80s TV Ladies

"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 Johnson

NEW 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 CONVERSATION
THE 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 WATCHING
Check 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 SPECIALS
YouTube 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 Special
Article 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 1985
1984 CBS Saturday Morning Preview Special with Ted Knight!
1983 NBC You've Got to NBC Be There" Short Promo
1985 ABC Fall Preview Promo "I Love LA" parody - Always Something Good to See... on ABC.

PROTECT THE VOTE
Vote.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 CONNECT
Los Angeles Live Music Event: See indie rocker Michelle Malone live at the Love Song Bar in DTLA on Friday, September 4th! Get tickets at Love Song Bar eventbrite.
Connect with 80s TV Ladies: Follow along on Instagram and Facebook @80sTVLadies
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"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 Barnette

REWIND 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 CONVERSATION
BARBARA 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 WATCHING
Watch 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.com
Saturday & Sunday, August 15 and 16.
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CONNECT
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"We have to look back, not in anger, but in amazement and in hope over how much had changed... We're sending the message that all of our blackness is good." — Susan Fales-Hill

REWIND EPISODE! The 80s TV Ladies are almost done moving! A few more Bonus episodes to rerun, and we’ll be settled in and 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 showrunner, writer, and author Susan Fales-Hill is so insightful. We hope you enjoy it, too!

Content Warning: At approximately 53:00-58:00, this episode includes a short discussion of date rape and child sexual assault.

Susan shares what it was like rising from writer’s apprentice to showrunner on A Different World, working alongside Debbie Allen, writing for icons like Diahann Carroll and Patti LaBelle, and battling network executives to tell real, impactful stories about Black culture, college life, and social change.

Sharon and Susan continue their look at the groundbreaking 80s sitcom A Different World (1987–1993). In this episode, they sit down with award-winning television writer, producer, and author Susan Fales-Hill. Susan started her career on The Cosby Show before joining A Different World, where she rose from story editor to showrunner—making her one of the youngest and few Black female showrunners in Hollywood at the time.

Together, they dive deep into the behind-the-scenes realities of taking over the show alongside Debbie Allen, fighting network pushback to tackle heavy topics like AIDS and date rape, and using comedy as a powerful form of cultural resilience.

🗣️ THE CONVERSATION
FROM WRITER'S APPRENTICE TO SHOWRUNNER: How Susan navigated pitching directly to Bill Cosby, "re-potting" her voice in the writers' room, and rising to executive producer at a record age.
THE DEBBIE ALLEN RESET: How bringing in Debbie Allen transformed the tone of the show, allowing the cast to explore authentic college experiences, topical issues, and integrated dance sequences.
LEGENDS ON SET: Writing iconic comedic moments for Diahann Carroll and Patti LaBelle, and the deeply moving moment Diahann Carroll shared with the young cast about Black representation in Hollywood.
PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE NETWORK: Battles over covering real-world issues like The Amistad, the LA Uprisings, HIV/AIDS, and date rape, and how the show shifted public perception and inspired generations to attend college.
THE POWER OF COMEDIC RESILIENCE: How growing up surrounded by theatrical legends shaped her approach to comedy, and how humor acts as a vital tool for survival and storytelling.
📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHING
Watch A Different World: Stream the series on Max, or catch Seasons 1 and 2 via Hoopla through your local library (also available for purchase on Amazon Prime).
Must-Watch Episode: Check out the Season 4 Thanksgiving episode "Faith, Hope, and Charity," featuring the legendary pairing of Diahann Carroll and Patti LaBelle.
Discover Susan’s Books: Explore Susan Fales-Hill’s memoir Always Wear Joy and her four other published books at your favorite local bookstore or Bookshop.org.
Met Museum Feature: Watch Susan's Met Museum video discussing her life, biracial identity, and creative journey "in the in-between."

AUDIOGRAPHY
Watch A Different World -- streaming on Netflix and Philo.
Find out more about Susan at SusanFales-Hill.com
Follow her at Instagram.com/madamefaleshill
Must-Watch Episode: Check out the Season 4 Thanksgiving episode "Faith, Hope, and Charity," featuring the legendary pairing of Diahann Carroll and Patti LaBelle.
Explore Susan Fales-Hill’s memoir Always Wear Joy and her four other published books at Barnes and Noble.

Get Susan’s President Carter play, Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
Help Abortion Access at Abortionfinder.org.

🛍️ PROMO DEALS - SPECIAL COZY EARTH PROMOTION!  
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Get 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!

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🎁 Code: 80STVLADIES

CONNECT
Sign 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 host sight, Weirding Way Media. 

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Help us make more episodes and get ad-free episodes, video interviews, and exclusive content on PATREON.

"It was the first time that the idea of an HBCU was even a thought to me of a thing I could do... it was so eye-opening to me that there was this whole other part of life in Black culture that I just didn't know anything about... we're sending the message that all of our blackness is good." - Niceole Levy

REWIND EPISODE
The 80s TV Ladies are almost done moving! A few more bonus episodes to rerun, and we’ll be settled in and 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 TV writer/producer Niceole Levy is so fun. We hope you enjoy it, too! 

Sharon and Susan begin an all-new series of episodes looking at the groundbreaking 80s sitcom A Different World (1987-1993). This Cosby Show spin-off starred Lisa Bonet, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Charnele Brown, Dawn Lewis and Marissa Tomei. It explored the lives of students at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU, and addressed issues such as race, sexual assault, HIV/AIDS and equal rights while still keeping the laughs coming. In 1988, Lisa Bonet and Marissa Tomei left the show and a new showrunner was brought on -- the legendary actress, producer, director and choreographer Debbie Allen.

