Podcast Spotlight: Advanced TV Herstory

Unfortunately, podcasts — like most other mediums — are dominated by white males. There’s a definite need for increased diversity especially among women, LGBTQ+, and people of color. #LadyPodSquad on Twitter helps to amplify women-helmed podcasts and Advanced TV Herstory is a TV podcast that aims to do the same. Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams, a professor by trade, thoroughly researches and analyzes the impact women on TV have had on our culture today.

Each episode of Advanced TV Herstory has a great mix of feminist trivia, pop culture, and history as Abrams is often joined by a special guest. Though the podcast may be new to you, Abrams and team have actually perfected their craft and their podcast is quickly approaching their three year anniversary. Episodes are typically released bi-weekly and range anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour.

Discover Pods was fortunate to catch up with Abrams and discuss the podcast, why listeners should tune in, and the state of female-drive TV shows. See below for our full Q&A.

Listen: Apple Podcasts

Discover Pods: How’d you get into podcasting?

Cynthia: At the time I started Advanced TV Herstory, I was an adjunct professor teaching leadership at a large public university in Minnesota. My two kids (young adults) and I had talked a lot about leadership lessons found on TV. Both listened to podcasts and helped me frame the early vision for the show.

DP: In your own words, why should listeners tune into Advanced TV Herstory?

Cynthia: Listeners should tune in because there’s no other podcast or TV show that delivers researched, in-depth discussion of the impact TV women have had on American and world culture. It’s a fun blend of feminism, history, pop culture and often economics or sociology. Each episode is produced so that a listener need not have seen the series or have any idea who the performer, writer or showrunner is, but should still gain a better appreciation of the overall theme of TV women.

DP: Do you get listener recommendations for shows to cover?

Cynthia: Indeed I do. Most TV series I at least need to watch a few seasons of and often the whole thing. Some series that have been suggested are still airing, like The Crown. For now, I am watching The Crown as reference. At some time in the future, as the seasons progress, it might be the subject of a podcast episode or align with an interview. “Daria” DVDs on the other hand, are on my pile for my next binge.

DP: What are some current female-driven shows you feel deserve extra acknowledgement?

Cynthia: I just conducted an interview with a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the development of major, transformational TV shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Seinfeld. She’s about to release Sex and the City and Us, and mine is her first interview. The Mary Tyler Moore Show is one that I’ve produced 3 podcasts about and I’d do more if I can continue to find stories to tell. Cagney & Lacey, same thing. Shows like Sex and the City and anything from Shondaland has been parsed and discussed at length online. So I am mindful that while these series deserve extra acknowledgement, there’s already a lot written about them. The older shows and performers, like Julia starring Diahann Carroll and other ground breakers will always have a place in the conversation at Advanced TV Herstory.

DP: What podcasts are you listening to now?

Cynthia: I stay current on podcasting by listening to She Podcasts. WBEZ out of Chicago did a great job with Making Oprah and have followed it up with Making Obama. If you ever watched Mary McDonnell in Major Crimes, you’ll love the podcast that tracked the series last few seasons, What Would Sharon Raydor Do? Now that the series has ended, McDonnell brings her same thoughtful, contextual voice to a new podcast, Lady BAM.

DP: Anything else you’d like to add?

Cynthia: The people who might enjoy my content the most may have no idea what a podcast is, let alone how to listen to it. When I am speaking in public or sometimes closing out the show, I remind listeners that they might be sitting with the extended family soon and want to bring up something other than politics or tattoos. I encourage them to talk a bit about Advanced TV Herstory (and the fact that our content is clean, suitable for young and old ears) and offer to help someone learn how to listen. While some may find the process of downloading intimidating, we also publish onto YouTube and have a player directly on our website, www.tvherstory.com. It’s as easy as pressing play! As podcasters, we all benefit if we can grow the number of listeners overall. There’s just so much good stuff that’s being produced at the indie level as well as the by the big networks.