TCM Announces The Plot Thickens Season Four: Spotlight on Iconic Actress Pam Grier

Premiering Fall 2022: Trailblazing actress Pam Grier shares her remarkable life story with Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) host Ben Mankiewicz in season four of the award-winning TCM podcast The Plot Thickens.

“The word ‘iconic’ is overused in this industry, but Pam has been a true revolutionary regarding the depiction of Black women in Hollywood,” said host Ben Mankiewicz. “Pam’s characters are unapologetic, tough and fiercely independent, just like she was when she started in Hollywood five decades ago and remains to this day.”

Pam Grier’s film career began in a string of women-in-prison movies including 1971’s The Big Doll House and Women in Cages and The Big Bird Cage (1972). She became a staple player in 1970s blaxploitation movies playing played bold, assertive women.

In August 1973, still relatively unknown Black actress Pam Grier knocked James Bond out of the number one spot at the box office. The film was Coffy with Pam as the lead. Her character, Nurse Flower Child ‘Coffy’ Coffin was advertised in the trailer as the “baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever hit town!” The low-budget blaxploitation film, full of nudity and blood-splattering violence, transformed 24-year-old Pam into Hollywood’s first female action hero.

Audiences were captivated as Pam had a run of films over three years including Black Mama White Mama and Scream Blacula Scream in 1973, The Arena and Foxy Brown in 1974 and Sheba, Baby Sheba and Friday Foster in 1975. Despite her headlining status as a blaxploitation film star, Pam was typecast and meaningful roles representing a depth of range weren’t offered. She moved to character roles in the 1980s and has continued working in movies and television through to today. Now, at 72, she’s started to reckon with her career, her choices, and the events of her life.

Stay tuned this summer for the first season four of The Plot Thickens trailer. Previous seasons are available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Pam Grier will be appearing this weekend at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood to introduce her breakout film Coffy (1974) with TCM host Jacqueline Stewart showing from 7:15-9:00 pm at the Chinese Multiplex House 6. This will be Pam Grier’s her first appearance at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

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