80s TV Ladies

· Season 4 · Episode 24 · Latest episode

One Day at a Time | The 90s TV Babies Review the 1975 Sitcom!

70s tv80s tv80s tv ladies · 1 hr 12 min
The 90s TV Babies take on the 1975 - 1984 One Day at a Time! Sailor and Spenser react to Ann Romano’s single-mom independence, teen sex talks, workplace harassment, proto-Kramer Schneider, and whether this Norman Lear classic is truly feminist.

“The 80s were a time of great change... There wasn’t the internet, there wasn’t TikTok, there wasn’t YouTube. There was television, and television was how new ideas got spread around.” – Susan Lambert Hatem

Welcome to 80s TV Ladies, where we look back in order to leap forward! This week, one of our very favorite segments is back: The 90s TV Babies Take on 70s and 80s TV! Hosts Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson hand a 1975 - 1984 sitcom to two fresh-faced viewers who have never seen it, and then sit back to hear what lands, what shocks, and what still feels radical today.

Our subject is the groundbreaking Norman Lear-produced sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984), created by Whitney Blake and Allan Manings. Bonnie Franklin stars as newly divorced Ann Romano, who moves to Indianapolis with her teenage daughters Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli), with plenty of unsolicited “help” from tool-belt-wearing building superintendent Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.).

Returning 90s TV Baby Sailor and brand-new panelist Spenser Gerber Hatem (Susan’s stepson!) watched a hand-picked list of episodes and are now reporting back on single motherhood, teen sexuality, workplace harassment, disability representation, and the world’s most creepy (and eventually course-corrected) building super. Along the way, our Hoosier baby geeks out over Indiana shout-outs, everyone debates whether the show is feminist or merely progressive, and we all learn why you should never trust a man who announces he’s going to win back his ex… and then just sits there.

THE CONVERSATION
  • The Assignment: The episodes our babies watched: Ann’s Decision (S1E1), All the Way (S1E8), Father David (S1E13), Ann’s Out of Town Client (S3E5), Schneider’s Helper (S4E5), Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (S4E6), plus extra credit episodes: The Runaways (S2E1), Schneider’s Pride and Joy (S2E9, with a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill), The Older Man (S3E1), Miracle of Birth (S8E8–9), and the bonus-bonus Indianapolis Story (S6E21). Bonus clip: Julie and Barbara spoofing Elton John and Kiki Dee’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”
  •  Meet the Babies: Sailor and Spenser introduce themselves, plus Susan on how Smokey and the Bandit and the 1970s CB radio craze led straight to Schneider’s “Super Stud” handle.
  • A Hoosier Reacts: Kokomo, Logansport, Fort Wayne, and a lawnmower CEO who says “Terry Hot” (it’s Terre Haute, and Sailor will defend it!), plus driving I-65 from the couch. Sharon shares the Lyft driver who waxed poetic about the Indianapolis sitcom, and the ladies explain why a show set in Indiana was filmed in Hollywood.
  •  Wait, There Was a Reboot? The 2017–2020 One Day at a Time reboot starring Justina Machado and Rita Moreno with a Latina cast, and why neither baby knew it existed.
  • First Impressions: The very 70s live studio audience, the fabulous costumes and bell bottoms, Julie’s sharp wit, Bonnie Franklin’s ever-present smile, and why they had to remind themselves that this was “the blueprint” of a sitcom, not a parody of one.
  • David the Lawyer & the Age Gap: Ann’s younger boyfriend (who was also her divorce lawyer!), why he’s the nicest man on the show by a mile, and why actor Richard Masur left the show early in season two.
  •  Schneider’s Evolution: From creepy boundary-pusher (aka stalker?) in the early seasons to beloved goofball with a heart. The ladies and babies agree he’s a proto-Kramer, and Susan reminds us: no Schneider, no Kramer.
  • Ann Romano’s Feminism: One of TV’s first leading divorced moms, a woman who kept her last name in 1975, and Susan’s personal story of seeing her own divorced mom and two daughters reflected on screen in Georgia circa 1977.
  • How TV Reflected (and Led) Culture: Divorce, single parenting, and women in the workforce were changing American life, and television was the way new ideas spread. Sailor connects it to the kids she works with today.
  • Teen Sex, Consent & Saying No: All the Way Julie’s getting pressured by boyfriend Chuck. The Babies on the great sex talk Ann gave her girls, why it’s frustrating that it takes David to get through to Chuck, and why Julie’s final “no” is the right message.
  • Workplace Harassment, with Laughs: Ann’s Out of Town Client and how a very funny episode delivered a serious message. Ann wins by standing up for her value, though the group debates how realistic that ending was in 1977.
  • Disability, Language & Representation: Schneider’s Helper and Jackie’s powerful line about never being allowed to try, plus the group’s honest take on outdated language and what the show missed on race.
  • Lightning Round: Favorite characters, which character each baby is most like, favorite scenes (hello, beer bucket brigade!), and Sailor’s most-disappointing-episode rant about Indianapolis Story.
  • Why So Many Cast Changes? Characters who come and go, Mackenzie Phillips’s absences during her struggles with addiction, and a series that spans nine seasons and a Carter-to-Reagan transition.
  • Sibling Rivalry Done Right: Barbara and Julie’s fighting-while-helping dynamic, and why the sisters felt true to life even for both Babies who grew up without sisters!
  • Last Thoughts: The hair, the applauding live audience that left Spenser confused, one very persistent audience cougher, and Sharon and Susan on why Norman Lear’s “very special episode” approach was a signature of his shows, not every 70s and 80s sitcom.
NEXT EPISODE TEASER
Don’t miss our next episode, when the ladies are back with our favorite Halloween and spooky episodes of 80s television! Grab your candy, your Punky Brester blanket, and your remote. It’s boooooo-tiful fun.

