PODCAST · tv
80s TV Ladies
by 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
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 Sea
Episodes
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Adrienne Barbeau on Maude, Creating Rizzo in Grease, Cult Horror and Return to Fantasy Island
"Norman kept saying, 'If you don't trust yourself to know that you're good, trust me because I know you're good. This is what you're meant to be doing.'" — Adrienne Barbeau, on working with Norman Lear on Maude Welcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward, and where we…
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1980s Fall TV Previews: TV Guide, Crazy Network Specials, and Saturday Morning Nostalgia
"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...
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REWIND: Neema Barnette | Directing A Different World, Making TV History, and Strategies for Revolution
"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…
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REWIND: Susan Fales-Hill | Showrunning A Different World, Resisting Industry Bias, and Making TV History
"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...
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REWIND: A Different World | Looking Back at the 80s Hit with Writer Niceole Levy
"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." -...
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Jennifer Jones: Precision, Resilience, and Breaking Barriers on the Line
"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…
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Ch-ch-ch-changes: The 20 Most Revolutionary 80s Music Videos, Part 2
"Music videos were an avenue for women to break into directing, which was really important at the time. A lot of women basically got their start directing music videos because nobody wanted to do them... until they became super popular." — Susan Lambert Hatem The great mid-season packing and…
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Ch-ch-ch-changes: The 20 Most Revolutionary 80s Music Videos, Part 1
"The more that things change, the more they stay the same... Nevertheless, we have to keep pushing forward. We have to keep moving that line forward in order to make a better tomorrow for all of us." - Sharon Johnson Welcome to 80s TV Ladies The Winds of Ch-ch-ch-change! In this special…
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RERUN: Bruce Boxleitner | The Scarecrow And Mrs. King Years, Part 2
“Katie and I, our relationship could be a little exciting -- I had to watch my step, I had to toe the line. I had to behave myself or I’d get taken to the principal’s office... And she was the principal.” -- Bruce Boxleitner REWIND EPISODE: The 80s TV Ladies - Sharon and Susan - are both moving!...
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RERUN: Bruce Boxleitner: The Scarecrow and Ms. King Years, Part 1
“Kate was able to go off script. Then I found I could go with her. Pretty soon we’re doing stuff that is not on the written page. That’s where we found the little ‘in-between’ moments.” - Bruce Boxleitner REWIND EPISODE: The 80s TV Ladies are both moving! More details in a later episode, so…
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80s TV Legends: Stefanie Powers on Acting, Activism, and the Hart to Hart Legacy
"It was very dangerous to be a friend of the Harts because... yes, they were always getting killed." -- Stefanie Powers Get ready for a masterclass in sophisticated glamour! In this episode of 80s TV Ladies, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson sit down with the incomparable Stefanie...
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Writing 80s Icons: Dallas, Fame, and One Day at a Time | Linda Elstad
“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 Hatem Susan and Sharon welcome Karin Elstad — a modern TV powerhouse and Vice President at HBO — to celebrate the...
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Morgan Fairchild: Too Sexy for TV, Pee-Wee Herman, and Hollywood's Golden Era
"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...
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Writing Fearless Women: Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters | Georgia Jeffries
“ 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 writer Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson welcome writer-producer-professor Georgia Jeffries, an...
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90s TV Babies Meet The Golden Girls: Uncovering Timeless Comedy | 80s TV Podcast
90s TV Babies Meet The Golden Girls: Uncovering Timeless Comedy | 80s TV Podcast Join co-hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they welcome back the “’90s TV Babies”—Sergio Perez, Sailor Franklin, and Serita Fontanesi—plus first-time (almost silent) guest: the 20s² TV Baby Theo —for a...
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Inside Scoop with Patrick Hinds: Golden Girls, True Crime, and TV Magic
"Golden Girls is just so good. It's been with me my entire life, and there were opportunities to do more than just a rewatch podcast. We could bring in historical stuff and the history of the show." - Patrick Hinds, Golden Girls Deep Dive podcast Join hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem…
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Maude's Dilemma: Pioneering TV, Abortion Conversations and Reproductive Rights | Jennie Wetter
"It's interesting how relevant these conversations remain today." - Jennie Wetter Join 80s TV Ladies hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson with guest Jennie Wetter, director of the RePros Fight Back Initiative at the Population Institute, as they explore the groundbreaking two-part 'Maude'...
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Special Presentation: The Love Boat Podcast with Loretta Swit
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: The Love Boat Podcast with Loretta Swit 80s TV Ladies is thrilled to introduce you to The Love Boat Podcast with this exclusive Feed Drop from The Love Boat Podcast. Before we set sail, we pause to honor the remarkable Loretta Swit. Emmy-winning star of MASH, beloved guest…
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The Golden Girls: 10 Not So Great Things About a Great Show
”Dorothy's tale of how she and her husband ended up together implies that he slipped her something and had sex with her. Without protection… Yeah…” - Susan Lambert Hatem Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson dive deep in this episode into the beloved TV show 'The Golden Girls,' discussing its...