To help kick off this in-depth look at A Different World, we welcome A Different World fan and amazing “2020s TV Lady” -- writer, producer, and author Niceole Levy.  Niceole’s numerous TV writing/producing credits include Cloak and Dagger, Shades of Blue, SWAT, The Recruit and Found. She is the co-writer, along with George Nolfi, of the 2020 feature film The Banker. She has also written a book for aspiring TV writers called "The Writer’s Room Survival Guide."

THE CONVERSATION
80s TV made marriage look easy and fun -- cuz the couples were usually crime-solving millionaires!
How watching every syndicated show on TV -- Perry Mason, I Love Lucy, Marcus Welby, Dick Van Dyke Show, Ironside -- prepares you for a life of TV writing.
Everything retro is new again: Getting that first gig -- with Blair Underwood -- on the 2013 re-boot of Ironside!
Niceole’s advice for getting into TV and film -- DON’T GO TO FILM SCHOOL!
For Niceole -- and so many others -- A Different World’s Hillman College was her first exposure to an HBCU.
RUN THE NUMBERS: 20 of the 47 writers on ADW were women!
SEASON 2 RE-SET: How the addition of show-runner Debbie Allen re-ignited the series with a new sense of excitement and vitality.
A DIFFERENT LOOK -- How A Different World achieved a bigger, more expansive look than other sitcoms of the time.
So, join Susan, Sharon -- and Niceole -- as they talk Miami Vice, watching 1,000 television shows, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,keeping a TV journal, Boyz II Men, dancing with Kamala Harris, scheduling your life around a TV show -- and the importance of not messing up the lunch order!

AUDIOGRAPHY
Watch A Different World -- streaming on Netflix and Philo.
Find out more about Niceole Levy at niceolelevy.com.
Read her article “What I Learned Watching 1,000 Television Shows” here. 
Buy Niceole Levy’s book "The Writer’s Room Survival Guide" at Bookshop.org.
Get Susan’s President Carter play, Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
Help Abortion Access at Abortionfinder.org.

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After July 16, you can still get 21% OFF - or the BEST DEAL they have going - on awesome 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: 80STVLADIES

CONNECT
Sign 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 host sight, Weirding Way Media. 

Visit 80sTVLadies.com for more info.

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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.

"When someone came at me or was very mean to me or made it clear that I was not welcome on the line, I still had my love for dance. I leaned into my dream as a child, and I was living it wholeheartedly, and they weren't allowed to take it away." — Jennifer Jones

For a century, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes have represented the gold standard of precision dance, synchronized routines, and eye-high kicks. But for the first 63 years, that famous line failed to reflect the diversity of the audiences watching them, and the demographics of America herself. In 1987, that history changed forever when professional dancer Jennifer Jones was hired as the very first African American Rockette, making her unforgettable debut on television screens across the nation during the 1988 Super Bowl XXII halftime show!

In this episode, Sharon and Susan sit down with this groundbreaking icon to talk about what it was really like to break through a decades-old institutional barrier at just 20 years old. Jennifer shares the stage with us to discuss her incredible 15-year tenure on the line, her full-circle Tony Award-winning run on Broadway in 42nd Street, and her deeply personal, triumphant battle surviving Stage III colorectal cancer with that signature Rockette resilience.

🗣️ THE CONVERSATION
STEPPING ONTO THE FIELD AT SUPER BOWL XXII: Overcoming intense nerves in a massive football stadium, learning complex precision terminology on the fly, and feeling the ultimate validation that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
NAVIGATING INSTITUTIONAL RESISTANCE: Dealing with antiquated industry mindsets regarding "uniformity," handling behind-the-scenes pushback from PR and management, and the crucial, historic knock on the door from the NAACP that forced Radio City to change.
THE ART OF PRECISION DANCE: Moving your limbs "through peanut butter" to seamlessly look like a single dancer, and how the mental discipline of a professional athlete shapes a lifetime of character.
FROM THE WIZ TO THE TONY AWARDS: How seeing vital Black representation on stage as a child inspired her dreams, and her breathtaking full-circle moment performing at the Tony Awards inside Radio City Music Hall.
THE RHYTHM OF RESILIENCE: Her sudden diagnosis with Stage III colorectal cancer at age 50, learning to fiercely advocate for her own health when doctors brushed her symptoms aside, and her vital mission to spread awareness about early cancer screenings.

📦 AUDIOOGRAHY 
- WHERE TO FIND JENNIFER'S WORK
Official Website & Socials: Connect with Jennifer at theofficialjenniferjones.com or on Instagram  and Facebook.com/RocketteJenn.
The Books: Grab your copy of her powerful memoir, Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette, or her beautiful children’s book, On the Line, online via HarperCollins and Bookshop.org or at your local bookstore.
The Dancing Jen Doll! Check out the beautiful "Christmas Spectacular Dancing Jen" doll designed to accompany her children's book, available now at Walmart Marketplace.
🩺 HEALTH RESOURCES & VITAL ADVOCACY
Get Screened Early: Colon cancer is being diagnosed in younger adults more than ever before. The routine screening age has officially dropped from 50 to 45. Listen to your body, advocate for your health, and learn more at coloncancercoalition.org
Your Vote is Your Voice: Don't let your voice be silenced. Head over to Vote.org to check your registration status or register to vote today.

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