80s TV Ladies Podcast By 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson cover art

80s TV Ladies

80s TV Ladies

By: 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
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About this listen

 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
  • Jon Cryer, Part 1 | The Facts of Life, Pretty and Pink and Annie Potts

    Jon Cryer, Part 1 | The Facts of Life, Pretty and Pink and Annie Potts
    Jul 2 2025
    Susan and Sharon are thrilled to welcome director, writer and actor Jon Cryer to 80s TV Ladies!Jon Cryer is an Emmy-winning film and television icon, known for starring as “Duckie” in the 1986 John Hughes teen classic Pretty in Pink -- and then going on to star in all twelve seasons of Chuck Lorre’s long-running, award-winning sitcom, Two and A Half Men.Along the way, Jon has starred or appeared in dozens of television shows including The Famous Teddy Z, Partners, Dharma & Greg, Family Guy, The Practice, CSI, NCIS, Will & Grace and The Kominsky Method, and such films as No Small Affair, Hiding Out, Hot Shots!, Holy Man, Dudes and Due Date. For three years, Jon Cryer gave an award-winning performance as the legendary evil genius Lex Luthor on CW’s Supergirl.Jon authored the 2015 autobiography So That Happened and currently executive produces two hit podcasts: The Man Who Calculated Death and Lawyers, Guns & Money (which he also narrates). In Part 1 of a two-part conversation, Jon reflects on growing up in a show biz family and learning acting the hard way. Plus what it’s like playing the romantic lead opposite two of the most famous actresses of our time: Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald…THE CONVERSATIONSusan and Sharon share the crazy story of how they met Jon Cryer and got him on the show!BEING AN ACTOR IS CRAP: First day, first film, Jon is 20 years-old -- and Robert Altman is throwing fake bird shit all over him. That’s showbiz!THE FACTS OF LIFE: Jon was a huge fan of the show -- and then got to work with 8TL alum director Assad Kelada on Two and A Half Men!ACTING FOR TOOTIE: Jon just worked with Kim Fields -- she was his director!No Apology Necessary: Demi Moore recently apologized to Jon in her autobiography Inside Out for not being more sensitive when she “took his virginity” while shooting No Small Affair. But it turns out he wasn’t a virgin: “I just seemed like one.”On opening day of No Small Affair, Jon snuck into a theater just in time to see himself take off his shirt on screen -- and hear someone yell: “Where’s the beef?”When Jon met Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald on the Pretty in Pink set, he thought they didn’t like him. Turns out he was only half-right.The original ending of Pretty in Pink has Molly Ringwald’s Andie politely shutting down Andrew McCarthy’s Blane, and dancing in solidarity with Cryer’s Duckie (to Davie Bowie’s Heroes) -- but test audiences HATED it! So, the ending was changed making sure that Andie ended up with cute and sensitive, rich-boy, Blane.GETTING MOSHED: While filming Dudes, Penelope Spheeris had Jon and castmate Dan Roebuck thrown into the mosh pit at a Vandals concert -- and they barely lived to tell about it!So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Jon -- as they talk Morgan Freeman, Escape From Alcatraz, Richard Gere, Wonder Woman, Al Pacino, Cher, Annie Potts, Mark Hamill, The Bad News Bears -- and getting naked for laughs on Two And A Half Men!AUDIO-OGRAPHYListen to Suzanne Rico’s podcast The Man Who Calculated Death (produced by Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner) at TheManWhoCalculatedDeath.comAnd Jon's other podcast, Lawyers, Gun & Money at Apple. Watch all 12 seasons of Two And A Half Men on Peacock.Watch Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor on Supergirl on Apple or on Netflix.Buy Jon Cryer’s autobiography, So That Happened at Bookshop.org.Or Listen to So That Happened on Spotify or Audible. Arts Funding is under attack in this country. Find out how to support the arts, locally and nationally at https://www.artsforla.org/VITAL DEMOCRACY READINGCheck out Democracy Docket here.Learn more about the ACLU here.Let your voice be heard! Call your reps. .Make 5 Calls makes it easy.CONNECTVisit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. Join the Facebook discussion at Facebook.com/80sTVLadiesVOTE FOR USHelp us get THREE PODCAST AWARDS!You can NOMINATE us. Give an email and register, but it's pretty easy!GO HERE: Podcastawards.comCLICK ON: Sign Up To Vote NowNOMINATE 80s TV Ladies for: Best Female Hosted, People's Choice and TV & FilmPS: Whiile you're there, also NOMINATE Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf in Religion and Spirituality.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • The Facts of Life with the 90s TV Babies!

