Diversity in Television

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

“Television is so all pervasive and is so powerful in shaping perceptions and ideas of people. We're a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual nation – more so than we've ever been. It's very important that that reality be depicted on the screen.” - George Takei, Actor

Interviewees discuss various aspects of how diversity is depicted on television and within the television industry.

Highlights

George Takei on being an Asian-American actor

Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life

Jonathan Murray on the diverse cast of The Real World

Sheila Kuehl on coming out on The Geraldo Rivera Show and Good Morning America

Louis Gossett, Jr. on how things have changed for African-American actors since he started

Debbie Allen on the impact of Roots; on being cast as "Nan" in Roots: The Next Generation

Who talked about this topic

Dr. John Leverence

Dr. John Leverence on how the Television Academy has addressed inclusivity and avoided the kind of criticism that the #OscarsSoWhite reaction to the Motion Picture Academy's Oscar awards has experienced in recent years

Dr. John Leverence on Viola Davis winning an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 (for How to Get Away with Murder) as the first Black actress to win in that category

Dr. John Leverence on the record number of Black performers to win at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards

Edie Adams

Edie Adams on being an uncredited female writer/producer on her show Here's Edie

Edie Adams on advancements for women in television

Mary V. Ahern

Mary V. Ahern on how opportunities for women in television have changed over the years

Mary V. Ahern on her experience as a female television producer in the 1950s

Alan Alda

Alan Alda on Loretta Swit's contribution to making her M*A*S*H character three-dimensional

Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen on casting Marisa Tomei as the only Caucasian character on A Different World

John Amos

John Amos on the public reaction to Roots

John Amos on his experience playing "Kunta Kinte" on Roots and how his background prepared him for it

John Amos on the effect of Roots on his personal self-esteem

John Amos on how roles for African-Americans have changed since he started acting

John Amos on guest-starring on Two and a Half Men

Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews on the TV movie Our Sons

Lucie Arnaz

Lucie Arnaz on problems faced with I Love Lucy due to her father, Desi Arnaz, being Cuban

Larry Auerbach

Larry Auerbach on dealing with discrimination against Harry Belafonte

Larry Auerbach on representing Sammy Davis, Jr.

Bob Banner

Bob Banner on producing It's Showtime at the Apollo

Paris Barclay

Paris Barclay on directing a pivotal episode of ER in which a main character is revealed to have AIDS, and seeing the power of television's reach

Paris Barclay on producing City of Angels

Paris Barclay on his involvement with the Diversity Committee of the Directors Guild of America

Paris Barclay on being openly gay and how it has affected his career

Paris Barclay on whether or not he's faced racism in the television industry

Bob Barker

Bob Barker on the success and inclusiveness of The Price is Right

Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee on being one of the few female hosts in late night, on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee on #MeToo series on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and on her thoughts on the movement in general

Milton Berle

Milton Berle on booking the African-American group The Four Step Brothers on Texaco Star Theater

Steve Binder

Steve Binder on producing Petula, and the controversy surrounding a segment of it (part 1)

Steve Binder on producing Petula, and the controversy surrounding a segment of it (part 2)

William Blinn

William Blinn on "Huggy Bear" on Starsky and Hutch

William Blinn on the reaction to Brian's Song, and on dealing with the racial aspect of the story

William Blinn on writing the miniseries Roots

Linda Bell Blue

Linda Bell Blue on sexism in the television industry

Allan Blye

Allan Blye on the moment between Harry Belafonte and Petula Clark on Clark's 1968 special Petula when the two performers linked arms, which caused controversy at the time

George Bodenheimer

George Bodenheimer on the importance of female sports fans

George Bodenheimer on televising women's sports and ESPNW

George Bodenheimer on ESPN Deportes

Mili Lerner Bonsignori

Mili Lerner Bonsignori on becoming one of four female editors in New York after World War II

Mili Lerner Bonsignori on meeting the other three female editors in New York

Mili Lerner Bonsignori on not being treated as an equal to the men on See It Now

Pat Boone

Pat Boone on controversial performances on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and his view of race relations

Pat Boone on problems he got from sponsors when booking African-American performers on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom

Vivian Brown

Vivian Brown on dealing with racism in the industry

Vivian Brown on being a female meteorologist

Frances Buss Buch

Frances Buss Buch on the press she got for being one of the first women directors at CBS

Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett on how Lucille Ball changed when Ball and Desi Arnaz got divorced and the dynamic of females in Hollywood

Allan Burns

Allan Burns on placing the main setting of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in a newsroom and "Mary Richards" not being a married woman

Allan Burns on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the feminist movement

Allan Burns on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Good Time News"

Ken Burns

Ken Burns on his documentary series Baseball, and his career-long exploration of race in America

James Burrows

James Burrows on why Will & Grace can get away with some of the topics it covers; on being involved with a somewhat political show

James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace

James Burrows on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community

LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton on the impact of Roots

Vince Calandra

Vince Calandra on getting African-American talent on The Ed Sullivan Show

Vince Calandra on Ed Sullivan's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and putting African-Americans on television

Reuben Cannon

Reuben Cannon on how the business of casting has changed since he started as the first black casting director

Marcy Carsey

Marcy Carsey on the progression of her career at ABC and becoming head of series television

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on the Cosby spin-off A Different World and the awareness the program brought to black colleges

Thomas Carter

Thomas Carter on the African-American cast of The White Shadow and fan reaction to the show

Thomas Carter on addressing racial issues in the series Equal Justice

Thomas Carter on the portrayal of African-Americans on television in 2013

Thomas Carter on dealing with racism in his career

Gilbert Cates

Gilbert Cates on the TV movie Consenting Adult, for which he was nominated for an Emmy

RuPaul Charles

RuPaul Charles on the pressures of being black and gay during the run of The RuPaul Show and on RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul Charles on the legacy and message of RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul Charles on the contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race, and their courage and vulnerability

RuPaul Charles on his message as a performer

David Chase

David Chase on the role of women characters on The Sopranos

David Chase on the subject of a gay mafia member on The Sopranos and how the character of "Vito" coming out was dealt with

Julia Child

Julia Child on being a female chef

Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho on Good Times being her favorite show

