Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Before ‘I Love Lucy,’ Gertrude Berg created one of the first sitcoms. Here are other women pioneers in TV
Women pioneers in the TV industry are often overlooked. But a new book argues that four women were behind some key TV formats. Irna Phillips created the soap opera. Gertrude Berg created one of the first sitcoms.
By Madeleine Brand • • 17m ListenWomen pioneers in the TV industry are often overlooked. But a new book argues that four women were behind some key TV formats. Irna Phillips created the soap opera. Gertrude Berg created one of the first sitcoms. Hazel Scott was the first Black primetime TV host. Betty White helped create the daytime talk show. The book is called “When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today.”
