and-gore battle of the sexes that kicked off the show’s annual Halloween tradition.- Honorable Mentions: Hunter (Season 2, Episode 5), The Golden Girls’ “Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself” (Season 3, Episode 5), and Designing Women’s “Charlene Buys a House” (1990), a haunted house that is technically the 90s, but the rules are for ghosts, not live human beings doing podcasts about old television shows.- Halloween Plans & Spooky Confessions: Susan’s first Halloween in the new house, Sharon’s plans for a very un-spooky evening, and Melissa’s candy-stealing reputation. Plus, the childhood scares: the Magic commercial, Count Yorga, Vampire, and the Nightmare on Elm Street phone call to Mom. And can you name the 70s movie with Sasquatch and a man covered in bees? Melissa needs to know!NEXT EPISODE TEASERThe ladies are back with a new special feature! We’re starting 80s TV Movie Ladies - a look at the groundbreaking, heartbreaking and titilating 1980s, women-led, television movies and miniseries. Kicking it off with a little remembered gem, Stone Pillow (1985) starring Lucielle Ball and Daphne Zuniga! Subscribe now so you don’t miss it!📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHING - Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Watch on the Shout Studios TV channel onhttps://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Elvira%27s+Movie+Macabre+Shout+Studios+TV. - Laverne & Shirley, “Ghost Story”: Not on YouTube, but the episode is on https://pluto.tv/.- The Facts of Life, “The Halloween Show”: Watch on https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Facts+of+Life+The+Halloween+Show.- Punky Brewster, “The Perils of Punky”: Find it onhttps://tv.apple.com/us/episode/the-perils-of-punky-
- Oct 14, 20261h 12m
One Day at a Time | The 90s TV Babies Review the 1975 Sitcom!
The 90s TV Babies take on the 1975 - 1984 One Day at a Time! Sailor and Spenser react to Ann Romano’s single-mom independence, teen sex talks, workplace harassment, proto-Kramer Schneider, and whether this Norman Lear classic is truly feminist.“The 80s were a time of great change... There wasn’t the internet, there wasn’t TikTok, there wasn’t YouTube. There was television, and television was how new ideas got spread around.” – Susan Lambert HatemWelcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward! This week, one of our very favorite segments is back: The 90s TV Babies Take on 70s and 80s TV! Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson hand a 1975 - 1984 sitcom to two fresh-faced viewers who have never seen it, and then sit back to hear what lands, what shocks, and what still feels radical today.Our subject is the groundbreaking Norman Lear-produced sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984), created by Whitney Blake and Allan Manings. Bonnie Franklin stars as newly divorced Ann Romano, who moves to Indianapolis with her teenage daughters Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli), with plenty of unsolicited “help” from tool-belt-wearing building superintendent Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.).Returning 90s TV Baby Sailor and brand-new panelist Spenser Gerber Hatem (Susan’s stepson!) watched a hand-picked list of episodes and are now reporting back on single motherhood, teen sexuality, workplace harassment, disability representation, and the world’s most creepy (and eventually course-corrected) building super. Along the way, our Hoosier baby geeks out over Indiana shout-outs, everyone debates whether the show is feminist or merely progressive, and we all learn why you should never trust a man who announces he’s going to win back his ex… and then just sits there.THE CONVERSATIONThe Assignment: The episodes our babies watched: Ann’s Decision (S1E1), All the Way (S1E8), Father David (S1E13), Ann’s Out of Town Client (S3E5), Schneider’s Helper (S4E5), Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (S4E6), plus extra credit episodes: The Runaways (S2E1), Schneider’s Pride and Joy (S2E9, with a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill), The Older Man (S3E1), Miracle of Birth (S8E8–9), and the bonus-bonus Indianapolis Story (S6E21). Bonus clip: Julie and Barbara