Margaret Cho on the challenge of getting roles on television when there were no parts for Asian-Americans

Margaret Cho on how All-American Girl came about -- successful comedians got their own sitcoms in the '90s and she had a unique viewpoint as a young Asian-American woman

Margaret Cho on the groundbreaking aspects of All-American Girl -- the first representation of a Korean-American family on U.S. primetime television

Margaret Cho on network notes she got on All-American Girl -- that she was too fat

Margaret Cho on Drop Dead Diva tackling body issues head on

Margaret Cho on Eddie Huang approaching her to discuss Fresh Off the Boat since she had previously navigated a show starring an Asian-American family on U.S. primetime television, and on what had changed in the culture between the time of All-American Girl and Fresh Off the Boat

Margaret Cho on the legacy of All-American Girl

Margaret Cho on the progress television has made in Asian-American representation in front of and behind the camera

Margaret Cho on advice for young women entering the industry

Nick Clooney

Nick Clooney on hosting a teen dance show (The Nick Clooney School Salute) in Lexington, Kentucky and integrating the show

Dick Gregory with Emerson College

Dick Gregory on racism in America

Carlos Mencia with Emerson College

Carlos Mencia on doing Latino-based humor, and on listening to accents

Carlos Mencia on the controversy surrounding his use of the term "beaner"

Carlos Mencia on how different groups react to his act, and Mind of Mencia

Paul Rodriguez with Emerson College

Paul Rodriquez on the Mexican-American community's reaction to a.k.a. Pablo, and their objections to his act

Paul Rodriguez on being inspired by Richard Pryor to use his Mexican heritage and identity in his act, and on the language he uses in his act

Paul Rodriguez on the then-current state of his career, and on his relationship with the Mexican-American community

Paul Rodriguez on things he has had the opportunity to do in his career, and on the then-current state of Latinos in comedy

Beatrice Arthur with Emerson College

Beatrice Arthur on homosexuality on television

Barbara Feldon with Emerson College

Barbara Feldon on being grateful for her time on Get Smart and how the industry is not generous to women; on how comedy is more fun to do than drama

Barbara Feldon on working without shoes on Get Smart and trying to look shorter than she was

Hal Cooper

Hal Cooper on directing Love, Sidney

Barbara Corday

Barbara Corday on pitching Cagney & Lacey in 1974 and on being involved in the women's movement at the time

Barbara Corday on the premise of Cagney & Lacey and on dealing with women's issues on the show

Barbara Corday on how the status of women in television has changed since she started

Barbara Corday on the challenges of being a female executive in television

Katie Couric

Katie Couric on feeling like most of the women at ABC News were in subservient positions

Ron Cowen

Ron Cowen on writing 1985's An Early Frost (with Daniel Lipman), which depicted the AIDS epidemic, being his proudest career achievement

Judith Crist

Judith Crist on Al Morgan of Today being a big supporter of women

Judith Crist on why she left Today and feeling the decision to let her go was sexist

Judith Crist on getting to know women in television

Judith Crist on not encountering sexism in the television industry

Judy Crown

Judy Crown on diversity in her field

Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal on being cast as "Jodie Dallas" on Soap, television's first regular, gay character

Billy Crystal on the reception of his Soap character, "Jodie Dallas," who was gay

Billy Crystal on professional concerns he had about playing a gay character on Soap, and on his first HBO stand up comedy special

Robert Culp

Robert Culp on dealing with the racial aspect of I Spy

Ann Curry

Ann Curry on being hired as a reporter at KTVL in Medford, Oregon, a station that had never before had a female reporter, and on the sexism she faced on the job

Ann Curry on aspiring to be a news anchor like Walter Cronkite early in her career, and how she navigated her ambitions with few available role models in broadcast journalism who were women or people of color

Ann Curry on inappropriate behavior she witnessed at NBC News, and on the then-current battle to prevent harassment of women in the workplace

Ann Curry on how she has seen opportunities for women and people of color change in journalism over the course of her career

Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis on how television aided in the Civil Rights Movement

Ossie Davis on how opportunities for African Americans in television have changed since he started his career

James Day

James Day on Frieda Hennock, the first female commissioner of the FCC

Phil Donahue

Phil Donahue on his television talk show, Donahue, and the controversial topics covered

Phil Donahue on interviewing boxer Joe Frazier and doing the show from Attica Street prison

Hugh Downs

Hugh Downs on racial tensions and booking diverse guests on The Tonight Show

Betty Cole Dukert

Betty Cole Dukert on hard to anticipate questions from female journalists and balancing the panel of reporters on Meet the Press

Betty Cole Dukert on being a female producer and the male to female ratio of guests on Meet the Press

Rebecca Eaton

Rebecca Eaton on finding out she was pregnant on the same day she was offered the job of executive producer of Masterpiece Theatre

Rebecca Eaton on the roles women had at PBS in the early 1970s, and how that has changed over time

Rebecca Eaton on the controversy surrounding the Masterpiece Theatre program "Portrait of a Marriage", which featured love scenes between two women

Rebecca Eaton on the challenges of balancing her professional life and personal life as a female producer

Barbara Eden

Barbara Eden on the perceived anti-feminist aspects of I Dream of Jeannie

Stephanie Edwards

Stephanie Edwards on gender discrimination she see's in the business

Hector Elizondo

Hector Elizondo on Cane representing a Latino family

Ruth Engelhardt

Ruth Engelhardt on her sister being an agent at William Morris, and on how she was treated as a woman in the industry

Jeannie Epper

Jeannie Epper on her few close fellow stuntwomen and the passing of her brothers and sisters

Jeannie Epper on being one of the founding members of the Stuntwoman's Association of Motion Pictures

Jeannie Epper on the challenges that stuntwomen face that stuntmen don't

Jeannie Epper on the lack of women stunt coordinators

Nanette Fabray

Nanette Fabray on her difficulty with her hearing, and on her participation in issues involving the deaf community

Nanette Fabray on appearing on The Carol Burnett Show and doing sign language for the first time on television, and promoting sign language on television

Nanette Fabray on her guest appearance as stroke survivor on Maude in the episode "Maude's Reunion"

Jeff Fager

Jeff Fager on bringing on younger correspondents when he became executive producer of 60 Minutes and the importance of diversity