    The Facts of Life with the 90s TV Babies!
    Jun 18 2025
    “This show makes me feel like I have a blanket around me and I’m eating mac & cheese.” -- Megan Ruble, 90s TV Baby, about The Facts of Life.Susan and Sharon welcome back the notorious “90s TV Babies” to find out what they think about The Facts of Life, which ran August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. Did they “take the good” and “take the bad”? Did the “World Live Up To Their Dreams”? We’re gonna find out!Megan Ruble and Serita Fontanesi were asked to watch these FOL listener-suggested episodes:The Facts of Life AssignmentS1; EP13: “Dope”S2; EP1: “The New Girl”S3; EP15: “Starstruck”S4; EP22: “Take My Finals, Please”S5; EP6: “The Halloween Show”S7; EP1: “Out of the Fire”Plus, Bonus episodes: S1; EP1: “Rough Housing (The Pilot)”S2; EP2: “The New Girl: Part 2”S2; EP5: “Cousin Geri”S3; EP18: “Runaway”S5; EP10: “Store Games”S5; EP17: “A Death in the Family”S5; EP18: “Big Fish, Little Fish”S7; EP2: “Into the Frying Pan”S7; EP8: “Come Back To The Truck Stop, Natalie Green, Natalie Green”S7; EP14: “Tootie Drives”S9; EP16: “The First Time”THE CONVERSATIONSUMMER UPDATE: Serita’s having a baby! Little Theodore Fontanesi arrives the first week of August!SUMMER UPDATE: Megan is producing a show for the Hollywood Fringe Festival and acting in “Shakespeare by the Sea”!SIT LONG AND PROSPER: What does it feel like to be put in Vulcan make-up? Megan will tell you!BUFFY ALERT! -- Serita is concerned: Is Megan an “Angel Girl” or a “Spike Girl”?SPOILER ALERT! -- Both Serita and Megan LOVED Facts of Life!“Starstruck (S3; EP15)” -- Megan calls out how rare it is to see a show about “out of control fandom” and Serita calls out how para-social relationships are not a “new thing”.Serita’s favorite characters: Tootie and Jo. Megan’s favorite characters: Edna and Natalie.Why was Tootie always on roller skates? To make her taller for the camera!S5; EP 17 “A Death in the Family”: On February 1, 1984, The Facts of Life breaks ground featuring the first ever television portrayal of a “Shiva”.Is The Facts of Life “progressive” and “feminist”? Listen to 90s TV Babies to find out!So join Susan and Sharon -- and Serita and Megan -- as they talk C-sections, fan conventions, The Golden Girls, deep-dish pizza, making babies laugh at your jokes -- and how “Edna’s Edibles” could be its own strain!AUDIO-OGRAPHYLearn more about The Facts of Life at https://www.facebook.com/thefactsoflifesite/ Watch Season 2 & 3 of Facts of Life for FREE on Tubi.com.Look for more episodes on Daily Motion or YouTube.Listen in on Serita’s podcast at NotUglyPod.com.Send Serita diaper money for Little Baby Theo at Venmo.com/seritafonta! Check out Megan’s Hollywood Fringe production “The Visitor” at DayforKnightproductions.com.Get tickets at HollywoodFringe.org.FREE Shakespear in the parks + Megan! See and Go see and support ShakespearebytheSea.org.Arts Funding is under attack in this country. Find out how to support Los Angeles arts at ArtsforLA.org.SHOUTOUTHappy Pride Month! Visit LAPride.org for things to do in Los Angeles.THANK YOU 80s LADIES LISTENERSEspecially those in sent in suggestions including:Christian KeysTee EllJason BrouxLisa Flory MendenhallChristopher Stroker@murphybrownpod@Treasure_ChamberTracyMolya MothmanVITAL DEMOCRACY READINGCheck out Democracy Docket here.Learn more about the ACLU here.Let your voice be heard! Call your reps. .Make 5 Calls makes it easy.CONNECTSign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. Join the Facebook page discussion at Facebook.com/80sTVLadiesPLUS -- “80’s TV LADIES” MERCH is available at Fourthwall.com.Or get FREE merch, cool video interviews, ad-free episodes AND support our podcast at Patreon.com/80sTVLadies This year is the 45th anniversary of President Carter's Crisis of Confidence speech. Get Susan’s new play about it: Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
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    56 mins
  • The Facts of Life, Days of Our Lives and Barbra Streisand’s Husband | Gloria Loring, Part 2

