by 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
4-time Podcast Awards Winner! Webby nominated for Best Indie Podcast.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />With special guests, TV creators and stars! Do these shows we hold so dear hold up? Let's find out.<br /><br />Season 1: We examine three “detective duo shows” this season, with multiple episodes and awesome guests for each TV show we cover.<br />Scarecrow and Mrs. King<br />Remington Steele<br />Cagney & Lacey<br /><br />Season 2: Multiple episodes per TV show exploring representation and behind-the-scenes insight in science fiction, drama and sitcoms!<br />Queer representation in 70s and 80s<br />9 to 5 television show<br />It's a Living<br />Designing Women<br />Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas<br />Star Trek Ladies<br />Moonlighting<br /><br />Special guests: Eugenie Ross-Leming, Martha Smith, Robin Bernheim, Stephanie Zimbalist, Evan Ball, Debbie Evans, Barney Rosenzweig, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Karen Arthur, Cynthis Beemis Abrams, Matt Baume, Jane Epsensen, Drew Greenberg, Paul Kreppel, Bryan Edward Hill, Maggie Friedman, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Stan Zimmerman, Mary Lou Belli, Nana Visitor, Glenn Gordon Caron, Shery Main and more!<br /><br />We publish every other Wednesday.<br />Tell us: Who should we interview and what's your favorite 80s Ladies television show? https://www.80stvladies.com
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April 9, 2025
Susan and Sharon continue their conversation with legendary 80s TV Lady -- and <i>The Facts of Life </i>writer/producer -- Margie Peters! In Part 2, the conversation turns to the challenges of making comedy out of date rape and toxic masculinity; “comedy sparring” in the Different World writer’s room with Debbie Allen, Thad Mumford and Susan Fales-Hill; the creative opportunities for “women of a certain age”; and the lasting impact of the cruel moniker “The FATS of Life”. <br /><br />Margie Peters has written and produced over 140 hours of television, including <i>The Love Boat, Valerie, One Day at a Time </i>and <i>A Different World</i>. But her longest and best-known gig was the six years she spent on <i>The Facts of Life</i>.<br /><br /><b>THE CONVERSATION </b><br /><ul><li>“YOU’VE GOT SPUNK!” -- How watching <i>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</i> gave Margie the chutzpah to try her hand at TV writing!</li><li>Margie shows off her 1989 IMAGE Award from Planned Parenthood for the “No Means No” episode of A Different World (S2; EP20): “It’s in the living room next to my television.”</li><li>The time Debbie Allen explained to Margie that Duane calling a girl “Big Butt Brenda” is a compliment -- not an insult!</li><li>The joys of working with Valerie Harper on Valerie. And the charm of Jason Bateman.</li><li><i>The Facts of Life Go To Paris</i> -- everyone got to spend three heavenly weeks filming in France!</li><li>Dinner on the Seine River Boat with Tootie, Natalie, Blair and Jo! (Blair faces down a plateful of fried sardines -- and wins!)</li><li>When two busloads of French high school girls chased <i>The Facts of Life </i>cast down the streets of Paris! </li><li>The respect and adoration Margie has for all the girls: Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon.</li><li>WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST? “Sitting down with a team and coming up with something that is way bigger than the sum of its parts.”</li><li>LEAVING LOS ANGELES: What do you do when you leave behind a life of writing in Hollywood? A lot! Reinvent your life and make it count.</li></ul>So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Margie -- as they talk Bonnie Franklin, <i>A Man on the Inside</i>, Sally Struthers, <i>Fame</i>, Gladys Knight,<i> 13 Queens Blvd</i>, Eileen Brennan, Jerry Van Dyke -- and dressing up as The Flying Nun! <br /><br /><b>AUDIO-OGRAPHY</b><br />Find out more about Margie Peters at<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676576/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> IMDB</a>.<br />Watch Season 4 of <i>The Facts of Life</i> for free on <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/56c9e830cd8d5dcf8a626cf4a57f025e/the-facts-of-life" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roku</a>.<br />Watch A Different World on <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/70157520" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Netflix.</a><br />Check out Shawn Peters book: <i>The Unforgettable Logan Foster</i> at <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-unforgettable-logan-foster-1-shawn-peters" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harper Collins</a>. <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-unforgettable-logan-foster-1-shawn-peters/18256941?ean=9780063047686&next=t" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>STAY ACTIVE</b><b></b><br />Visit <a href="https://dontgetpurged.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DontGetPurged.org</a> to make sure you are still registered to vote!<br />Check out <a href="https://americansofconscience.com/checklist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Americans of Conscience</a> take action checklist.<br /><br /><b>VITAL READING</b><br />Get Handbook for A Post-Roe America by Robin Marty at <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/new-handbook-for-a-post-roe-america-the-complete-guide-to-abortion-legality-access-and-practical-support-robin-marty/14783054" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bookshop.org</a>.<br />Check out Men In Dark Times by Hannah...
