Writing 80s Icons: Dallas, Fame, and One Day at a Time | Linda Elstad

Writing 80s Icons: Dallas, Fame, and One Day at a Time | Linda Elstad

Author: 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson April 1, 2026 Duration: 1:09:40
“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 incredible life and legacy of her mother, the legendary television writer Linda Elstad. From the high stakes of Dallas, to family comedy One Day at a Time, to the hallowed halls of Fame, Linda was a prolific voice who helped shape the landscape of 80s television.

THE CONVERSATION
  • A PROLIFIC LEGACY: Linda’s impressive career spanning over 20 television shows, including her work on iconic hits like Dallas, Fame, and The Facts of Life.
  • ONE DAY AT A TIME: Diving into Linda’s time as a staff writer from 1983 to 1984 on the beloved series that defined a generation.
  • AWARD-WINNING WRITING: Remembering Linda’s 1982 Humanitas Prize win for the television movie Divorce Wars: A Love Story, starring Tom Selleck and Jane Curtin, and her nomination for her work on Fame.
  • SERVING THE GUILD: Linda’s impactful leadership serving on the Writer’s Guild Board of Directors from 1986 to 1990. And a ground-breaking cultural exchange between Award-winning United States and USSR screenwriters.
  • MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS: Karin shares personal stories of growing up in the heart of the television industry and how her mother’s trailblazing career influenced her own journey to becoming a top executive at HBO.
  • THE SCINTILLATING LADIES OF THE 80s: A look back at the shows that featured the complex mother-daughter dynamics we love, from The Golden Girls and Mama’s Family to Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Roseanne, and Kate & Allie.
  • GREEN ENVELOPE DAYS: How much is the green envelope residual check Linda’s daughter receives for her mom’s 1980s television shows being rerun and streamed? Can you guess before the check is opened on-air?
AUDIO-OGRAPHY
  • Watch episodes of Fame on Peacock and Dallas at YouTube or Amazon Prime.
  • Catch One Day at a Time streaming on Tubi.
  • Find Divorce Wars: A Love Story and other classic TV movies on DVD via Amazon or eBay.
VITAL READING
  • Check out Democracy Docket here.
  • Learn more about the ACLU here.
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    📻 CONNECT WITH 80s TV LADIES

Remember those iconic women from television who defined an era? 80s TV Ladies revisits the groundbreaking, often delightfully campy, female-driven series that filled our living rooms with big hair and even bigger personalities. Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson, under the 134 West banner, aren't just offering nostalgic recaps. They dig into the fascinating stories behind how shows like "Murder, She Wrote," "Kate & Allie," or "Designing Women" were actually made, examining the creative forces and network battles that brought them to air. Each episode explores how the politics and social climate of the 1980s shaped these narratives, and conversely, how the characters and stories themselves pushed cultural conversations forward, often in a complex dance of progress and tradition. This podcast celebrates the legacy of these programs while honestly assessing their place in history through that "two-steps forward, one-step-back" lens. It's a deep, engaging listen for anyone who loves television history, cultural analysis, and the powerful, complicated women who made the decade's TV so memorable. The show's quality is underscored by its recognition as a 4-time Podcast Awards winner and a Webby nominee for Best Indie Podcast. Tune in for thoughtful, well-researched discussions that go far beyond the opening credits.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

80s TV Ladies
Podcast Episodes
SUMMER RERUN: The First Time with Scarecrow and Mrs. King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:10
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…
Jon Cryer, Part 2 | 80s television, Two and a Half Men and Lex Luthor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:22
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…
Jon Cryer, Part 1 | The Facts of Life, Pretty in Pink and Annie Potts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:22
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 Pr…
The Facts of Life with the 90s TV Babies! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:23
“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 the…
The Facts of Life with Director Asaad Kelada | Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:06
“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.…