Jeff Fager on diversity on 60 Minutes and hiring Bill Whitaker as a correspondent on the show

Edie Falco

Edie Falco on her Nurse Jackie character, "Jackie Peyton," as an anti-hero, and the uniqueness of her being a female anti-hero

Edie Falco on how roles for women have changed since she started out in television and how she relates to her characters as a woman

Julian Fellowes

Julian Fellowes on the rape storyline on Downton Abbey

Sally Field

Sally Field on starting her own production company

Sally Field on ageism against women in the industry, and how things were changing at the time

Richard Frank

Richard Frank on developing Ellen, and "Ellen" coming out

Ron Friedman

Ron Friedman on the groundbreaking female characters of G.I. Joe

Pamela Fryman

Pamela Fryman on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry

Marla Gibbs

Marla Gibbs on staying behind at the first table read of The Jeffersons to offer her opinions on naturalistic dialogue, among other points

Marla Gibbs on casting African-American actors on 227

Sandra Gimpel

Sandra Gimpel on how she became a stunt coordinator in the 1970s and the fact that women were mostly not stunt coordinators at the time, and on becoming second unit director, as well as stunt coordinator on Mrs. Columbo

Sandra Gimpel on how the equipment used by stunt performers has changed over time, especially for women, who oftentimes in the past could not wear padding because it was so bulky and too visible under costumes

Lesli Linka Glatter

Lesli Linka Glatter on gender discrimination in her career, and discrimination and harassment in the television industry

Lesli Linka Glatter on how things have changed for women in the industry since she started

Sharon Gless

Sharon Gless on not experiencing sexism as an actress in the 1970s

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg on wanting to be in the Star Trek reboot, Star Trek: The Next Generation, because Star Trek was the first show to depict Black people in the future

Whoopi Goldberg on the HBO documentary she produced about Moms Mabley, Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Leonard H. Goldenson

Leonard H. Goldenson on the impact of Roots

Louis Gossett, Jr.

Louis Gossett, Jr. on appearing with James Garner in the feature film "Skin Game," and on appearing in socially-conscious projects

Louis Gossett, Jr. on the impact producer Norman Lear had on opportunities for African-American actors in television

Louis Gossett, Jr. on doing research to play "Fiddler" in Roots, and why the character was a breakthrough for him in terms of his acting process

Louis Gossett, Jr. on filming the "my name is Toby" scene in Roots, and on using the line "there's gonna be another day" (which he improvised) with Alex Haley's permission

Louis Gossett, Jr. on the legacy of Roots

Louis Gossett, Jr. on the role of the actor in society, and how the arts can help or harm

Louis Gossett, Jr. on being the second black actor to win an Oscar, and on what it meant to his career

Louis Gossett, Jr. on how things have changed for African-American actors since he started

Curt Gowdy

Curt Gowdy on international broadcasters

Lee Grant

Lee Grant on how opportunities for women in television have changed over the years

Earle Hagen

Earle Hagen on NBC initially not approving Bill Cosby to co-star in I Spy because it feared repercussions from Southern affiliates

Monty Hall

Monty Hall on the diversity of Let's Make a Deal contestants

Donald Hall

Donald Hall on Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of "Green Pastures"

Florence Henderson

Florence Henderson on working during her pregnancies

Winifred Hervey

Winifred Hervey on getting accepted to the Warner Bros. Writing Workshop

Winifred Hervey on becoming story editor for The New Odd Couple and rewriting original scripts from The Odd Couple to tailor them to African-American performers

Winifred Hervey on efforts made to diversify the writing staff of Benson

Winifred Hervey on being the only female writer on The Cosby Show

Winifred Hervey on the writers' room of The Golden Girls

Winifred Hervey on not loving to do "issues shows" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Winifred Hervey on her biggest challenge in the business - being female and a minority

Winifred Hervey on the representation of African-Americans on television

Winifred Hervey on opportunities for women and minorities in writing

Arthur Hiller

Arthur Hiller on the list of "don't dos" they had from the sponsors and the network on NBC Matinee Theater, and a near-controversy when he cast an African American actor as a doctor

Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook on appearing in the groundbreaking made-for-television movie That Certain Summer

Ellen Holly

Ellen Holly on the challenges early on of finding parts as a Black actress, and on being cast in the Broadway production of "Too Late the Phalarope"

Ellen Holly on how typecasting boxes in actors, particularly African-Americans

Ellen Holly on the difficulties faced by an African-American actress who is considered "too light"

Ellen Holly on writing The New York Times article "How Black Do You Have to Be?" and on the reaction to it

Ellen Holly on guest-starring on Dr. Kildare, and on having to wear makeup to make her skin appear darker for the show

Ellen Holly on her groundbreaking early storyline on One Life to Live, where she was the first Black actress to play a central character on a daytime drama, and on working with the crew of the show and show creator Agnes Nixon

Ellen Holly on her difficulties renewing her One Life to Live contract after the first year

Ellen Holly on going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan

Ellen Holly on the fallout from her going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan

Ellen Holly on her difficulties playing opposite the actor who portrayed "Dr. Jack Scott" on One Life to Live, which led to her first exit from the show

Ellen Holly on her and Lillian Hayman being fired from One Life to Live by producer Paul Rauch

Ellen Holly on coming to a late realization about One Life to Live and about Agnes Nixon

Ellen Holly on finally learning why she was chosen to be on One Life to Live by producer Agnes Nixon and ABC executive Brandon Stoddard

Ellen Holly on having been the focus of the first year of One Life to Live, and on the producers' fears of it becoming a "black show"

James Hong

James Hong on how little change he's seen in the types of roles offered Asian-Americans in his lifetime

James Hong on the cliched/novelty roles offered to Asian-American actors

Actor James Hong the criticisms of David Carradine's depiction of an Asian character on Kung Fu

Silvio Horta

Silvio Horta on the Latino heritage and social class of Ugly Betty

Silvio Horta on the issue of sexuality on Ugly Betty

Ron Howard

Ron Howard on the television movie Skyward and the casting of an ingenue with a disability

Felicity Huffman

Felicity Huffman on her Desperate Housewives character, "Lynette Scavo's" struggle with balancing motherhood and work, and how it related to Huffman's own work-life balance