March 26, 2025
<i>"We're thinking of doing this show with all women. Becasue women are becoming this big thing, ya know. And the leads of the show would all be women!"</i><br /><br />Susan and Sharon are excited to talk with legendary 80s TV Lady -- and writer/producer of 80 episodes of The Facts of Life -- Margie Peters! <br /><br />Margie Peters has written and produced over 140 hours of television, including <i>The Love Boat, Valerie, One Day at a Time</i> and <i>A Different World</i>. But her best-known gig was the six years she spent on <i>The Facts of Life</i>. From her first meeting to the final day, Margie relates how writing <i>The Facts of Life</i> taught her everything about “the facts” of making Hollywood television in the 80s!<br /><br /><b>THE CONVERSATION</b><b></b><br /><ul><li>SECRET SITCOM WRITER: How Margie wrote a sitcom pilot "Under One Roof" based on her life at night -- while spending her days being a mother, a housewife, AND a journalist! </li><li>Hollywood writer/producer Bernie Orenstien (<i>That Girl!, Sanford & Son</i>) reads it and calls her with these magical words: “I think you could have a career out here.” Two weeks later she’s on a plane to Hollywood!</li><li>INSTANT CHEMISTRY: Actress Linda Marsh teams with Margie and a writing partnership begins…</li><li>SPEAK YOUR TRUTH: Their first meeting at Facts of Life: “Why are the girls wearing hot pants and cut-off tops -- in New England? In winter?!? It’s kiddie porn!” </li><li>Margie & Linda stay on Facts of Life from Season 2 through Season 6 -- working their way up from Staff Writers to Show Runners!</li><li>THE ONE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: Margie & Linda write S2:EP3 “Double Standard” -- showrunners Jerry Mayer and Jack Elinson tell them: “You have found the soul of the show”.</li><li>THE ONE WHERE NATALIE’S FATHER HAS AN AFFAIR: “We loved the actor but we hated the character. So we killed him.”</li><li>WORKING WITH THE GIRLS: Working with Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, Nancy McKeon and Geri Jewell.</li><li>Lisa Whelchel balked when the writers pitched Blair losing her virginity. So Mindy Cohn said: “I’ll do it!”</li><li>WHAT'S NEXT? The day came when Linda Marsh said, “I’m done.” But Margie kept going…Then Marcy Carsey called: “We’d like to bring you on ‘A Different World’”!</li><li>THINKING IN THE CAR: How the award-winning “No Means No” episode came to be -- and almost didn’t happen at all!</li><li>"MAKE DWAYNE THE HERO" - How to solve the producer notes when tackling a story on campus rape in "No Means No" </li></ul>So join Susan and Sharon -- and Margie -- as they talk Mary Tyler Moore, Terri Hatcher, Jason Bateman, Asaad Kelada, Susan Fales Hill, Neema Barnette, HBCs, <i>Cagney & Lacey</i>, working for diversity… and saying “No” to Norman Lear! <br /><br />STAY TUNED IN TWO WEEKS FOR THE FACTS OF LIFE WITH MARGIE PETERS - PART 2! <br /><br /><b>AUDIO-OGRAPHY</b><br />Watch The Facts of Life: IN FLUX! Currently watch Seasons 4, 5, and 6 of The Facts of Life for free on<a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/56c9e830cd8d5dcf8a626cf4a57f025e/the-facts-of-life" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> ROKU channel</a>. <br />Season 3 is available on Amazon Prime and for sale on Apple TV. Check YouTube for other episdoes.<br /><br /><b>THE AMBIES AWARDS ARE MARCH 31</b><br />FINGERS CROSSED! <br />80s TV Ladies is nominited! We're up for an Ambies Award by The Podcast Academy for Best Indie Podcast Hosts. Visit <a href="https://www.ambies.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ambies.com</a> and watch the Awards show LIVE on Twitch March 31st at 6pm CT.<br /><br /><b>VITAL READING</b><br />Get Handbook for A Post-Roe America by Robin Marty at <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/new-handbook-for-a-post-roe-america-the-complete-guide-to-abortion-legality-access-and-practical-support-robin-marty/14783054" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bookshop.org</a>.<br />Check out Men In Dark...
