When Women Invented Television

“Leaps at the throat of television history and takes down the patriarchy with its fervent, inspired prose,” a biography of four female television pioneers (Nathalia Holt, New York Times–bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls).

It was the Golden Age of Radio and powerful men were making millions in advertising dollars reaching thousands of listeners every day. When television arrived, few radio moguls were interested in the upstart industry. But four women saw an opportunity and carved their own paths.

Irna Phillips turned real-life tragedy into daytime serials featuring female dominated casts. Gertrude Berg turned her radio show into a Jewish family comedy. Hazel Scott was the first African American to host a national evening variety program. Betty White became a daytime talk show fan favorite and one of the first women to produce, write, and star in her own show. Together, their stories chronicle a forgotten chapter in the history of television and popular culture.

But as the medium became more popular—and lucrative—in the wake of World War II, and as politics, sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, and money collided, the women who invented television found themselves fighting from the margins, as men took control.

This amazing and heartbreaking history, illustrated with photos, tells it all for the first time.

“In prose as charming as the women she writes about, [Armstrong]. . . .makes you feel [her subjects''] genius and charisma, almost like you were there when they invented television.” — Boston Globe

“Catnip for TV fans.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“With crisp, electrifying prose. . . .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)