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Marsha Posner Williams, Part 2 | Golden Girls, Hail to the Chief and Sherman Hemsley's Amen
"Achieving this milestone was a dream come true. It made all the hard work and sacrifices worth it." - Marsha Posner Williams In this 80s TV Ladies episode, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson continue their interview with Emmy-winning producer Marsha Posner Williams, exploring further...
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Marsha Posner Williams, Part 1 | On Golden Girls, Emmy Wins and Being a Television Trailblazer
“Even more so than All in the Family, we had protesters outside our office... We used to keep our curtains closed because we were afraid someone was gonna throw a brick through the window.” - Marsha Posner Williams on 'Soap' In this episode of 80s TV Ladies, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon...
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80s TV Legends: Golden Girls, Love Boat and Jim Colucci Forever
Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson on 80s TV Ladies, where they chat with Jim Colucci, TV writer, author, and entertainment journalist, known for his deep dive into the cultural impact of the Golden Girls. In this episode, Jim discusses his unauthorized retrospective book, 'Golden...
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Stan Zimmerman: From Golden Girls to Gilmore Girls - A Writer's Journey Through 80s TV
Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they welcome back prolific writer, director, producer, and actor Stan Zimmerman. Known for his work on iconic female-driven comedies like 'The Golden Girls,' 'Roseanne,' and 'Gilmore Girls,' Stan shares insights from his illustrious career and...
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An Iconic Voice | The Last Golden Girl Cindy Fee on the Art of TV Themes
In this captivating episode of 80s TV Ladies, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem interview the legendary Cindy Fee, best known for singing the iconic theme song for 'The Golden Girls'. The conversation covers Cindy's extensive career, beginning with her professional singing at a young...
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Celebrating The Golden Girls: 50 Fast Facts and Their Lasting Legacy
Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson dive deep into the beloved 'The Golden Girls' with a delightful overview and 50 fun facts about the show. Discover fascinating show details, cast secrets, and notable legacy moments as they share their passion for this iconic series. Learn about the...
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Warrior Women & RJ Stewart: Xena and Gabrielle's Impact on 90s TV
Join hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem for an exciting episode as they take an in-depth look at the legendary 90s TV show, Xena: Warrior Princess. This episode features special guests RJ Stewart, head writer and co-creator of the series, and Anna Schekel, an artist and lifelong Xena…
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Season 4 Premiere | Epic 90s Challenge: Xena vs Buffy TV Showdown
"Listeners, what would be the answer for you? Is it Buffy or Xena?” Welcome to Season Four of 80s TV Ladies with hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem. In this episode, we dive into a nostalgic showdown between two iconic 90s TV heroines: Xena, the Warrior Princess, and Buffy, the Vampire...
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FRIENDSHIP, LAUGHTER, AND LEGENDARY LADIES | OUR SEASON 4 PREVIEW
“It’s not just because it’s a masterclass in comedy or because it has one of the greatest television theme songs of all time, I think it’s because it’s about friendship.” Get ready for a brand new season of 80s TV Ladies! In this special sneak peek, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem…
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RERUN: Say Gay! Exploring LGBTQ Representation in 70s, 80s, and 90s TV | Matt Baume
Dive into the fascinating world of LGBTQ representation in 70s, 80s, and 90s television with hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem on '80s TV Ladies.' This special summer rerun, featuring expert Matt Baume, highlights iconic queer moments and characters. Originally aired on June 7th, 2023,...
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RERUN: Reflecting on Scarecrow and Mrs. King: An Interview with Martha Smith
In this episode, hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson revisit season one, episode six of 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King,' originally launched on September 28, 2022. The rerun features actress Martha Smith, the first actress/celebrity guest on 80s TV Ladies. They dive into Smith's experiences…
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BONUS SUMMER RERUN: Scarecrow and Mrs. King with Eugenie Ross-Leming | TV Show Creator Interview
Join hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson as they revisit a beloved episode featuring the co-creator of 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King,' Eugenie Ross-Leming. Originally aired on August 31, 2022, this rerun dives into Ross-Leming's storied career, from her early days at Second City to creating…
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SUMMER RERUN: The First Time with Scarecrow and Mrs. King
In this special summer rerun reminiscent of those hot and fabulous days of 1980s television, hosts Sharon Johnson and Susan Lambert Hatem take listeners back to the very first episode of our own 80s TV Ladies. Originally dropped July 20, 2022, this throwback episode revisits the launch of the...
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BONUS: Bewitched, BeMagical and BePregnant | A Crossover with Breaking Mayberry
"Darrin is super comfortable in himself. Darrin knows he is not the powerful one 'cause he is like, ‘I married a witch'… It's nice to see a dude that loves his wife.” - Marty Schneider Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson team up with Marty Schneider and Dan Ludwig of the Breaking…
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Jon Cryer, Part 2 | 80s television, Two and a Half Men and Lex Luthor
Welcome to our final Season Three episode of 80s TV Ladies! Hosts Sharon Jonson and Susan Lambert Hatem continue their in-depth conversation with actor Jon Cryer. In this second part, Jon shares behind-the-scenes stories from his television and film career, including his start in 80s television...