Felicity Huffman on how roles for women on television have changed since she started in the industry

Eddie Foy III

Eddie Foy III on casting Julia

Allison Janney

Allison Janney on her West Wing character, "C.J. Cregg"

Lucy Jarvis

Lucy Jarvis on the work environment for women in network news in the early 1960s

Lucy Jarvis on hiring women for The Nation's Future and organizing a landmark class action suit against NBC for discrimination against its female employees

Lucy Jarvis on the impact of the organization Women in Film

Geri Jewell

Geri Jewell on dreaming of being a television actress when she was young, and how this dream related to her cerebral palsy

Geri Jewell on the first time she did stand-up comedy, and how she talked about cerebral palsy in her routine

Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life

Geri Jewell on having to perform a dance number on the first The Facts of Life episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")

Geri Jewell on the impact of her visibility as a person with a disability on The Facts of Life

Geri Jewell on her experience with "overnight fame" and the impact of her visibility as a person with a disability

Geri Jewell on the impact of her role on The Facts of Life and appearing on Norman Lear's special I Love Liberty

Geri Jewell on her feelings about actors without disabilities playing characters with disabilities

Geri Jewell on the difficulty she faced while filming a scene with Peter DeLuise on 21 Jump Street

Geri Jewell on filming the Deadwood episode "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" and how show creator/director David Milch coaxed a reaction from her

Geri Jewell on advice for aspiring actors

Charles Floyd Johnson

Charles Floyd Johnson on being the sole, or one of very few, associate producers of color when he accepted the job on The Rockford Files

Charles Floyd Johnson on how opportunities for African Americans have changed since he first started in the industry

Charles Floyd Johnson on addressing a racist comment made to him early in his career

Lamont Johnson

Lamont Johnson on directing the groundbreaking drama That Certain Summer, starring Martin Sheen and Hal Holbrook

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson on broadcast networks and the black community

Shirley Jones

Shirley Jones on ageism in the industry and on her family following in her footsteps

Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones on first working on Holllywood films

Quincy Jones on the impact of Roots

Lucille Kallen

Lucille Kallen on being the only female in the writers room of Your Show of Shows

Hal Kanter

Hal Kanter on creating Julia starring Diahann Carroll, the first series with an African-American female in a starring role

Elodie Keene

Elodie Keene on advocating for more female directors on L.A. Law

Elodie Keene on how opportunities for women in the industry have changed since she started

Elodie Keene on directing the first lesbian kiss on television on L.A. Law, and on the lesbian scenes in Pretty Little Liars

Elodie Keene on directing scenes on Switched at Birth in sign language

Asaad Kelada

Asaad Kelada on challenges breaking into the TV industry

H. Wesley Kenney

H. Wesley Kenney on hiring a female camera operator

Ernest Kinoy

Ernest Kinoy on The Defenders episode "The Non-Violent" and the Civil Rights movement

Ernest Kinoy on the public reaction to Roots and its impact on the Civil Rights movement

Ernest Kinoy on the legacy of Roots and Roots: The Next Generations

Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt on being an African-American performer on television in the 1950s

Eartha Kitt on dealing with racism in television

Sheila Kuehl

Sheila Kuehl on the planned Zelda Gilroy spin-off of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

Sheila Kuehl on coming out on The Geraldo Rivera Show and Good Morning America

Sheila Kuehl on the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling regarding gay marriage

Sheila Kuehl on being the first lesbian elected to the California State Assembly

Paul LaMastra

Paul LaMastra on editing the made-for-television movie Foxfire and living with HIV

Rita Lakin

Rita Lakin on the advent of the showrunner, and on being the first female showrunner on Flamingo Road

Rita Lakin on the television movie Torn Between Two Lovers, and on advancing the cause of more women television writers

John Langley

John Langley on working to reverse negative stereotyping of people of color as criminal suspects (and hitting their demo) on Cops, by going against the grain of actual percentages

Lucy Lawless

Lucy Lawless on Xena's world on Xena: Warrior Princess and the lesbian overtones of the show

Lucy Lawless on dealing with her fame from Xena: Warrior Princess and being a feminist icon

Lucy Lawless on how television has changed for women and in general since she started acting

Gene LeBell

Gene LeBell on doing stunts for black actors

Norman Lear

Norman Lear on what prompted him to create shows about upwardly mobile black families with Good Times and The Jeffersons

Norman Lear on the controversial abortion episode of Maude

Michael Learned

Michael Learned on how things have changed for actresses since she started acting

Sheldon Leonard

Sheldon Leonard on the classic Dick Van Dyke Show episode "That's My Boy?"

Steve Levitan

Steve Levitan on wanting to have a gay couple raising a child as one of the central families on Modern Family

Judith Light

Judith Light on dealing with the AIDS crisis and playing "Jeanne White" in The Ryan White Story

Judith Light on starring in A Step Toward Tomorrow with Christopher Reeve

Judith Light on her Ugly Betty character "Claire Meade" and working with America Ferrera as "Betty Suarez"

Judith Light on the importance of Transparent

William Link

William Link on writing and producing That Certain Summer

Daniel Lipman

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their first impressions of An Early Frost when the idea was presented to them by NBC, and why they insisted that the main character, who had AIDS, be alive at the end of the movie

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the research they did when writing the 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis, by visiting AIDS patients at Santa Monica Hospital

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the kinds of notes they received from executives on their 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis, and on the public response to the movie

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the importance of An Early Frost their 1985 made-for-television movie which depicted the AIDS crisis, being written and played for a mass audience

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the response of the gay community to their made-for-television movie An Early Frost

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on what they hoped the audience would take away from their made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis: education, tolerance, and compassion

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on Sisters being one of the only television dramas to explore the lives of women at its center

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the success of Sisters among female viewers, despite the fact that executives did not normally pay attention to that demographic

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the Sisters characters "Norma Lear" (played by Nora Dunn), who was gay, and on the character came to be recurring, rather than appearing in just a few episodes

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their push to have as many female directors and writers on Sisters as they could

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the television and political atmosphere for both gay people and gay characters at the time they were developing Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the press reaction to Queer as Folk, and in particular the pushback they got from the gay community

