It’s been a year-and-a-half since the launch of Spectrum Originals’ first series, “L.A.’s Finest,” and Pope’s been on a tear lining up other originals for Charter’s programming unit ever since. Pope and her team have launched several series, including “Curfew,” a “Mad About You” reboot and Spanish-language drama “Todo Por el Juego.” She’s also forged a relationship with AMC Networks, co-commissioning thriller “Beacon 23” which will have a nine-month exclusive run on Spectrum before moving over to AMC for a second window. As the mother of a 16-year-old, she knows firsthand how difficult virtual school can be. “I try to encourage my 16-year old daughter to find her curiosity and wonder, even if the computer screen tends to dull some of the edges,” she says. “I also tell her to give herself a break—sometimes you just want to turn your video off and retreat into your hoodie—and that’s okay.”
What is one of your proudest moments during the pandemic? For all of us, this has been a time of deep anxiety, fear, but also soul searching. I am proud to be a part of country that is questioning our history and how we can move forward as a more honest and equal society.
Some research has suggested COVID-19 may set women in the workplace back half a decade. How can we ensure the progress made isn’t erased? Unfortunately, I think the progress has already been erased for many women. While some of us are lucky enough to have a cobbled-together support system, quite a few more have been left with very few options except to leave the workforce. This pandemic has exposed systemic problems that already existed. As a culture, we still do not provide realistic support for working parents, and working mothers bear the brunt of that. I hope that faced with this unprecedented challenge, we all try to bring meaningful change to how we support families of all kinds going forward.
If you were a teenager attending virtual classes right now, what advice would you give yourself? I have both a teenager and a nine-year old who have been attending virtual classes since March. It’s incredibly difficult on both ends of the spectrum. I try to encourage my 16-year old daughter to find her curiosity and wonder, even if the computer screen tends to dull some of the edges. I also tell her to give herself a break – sometimes you just want to turn your video off and retreat into your hoodie – and that’s okay.
