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Writing Fearless Women: Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters | Georgia Jeffries

Writing Fearless Women: Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters | Georgia Jeffries

Author: 134 West | Susan Lambert Hatem & Sharon Johnson March 4, 2026 Duration: 1:23:42
80s TV Ladies
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“ 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 Award-winning writer known for Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters. Jeffries recounts growing up as an only child, loving The Twilight Zone, reading history, and finding an early spark for writing through school assignments and UCLA journalism and creative writing courses.

She talks about her time working as a freelance journalist while caring for her family. And the pivotal LAPD ride-along that inspired her first produced Cagney & Lacey episode, “An Unusual Occurrence,” which won a WGA Award. 

She compares the culture of Cagney & Lacey with China Beach, discusses unproduced pilots and projects (including HBO series, and an unmade Cher/Jessica Lange/to-be-directed by Frank Oz movie, Confessions) She reflects on writing episodes that tackled addiction, AIDS-era conversations, and sexual assault. Jeffries also shares details about her novel, The Younger Girl, current writing projects, and advice to emerging writers.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:33 Childhood TV Influences
03:56 Good Girl Expectations
05:16 Finding Writing Path
07:48 Early Jobs and Teaching
10:43 LAPD Ride Along Story
14:34 Cagney and Lacey Breakthrough
16:09 Feminism and California Move
18:09 Film Journalism to Screenwriting
19:34 Unmade Cher Lange Film
24:16 Women in Film Opens Doors
29:47 HBO Script to Book Rights
34:54 Working Mother on Set
36:14 Writers Room Culture Then
39:55 Favorite Episodes Tease
40:09 Why This Story Matters
40:47 Writing Cagney and Lacey
44:28 TV Breaking Taboos4
6:45 Breaking Into Screenwriting
48:17 Saying Yes and No
49:11 Joy and Rejection
51:11 Unmade Pilots Heartbreak
52:55 China Beach Bigger Canvas
55:55 Writers Room Culture
57:50 Showrunner Dream Team
58:39 Vista Clara and Timing
01:00:31 Teaching at USC
01:01:07 Resist AI Stay Original
01:02:00 You Write Like a Man
01:04:33 Working on Sisters
01:06:27 The Younger Girl Novel
01:14:36 Prose Versus Screenwriting
01:16:49 New Work and Wrap Up
01:19:11 Where to Find Everything
01:21:58 Final Thanks and Callouts

AUDIOOGRAPHY
Find out more about Georgia Jeffries at georgiajeffries.com
Get Georgia’s book, The Younger Girl at Bookshop.org
Find out more about the groundbreaking and Emmy-winning show at CagneyandLacey.com
Call your Reps. Let your voice be heard. Go to 5calls.org
Watch on Roku for Sisters and China Beach. 

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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

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