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on Queer as Folk presenting a reflection of the gay community in a way that had never been seen before on television, and the power of that: "seeing a reflection of yourself validates your life. It validates who you are. It validates that you exist"

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the impact of the depictions of sex on Queer as Folk and their intention behind it

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on how they approached the storyline where "Justin" is the victim of a hate crime at the end of season one of Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the depiction of people living with HIV/AIDS on Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the difference between what they could depict in their 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost and on Queer as Folk, both of which centered on gay characters

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the bombing storyline in the final season of Queer as Folk and why they wanted to depict an attack on the gay community in that manner

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their first impressions of An Early Frost when the idea was presented to them by NBC, and why they insisted that the main character, who had AIDS, be alive at the end of the movie

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the research they did when writing the 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis, by visiting AIDS patients at Santa Monica Hospital

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the kinds of notes they received from executives on their 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis, and on the public response to the movie

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the importance of An Early Frost their 1985 made-for-television movie which depicted the AIDS crisis, being written and played for a mass audience

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the response of the gay community to their made-for-television movie An Early Frost

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on what they hoped the audience would take away from their made-for-television movie An Early Frost, which depicted the AIDS crisis: education, tolerance, and compassion

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on Sisters being one of the only television dramas to explore the lives of women at its center

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the success of Sisters among female viewers, despite the fact that executives did not normally pay attention to that demographic

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the Sisters characters "Norma Lear" (played by Nora Dunn), who was gay, and on the character came to be recurring, rather than appearing in just a few episodes

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their push to have as many female directors and writers on Sisters as they could

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the television and political atmosphere for both gay people and gay characters at the time they were developing Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the press reaction to Queer as Folk, and in particular the pushback they got from the gay community

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on Queer as Folk presenting a reflection of the gay community in a way that had never been seen before on television, and the power of that: "seeing a reflection of yourself validates your life. It validates who you are. It validates that you exist"

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the impact of the depictions of sex on Queer as Folk and their intention behind it

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on how they approached the storyline where "Justin" is the victim of a hate crime at the end of season one of Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the depiction of people living with HIV/AIDS on Queer as Folk

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the difference between what they could depict in their 1985 made-for-television movie An Early Frost and on Queer as Folk, both of which centered on gay characters

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the bombing storyline in the final season of Queer as Folk and why they wanted to depict an attack on the gay community in that manner

Loretta Long

Loretta Long on the power of television, and on the impact that her character of "Susan" on Sesame Street has had on black television characters

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being the only woman on the set of Seinfeld

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the largely female set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

William H. Macy

William H. Macy on the TV movie Door to Door, which he co-wrote and starred in, and which was based on the true story of Bill Porter, a door-to-door salesman who had cerebral palsy

Anita Mann

Anita Mann on witnessing bigotry towards African-American dancers

Anita Mann on facing discrimination in the industry as a woman

Sonia Manzano

Sonia Manzano on the difficulty for an Hispanic actor to find non-stereotypical roles

Ann Marcus

Ann Marcus on quitting Days of Our Lives over a controversial storyline

Ann Marcus on her attempt to integrate the cast of Peyton Place

Beth McCarthy-Miller

Beth McCarthy-Miller on being a woman working on Saturday Night Live

Bob McGrath

Bob McGrath on memories working with guest star Linda Bove on Sesame Street and the far-reaching impact of an episode about hearing impairment

S. Epatha Merkerson

S. Epatha Merkerson on the excitement of seeing black people on television when she was young

S. Epatha Merkerson on coming to Law & Order after it had been on for four seasons (two female characters were introduced the year she came on)

S. Epatha Merkerson on wearing a wig to cover her natural hair when portraying her Law & Order character "Lt. Anita Van Buren"

S. Epatha Merkerson on whether opportunities for black women on television have changed over the years

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner on her experience as a woman in Christian television

Mitch Miller

Mitch Miller on Leslie Uggams, who was a featured vocalist on Sing Along with Mitch

John Moffitt

John Moffitt on how The Ed Sullivan Show reflected the Civil Rights Movement

Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban on his Emmy-winning performance as an American Indian in How the West was Won

Ricardo Montalban on playing his characters with dignity

Ricardo Montalban on the founding of Nosotros

Millie Moore

Millie Moore on being one of the sole women in the A.C.E. when she joined

Millie Moore on women being more welcomed into the A.C.E. as editors, not just librarians, after the studio system began to crumble

Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno on appearing in The 20th Century-Fox Hour production of "Broken Arrow" and having to put on a Native American accent

Rita Moreno on breaking ground as a Latina actress

Rita Moreno on being a role model for latino actors and actresses

Priscilla Morgan

Priscilla Morgan on being a female agent in the '50s

Pat Morita

Pat Morita on racism in the television industry

Garrett Morris

Garrett Morris on being the only black cast member on Saturday Night Live and other shows

Garrett Morris on the representation of minorities on cable TV versus network TV

Michael Moye

Michael Moye on the not-so-diverse writing staff of Good Times

Michael Moye on whether or not he experienced racism in the television industry

Michael Moye on hiring diverse writers

Michael Moye on some people seeing racism where he does not

Jonathan Murray

Jonathan Murray on the diverse cast of The Real World

Jonathan Murray on the diverse cast of The Real World

Anne Nelson

Anne Nelson on becoming the first female executive at CBS, and the difficulties she encountered getting there

Anne Nelson on her style of negotiation, and on the challenges of being a female in business affairs in her era

Anne Nelson on being a female television executive

Horace Newcomb

Horace Newcomb on the historic and then-current lack of diversity in television

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols on how African-Americans were portrayed on television while she was growing up

Nichelle Nichols on almost leaving Star Trek, and then staying at the behest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nichelle Nichols on Gene Roddenberry coming up with the idea for Star Trek, and wanting a diverse cast

Nichelle Nichols on meeting Coretta Scott King, and discussing Star Trek with her

Nichelle Nichols on Gene Roddenberry making Star Trek a breakthrough for diversity on television

Nichelle Nichols on the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" in which she shared television's first interracial kiss with "Captain Kirk" (William Shatner)

Nichelle Nichols on how things have changed for African-American actors since she began her career

Nichelle Nichols on fan reaction to the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" in which she shared television's first interracial kiss with "Captain Kirk"