spoofing Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Meet the Babies: Sailor and Spenser introduce themselves, plus Susan on how Smokey and the Bandit and the 1970s CB radio craze led straight to Schneider’s “Super Stud” handle.A Hoosier Reacts: Kokomo, Logansport, Fort Wayne, and a lawnmower CEO who says “Terry Hot” (it’s Terre Haute, and Sailor will defend it!), plus driving I-65 from the couch. Sharon shares the Lyft driver who waxed poetic about the Indianapolis sitcom, and the ladies explain why a show set in Indiana was filmed in Hollywood. Wait, There Was a Reboot? The 2017–2020 One Day at a Time reboot starring Justina Machado and Rita Moreno with a Latina cast, and why neither baby knew it existed.First Impressions: The very 70s live studio audience, the fabulous costumes and bell bottoms, Julie’s sharp wit, Bonnie Franklin’s ever-present smile, and why they had to remind themselves that this was “the blueprint” of a sitcom, not a parody of one.David the Lawyer & the Age Gap: Ann’s younger boyfriend (who was also her divorce lawyer!), why he’s the nicest man on the show by a mile, and why actor Richard Masur left the show early in season two. Schneider’s Evolution: From creepy boundary-pusher (aka stalker?) in the early seasons to beloved goofball with a heart. The ladies and babies agree he’s a proto-Kramer, and Susan reminds us: no Schneider, no Kramer.Ann Romano’s Feminism: One of TV’s first leading divorced moms, a woman who kept her last name in 1975, and Susan’s personal story of seeing her own divorced mom and two daughters reflected on screen in Georgia circa 1977.How TV Reflected (and Led) Culture: Divorce, single parenting, and women in the workforce were changing American life, and television was the way new ideas spread. Sailor connects it to the kids she works with today.Teen Sex, Consent & Saying No: All the Way Julie’s getting pressured by boyfriend Chuck. The Babies on the great sex talk Ann gave her girls, why it’s frustrating that it takes David to get through to Chuck, and why Julie’s final “no” is the right message.Workplace Harassment, with Laughs: Ann’s Out of Town Client and how a very funny episode delivered a serious message. Ann wins by standing up for her value, though the group debates how realistic that ending was in 1977.Disability, Language & Representation: Schneider’s Helper and Jackie’s powerful line about never being allowed to
- Sep 30, 20261h 2m
One Day at a Time: The Top 10 Most Norman Lear Episodes | Feminist TV, Taboo Topics, and the Sex Lives of Women
Welcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward! With our lovely producer Melissa out having some fun life stuff, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem take the mic to break down the Top 10 Most Norman Lear-ish Episodes of One Day at a Time.Susan and Sharon explore how TV titan Norman Lear revolutionized the 1970s and 80s sitcom landscape, using One Day at a Time to tackle second-wave feminism, workplace harassment, teen sex, runaway youth, and mental health without losing the comedy.THE CONVERSATIONThe Legacy of Norman Lear: A tribute to Lear’s WWII service, 22 landmark sitcoms (including All in the Family, Maude, and The Jeffersons), and his passionate civic activism through People for the American Way and voter registration drives.What Makes an Episode "Lear-ish"? How One Day at a Time introduced the "sitcom dramedy" format—tackling taboo real-life issues with heart, humor, and authentic character conflicts.The Groundbreaking Top 10 List: Deep dives into landmark episodes and multi-part story arcs, including the unaired pilot Three to Get Ready vs. Ann's Decision (S1E1), Important conversations about teen sex in All the Way (S1E8), serialized storytelling in The Runaways (S2E1–4), workplace harassment in Ann's Out of Town Client (S3E5), teen depression in Barbara's Friend (S3E9–10), and natural childbirth in Miracle of Birth (S8E8–9).Schneider’s Evolution: How Pat Harrington Jr.’s iconic character shifted from creepy boundary-pusher to beloved family figure—plus his 1970s CB radio obsession and how he paved the way for characters like Kramer.Career Milestones & Series Arcs: Ann Romano’s journey from a newly divorced homemaker searching for independence to a successful account executive heading to London.NEXT EPISODE TEASER Stay tuned for our next episode, where the '90s TV Babies step up to give their fresh take on One Day at a Time! What will the Babies say?📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGWatch One Day at a Time: Stream the original series for free on Tubi or purchase episodes on Amazon and YouTube.Norman Lear Documentary: Watch Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (2016) streaming for free on Roku or available to purchase on Amazon and Apple.Norman Lear Memoir: Read Norman Lear’s biography, Even This I Get to Experience, onhttps://www.thriftbooks.com/w/even-this-i-get-to-experience_norman-lear/3135739/item/16656275/ COMMUNITY CONNECTConnect with 80s TV Ladies: Join our mailing list, follow 8TL on Instagram (@80sTVLadies), support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, and discover more great shows on Weirding Way Media!PROTECT THE VOTEVote.org: Check your voter registration. Make sure you and the young adults in your life are ready to vote. Stay engaged. Let your voice be heard.DemocracyDocket.com: Learn more about protecting our right to vote.🌟 SPECIAL 8TL PROMOTIONS!COZY EARTH: Get 21% OFF awesome bamboo sheets and pajamas at CozyEarth.com using promo code: 80STVLADIES.TORRAIN BAGS: Get 15% OFF recycled bags perfect for travel and work with promo code: 80sTVLadies.All Promo Deals: See all special offers at MyDeals.Page/19wy.Visit 80sTVLadies.com for more info.Listen to 80s TV Ladies at YouTube. Subscribe and help us grow.Don’t miss out. Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list!Help us make more episodes and get ad-free episodes, video interviews, and exclusive content on PATREON.
- Sep 16, 202652 min
25 Surprising Facts About One Day at a Time | Whitney Blake, Valerie Bertinelli & Schneider Secrets
Welcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we hold on tight and muddle through one day at a time! In this episode, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem kick off a multi-part deep dive into the classic 1975–1984 sitcom One Day at a Time.Susan and Sharon break down 25 of the most surprising facts about the ground-breaking series—from its real-life origins and pilot changes to backstage rock-star encounters, and the evolution of everyone's favorite - and 80s inappropriate - superintendent, Dwayne Schneider.Real-Life Origins & Creators: How co-creator Whitney Blake based the show on her own life as a divorced single mother raising three kids (including future Family Ties star Meredith Baxter).The Conversation:Pilot & Script Changes: The original pilot title Three to Get Ready, why Ann Romano was initially written as a nurse with only one daughter, and why Bonnie Franklin insisted on keeping her character’s maiden name.Schneider’s Evolution: How Pat Harrington Jr. created Schneider’s iconic look, his shift from early-season "creepy" to beloved family figure, and his late-70s CB radio obsession.Pop Culture & Rock Encounters: The time Elton John sent fan mail after Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips performed in full Elton drag, and how Valerie met Eddie Van Halen backstage.Behind-the-Scenes Secrets: Taping at three different studio lots, theme song history (and the Gloria Estefan reboot cover), and intriguing directors Michael Lembeck, Bonnie Franklin, and past 8TL guest, Asad Kalada.Series Finale & Backdoor Pilot: How the 1984 series finale doubled as an unsold spin-off pilot for Schneider - featuring a young Corey Feldman!Next Episode Teaser: Stay tuned for our next episode, where we rank and break down the Top 10 Most Norman Lear-ish Episodes of One Day at a Time!📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGWatch One Day at a Time: Stream the original series for free on Tubi or purchase episodes on Amazon and YouTube.Mackenzie Phillips Books: Read High on Arrival: A Memoir and Hopeful Healing: Essays on Managing Recovery and Surviving Addiction on bookshop.orgValerie Bertinelli Books: Find her latest book, Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect, along with her memoirs and cookbooks bookshop.orgFind out more about the ROAR Movement’s September 27th National Walk for Longterm Care Reform. Find a walk in your state. Go to ROAR4ltc.org 🛍️ PROMO DEALS, VOTING & COMMUNITY CONNECTConnect with 80s TV Ladies: Join our mailing list, follow 8TL on Instagram (@80sTVLadies), support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, and discover more great shows on Weirding Way Media!PROTECT THE VOTEVote.org: Check your voter registration. Make sure you and the young adults in your life are ready to vote. Stay engaged. Let your voice be heard.DemocracyDocket.com is protecting our vote. Learn more. COMMUNITY CONNECTLos Angeles Live Theatre ONE-NIGHT-ONLY Event: See producer Susan Lambert Hatem and 90s TV Baby and Stage Manager, Sailor Franklin at the incredible one-woman show, starring Victoria Libertore: LIZA (not) at the Palace!Friday, Sept 18 at 7:30pmLos Angeles LGBT Center.Get info & tix at LALGBTCenter.org/events.🌟🛍️ SPECIAL 8TL PROMOTIONS! COZY EARTH - Best Deal - 21% OFF! At Cozy Earth.com - Get the best discount on awesome sheets and pajamas.Use promo code: 80STVLADIESTORRAIN BAGS - 15% OFFGood cause - Great bag. Perfect for travel and adventure and back to school!Get your 80s TV Ladies deal: Code: 80sTVLadies🔗 See ALL our special deals at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁 Promo Code: 80STVLADIES<
- Sep 2, 20261h 19m
Adrienne Barbeau on Maude, Creating Rizzo in Grease, Cult Horror and Return to Fantasy Island
"Norman kept saying, 'If you don't trust yourself to know that you're good, trust me because I know you're good. This is what you're meant to be doing.'" — Adrienne Barbeau, on working with Norman Lear on MaudeWelcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward, and where we say everyone has the right to body autonomy and boundless joy! In this episode, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem are joined by six-decade stage and screen icon Ms. Adrienne Barbeau.From her early performing days touring East Asia with the USO to her Broadway roots, Adrienne shares how she went from Fiddler on the Roof alongside Bette Midler to originating the role of Rizzo in Grease. She opens up about being selected by Norman Lear to play Carol, Bea Arthur’s independent daughter on Maude, and reflects on the cultural impact of the landmark 1972 "Maude's Dilemma" abortion episodes.Plus, Adrienne takes us behind the scenes of her legendary genre career, her love for voice and audio description work, and her second career as an author!In this episode, we discuss:Broadway Roots to Sitcom Stardom: How playing Rizzo in Grease earned her a Tony nomination and caught the attention of Norman Lear.Working on Maude: What it was like working alongside Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan, the family culture on set, and learning comedic timing on the job."Maude’s Dilemma": The groundbreaking two-part episode about abortion, working in a healthcare clinic during hiatus, and writing her 2022 Guardian op-ed.Cult Horror & Sci-Fi Royalty: Stories from filming The Fog, Swamp Thing, Creepshow, and the secret garage shoot behind her death scene in Escape From New York.Classic 70s & 80s TV Guest Spots: Her memories from Fantasy Island (including full-face prosthetics), Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, Quincy, and playing a Romulan on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.Life as an Author & Voice Artist: Writing her vampire mystery novels, her memoir, and describing films for blind audiences.Next Episode Teaser:Don't miss our next episode, where we begin our deep dive into the classic 1975–1984 Norman Lear sitcom One Day at a Time, starring Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, and Valerie Bertinelli, featuring 25 surprising facts about the show!📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGLearn more about Adrienne Barbeau at abarbeau.com or on Instagram @adrienne_barbeau.Watch The Fog on Pluto, Escape From New York or Maude on Tubi Check out the documentary Hollywood Does Abortion at hollywooddoesabortion.com.Read Adrienne’s 2022 op-ed on Maude's Dilemma in The Guardian.Pick up Adrienne's books—There Are Worse Things I Could Do on Amazon.Listen to it on Spotify or Audible Grease: Tell Me More, Tell Me More at Bookshop.orgAnd her Vampire Trilogy (The Vampyres of Hollywood, Love Bites, Make Me Dead)—at AmazonWatch the short film Oddities on YouTube. Oddities Short Horror Film | ScreamfestWatch Alice Jacobs is Dead on YouTube. <a href="https://youtu.be/9tQv