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Jon Cryer, Part 1 | The Facts of Life, Pretty in Pink and Annie Potts
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...
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The Facts of Life with the 90s TV Babies!
“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.…
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The Facts of Life, Days of Our Lives and Barbra Streisand’s Husband | Gloria Loring, Part 2
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...
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Gloria Loring | Talking Friends & Lovers and Singing The Facts of Life, Part 1
“When I sang, I knew who was on the stage. When I got off the stage, I was very shy, couldn’t look people in the eye. But when I was ON the stage I was just filled with my own light.” - Gloria Loring Susan and Sharon welcome Gloria Loring -- singer, song-writer, actress, author and diabetes...
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Directing The Facts of Life and Who’s The Boss | Asaad Kelada, Part 2
"It is equally treacherous when you are very successful as when you are trying to get your foot in the door in terms of keeping the sense of who you are.” -- Asaad Kelada, producer/director, The Facts of Life In Part 2 of their conversation with Asaad Kelada, Susan and Sharon talk with the…
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The Facts of Life with Director Asaad Kelada | Part 1
“There was a sense of discovery about what this series was going to be about. It was going to be about young people -- with all of their shenanigans, and the maneuvering, and all the silliness that takes place with that. But it was also going to be about growing up. These five people, and the...
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Writing The Facts of Life and A Different World | Margie Peters -- Part 2
Susan and Sharon continue their conversation with legendary 80s TV Lady -- and The Facts of Life 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…
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"Adventurous? Unpredictable? Lawless?" The Facts Of Life with Writer-Producer Margie Peters, Part 1
"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!" 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! Margie...
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The Golden Girls of Eastland: Anupam Nigam Shares His Favorite Lessons from The Facts Of Life
Episode 315: “Everything I Ever Learned About TV Writing, I Learned From ‘The Facts Of Life’ | Anupam Nigam” The Facts of Learning about Television Writing from The Facts of Life The Golden Girls of Eastland: TV Writer Anupam Nigam Shares His Lessons from The Facts Of Life The Golden Girls of...
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Going Platinum: Skinnamarink and The Elephant Show | Sharon, Lois and Bram... and Randi
What's your favorite childhood show? If you grew up in Canada or watched Nickelodeon in the 80s, you know and loved The Elephant Show & Skinnamarink TV -- and if you didn't, you’re about to find out all about it! Susan and Sharon welcome Sharon Hampson, one of the creators of The Elephant Show…
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Mama’s Family, Golden Girls and It's Always Sunny | 90s TV Babies
They’re BAAAACK! It’s 2025 and the world-renowned 90s TV Babies have reconvened around the TV screen to gaze upon 80s classic sitcom, Mama’s Family, starring Vicki Lawrence, Dorothy Lyman, Betty White, Rue Mclanahan and Carol Burnett. Do they see what Mama's fuss is all about!? Serita Fontanesi,...
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Heather Thomas on The Fall Guy, Activism and The Poster
“You’re in acting class and you’re studying Chekov or ‘Waiting for Godot’ -- and then you end up doing 80s tits-and-a**… You caught on pretty quick what it was about and where the power lay.” -- Actress Heather Thomas What was it like to be an 80s poster icon and sex symbol? Susan and Sharon...
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Bonus: Message from a City on Fire | How to Help
Just a quick message and some ways to help from Susan and guest Richard Hatem (Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf) who live in Pasadena, CA. Links below on how to help. Thankfully, the 80s TV Ladies team are all safe - Sharon, Susan, Melissa, Kevin, Sailor, Sergio, Megan and Serita. Rich and I...
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Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence and all about ‘The Family’
On March 16, 1974, a sketch appeared on The Carol Burnett Show featuring Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence and Harvey Korman portraying a “normal” American family -- warts and all. This sketch, known as “The Family”, led by a then 25 year-old Vicki Lawrence playing a gray-haired 63 year-old ‘Mama’,...
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The Facts of Life, The Nanny, Carol Burnett & Mama’s Family | Who Has the Best Holiday Episode?
What's the best Christmas episode of The Facts of Life? The Nanny vs Mama's Family? Let's find out! If you grew up in the 80s, tuning in to the special “Holiday” episodes of our favorite shows was a winter ritual. Susan and Sharon bring that tradition home as they dive into the “Best Holiday...
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Mama’s Family, Crushing on Stephanie Zimbalist & Private Lessons | Actor Eric Brown
“I was the highest paid actor in Hollywood -- if you were counting by the word.” - actor Eric Brown THE CONVERSATION TAKING THE PIPPIN BUS: Nine-year-old Eric played the lead in the original touring company of Bob Fosse’s Pippin! “It was 1974. I was the only child in a cast of adults....
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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
Sea
HOSTED BY
134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does 80s TV Ladies have?
80s TV Ladies currently has 128 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is 80s TV Ladies about?
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...
How often does 80s TV Ladies release new episodes?
80s TV Ladies publishes regularly with 128 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to 80s TV Ladies?
You can listen to 80s TV Ladies on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts 80s TV Ladies?
80s TV Ladies is created and hosted by 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson.
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