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy on his penchant for playing ethnic roles in his early TV career

Agnes Nixon

Agnes Nixon on being one of the only women to write for the Golden Age anthology dramas

Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live

Agnes Nixon on the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character on All My Children

Ed O'Neill

Ed O'Neill on the relationship between "Jay Pritchett" and his son, "Mitchell Pritchett" on Modern Family

Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos on the future of Latinos on television

Edward James Olmos on the ongoing lack of diversity on television and in movies

Lori Openden

Lori Openden on the impact of Will & Grace on American culture

Lori Openden on how diversity in casting has changed since she started in the industry

Lori Openden on the casting field being predominately women

Bernie Orenstein

Bernie Orenstein on the legacy of That Girl: representing feminism on television

Bernie Orenstein on lectures he gives on the influence of African Americans in television

Roscoe Orman

Roscoe Orman on his awareness of the lack of diversity on television during his childhood

Gail Parent

Gail Parent on being the only female writer on a variety show when she was hired on The Carol Burnett Show

Gail Parent on how the business has changed for women since she started

Estelle Parsons

Estelle Parsons on how she was treated as a woman on the Today set

Dick Van Patten

Dick Van Patten on issues Eight is Enough dealt with throughout the series

Timothy Van Patten

Timothy Van Patten on diversity on The White Shadow

Jane Pauley

Jane Pauley on dealing with her pregnancy and motherhood on air

Alan Perris

Alan Perris on promoting diversity at WJXT in Jacksonville and working for Ben Bradley

Bill Persky

Bill Persky on how he and partner San Denoff came to write for The Dick Van Dyke Show, on on writing the classic episode "That's My Boy??" with Sheldon Leonard

Bill Persky on how That Girl reflected its time, and on the show's feminist undertones

Bill Persky on the Kate & Allie episode "Landlady" which dealt with LGBTQ issues

Maury Povich

Maury Povich on co-anchoring news in Los Angeles with future wife Connie Chung; on her start at CBS

Charlotte Rae

Charlotte Rae on how roles for women on television have changed over the years, and on how television has changed since she started

Jorge Ramos

Jorge Ramos on interviewing President Obama and pressing him on immigration reform

Jorge Ramos on Univision covering presidential politics and its importance to the Latino community

Jorge Ramos on hosting an English-language show for Fusion

Jorge Ramos on what he hopes to achieve with his influence

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on what separates Univision from other news gathering organizations

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on issues that are important to them personally

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on Univision's role in the 2008, 2012 and then-upcoming 2016 elections

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the emergence of Latino candidates in presidential elections

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on changes they've seen in television journalism and Spanish news

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the then-future of Spanish-language news and Latino journalists

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on dream projects or goals in the then-future

Marian Rees

Marian Rees on producing "Tell Me Where it Hurts" for General Electric Theater and her commitment to feminism

Marian Rees on producing The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Marian Rees on executive producing "Love Is Never Silent" for Hallmark Hall of Fame and her struggle with the network to cast deaf actors in lead roles

Marian Rees on executive producing Ruby Bridges

Marian Rees on the African-American crew on Ruby Bridges and gaining Ruby Bridges' trust

Marian Rees on the Norman Rockwell painting on which Ruby Bridges was based and recreating it

Marian Rees on public reaction and the educational benefits of Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection's "Almost a Woman"

Marian Rees on her involvement in Women in Film

Tim Reid

Tim Reid on working with Richard Pryor on The Richard Pryor Show

Tim Reid on being told he wasn't "Black enough" in his portrayal of a character

Tim Reid on the impact of WKRP in Cincinnati; on writing the episode "A Family Affair" which dealt with race

Tim Reid on the representation of a Black couple on Snoops and fighting for the representation he wanted

Tim Reid on dealing with serious subjects on "The Bridge" and the "Frank Joins the Club" episodes of Frank's Place

Tim Reid on pitching Frank's Place with Hugh Wilson and doing research for the show; on the quality of the show

Tim Reid on launching LGCYTV.com, a streaming service designed by and for the African diaspora, during the COVID-19 pandemic and on fostering young talent

Tim Reid on how opportunities in the television industry have changed since he first started in the business

Gene Reynolds

Gene Reynolds on how African-Americans were depicted on Room 222

John Rich

John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")

John Rich on casting Mike Evans as "Lionel Jefferson" on All in the Family

Lee Rich

Lee Rich on the episode of The Waltons that dealt with race

Hank Rieger

Hank Rieger on publicity for NBC shows with African-Americans lead actors

Hank Rieger on advice to someone wanting to go into Public Relations, and how it's a great career for women

Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera on the concept behind WABC Eyewitness News

Doris Roberts

Doris Roberts on the challenge of being an older woman in Hollywood and beyond

Al Roker

Al Roker on being one of the only African-Americans on camera in the Syracuse area when he was in college

Meta Rosenberg

Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll

Meta Rosenberg on advice to an aspiring television producer and succeeding in the industry as a woman

Barney Rosenzweig

Barney Rosenzweig on giving Aaron Spelling criticisms of Charlie's Angels and wanting to incorporate the themes of the Women's Movement into the show

Barney Rosenzweig on the idea for Cagney & Lacey

Barney Rosenzweig on what Cagney & Lacey was about at its core

Barney Rosenzweig on the legacy of Cagney & Lacey and what it did for the portrayal of women on television

Maria Elena Salinas

Maria Elena Salinas on how identifying with two cultures informed her news reporting

Maria Elena Salinas on the state of Hispanic news when she started

Maria Elena Salinas on appealing to different aspects of the Latino community

Maria Elena Salinas on interviewing then-governor Pete Wilson about his stance on immigration issues for California

Maria Elena Salinas on covering immigration and doing advocacy journalism

Maria Elena Salinas on being called "the most recognized and trusted Hispanic newswomen in America"

Maria Elena Salinas on the challenges of being a female news anchor

Maria Elena Salinas on the current state and then-future of diversity in television

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on what separates Univision from other news gathering organizations

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on issues that are important to them personally

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on Univision's role in the 2008, 2012 and then-upcoming 2016 elections

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the emergence of Latino candidates in presidential elections

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on changes they've seen in television journalism and Spanish news

