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80s TV Ladies

80s TV Ladies

By: 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
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 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. King
Remington Steele
Cagney & Lacey

Season 2: Multiple episodes per TV show exploring representation and behind-the-scenes insight in science fiction, drama and sitcoms!
Queer representation in 70s and 80s
9 to 5 television show
It's a Living
Designing Women
Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas
Star Trek Ladies
Moonlighting

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!

We publish every other Wednesday.
Tell us: Who should we interview and what's your favorite 80s Ladies television show? https://www.80stvladies.comSusan Lambert and 134 West Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Writing 80s Icons: Dallas, Fame, and One Day at a Time | Linda Elstad

    Writing 80s Icons: Dallas, Fame, and One Day at a Time | Linda Elstad
    Apr 1 2026
    “We asked her daughter, our friend Karin, to come on and talk with us about her mom, Linda, and what it was like to grow up the daughter of an eighties TV lady.” - Susan Lambert HatemSusan and Sharon welcome Karin Elstad — a modern TV powerhouse and Vice President at HBO — to celebrate the incredible life and legacy of her mother, the legendary television writer Linda Elstad. From the high stakes of Dallas, to family comedy One Day at a Time, to the hallowed halls of Fame, Linda was a prolific voice who helped shape the landscape of 80s television.THE CONVERSATIONA PROLIFIC LEGACY: Linda’s impressive career spanning over 20 television shows, including her work on iconic hits like Dallas, Fame, and The Facts of Life.ONE DAY AT A TIME: Diving into Linda’s time as a staff writer from 1983 to 1984 on the beloved series that defined a generation.AWARD-WINNING WRITING: Remembering Linda’s 1982 Humanitas Prize win for the television movie Divorce Wars: A Love Story, starring Tom Selleck and Jane Curtin, and her nomination for her work on Fame.SERVING THE GUILD: Linda’s impactful leadership serving on the Writer’s Guild Board of Directors from 1986 to 1990. And a ground-breaking cultural exchange between Award-winning United States and USSR screenwriters.MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS: Karin shares personal stories of growing up in the heart of the television industry and how her mother’s trailblazing career influenced her own journey to becoming a top executive at HBO.THE SCINTILLATING LADIES OF THE 80s: A look back at the shows that featured the complex mother-daughter dynamics we love, from The Golden Girls and Mama’s Family to Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Roseanne, and Kate & Allie.GREEN ENVELOPE DAYS: How much is the green envelope residual check Linda’s daughter receives for her mom’s 1980s television shows being rerun and streamed? Can you guess before the check is opened on-air?AUDIO-OGRAPHYWatch episodes of Fame on Peacock and Dallas at YouTube or Amazon Prime.Catch One Day at a Time streaming on Tubi.Find Divorce Wars: A Love Story and other classic TV movies on DVD via Amazon or eBay.VITAL READINGCheck out Democracy Docket here.Learn more about the ACLU here.PROMO DEALSGet 21% OFF on awesome sheets and pajamas at COZY EARTH.Be sure to use the promo code: 80STVLADIES.Happy Shopping!MARCH 8TL DEALS BLOCK:80s TV Ladies deals and discounts:Cozy Earth (21% Off)🔗 Get them at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁 Code: 80STVLADIES📻 CONNECT WITH 80s TV LADIESOfficial Website: 80sTVLadies.com Email Us: 80sTVLadies@gmail.comSupport the Show: Get ad-free episodes and bonus content | Support on Patreon🎭 SUSAN'S NEW VENTUREArts A La Carte – A non-profit dedicated to helping develop new works in theater.Website: ArtsALaCarte.orgInstagram: @ArtsALaCarteLAVisit 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.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Morgan Fairchild: Too Sexy for TV, Pee-Wee Herman, and Hollywood's Golden Era

