Emmy Winner Cady McClain Pt. 1

Host Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Yvonne Perry to Advanced TV Herstory. Yvonne is an award-winning actor, drama teacher, director, and intimacy coordinator. In addition to her work in film and primetime television, she originated the role of Rosanna Cabot on "As the World Turns." Yvonne’s experience in daytime TV, with its groundbreaking storylines and thoughtful intimacy handling, has informed her approach to work today. 

Cynthia and Yvonne reflect on the wins in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA contract, including new standards and protocols for the use of intimacy coordinators. Yvonne discusses her experience working in this emerging field and the value of providing a respectful and collaborative environment for actors, directors, and crew members. 

Yvonne also shares fun and informative stories from along her career path, including an important lesson she learned as Rosanna Cabot, her first kiss in front of the camera, the relationship between fight choreography and intimacy direction, what major league ballplayers think about daytime TV, and much more.   

It’s a lively and interesting discussion from an insider’s point of view. Thank you for listening! 

[February 6, 2024 - This episode has been edited to include Alicia Rodis' contribution to the field of intimacy direction and coordinating.]

YVONNE PERRY

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YvonnePerryHulbert

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

Website - https://www.yvonneperry.com/

RESOURCES and MENTIONS

Intimacy Directors & Coordinators - https://www.idcprofessionals.com/

Jessica Steinrock, PhD, Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intimacy_coordinator_

Jessica Steinrock, PhD, TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@intimacycoordinator?/

Alicia Rodis - https://www.idcprofessionals.com/bios/aliciarodis

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

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

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - @cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

In this special episode, Cynthia Bemis Abrams is joined by guest co-host Ashley Pacini for the Parade of Accomplished Women 2023. Instead of a somber “in memoriam,” we’re bringing you a celebration of the talented, influential women who helped shape the television industry. In this second part of our tribute, we highlight the women of daytime, the often-overlooked creatives working behind the scenes, and—new this year—the women of reality shows.

It is especially difficult to preserve the legacy of lesser-known women in an ever-expanding industry, but their influence is no less important. That’s why we consider this a call to action. We lost these women over the past year, but we must not lose the memory of them or their contributions to television history.

Thank you for joining us as we honor the enduring spirit of women in television.

THE REEL WOMEN

Ashley Pacini on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypacini/

Website - https://thereelwomen.com/

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelwomen

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thereelwomen/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thereelwomen/

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

AUDIO CLIPS and REFERENCES
Clips have been edited for length.

Remembering Jacklyn Zeman (General Hospital) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLfhlDtk-x0

Ellen Holly on Being at the March on Washington in 1963 (Foundation Interviews) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aige_YvQGU

Ellen Holly on her New York Times article “How Black Do You Have to Be?” (Foundation Interviews) -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkEmOWaiWF4

How Black Do You Have to Be (NY Times, 1968) - https://www.nytimes.com/1968/09/15/archives/how-black-do-you-have-to-be-how-black-do-you-have-to-be.html

The Colors of Black (NY Times, 1968) - https://www.nytimes.com/1968/10/06/archives/the-colors-of-black.html

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

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

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - @cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

OUT in 2024 - "In Memoriam"

IN - Parade of Accomplished Women 

This is the first of our two-part celebration of some of the talented, influential females we lost in 2023.  

Guest co-host Ashley Pacini of The Reel Women joins host Cynthia Bemis Abrams for this discussion. The Reel Women interviews and profiles women in the industry to increase visibility and opportunity for the next generation of women who want to work in television, film, and media. 

Cynthia and Ashley pay respects to the creatives who played pivotal roles in front of, and behind, the cameras. In addition to well-known names, they honor women who hustled for years as largely unheralded day players, others who stepped up to provide representation of the unseen, and several who risked their careers to speak truth to power.

While we can’t feature all the remarkable women who died in 2023, we believe it’s important to highlight the contributions and careers that might otherwise go unnoticed so that they are not lost to history. 

Thank you for listening and be sure to tune in to the second half of Parade of Accomplished Women 2023.

THE REEL WOMEN

Ashley Pacini on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleypacini/

Website - https://thereelwomen.com/

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelwomen

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thereelwomen/?hl=en

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thereelwomen/

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

AUDIO CLIPS and REFERENCES

Sinead O’Connor - https://youtu.be/8LcmJErI8IQ

Inga Swenson - https://youtu.be/-4hjBu23hws

Cindy Williams - https://youtu.be/d-PlT-sHRTE

Behind the Velvet Rope Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@behindthevelvetrope

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

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

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - @cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

Welcome to the next episode in our special series on TV Talk Shows.

Big talk show moments, especially the controversial ones, provide snapshots that we can use to examine our politics and culture at a singular point in time. Some of the moments we discuss in this series may be unfamiliar to you or they may seem obscure or forgotten, but that’s the point. We’re here to preserve TV Herstory.