    The Facts of Life, Days of Our Lives and Barbra Streisand’s Husband | Gloria Loring, Part 2
    Jun 4 2025
    Susan and Sharon keep the good times rolling with Part 2 of their conversation with singer, song-writer, actress, author and diabetes advocate Gloria Loring! Known for her Number One hit “Friends & Lovers”, Gloria is also the legendary co-composer and singer of the impossible to forget Facts of Life theme song!In Part 2 of their conversation, they touch on Gloria’s work for the Juvenile Diabetes Association, her wild career in TV and music and the benefits of living a spiritual and healthy life.THE CONVERSATION“EXPECT A MIRACLE” -- How a mysterious card found in her dressing room led Gloria to finance the Days of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook -- and raise over $1,000,000.00 for diabetes research!When her son Brennan was diagnosed with diabetes at age four, Gloria was told he would be lucky to make it to 25. He’s now 50 and doing great!BE BRAVE, LITTLE ONE: What it feels like to forget the first line of the song you’re singing at the Oscars!YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN: Gloria returned to Days of Our Lives for the funeral of Bill Hays’ character Doug -- but was surprised to find that almost everything had changed…The fun of working with Lanna Saunders & Maree Cheatham on Days of Our Lives Writing the Facts of Life theme song with Alan Thicke! (And she’s still getting residuals…)The benefits of an ayurvedic diet!So, join Susan and Sharon -- and Gloria -- as they talk James Brolin, Days of Our Lives, Jimmy Stewart, Hotel, Bob Hope, Diff’rent Strokes, Ann Jillian, Merv Griffin, Richard Crenna, Murder, She Wrote, Jane & Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon -- and almost having a Chinese Chicken Salad Heart Attack! AUDIO-OGRAPHYCatch up with all-things Gloria at her official website: GloriaLoring.comCheck out her Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/glorialoring/ Listen to Gloria’s book “Coincidence is God’s Way of Remaining Anonymous” at Audible or Apple Books. Or buy it at Abe Books.Watch Season 2 and 3 of The Facts of Life for free on Tubi.Buy the complete season on DVD at Ebay.VITAL READINGCheck out Democracy Docket here.Learn more about the ACLU here.Let your voice be heard! Call your reps. Make 5 Calls makes it easy.CONNECTVisit 80sTVLadies.com for transcripts.Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON. Check out Democracy Docket here https://www.democracydocket.com/ Learn more about the ACLU here https://www.aclu.org/ Buy Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson at Bookshop.org. PLUS -- “80’s TV LADIES” MERCH is available at Fourthwall.com.Or get FREE merch, cool video interviews and ad-free episodes at Patreon.com/80sTVLadies
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    46 mins
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