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the then-future of Spanish-language news and Latino journalists

Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on dream projects or goals in the then-future

Marlene Sanders

Marlene Sanders on the number of women in television when she started

Marlene Sanders on other female journalists when she came along

Marlene Sanders on being the first woman to anchor an evening news broadcast (for one night) and later for three months; on more women entering the business

Marlene Sanders on her role in the women's movement

Marlene Sanders on publishing the book "Waiting for Primetime" and her conclusions about women in broadcasting

Marlene Sanders on advice for women in broadcast journalism

Jay Sandrich

Jay Sandrich on an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with a character who is gay and getting that episode on air

Jay Sandrich on the controversies surrounding some of the gay themes of the show Soap

Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective

Jay Sandrich on how Susan Harris brought a woman's perspective to the writing on Soap

Jay Sandrich on the thrill of having the number one show in American be about an African American family (The Cosby Show)

Jay Sandrich on the show Love, Sidney based on a film, which had a gay character, though the network wouldn't allow a gay character on the television version

Jay Sandrich on the impact the women's movement came to have on The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Jay Sandrich on what good comedy can do for us socially

Isabel Sanford

Isabel Sanford on The Jeffersons legacy within the African-American community

Ted Sarandos

Ted Sarandos on the importance of diverse voices in the executive team at Netflix, as well as the creators of its content, and on the female show creators at Netflix

Ted Sarandos on the importance of pay equity, and on the importance transparency in regards to executives' pay and diversity data in production

Joseph Sargent

Joseph Sargent on casting black extras on Gunsmoke

William Schallert

William Schallert on starting the Committee for Performers with Disabilities

Edgar J. Scherick

Edgar Scherick on producing the ABC Weekend Special TV movie "Tales of the Nunundaga"

Bob Schiller

Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on racial issues on Maude

Herbert S. Schlosser

Herbert S. Schlosser on his role in getting more African-Americans on television with shows like I Spy and Julia

Herbert S. Schlosser on programming Julia, and on African-American representation on television

Alfred Schneider

Alfred Schneider on the decision not to allow two men to kiss on Thirtysomething

Alfred Schneider on writer/producer Susan Harris's response to being told that a scene in Soap where women were discussing sex had to be cut

Alfred Schneider on negotiating the depiction of the controversial subject matter of That Certain Summer

Alfred Schneider on meeting with special interest groups and handling their concerns about portrayals of certain groups and depictions of controversial topics on television

Alfred Schneider on sit-in protests by the gay community in response to Marcus Welby, M.D.

Robert Schuller

Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power

Ralph Senensky

Ralph Senensky on censorship when directing Breaking Point and "The Bull Roarer" episode in which a young man thinks he might be gay

Richard Shapiro

Richard and Esther Shapiro on writing the made-for-TV movie Minstrel Man

Richard and Esther Shapiro on Dynasty star Jack Coleman ("Steven Carrington")

Richard and Esther Shapiro on memorable storylines on Dynasty - on "Steven Carrington's" homosexuality

Richard and Esther Shapiro on "Steven Carrington's" homosexuality on Dynasty

Esther Shapiro

Esther Shapiro on the limited number of female writers

Esther Shapiro on being a female writer in Hollywood and whether or not having a male writing partner helped her

Esther Shapiro on fellow female executives at ABC

Richard and Esther Shapiro on writing the made-for-TV movie Minstrel Man

Richard and Esther Shapiro on Dynasty star Jack Coleman ("Steven Carrington")

Richard and Esther Shapiro on memorable storylines on Dynasty - on "Steven Carrington's" homosexuality

Richard and Esther Shapiro on "Steven Carrington's" homosexuality on Dynasty

Mel Shavelson

Mel Shavelson on being part of a minstrel show in high school and on racial breakthroughs in television

Nina Shaw

Nina Shaw on negotiating talent deals in the 1970s and '80s and how race and gender affected salaries

Nina Shaw on how excited she and other family members would be during her childhood when a Black person would be on television -- memories of seeing Leslie Uggams on Sing Along with Mitch and of Cicely Tyson on East Side/West Side

Nina Shaw on Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin bringing more Black characters to television and on the number of women who worked for Tandem

Nina Shaw on joining Dern, Mason, Swerdlow & Floum and on many firms not hiring women at that time

NIna Shaw on female directors often "having to get the one shot to screw up"

Jack Shea

Jack Shea on diversity on television during the era of Sanford and Son

Jack Shea on diversity within the DGA

Cybill Shepherd

Cybill Shepherd on how opportunities for women have changed since she started in the industry

Treva Silverman

Treva Silverman on the challenges of being the only female on the writing staff of The Dean Martin Show

Treva Silverman on being the only female writer to work on The Monkees

Treva Silverman on writing The Mary Tyler Moore Show's "Rhoda Morgenstern," played by Valerie Harper, and on the female characters of the show

Treva Silverman on the male writing staff of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and helping them write for female characters

Treva Silverman on how the role of women has changed since she started in television

Treva Silverman on being the first female writer to win an Emmy Award

Abby Singer

Abby Singer on dealing with Affirmative action as a production manager

John Singleton

John Singleton on The Arsenio Hall Show being the only variety show that would put on hip hop and R&B artists at that time

John Singleton on directing Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" music video, and his vision for putting Michael Jackson with "a whole bunch of black people"

John Singleton on how opportunities for African Americans in entertainment have changed over the course of his career

Gary Smith

Gary Smith on working with Sammy Davis, Jr. and on working with African-American performers

Aaron Spelling

Aaron Spelling on believing that you can teach and entertain at the same time

Lesley Stahl

Lesley Stahl on consciously trying to convey authority as a reporter

Lesley Stahl on encountering sexism within news crews when she was a rookie reporter for CBS in Washington D.C. in the 1970s

Lesley Stahl on being told to re-do an on-camera piece without smiling (to exude more authority) while a correspondent for CBS in Washington in the 1970s

Lesley Stahl on getting hired at CBS' Washington D.C. news bureau, and how affirmative action played a part in her hiring

Lesley Stahl on the jobs women had at NBC News when she started in 1967

Lesley Stahl on women in broadcast journalism during her day

Lynn Stalmaster

Lynn Stalmaster on how diversity in casting changed during his career

Jean Stapleton

Jean Stapleton on how All in the Family used comedy to expose social issues, including bigotry