Today, when alternative facts are part of our daily life, it’s especially instructive to look back more than 40 years at a grudge match over Truth and Reputation that played out on The Dick Cavett Show in 1980 and beyond. The combatants were two opinionated, strong-willed women: playwright/author Lillian Hellman and novelist/critic Mary McCarthy.

Thank you for listening to Advanced TV Herstory. I encourage you to learn more about these women starting with the resources below.

RESOURCES FOR LILLIAN HELLMAN

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Hellman

Plays: The Little Foxes; The Children's Hour; Watch on the Rhein; Days to Come

Books and Memoirs: An Unfinished Woman: A Memoir; Pentimento; Scoundrel Time

About Lillian Hellman:

C-SPAN's American History TV episode on Lillian Hellman

Rollyson, Carl (1989) Lillian Hellman: Her Legend and Her Legacy

Kessler-Harris, Alice (2012) The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman

Gallagher, Dorothy (2014) Lillian Hellman: An Imperious Life   

RESOURCES FOR MARY McCARTHY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McCarthy_(author)

Books & Memoirs: Memories of a Catholic Girlhood; The Stones of Florence; The Group; Cannibals and Missionaries

About Mary McCarthy:

Kiernan, Frances (2002) Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy

Brightman, Carol (1992) Writing Dangerously: Mary McCarthy and Her World

Gelderman, Carol (1988) Mary McCarthy: A Life 

INLINE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OfKEjABGGY

Theatre Talk: Hellman v. McCarthy - CUNY TV

Guests: Dick Cavett, Roberta Maxwell, Marcia Rodd

Hosts: Michael Riedel, Susan Haskins 

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

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

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/tvherstoryB

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

Bluesky Social - @cynthiabemisabrams.bsky.social

We know her as Meemaw, Mary Jo Shively, Emmie Sims, and the voice of Bo Peep. But Annie Potts is hooked on helping others—she’s very hands on—and she’s here to tell us about that part of her life. In doing so, she inspires us with her commitment and challenges us to “turn the car around.”

Annie’s charitable organization, The Heart Channels, provides direct support quickly and creatively to people at critical crossroads in their life. Its mission reflects what Annie witnessed growing up—that wherever there was a need, people opened their hearts and quietly stepped in to help however they could.  

The Heart Channels also mirrors Annie’s belief that we are one human family, no matter where on the planet we are. By opening our eyes to the needs of others, we can respond lovingly and immediately—neighbor to neighbor and heart to heart.

I hope you’ll join us for this very special discussion. And please consider helping out. All donations to The Heart Channels—100%—are tax deductible and go directly to people in need.

FOLLOW AND DONATE TO THE HEART CHANNELS

The Heart Channels - https://www.theheartchannels.org/

On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theheartchannels

On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theheartchannels/

CONNECT WITH ANNIE POTTS

Cameo (all proceeds go to The Heart Channels) - https://www.cameo.com/anniepotts

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisisanniepotts/?hl=en

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter – tvherstory.com

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Podcast Archive - tvherstory.com

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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

Join host Cynthia Bemis Abrams as she launches a new limited series, TV Talk Shows, part of the Advanced TV Herstory podcast. 

In this first episode, Cynthia delves into a study that reveals women are more prominently featured in unscripted television shows than in scripted ones—another example of the industry’s inclination to front women in projects that are less expensive to produce. She also touches on the recent strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and representation in scripted television.

Cynthia then outlines the focus of the TV Talk Shows series, which will explore the historical context, memorable moments, and surprising controversies surrounding unscripted hosts and guests. The episode concludes by acknowledging the pioneering achievements of Della Reese as the first black woman to fill in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and Betty White's stance against the broadcast network executives who were reluctant to feature performers of color on her 1950s talk and variety show. 

RESOURCES 

Foundation Interviews - Della Reese on Guest Hosting “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” - https://youtu.be/M8hfse64sFU?si=8cIu3DrRN2AIdiBL

The Television Academy Foundation – Della Reese - https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/della-reese 

“He Stays”: Betty White refused to remove Black dancer from her show in 1954 - https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/01/01/betty-white-black-dancer-arthur-duncan/9067252002/

 Retro Televisions – The Betty White Show (11-29-54) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k23zM-eLoI

CBS Los Angeles KCAL - https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/women-more-represented-on-reality-tv-than-scripted-shows-sdsu-report-finds/

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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

Advanced TV Herstory’s commitment to connecting the dots of TV & feminism and American politics & culture continues with an examination of the pioneering women writers during the early days of TV.

My guest, Annie Berke, PhD, is the author of Their Own Best Creations: Women Writers in Postwar Television, part of the Feminist Media Histories book series by the University of California Press. 

With a focus on 1949-1963, Dr. Berke’s foundational work appeals to scholars and students as well as others with an interest in gender roles, women in the workplace, and the cultural influence of women in media. 

