JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Nan McNamara brings her enthusiastic storytelling skills to this illuminating examination of TV pioneers Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott, Irna Phillips, and Betty White. Listeners are treated to a revelatory history of the transition from radio to television in the 1940s and ‘50s, including the devastating impact of the McCarthy era. McNamara is perfectly in tune with Armstrong’s love of the medium and masterfully voices facts and figures. Those interested in TV history, the history of women as creative contributors, or what it must have been like to be an originator in the amazing new venture of television will find intriguing lessons heretofore lost. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/25/2021
Television cultural critic Armstrong (Sex and the City and Us) reclaims in this enthusiastic outing the forgotten history of four women who shook up the staid ranks of mid-century television and set it on a course to become the medium it is today. Among the players are Gertrude Berg (1899–1966), who created, wrote, and starred in The Goldbergs, the first TV show to feature Jewish-American characters; it became a phenomenon and was adapted into a 1950 movie. Virtuoso Betty White ad-libbed her way into being one of the first women to develop a hit daytime talk show (Hollywood on Television) and now, with a career spanning 80 years, boasts the longest tenure in television history. Irma Phillip (1901–1973), meanwhile, created the longest running broadcast program of all time with the soap opera Guiding Light, which ran from 1937 to 2009. And jazz pianist Hazel Scott (1920–1981) became “the first black person to host a prime-time network television show” when she began hosting The Hazel Scott Show in 1950. Despite their successes, however, Armstrong drives home the point that her subjects (other than White) would not live to know the impact of their work on “the frontier of television.” This fast-paced and fascinating group biography will enthrall pop culture, television, and women’s history buffs. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"Armstrong's depth of knowledge and easy command of the material make her subjects compelling from the first beat. Her writing—propulsive, and neatly scene-oriented—can feel almost like watching television....In prose as charming as the women she writes about, she makes her subjects feel knowable....makes you feel their genius and charisma, almost like you were there when they invented television." — Boston Globe
"Armstrong uses her impressive analytic and research skills to unearth some much less-explored ground....Armstrong also makes strong statements about the fact that women were marking these accomplishments during a time when they were expected to stay home and care for their families....a definite step in the right direction toward giving just some of these forgotten women their due.” — AV Club
"Catnip for TV fans and a welcome addition to the literature of television history." — Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Keishin Armstrong always finds fresh relevance and excitement in pop culture, and she has really outdone herself here. Armstrong uncovers the hidden heroines of the TV world, and shows us how Betty White became one of TV's first female multi-hyphenate moguls; how Hazel Scott became the first Black person to host a primetime, network show before she stood up to McCarthyites; how Irna Phillips raised two children while creating the soap opera; and how Gertrude Berg ruled her production empire with precision and righteous ambition. An essential contribution toward a more complete, inclusive, and true history of television." — Sheila Weller, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us
“When Women Invented Television turns a pivotal moment in history into a page-turner, with a depiction of four powerhouse talents that is so vivid and detailed, you feel like you’re riding their career ups and downs along with them. The kinescopes of their groundbreaking earliest work may be gone, but thanks to Armstrong’s clearly painstaking research, the world now has this wonderful, preserved record of the days when visionary women brought forth the medium which so influences our world today.” — Jim Colucci, New York Times bestselling author of Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai
“Armstrong's look into the powerhouses who shaped an industry reflects a respect and reverence for her subjects as much as her dedication to calling out the social norms that worked tirelessly to keep these pioneers down. Armstrong's research is thorough, her arguments thoughtful, and her responsibility to history unparalleled. Frankly, we're lucky to have Armstrong, an author who so eloquently constructs a picture we might otherwise have overlooked.” — Anne T. Donahue, author of Nobody Cares
"These profiles in creativity and courage amount to a feminist revelation, a pre-history of television that is as brightly written as the pioneers might wish—a prize of a book, intelligent, sobering, and a delight to read." — Patrick McGilligan, author of Funny Man: Mel Brooks
“These women not only ruled television — their vision, skill, and talent shaped how the world's most influential contemporary form of media would function for the next century. They understood TV as a vector where creativity and entertainment could also inspire empathy and social change. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong has meticulously written these women back into TV history as the genre-defining, medium-morphing titans they were.” — Jennifer Pozner, author of Breaking (the) News and Reality Bites Back, and founder of Women In Media & News
“Just as they did in the early moving picture industry, women played key roles in the earliest days of television, although their roles as pioneers have largely been forgotten. Armstrong corrects the record to reclaim these women’s stories and document their influence. When Women Invented Television is rediscovered history at its finest." — William J. Mann, author of Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood and The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando
“This book leaps at the throat of television history and takes down the patriarchy with its fervent, inspired prose. Armstrong reveals that while men may dominate TV today, they do so on the backs of women who invented and perfected the formats we love. With heart wrenching detail, When Women Invented Television offers proof that what we watch is a reflection of who we are as a people, a medium whose founders deserve our respect.” — Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of The Queens of Animation and Rise of the Rocket Girls
"With crisp, electrifying prose, Armstrong recounts the hard work and struggles of four women trailblazers who shaped the dawn of television....Armstrong deftly illustrates how this quartet of women battled skepticism, sexism, and even the infamous Cold War blacklist to become vital players in the burgeoning days of the small screen." — Booklist (starred review)
"....fresh and welcome.....Engaging and well-documented recognition of four women’s significant impact on the emerging TV medium." — Kirkus Reviews
"Television cultural critic Armstrong (Sex and the City and Us) reclaims in this enthusiastic outing the forgotten history of four women who shook up the staid ranks of mid-century television and set it on a course to become the medium it is today....This fast-paced and fascinating group biography will enthrall pop culture, television, and women’s history buffs." — Publishers Weekly
"In this compelling, well-researched work, Armstrong (Seinfeldia) uncovers the role women played in developing television, fighting for airtime as they launched sitcoms, soap operas, variety shows, and more....Armstrong preserves an important part of television’s—and women’s—history in this engaging book."