March 12, 2025
Episode 315: “Everything I Ever Learned About TV Writing, I Learned From ‘The Facts Of Life’ | Anupam Nigam”<br />The Facts of Learning about Television Writing from The Facts of Life<br />The Golden Girls of Eastland: TV Writer Anupam Nigam Shares His Lessons from The Facts Of Life<br />The Golden Girls of Eastland: Top Lessons TV Writer Anupam Nigam Learned from The Facts Of Life<br /> <br />For some people, a childhood spent lounging in front of the television leads to nothing but being sent to bed when Law and Order license plate comes on. But for Anupam Nigam, it led to a lifelong love of television – – and a successful career in TV writing and producing. And his favorite show of all? The Facts of Life!<br /> <br />The Facts of Life was a spin-off of Diff’rent Strokes and aired on NBC from 1979-1988. The show starred Charlotte Rae as Eastland School for Girls housemother Edna Garrett watching over an evolving cast of young female stars including Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Nancy McKeon and a very young Molly Ringwald! It ran for more than 200 episodes, and spawned three TV movies.<br /> <br />Anupam Nigam has written and produced episodes of hit TV shows like Psych, Defiance, Cruel Summer, Mech-X4 and Station 19. He is currently writer and co-executive producer of the hit CBS drama Fire Country.<br /> <br />Susan and Sharon talk with Anupam about his childhood as an Indian American kid in New Jersey, his early love of television, the insight of The Facts of Life -- and the facts he learned that have stayed with him to this day.<br /> <br /><b>THE CONVERSATION</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><ul><li>GROWING UP INDIAN -- IN NEW JERSEY: For Anupam, who was raised in an immigrant Indian household, television was a window into the wider world of “American” families - and how they were alike, and different from, his.</li><li>“I’M NOT A DOCTOR, BUT I WRITE FOR THEM ON TV” -- Anupam was pre-med, a lab researcher, and even a certified EMT -- briefly -- before realizing that TV blood was more his style.</li><li>Anupam’s first script was a spec episode of Star Trek: Voyager -- and after that he was hooked.</li><li>Anupam’s “scientist mind” cracked the code on how to write a Law & Order script, and it led to a coveted spot in the Warner Bros Writers Program -- and then a big move to Hollywood!</li><li>His first job was on The Division -- starring Facts of Life’s Nancy McKeon!</li><li>YOU TAKE THE GOOD, YOU TAKE THE VERY, VERY BAD: Anupam actually learned about the facts of life from the many “very special” episodes The Facts of Life: Abortion, divorce, drug abuse and death, anyone?</li><li>Natalie was a natural STAR - When Charlotte Rae toured Westlake School for research, her young tour guide was… Mindy Cohn. Charlotte insisted the producers meet her and the role of Natalie was created for her!</li><li>Those roller-skates? Tootie had to wear them to make her taller!</li><li>CHEAPER BY THE… TEN? The original first season cast had TEN main characters - The seven girls, Mrs. Garett (Charlotte Rae), teacher Emily Mahoney (Jenny O’Hara) and Headmaster Stephen Bradley (played by John Lawlor). The OG Eastlake students: Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel), Nancy Olsen (Felice Schachter), Sue Anne Weaver (Julie Piekarski), Tootie Ramsey (Kim Fields), Molly Parker (Molly Ringwald), Cindy Webster (Julie Anne Haddock) and Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn).</li><li>…AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR. After season one, the young cast was cut from seven girls down to the “Core Four”: Lisa Whelchel as Blair, Kim Fields as Tootie, Mindy Cohn as Natalie and bringing on newcomer Nancy McKeon as Jo Polniaczek.</li></ul>So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Anupam! -- as they talk Shondaland, The Golden Girls, shoulder pads, tea-time, Jermaine Jackson, Mech x4, Geri Jewel, Entertainment Weekly -- and “Who Shot J.R?”!<br /> <br /><b>AUDIO-OGRAPHY</b><br /> <br />Follow Anupam Nigam: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anupamnigam1" target="_blank"...
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