A Different World and Hollywood Strategies For Revolution | Director Neema Barnette

80s TV Ladies

“A lot of production companies… who decide to do stories about people of color are not used to having the people of color they hire coming in with an opinion. Coming in contradicting them on certain things.” -- Neema Barnette, director, A Different World
Susan and Sharon welcome legendary producer-director Neema Barnette to talk about her journey from Harlem to Hollywood. Ms. Barnette made history in 1986 when she became the first African-American woman to direct a prime-time sitcom (What’s Happening Now?). She followed this up with episodes of Frank’s Place, It’s A Living and The Cosby Show before directing seven episodes of A Different World. She has directed over 50 movies and television shows and was also the first African-American woman to get a three-picture deal with Sony Pictures.
Neema was also the producer-director of Season One of Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar. She shares stories of making the transition from New York theater to Hollywood films and television, fighting the good fight for herself and others, and inspiring a new generation -- with the truth.
THE CONVERSATION

• Head of Columbia Pictures Barbara Corday took one look at Neema’s reel and said “Get this woman a job!”
• “I’ve had two jobs in my life. Directing and teaching. And they have a lot of similarities. ‘Sit down. Shut up. Move over.’
• Supportive words from the great Shirley Hemphill on the ground-breaking episode of What’s Happening Now?: “We’ve got your back.”
• IN THE 60s: Getting Sherman’s BBQ and going to the Apollo from noon to midnight to see everyone -- especially Aretha Franklin.
• The troubles and battles with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and National Geographic during the making of Genius: Aretha.
• “When I was in college, I took a course called ‘Strategies For Revolution’. I took that course and I applied it when I came to Hollywood.”
• Directing The Cosby Show -- in the episode where Bill gets pregnant!
• Working with Tyra Ferrell, Mare Winningham, Rosilyn Heller and Gloria Steinem on Better Off Dead.
• Getting pulled away from teaching to do Queen Sugar. “The ratings came out and I started getting calls.”
• How Ava DuVernay changed the landscape of television by hiring only women directors on Queen Sugar -- and supporting their careers ongoing.

So, join Susan, Sharon -- and Neema -- as they talk Michael B. Jordan, Superfly, The Young Lords, Queen Latifah, Seventh Heaven, Pam Grier -- and “Cut--print that sucker!”
AUDIOGRAPHY
Watch A Different World -- streaming on MAX.
Find Neema Barnette at instagram.com/neemafilms. On Twitter https://x.com/neemrick
Watch Neema’s mini-docs on BlackHistoryMiniDocs.com.
Check out Tammy at the true-crime podcast: Grits with a Side of Murder.
Get & read Susan’s new play Confidence (and the Speech) at Broadway Licensing.
Abortion access in America is severely limited – Help or Get Help at AbortionFinder.org.


CONNECT
Visit 80sTVLadies.com for more.
Sign up for the 80s TV Ladies mailing list.
Check out Instagram/80sTVLadies.
Support us and get ad-free episodes on PATREON.
Find more cool podcasts at our host sight, Weirding Way Media.