"A series about Dr. Ruth is long overdue. A major question in a story about her is how relevant her contributions are to modern audiences. This pilot captures her importance as a public figure very well. You don't shy away from controversial sexual themes. Her answers to Male Caller 11’s cow fantasies and Female Caller 12’s infidelity would be controversial even today, and so is her stance on children’s sexual education. The planned parenthood scene is another pertinent moment.  Beth is a great vehicle for the plot. As an underrated homemaker and professional, she has personal reasons to take on the challenge of giving a platform to another woman."

SCREENCRAFT SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP​

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"As soon as I read the title I was hooked, but then I became even more interested when I read the logline. But when I began reading the script, I really became engaged on an emotional and visceral level. You bring Ruth’s character to life and present her point of view with authenticity and respect for whom she is and for what she wanted to accomplish—help as many people as possible. For anyone who listened to Ruth back in the 1980s—whether to ask a question or to listen to her responses—this project resonates on a deeply personal level. It takes us back to that time, and we remember—the good and the bad. To push our buttons, so to speak, in this way is a quality that makes this project stand out from other projects. This isn’t just an entertaining television pilot. Sexually Speaking shines a light on an important period in our collective history, which is not an easy feat to accomplish in this day and age. There is the sense that the writer knows Ruth on a personal level, or at least has done extensive research or interviews. This feeling of familiarity allows us to trust what is on the page, and this trust allows us to engage in a way that is fulfilling and meaningful. We lean in even more as the story progresses. Ruth reveals that her mother put her on a train when she was ten years old to escape the Nazis, and she talks about the Holocaust at other times. You reveal these facts of her history without drama but with compassion and understanding. There is little fanfare, just the reality of Ruth’s life, which invites us further into her life and her legend. She doesn’t want accolades. She wants to make the world a better place because she survived the Holocaust when one and half million children did not. There are a lot of television pilots written today, but few tell the story of a brave, intelligent, and pioneering woman like Ruth – and Betty Elam Brauner who dared to rock the boat."

SCREENCRAFT TRUE STORY COMPETITION​

 

"The subject matter explored in SEXUALLY SPEAKING feels like the type of true story limited series that networks and streamers are interested in producing. Dr. Ruth is presented as a fascinating character that actresses would clamor to portray. The biggest strength of SEXUALLY SPEAKING is the dynamic established between Ruth and Betty. The audience is presented with two women, both struggling in different ways in their marriages. But ultimately they find this beacon of light in the call-in show that’s about to become an overnight sensation. It feels like a wonderful way to enter this story. The audience can see how these two women are going to grow both separately and together throughout the series. Dr. Ruth’s dialogue always feels lived-in and natural, and again it feels like a lot of actresses could find a lot of meat on the bone in this character."

JUMPSTART WRITING COMPETITION​

 

"Ah, everyone of a certain age remembers Dr. Ruth! She’s a little spitfire who wasn’t afraid to make you blush. So a show that showcases who she was on the radio show, and more importantly a deeper dive into the woman who could tell you anything about sex is exciting!"

SCRIPT PIPELINE