Bad*** Women of Television

Staff Picks

Bad*** Women of Television

Picture of Lynne Rubio — by **Lynne**
03.11.15

While binge-watching television last weekend, I got the chance to see a pretty varied cross-section of female characters on television. A lot of what I saw made me cringe. Nurse Chapel of the original Star Trek went on a dangerous mission in a micro-skirted uniform and Wonder Woman chased bad guys in a bustier. In nearly every episode, the supporting actresses / damsels in distress on MacGyver let him do all the rescuing and, of course, kissed him for his trouble and Laura of The Dick Van Dyke Show made it clear that her husband called the shots.

I spent a lot of time explaining to my daughter that attitudes about how women should act and dress and what roles they play in the world have changed over the years, and that those changes are reflected on TV. I know it’s not perfect – on cop shows, they still chase criminals in ridiculously high heels, but increasingly, women on television are portrayed as smart and capable - masters of their own fate.

A lot of the tough, independent female characters that have kicked serious butt across our television screens helped make that happen by giving generations of girls some pretty spectacular role models to live up to.

Scandal Olivia Pope Kerry Washington — On Scandal, Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope defines power.

Personally, I like action and adventure shows, so my favorite female characters tend to carry guns or swords and have a mean round-house kick, but I always appreciate the deadly cut of a sharp wit too.

Below, I listed my picks for ten of the most bad*** women in the history of television. But once I asked other people to name their favorites, I realized that more than 10 deserved recognition, so first, honorable mention goes to:

Candice Bergen as the hard-working, hard-drinking, wisecracking Murphy Brown.
Bea Arthur (already credited as one of The Golden Girls) in the title role on Maude, another wisecracking feminist who broke new ground for future women on television.
Diana Rigg as super-spy Emma Peel on The Avengers.
Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, who took the buddy cop drama in a new direction on Cagney & Lacey.
The West Wing’s C. J. Cregg (Allison Janney), politico extraordinaire.
Lucy Lawless as the brawny and bawdy Xena: Warrior Princess.
Kristen Bell's Veronica Mars flexed her mind rather than her muscles to survive, thrive, and bring criminals to justice.
Maggie Q is the addict turned assassin and action hero in the title role of Nikita.
Tina Fey as the smart, hilarious Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.
Kerry Washington as the fixer, Olivia Pope, on Scandal.