When Women Invented Television

3.5 stars. I think the title is somewhat misleading. Armstrong focuses on four women who were pioneers in the early days of television, but I wouldn't say they were solely responsible for its development. Nevertheless, she makes a strong case that individually each of them were early successes in the era when many men hadn't yet made the jump from radio to television. Some of the profiles are more developed than others; I'm not convinced that Hazel Scott's contribution was on the same level as Betty White's or Gertrude Berg's, but her inclusion highlights the added level of discrimination she faced as a Black woman. Armstrong does make a strong case that today's situation comedies, variety shows, soap operas, and talk shows owe a big debt to these women, and the fact that their accomplishments happened despite anti-Semitism, sexism, racism, and the growing tide of conservatism and anti-Communist fervor is even more impressive. The tragic impact of the House Unamerican Activities Committee and Senator Joseph McCarthy was especially poignant, as Armstrong portrays Berg's increasingly futile attempts to stave off efforts by the networks and advertisers to fire the blacklisted actor who played her husband. On a lighter note, I now know why soap operas used to have that cheesy organ music and the rationale behind all of those dramatic pauses (aka Joey Tribbiani's “Smell the fart” acting technique from Friends).Other than Betty White, I would guess most of these women's names and stories will be unfamiliar to readers, and most people will be surprised to learn about White's early days in television (she is so much more than a Golden Girl). Armstrong moves beyond her previous books about popular television shows that have a built-in audience ([b:Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic 15803728 Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic Jennifer Keishin Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362536973l/15803728.SY75.jpg 21527147], [b:Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love 36580670 Sex and the City and Us How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live, and Love Jennifer Keishin Armstrong https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515485561l/36580670.SY75.jpg 58325073], etc.), but this one deserves to even more widely read to honor the women who managed such amazing feats in a man's world.