— Library Journal"You might not realize it, but women made television what it is today. From writing to producing to hosting, this well-researched book explores a forgotten chapter in pop culture history. These are the stories of how Irna Phillips, Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott, and Betty White (yes, that Betty White!) changed TV forever." — HelloGiggles
"Will the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences please create an honorary Emmy Award for Jennifer Keishin Armstrong already? With When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today, Armstrong offers a group biography of four TV iconoclasts that doubles as a captivating record of behind-the-scenes goings-on during the medium's infancy....[a] sterling group biography." — Shelf Awareness
"Keishin Armstrong does the exhaustive research it takes to unearth compelling, and often untold, stories about our collective pop-culture obsessions and weaves them into narratives that resonate with fans." — Shondaland.com
"Keishin Armstrong adds another important book to her growing library of pop cultural criticism....This is an exciting book—ambitious women shaping the birth of an industry, FTW! But it’s also enraging, like when Armstrong reveals that today, even with hundreds of scripts in production, only about 25 percent of TV creators are women—only about 1 percent higher than the figure was in 1950." — Bust Magazine
Sheila Weller
"Keishin Armstrong always finds fresh relevance and excitement in pop culture, and she has really outdone herself here. Armstrong uncovers the hidden heroines of the TV world, and shows us how Betty White became one of TV's first female multi-hyphenate moguls; how Hazel Scott became the first Black person to host a primetime, network show before she stood up to McCarthyites; how Irna Phillips raised two children while creating the soap opera; and how Gertrude Berg ruled her production empire with precision and righteous ambition. An essential contribution toward a more complete, inclusive, and true history of television."
Jim Colucci
When Women Invented Television turns a pivotal moment in history into a page-turner, with a depiction of four powerhouse talents that is so vivid and detailed, you feel like you’re riding their career ups and downs along with them. The kinescopes of their groundbreaking earliest work may be gone, but thanks to Armstrong’s clearly painstaking research, the world now has this wonderful, preserved record of the days when visionary women brought forth the medium which so influences our world today.”
Patrick McGilligan
"These profiles in creativity and courage amount to a feminist revelation, a pre-history of television that is as brightly written as the pioneers might wish—a prize of a book, intelligent, sobering, and a delight to read."
Nathalia Holt
This book leaps at the throat of television history and takes down the patriarchy with its fervent, inspired prose. Armstrong reveals that while men may dominate TV today, they do so on the backs of women who invented and perfected the formats we love. With heart wrenching detail, When Women Invented Television offers proof that what we watch is a reflection of who we are as a people, a medium whose founders deserve our respect.
William J. Mann
Just as they did in the early moving picture industry, women played key roles in the earliest days of television, although their roles as pioneers have largely been forgotten. Armstrong corrects the record to reclaim these women’s stories and document their influence. When Women Invented Television is rediscovered history at its finest."
Jennifer Pozner
These women not only ruled television — their vision, skill, and talent shaped how the world's most influential contemporary form of media would function for the next century. They understood TV as a vector where creativity and entertainment could also inspire empathy and social change. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong has meticulously written these women back into TV history as the genre-defining, medium-morphing titans they were.
Anne T. Donahue
Armstrong's look into the powerhouses who shaped an industry reflects a respect and reverence for her subjects as much as her dedication to calling out the social norms that worked tirelessly to keep these pioneers down. Armstrong's research is thorough, her arguments thoughtful, and her responsibility to history unparalleled. Frankly, we're lucky to have Armstrong, an author who so eloquently constructs a picture we might otherwise have overlooked.”
AV Club
"Armstrong uses her impressive analytic and research skills to unearth some much less-explored ground....Armstrong also makes strong statements about the fact that women were marking these accomplishments during a time when they were expected to stay home and care for their families....a definite step in the right direction toward giving just some of these forgotten women their due.
Boston Globe
"Armstrong's depth of knowledge and easy command of the material make her subjects compelling from the first beat. Her writing—propulsive, and neatly scene-oriented—can feel almost like watching television....In prose as charming as the women she writes about, she makes her subjects feel knowable....makes you feel their genius and charisma, almost like you were there when they invented television."
Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Catnip for TV fans and a welcome addition to the literature of television history."