- Aug 19, 202655 min
1980s Fall TV Previews: TV Guide, Crazy Network Specials, and Saturday Morning Nostalgia
"As a TV junkie, the Fall TV Preview was the best time of the year. The network specials highlighted their new shows—they were always informative, joyful, and optimistic because everyone expected these shows to be big hits!" — Sharon JohnsonNEW EPISODE! Summer is winding down, back-to-school season is here, and the 80s TV Ladies are diving into one of the absolute best pop-culture traditions of the 80s: The Network Fall TV Previews! Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson, along with producer Melissa Roth and Carnegie Mellon summer intern, Shannon Lee, as they look back at how it felt when fall was approaching and a brand-new season of television was about to drop.Before streaming, DVRs, or internet spoilers, catching a glimpse of upcoming shows meant waiting with bated breath for the extra-thick TV Guide Fall Preview issue and tuning into wild, star-studded prime-time network specials. Together, the ladies explore the history of TV Guide, the agonizing strategy of choosing between conflicting time slots, bizarre prime-time crossover promos, fever-dream Saturday morning cartoon previews, and the classic fall lineup shows that captured our hearts. THE CONVERSATIONTHE HOLY GRAIL OF TV GUIDE: Exploring the history of TV Guide magazine, from its iconic 1953 debut cover featuring Lucille Ball’s newborn son Desi Jr. to why the annual September Fall Preview issue was every TV junkie’s holy grail.TIME-SLOT WARS & STRIKE DELAYS: How pre-DVR audiences navigated brutal schedule conflicts (sacrificing new shows for established favorites!), how the 1980 SAG actors' strike delayed fall premieres, and the wild 1980 magazine ads for hard liquor, cigarettes, and brand-new Maxwell VHS videotapes.WACKY NETWORK PROMO SPECIALS: Recapping the gloriously surreal prime-time preview specials—from the 1983 ABC Love Boat crossover where real stars boarded in-character, to Kenny Loggins singing "We've Got the Touch" on CBS, and ABC’s bizarre 1985 parody of "I Love L.A."SATURDAY MORNING CARTOON FEVER: Remembering the surreal Saturday morning cartoon preview specials hosted by 80s icons like Mr. T, Joyce DeWitt, Ted Knight, Weird Al, and the cast of The Facts of Life.FALL SHOW HITS & MISSES: Reminiscing about short-lived gems, cult classics, and massive hits from fall lineups, including WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, Ladies' Man, Freebie and the Bean, Breaking Away, The A-Team, and Hardcastle & McCormick.📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGCheck out the digitized 1980 TV Guide Fall Preview Issue (September 13–19, 1980) to browse the original schedules, ads, and show previews.Get Ready for our Next Guest: Watch The Fog on Pluto, Escape From New York or Maude on Tubi to get ready for upcoming dream-guest interview with the legendary Adrienne Barbeau!Be ready for our next multi-episode primer on the classic sitcom, One Day at a Time, streaming on Tubi.THE PREVIEW AND PROMO SPECIALSYouTube has a lot of the Fall TV Specials and promos. Here is a curated playlist of many ABC Network Fall preview videos.Promo for the 1983 ABC Love Boat Special.The entire (we think) 1983 ABC Love Boat Fall Preview SpecialArticle and review of The Love Boat Special at Tune in Tonight.1980 You and Me and ABC - Fancy Dance number.CBS We've Got the Touch Kenny Rogers Promos 19851984 CBS Saturday Morning<a href="https://youtu.be/eWTwbrWlAt0?si=pY57SOI4zseaLUB8" target="_blank" rel="
- Aug 5, 20261h 22m
REWIND: Neema Barnette | Directing A Different World, Making TV History, and Strategies for Revolution