📦 AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHING
  • Watch One Day at a Time (1975–1984): Stream the original series for free on Tubi or purchase episodes on Apple TV and Amazon.
  •  Episodes discussed: Ann’s Decision (S1E1), All the Way (S1E8), Father David (S1E13), Ann’s Out of Town Client (S3E5), Schneider’s Helper (S4E5), Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (S4E6), The Runaways (S2E1), Schneider’s Pride and Joy (S2E9), The Older Man (S3E1), Indianapolis Story (S6E21), Miracle of Birth (S8E8–9).
  •  Watch “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”: Check out this clip from “Happy New Year” S2, Ep12. Julie and Barbara spoofing Elton John and Kiki Dees. On YouTube.  
  • Norman Lear Documentary: Watch Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (2016) streaming free on Roku or available to purchase on Amazon and Apple.
  • Catch Up on Our One Day at a Time Series: Episode 423, One Day at a Time: The Top 10 Most Norman Lear Episodes, and Episode 421, our interview with Maude star Adrienne Barbeau, at   80sTVLadies.com.
  • Smokey and the Bandit (1977): The CB radio craze that sparked Schneider’s “Super Stud” handle. Currently FREE on YouTube.
 COMMUNITY CONNECT
Connect with 80s TV Ladies: Join our mailing list, follow 8TL on Instagram (@80sTVLadies), support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes, and discover more great shows on Weirding Way Media!

PROTECT THE VOTE
  • Vote.org: Check your voter registration. Make sure you and the young adults in your life are ready to vote. Stay engaged. Let your voice be heard.
  • DemocracyDocket.com: Learn more about protecting our right to vote.
🌟 SPECIAL 8TL PROMOTIONS!
  • COZY EARTH: Get 21% OFF awesome bamboo sheets and pajamas at CozyEarth.com using promo code: 80STVLADIES.
  • TORRAIN BAGS: Get 15% OFF recycled bags perfect for travel and work with promo code: 80sTVLadies.
  • All Promo Deals: See all special offers at MyDeals.Page/19wy.


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One Day at a Time | The 90s TV Babies Review the 1975 Sitcom!
80s TV Ladies
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Hosted by Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson with production by 134 West. Covers Cagney & Lacey, Designing Women, Remington Steele, The Golden Girls, and more, with guests including Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Stephanie Zimbalist, and Morgan Fairchild. Four-time Podcast Awards winner; Webby nominee for Best Indie Podcast.

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