The longtime television writer and producer isn’t cheering just yet.
AUSTIN, TX — In what’s been dubbed “the year of the woman,” longtime television writer and producer Nell Scovell isn’t cheering just yet.
“The first time I went to the Emmys was in 1990 and I was working on ‘The Letterman Show’ and of the five nominees for best comedy, three and a half were created by women,” Scovell, 57, said during ATX TV Festival ‘s TGIHulu panel when asked about her experience as a female showrunner in the 90s.
“Murphy Brown,” which won the best comedy Emmy in 1990, was up against “Golden Girls,” “Designing Women,” “The Wonder Years” and “Cheers.”
“I was sitting there in the audience thinking, ‘Well it’s solved.’ You know, not only were those shows considered the best, but they were huge hits, they were all in the top ten,” Scovell said. “So I am really fortunate that I believe it can happen. They say you have to see it to be it and sometimes, I think after I did ‘Sabrina’ there was this sense of ‘We solved it, it’s done, we can relax, we don’t have to make an effort any longer’ and we slid back.
She continued, “Now the same stories I read back in the 80s, ‘Women are taking over TV,’ I’m reading now and I’m not as heartened as some because it feels like a re-run.”
Scovell created “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and has worked on several shows including “Charmed,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “NCIS,” “Warehouse 13,” “Coach” and “The Muppets.”
She recently released a book called “ Just the Funny Parts,” which talks about breaking into Hollywood’s boys’ club.