 Along with a review of under-studied and influential women writers profiled in the book, our discussion leads to some interesting places, including the emergence of second-wave feminism and how postwar and current-day writers share many of the same struggles.

I know you’ll enjoy this fun and fast-paced episode. Thank you for listening!

CONNECT WITH ANNIE BERKE

Website - https://www.annieberke.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-berke-ph-d-a102509/

Instagram, X (Twitter), and Bluesky - @sayanniething

RESOURCES

Pioneer Peg Lynch - https://around.uoregon.edu/content/library-exhibit-celebrates-legacy-tv-pioneer-peg-lynch

The Broadcast 41 by Carol A. Stabile - https://broadcast41.uoregon.edu/

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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

Cynthia Bemis Abrams welcomes Victoria Riskin, a second-generation filmmaker with a rich Hollywood legacy. Victoria's parents—Robert Riskin, a prolific, Oscar-winning screenwriter, and Fay Wray, best known for her role in the original King Kong—were instrumental in shaping the classic years of the motion picture industry.

And Victoria has crafted an impressive career all her own. She is a producer, writer, digital magazine publisher, PhD in psychology, and past president of the Writers Guild of America (WGA). She shares her experiences as WGA president and explains how power has shifted over time to the imbalance that has writers and actors on strike now in 2023.

We also learn how Victoria’s father tried leveraging his success with the studios to improve conditions for writers in the 1930s, but ultimately joined the Screen Writers Guild (SWG) as an early, active member. And, on the lighter side, you won’t want to miss Victoria’s stories from her trip to China with Norman Lear, Mary Tyler Moore, Larry Gelbart, and Carl Reiner.

Victoria knows Hollywood from deep inside. No doubt you’ll enjoy the interesting history and fun stories she shares with us. 

RESOURCES

Victoria Riskin's website - https://www.victoriariskin.com/ 

Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir - https://www.victoriariskin.com/index.php/about

Projections of America - http://projectionsofamerica.com/

The Last Best Year - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Best_Year

Bluedot Living -  https://bluedotliving.com/

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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

Labor Day 2023 will mark the major event of a combined strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Both unions are currently led by women: Fran Drescher, Meredith Stiehm, and Lisa Takeuchi Cullen.

Even prior to the two union merger in 2012, SAG and AFTRA had elected nine strong and inspiring women to lead their labor causes like health and pension benefits, residuals, and managing during COVID. The WGA, first led by a woman in 2001, represents writers on a myriad of issues like credit, contracts, and benefits.

Today, these unions are on strike, with primary issues of artificial intelligence to create content and fabricate performers, and how payment formulas for writers and performers will be commensurate with successful streaming. Since the WGA declared its strike and actors followed, Advanced TV Herstory has stood resolutely with all the talented creators. This episode tells of the dedication to workers’ rights and social progress within a distinct and complex business model.

AUDIO CLIPS & RESOURCES

Fran Drescher - https://youtu.be/J4SAPOX7R5M

Gabrielle Carteris -  https://www.sagaftra.org/videos/president-gabrielle-carteris-discusses-sag-aftra%E2%80%99s-covid-19-efforts

RCA Selectavision commercial - https://youtu.be/dFtyMNTD2f4

ABC7 in Los Angeles - https://abc7.com/wga-writers-guild-strike-rally/13303288/ 

https://www.sagaftra.org/

https://www.wga.org/

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ADVANCED TV HERSTORY

ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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

A lot has happened politically and culturally since this podcast launched eight years ago. In this anniversary episode, I celebrate a number of wins while also reflecting on the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating past mistakes.

For example, Lee Grant, an Oscar and Emmy-winning actress, overcame being blacklisted during the anti-Communist era. Her resilience and courage in speaking out against injustice serve as a lesson for today.

I also highlight the work of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, which has expanded its focus to champion inclusion of the six major identities of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type in media and entertainment.

In addition to looking back on some of Advanced TV Herstory’s episodes from the past year, I celebrate ATVH’s inclusion in IMDb and the anticipation of reaching a new audience.

Because ATVH is not beholden to sponsors, I can proudly say that I provide an unfiltered view of both historical and current obstacles to full representation and valuation. Many of these obstacles are at the center of the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild and the use of artificial intelligence.

With a commitment to recognizing the importance of representation and critical thinking in the face of rapidly changing media landscapes, I thank you for your support of this podcast over the last eight years and I look forward to uncovering and sharing more untold stories of women in the year to come.

This is why I podcast.  

MENTIONS AND REFERENCES

I Said Yes to Everything by Lee Grant - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18693908

Intimate Portrait - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0896232/

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA BEMIS ABRAMS and ATVH

ATVH Newsletter - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/

Website - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/ 

Podcast Archive - https://cynthiabemisabrams.com/advanced-tv-herstory

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

Twitter - https://twitter.com/tvherstory

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Media.Cynthia

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

PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

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