"A lot of production companies who decide to do stories about people of color are not used to having the people of color they hire coming in with an opinion. Coming in contradicting them on certain things." — Neema BarnetteREWIND EPISODE: Happy Summer! We made it to August. This is our last rerun episode of the summer. In a few weeks we’ll be bringing you brand new episodes! We loved rewatching A Different World and learning about the show from our incredible guests. We think this interview with legendary producer and director Neema Barnette is so powerful and timely. We hope you enjoy it, too!Sharon and Susan welcome legendary producer-director Neema Barnette to talk about her incredible journey from Harlem to Hollywood. Ms. Barnette made television history in 1986 when she became the first African American woman to direct a prime-time sitcom (What’s Happening Now?). She followed this historic milestone with episodes of Frank’s Place, It’s A Living, and The Cosby Show before directing seven iconic episodes of A Different World. With over 50 film and TV directing credits to her name, she was also the first African American woman to sign a three-picture deal with Sony Pictures.Neema also served as producer-director for Season 1 of Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar. In this episode, she shares stories of making the transition from New York theater to Hollywood sets, fighting for creative integrity, inspiring new generations with the truth, and applying actual "strategies for revolution" to transform the entertainment industry.🗣️ THE CONVERSATIONBARBARA CORDAY’S INSTANT YES: How one look at Neema’s directing reel prompted the head of Columbia Pictures to demand, "Get this woman a job!"STRATEGIES FOR REVOLUTION: Taking a college course on revolutionary strategy and directly applying those lessons to navigate, challenge, and disrupt Hollywood's power structures.MAKING SITCOM HISTORY: Directing the groundbreaking episode of What’s Happening Now? with support from Shirley Hemphill, and helming The Cosby Show episode where Bill gets pregnant.FROM HARLEM TO THE APOLLO: Growing up in the 1960s, grabbing Sherman’s BBQ, spending 12-hour days at the Apollo Theater watching Aretha Franklin, and bringing authentic New York theater sensibilities to West Coast sets.THE QUEEN SUGAR LEGACY: Being called away from teaching to produce and direct Queen Sugar, and how Ava DuVernay permanently shifted the industry landscape by hiring only female directors.📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHINGWatch A Different World -- streaming on Netflix and Philo.Follow Neema Barnette on Instagram.com/neemafilms Black History Mini-Docs: Explore Neema’s educational micro-documentaries celebrating Black heritage at BlackHistoryMiniDocs.com.🛍️ FAMOUS LAKE PARK FREE SCREENING!See Susan at the NYC Film premiere of Famous Lake Park - the wild and hilarious puppet animation comedy short. Premiering at the International Puppet Fringe Festival in the Lower East Side! Get your FREE Tickets at PuppetFringeNYC.comSaturday & Sunday, August 15 and 16.🛍️ PROMO DEALS - SPECIAL COZY EARTH PROMOTION! Get 21% OFF at CozyEarth.com - or the BEST DEAL they have going.Great deals on awesome cozy sheets and pajamas at COZY EARTH.Be sure to use the promo code: 80STVLADIES for the best deal they’re offering. Happy Shopping!🔗 Get them at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁 Code: 80STVLADIESCONNECTSign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Follow 8TL on Facebook or Instagram/80sTVLadies.Get ad-free episodes and exclusive videos on PATREON.Find more cool podcasts at our h
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About 80s TV Ladies
4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast.80s TV Ladies is dedicated to the beloved female-driven shows of the 1980s! Do you love 80s pop culture, television and fabulous women? On our show, you’ll hear a breakdown of how these shows got made, how they were influenced by the times and, in turn, how they influenced pop-culture trends to follow. We love discussing the “two-steps forward, one-step-back” lens of media-driven feminism.Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they talk about the fabulous ladies of television: Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, A Different World, The Golden Girls and more.With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out.Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover.Scarecrow and Mrs. KingRemington SteeleCagney & LaceySea
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