Jean Stapleton on her involvement with the Women's Movement of the 1970s

Darren Star

Darren Star on the censorship issues that arose on Melrose Place, particularly involving the character "Matt Fielding," who was gay

Nick Stewart

Nick Stewart on performing for both black and white audiences on the Vaudeville circuit

Nick Stewart on black performers and the type of comedy they practiced

Nick Stewart on the NAACP protests of Amos 'N' Andy

Nick Stewart on the end of Amos 'N' Andy due to protests from the NAACP

Nick Stewart on how race relations affected the television industry

Nick Stewart on the then-current state of African-Americans on television

George Sunga

George Sunga on the diversity of the crew of The Jeffersons

George Takei

George Takei on being an Asian-American actor

George Takei on the dearth of Asian people in the entertainment industry early in his career

George Takei on Gene Roddenberry envisioning diversity as the strength of the Star Trek crew

William Tankersley

William Tankersley on how CBS Program Practices handled Civil Rights storylines on TV shows in the 1950s

Nina Tassler

Nina Tassler on the importance of developing shows that provide leading roles for women as well as a work-life balance for lead actresses

Nina Tassler on diversity in television

Marlo Thomas

Marlo Thomas on the advice she received from Lucille Ball regarding being a producer

Marlo Thomas on the rules for sexuality on That Girl

Marlo Thomas on the TV movie remake of It's a Wonderful Life -- It Happened One Christmas

Tony Thomas

Tony Thomas on the black community's reaction to Benson and its cancellation

Grant Tinker

Grant Tinker on diversity on television in the 1960s

Grant Tinker on the lack of diversity in television

Stanford Tischler

Stanford Tischler on how the mid-70s pilot Only in America was not picked up by ABC because it was considered too "ethnic"

Ret Turner

Ret Turner on wardrobe challenges like pregnancy

Saul Turteltaub

Saul Turteltaub on Marlo Thomas' input on That Girl, and how his and Bernie Orenstein's push for Thomas' character to get married led to the end of the show

Leslie Uggams

Leslie Uggams on appearing on The Paul Whiteman TV Teen Club as a child and not being allowed to win a car on the show because an African American boy had already won one on the show

Leslie Uggams on getting recognized on the street after appearing on Sing Along with Mitch and the extra pressure she felt as an African American woman in the spotlight

Leslie Uggams on the pushback from the network to her being on Sing Along with Mitch because she was African American and how Mitch Miller stood up for her

Leslie Uggams on discrimination she faced early in her career and barriers she broke down by appearing on Sing Along with Mitch

Leslie Uggams on the role television played in the Civil Rights Movement

Leslie Uggams on how The Leslie Uggams Show came about and her efforts to have a diverse crew and writing staff

Leslie Uggams on the success of Roots and what it taught Americans about their own history

Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman on the character "Francesca" on The Tracey Ullman Show, whose father was gay, and on receiving a GLAAD award for the character

Tracey Ullman on the sketch "What Were You Wearing?" on Tracey Ullman's Show, and on the sketch going viral

Tracey Ullman on how changes can be made in the television industry, in light of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, and on her thoughts on the movements

Dean Valentine

Dean Valentine on Ellen DeGeneres' decision for her character "Ellen Morgan" to come out on Ellen and on the cultural impact of "The Puppy Episode"

Bruce Vilanch

Bruce Vilanch on his experiences as an openly gay man in Hollywood and how he approached being open about his identity throughout his career

James Wall

James Wall on initially being turned down by CBS when he applied for a stage manager position at the network

James Wall on advocating for Black representation on Captain Kangaroo when he was working as a stage manager on the show, and how that led to him being hired as "Mr. Baxter" (after an audition)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Malcolm-Jamal Warner on what he believes The Cosby Show was trying to achieve

Malcolm-Jamal Warner on black culture on The Cosby Show

Malcolm-Jamal Warner on how the portrayal of Black Americans has changed since he started acting

Matthew Weiner

Matthew Weiner on the Mad Men episode, "The Other Woman," in which "Joan Holloway" (Christina Hendricks) prostitutes herself to get an account for the firm

Matthew Weiner on the gender equality themes of Mad Men season 7a

Bob Weiskopf

Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on racial issues on Maude

Tom Werner

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on the Cosby spin-off A Different World and the awareness the program brought to black colleges

Av Westin

Av Westin on negative reactions to Barbara Walters and other female news anchors

Betty White

Betty White on how it was for women in television in the early '50s

Susan Whiting

Susan Whiting on diversity in Nielsen samples

Susan Whiting on being a female executive in the media world

Tucker Wiard

Tucker Wiard on fond memories working on The Carol Burnett Show

Joseph M. Wilcots

Joseph M. Wilcots on the cinematographers union not being quick to welcome Black members

Joseph M. Wilcots on how things have changed for Black cinematographers during his career

Joseph M. Wilcots on being the first African-American to join the camera union

Joseph M. Wilcots on becoming the first Black member of the cinematographers union

Fred Willard

Fred Willard on playing the character "Scott", who was gay, on Roseanne

Larry Wilmore

Larry Wilmore on the writers of The PJs, and on the diversity of the writing staff

Larry Wilmore on changes he's seen in for African-Americans in television

Ethel Winant

Ethel Winant on dealing with the network on casting blacklisted actors and minorities on television in the '50s

Ethel Winant on difficulties she encountered in casting minority actors for shows like Playhouse 90 and The United States Steel Hour's production of "Doomsday at Noon"

Ethel Winant on rising up through the ranks at CBS as a woman

Ethel Winant on being the first female executive at CBS and dealing with other executives like William S. Paley

David L. Wolper

David L. Wolper on producing Roots

Leo Yoshimura

Leo Yoshimura on the persistent lack of representation of Asian Americans on television

Leo Yoshimura on playing "Sulu" in several Star Trek parodies on Saturday Night Live over the years, and on lack of representation of Japanese people on television

Lauren Zalaznick

Lauren Zalaznick on how things have changed for women in television since she started, and on the then-future of women in television

Jeff Zucker

Jeff Zucker on the importance of diversity in television

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