    Morgan Fairchild: Too Sexy for TV, Pee-Wee Herman, and Hollywood's Golden Era
    Mar 18 2026
    "I said, John, you know, it's a visual art. You don't give me something to do, at least I'm gonna be something to look at." - Morgan Fairchild To celebrate the 100th episode of our podcast 80s TV Ladies, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson welcome actress, activist, and podcaster Morgan Fairchild to discuss her decades-spanning career and how television and auditioning have changed from in-person meetings to self-tapes and fragmented audiences. Fairchild recounts moving from Texas to New York after a young divorce, breaking in through open calls, landing Search for Tomorrow, then relocating to Los Angeles and getting an early role on Rafferty with Patrick McGoohan. She explains shaping layered “bad guy” roles with comedy, including Initiation of Sarah, Flamingo Road (and being labeled “too sexy for TV” by the Moral Majority), and Falcon Crest, where she pushed for a promised incest-repercussions storyline and used fashion as a visual hook.She shares behind-the-scenes stories from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure with Paul Reubens, friendships with classic Hollywood stars, her AIDS activism and COVID education, and her new podcast with sister Catherine Hart, Two Bitches from Texas.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:48 How TV Has Changed04:46 Texas to New York Breakthrough07:21 First Hollywood Job Story11:43 Making Characters Pop13:21 Becoming the Power Bitch16:25 Too Sexy for TV18:03 Falcon Crest Storyline Fight21:38 Pee Wee Movie Chaos26:27 Old Hollywood Friendships31:53 Doubts and Survival33:25 Career Doubts Persist34:06 Divas Christmas Set36:20 Sequel Push Lifetime36:55 AIDS Activism Costs39:17 Staying Engaged Today44:29 Podcast With Sister48:08 Guests And Format49:33 Naming The Show53:14 Bonnie And Clyde Double55:28 Finding The Set and Meeting Warren Beatty01:00:15 Podcast Plugs Farewell01:01:55 Call Your Reps01:02:23 Next Series TeaseAUDIOOGRAPHYFind Morgan Fairchild at Morganfairchild.comListen to Morgan Fairchild and Catherine Hart at their website Two Bitches from Texas or wherever you find your podcasts.Check out Morgan Fairchild's book, Morgan Fairchild Super Looks, at eBayFind out more about Catherine Hart's acting classes at her website Heart and SoulConnect with 80s TV Ladies at 80sTVLadies.comTake action at 5Calls.org PROMO DEALSGet awesome sheets and pajamas at COZY EARTH.Be sure to use the promo code: 80STVLADIES.Happy Shopping!MARCH DEALS BLOCK80s TV Ladies deals and discounts:Cozy Earth (21% Off)🔗 Get them at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁 Code: 80STVLADIESNEW DEALS - Just added!Bear Knuckles premium leather work gloves (15% Off)Afuera Coffee sustainable coffee (15% Off)🔗 Get them at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁Code: 80STVLADIES📻 CONNECT WITH 80s TV LADIESOfficial Website: 80sTVLadies.com Email Us: 80sTVLadies@gmail.comSupport the Show: Get ad-free episodes and bonus content | Support on Patreon🎭 SUSAN'S NEW VENTUREArts A La Carte – A non-profit dedicated to helping develop new works in theater. You can help us. Support the Arts! DONATE at ArtsALaCarte.orgInstagram: @ArtsALaCarteLAVisit 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.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Writing Fearless Women: Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters | Georgia Jeffries

    Writing Fearless Women: Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters | Georgia Jeffries
    Mar 4 2026
    “ Barney and I were interviewed about that episode on Entertainment Tonight because the word “condom” had never been used on television before.” - Georgia Jeffries, Cagney & Lacey writerHosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson welcome writer-producer-professor Georgia Jeffries, an Award-winning writer known for Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters. Jeffries recounts growing up as an only child, loving The Twilight Zone, reading history, and finding an early spark for writing through school assignments and UCLA journalism and creative writing courses.She talks about her time working as a freelance journalist while caring for her family. And the pivotal LAPD ride-along that inspired her first produced Cagney & Lacey episode, “An Unusual Occurrence,” which won a WGA Award. She compares the culture of Cagney & Lacey with China Beach, discusses unproduced pilots and projects (including HBO series, and an unmade Cher/Jessica Lange/to-be-directed by Frank Oz movie, Confessions) She reflects on writing episodes that tackled addiction, AIDS-era conversations, and sexual assault. Jeffries also shares details about her novel, The Younger Girl, current writing projects, and advice to emerging writers.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:33 Childhood TV Influences03:56 Good Girl Expectations05:16 Finding Writing Path07:48 Early Jobs and Teaching10:43 LAPD Ride Along Story14:34 Cagney and Lacey Breakthrough16:09 Feminism and California Move18:09 Film Journalism to Screenwriting19:34 Unmade Cher Lange Film24:16 Women in Film Opens Doors29:47 HBO Script to Book Rights34:54 Working Mother on Set36:14 Writers Room Culture Then39:55 Favorite Episodes Tease40:09 Why This Story Matters40:47 Writing Cagney and Lacey44:28 TV Breaking Taboos46:45 Breaking Into Screenwriting48:17 Saying Yes and No49:11 Joy and Rejection51:11 Unmade Pilots Heartbreak52:55 China Beach Bigger Canvas55:55 Writers Room Culture57:50 Showrunner Dream Team58:39 Vista Clara and Timing01:00:31 Teaching at USC01:01:07 Resist AI Stay Original01:02:00 You Write Like a Man01:04:33 Working on Sisters01:06:27 The Younger Girl Novel01:14:36 Prose Versus Screenwriting01:16:49 New Work and Wrap Up01:19:11 Where to Find Everything01:21:58 Final Thanks and CalloutsAUDIOOGRAPHYFind out more about Georgia Jeffries at georgiajeffries.comGet Georgia’s book, The Younger Girl at Bookshop.orgFind out more about the groundbreaking and Emmy-winning show at CagneyandLacey.comCall your Reps. Let your voice be heard. Go to 5calls.orgWatch on Roku for Sisters and China Beach. PROMO DEALSGet awesome sheets and pajamas at COZY EARTH.Be sure to use the promo code: 80STVLADIES.Happy Shopping!MARCH 8TL DEALS BLOCK:80s TV Ladies deals and discounts:Cozy Earth (21% Off)🔗 Get them at: https://MyDeals.Page/19wy🎁 Code: 80STVLADIES📻 CONNECT WITH 80s TV LADIESOfficial Website: 80sTVLadies.com Email Us: 80sTVLadies@gmail.comSupport the Show: Get ad-free episodes and bonus content | Support on Patreon🎭 SUSAN'S NEW VENTUREArts A La Carte – A non-profit dedicated to helping develop new works in theater.Website: ArtsALaCarte.orgInstagram: @ArtsALaCarteLACELEBRATE 100!OUR 100th EPISODE is coming! Don't miss our special episode with Ms. Morgan Fairchild!! 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 and exclusive content on PATREON.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
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