Bust Magazine
"Keishin Armstrong adds another important book to her growing library of pop cultural criticism....This is an exciting book—ambitious women shaping the birth of an industry, FTW! But it’s also enraging, like when Armstrong reveals that today, even with hundreds of scripts in production, only about 25 percent of TV creators are women—only about 1 percent higher than the figure was in 1950."
HelloGiggles
"You might not realize it, but women made television what it is today. From writing to producing to hosting, this well-researched book explores a forgotten chapter in pop culture history. These are the stories of how Irna Phillips, Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott, and Betty White (yes, that Betty White!) changed TV forever."
Booklist (starred review)
"With crisp, electrifying prose, Armstrong recounts the hard work and struggles of four women trailblazers who shaped the dawn of television....Armstrong deftly illustrates how this quartet of women battled skepticism, sexism, and even the infamous Cold War blacklist to become vital players in the burgeoning days of the small screen."
Shelf Awareness
"Will the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences please create an honorary Emmy Award for Jennifer Keishin Armstrong already? With When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today, Armstrong offers a group biography of four TV iconoclasts that doubles as a captivating record of behind-the-scenes goings-on during the medium's infancy....[a] sterling group biography."
Shondaland.com
"Keishin Armstrong does the exhaustive research it takes to unearth compelling, and often untold, stories about our collective pop-culture obsessions and weaves them into narratives that resonate with fans."
Washington Post
Even for those of us who imagine ourselves experts, Armstrong scatters delicious details throughout her book, like so many Jujyfruits we can’t resist… [I]n describing the making and writing of this singular show, Armstrong is queen of the castle. Her stories about Seinfeld are real — and they’re spectacular.
Dwight Garner
"Her book, as if she were a marine biologist, is a deep dive...Perhaps the highest praise I can give Seinfeldia is that it made me want to buy a loaf of marbled rye and start watching again, from the beginning."
null Vogue on Sex and the City and Us
"Armstrong’s book is in-depth and insightful, with a fangirl’s reverence for the nitty-gritty of the creative process."
Library Journal
02/01/2021
In this compelling, well-researched work, Armstrong (Seinfeldia) uncovers the role women played in developing television, fighting for airtime as they launched sitcoms, soap operas, variety shows, and more. Focusing on the period from 1944 to 1955, the author follows the careers of Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott, Irna Phillips, and Betty White. While all had auspicious starts, as the television industry expanded and the country grew more conservative, the women soon confronted McCarthyism, in addition to racism and sexism. Scott, who broke ground with The Hazel Scott Show, the first program to be hosted by an African American, was named in Red Channels, a Red Scare blacklist, and found more receptive audiences in Europe. Berg wrote, produced, and starred in The Goldbergs, one of the first TV depictions of a Jewish American family; her on-screen husband, Philip Loeb, was also blacklisted, which led to pressure from corporate sponsors to fire him. Phillips, dubbed "Queen of the Soap Operas" for the many series she created, faced internal competition from a network that didn't take her programming seriously, and White lost her eponymous show because of network interference. VERDICT Armstrong preserves an important part of television's—and women's—history in this engaging book.—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI
JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Nan McNamara brings her enthusiastic storytelling skills to this illuminating examination of TV pioneers Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott, Irna Phillips, and Betty White. Listeners are treated to a revelatory history of the transition from radio to television in the 1940s and ‘50s, including the devastating impact of the McCarthy era. McNamara is perfectly in tune with Armstrong’s love of the medium and masterfully voices facts and figures. Those interested in TV history, the history of women as creative contributors, or what it must have been like to be an originator in the amazing new venture of television will find intriguing lessons heretofore lost. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-01-12
The author of Seinfeldia and other books on pop culture explores the early days of TV through the efforts of four innovative women.
Entertainment writer and TV historian Armstrong looks back at the careers of four women whose contributions helped shape many of the formats popular today, including talk shows, sitcoms, and soap operas. Producer, writer, and actor Gertrude Berg tenaciously battled networks and sponsors to get The Goldbergs, her long-running radio series about a Jewish family living in the Bronx, to TV in 1949 and to keep the show running through the mid-1950s. Irna Phillips created several dramatic radio serials and “conceived the soap opera, including its defining tropes,” and her series, Guiding Light, became “the longest-running scripted program in broadcast history”—72 years on radio and TV. Betty White was among the first women to write, produce, and star on her own talk show and comedy series, yet her efforts to assert creative control over these early shows were increasingly curbed by NBC. Talented jazz musician and civil rights activist Hazel Scott faced perhaps the toughest roadblocks. In 1950, she was the first Black American to host a popular evening variety show, but her TV career was unfairly curtailed by false accusations from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Though their backgrounds, talents, and successes were distinct, each of these women faced similar pressures within the conservative, White male–dominated environment of the 1950s. “The white men of the Eisenhower era would take over and erase women’s legacies in television,” laments the author. “The women would have to fight for their basic career survival, and to defend any life choices that deviated from the nuclear family norm: remaining single and child-free, like Betty White…or raising children without a father, like Irna Phillips.” Though Armstrong repeats some pieces of information over the course of the narrative, her history is fresh and welcome.
Engaging and well-documented recognition of four women’s significant impact on the emerging TV medium.
