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'I Love Lucy' (1951–1957) -

One of American television's most iconic shows, 'I Love Lucy' is crammed full of small-screen firsts. Its star, Lucille Ball, helped create the show and then insisted Hispanic actor Desi Arnaz appear as her husband (the pair were married in real life)—TV's first biracial couple! In one episode, Ball announces that she's "expecting," thus becoming one of the first pregnant characters on television.

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'The Donna Reed Show' (1958–1966) -

The groundbreaking decision to make a wife and mother character the headliner of a late 1950s comedy show was a brave one indeed, especially when then taboo subjects such as women's rights, freedom of the press, and substance abuse were only occasionally explored. But it worked, and Donna Reed's Donna Stone housewife, seen here with screen husband Alex Stone (Carl Betz), became a household name.

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'Julia' (1968–1971) -

'Julia' was a short-lived production but its legacy is huge by virtue of the fact that this was the first weekly series to feature an African-American woman as a lead character. Diahann Carroll is the actress who made television history.

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'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970–1977) -

In a glowing 2007 retrospective, Time magazine declared 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' as "liberated TV for adults—of both sexes." It certainly brought to television a second wave of feminism, with equality and women’s rights woven into many plots. Over the years the show also introduced daring and provocative story lines that dealt with pre-marital sex, homosexuality, marital discord, and juvenile delinquency.

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'Wonder Woman' (1975–1979) -

Television's most famous Amazon, Wonder Woman was actress Lynda Carter, whose daring exploits made her a superhero to many a schoolgirl. Her quick spin transformation from demure Diana Prince into the crime-fighting heroine became a signature element of the show.

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'Charlie’s Angels' (1976–1981) -

The smart and attractive crime-fighting trio of Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, collectively known as Charlie's Angels, proved hugely successful with mid-'70s television audiences. Casting changes took place in later seasons, but the original "angels" are still fondly remembered.

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'Murder, She Wrote' (1984–1996) -

Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher has endured, with this lighthearted crime drama enjoying repeat success nearly 40 years after it was first screened. 'Murder, She Wrote' follows the mystery author and amateur sleuth as she unravels the most complex of misdemeanors with characteristic aplomb.

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'Cagney and Lacey' (1982–1988) -

Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly hit the streets of New York City as two police detectives in the first television series to feature a pair of female "buddy" cops. The public loved them, and even the bad guys took a bow.

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'The Golden Girls' (1985–1992) -

One witty hack described 'The Golden Girls' as 'Sex and the City' on hormone replacement therapy. But these wisecracking golden oldies, Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) brushed stereotyping under the carpet and redefined what it meant to be an aging woman.

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'Murphy Brown' (1988–1998) -

Candice Bergen's eponymous Murphy Brown is an unmarried 40-plus recovering alcoholic, and that's just for starters. While she's created a niche for herself in the testosterone-fueled world of investigative journalism, Brown also becomes pregnant out of wedlock, and ends up battling cancer. Phew!

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'Prime Suspect' (1991–2006) -

'Prime Suspect' hit a raw nerve when it first aired on British television. At the core of this brutally realistic and complex crime drama is the examination of institutionalized sexism within the police force, with Helen Mirren's Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison (a powerhouse performance) bearing the brunt of blatant misogyny.

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'Living Single' (1993 –1998) -

'Living Single' was one of the first shows to depict young African-American single people as professionals, and the format was warmly received. Queen Latifah heads the cast as savvy magazine editor Khadijah James who shares a Brooklyn brownstone with aspiring actress Synclaire (Kim Coles), attorney Maxine (Erika Alexander), and image-conscious Regina (Kim Fields).

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'Xena: Warrior Princess' (1995–2001) -

Back in the 1990s, fearless warrior Xena was a veritable role model for a legion of young women, impressed by her heroic deeds, sense of justice, and powerful physique. The series, filmed in New Zealand and starring Lucy Lawless, still enjoys a cult following.

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'Ally McBeal' (1997–2002) -

While 'Ally McBeal' was a critically-acclaimed financial success, Calista Flockhart's flirty, short-skirted Boston lawyer divided opinion. Many thought the character was demeaning to women, with Time magazine famously depicting a photograph of McBeal on its cover juxtaposed with three pioneering feminists (Susan B. Anthony, Betty Friedan, and Gloria Steinem) and asking the question, "Is feminism dead?"

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'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997–2003) -

The "vampire slayer" is Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a smart and resourceful teenager whose strength and tenacity in ridding the world of evil wrongdoers made a refreshing change from the weak and fragile stereotyped female who always falls victim to monsters, creeps, and other undesirables.

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'Ellen' (1994–1998) -

Ellen DeGeneres was already an accomplished stand-up comic when she secured her own sitcom, a rare event at the time for a female comedian. She triumphed accordingly, and towards the end of her show came out as gay (in real life and on TV).

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'Sex and the City' (1998–2004) -

'Sex and the City' brought together four very different but totally inseparable friends—Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon)— whose social and sex lives were examined in often hilarious and sometimes poignant detail. Glossy, undeniably feminine, and shamelessly consumerist, 'Sex and the City' still appeals to women of all ages, though some of the gloss has inevitably worn off.

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'Grey's Anatomy' (2005–present) -

Since its inception, 'Grey's Anatomy' has centered around the title character, Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. The hospital drama melds intense drama with light romance. The show is currently the longest-running American primetime medical drama series.

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'Nurse Jackie' (2009–2015) -

Fresh from her success as Carmela in 'The Sopranos,' Edie Falco became Jackie Peyton, an emergency department nurse at a New York City hospital who's strung out most of the time while dispensing her own unorthodox brand of healthcare.

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'Weeds' (2005–2012) -

Cult comedy-drama 'Weeds' contained strong language, partial nudity, and uninhibited sex—and that was just Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) gettin' going! But that didn't stop Botwin being voted one of the best characters on television.

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'30 Rock' (2006–2013) -

This satirical sitcom was created by and starred Tina Fey, and was applauded for being one of the funniest shows to hit the small screen in years.

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''The Good Wife' (2009–2016) -

Julianna Margulies made Alicia Florrick a household name in this acclaimed series, which follows Florrick's return to law after her husband becomes embroiled in a very public sex and political corruption scandal. Eschewing melodrama, ''The Good Wife' sees Margulies' character juggling single motherhood, court cases, and romance.

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'The Bridge' (2011–2018) -

This well-received Nordic crime drama features Sofia Helin as Saga Norén, a homicide detective based in Malmö, Sweden, who heads a murder investigation after a body is found at the center of the Øresund Bridge, which links Malmö to Copenhagen, in Denmark. The case proves complicated and is not helped by Norén's disregard for good manners and social norms, probable symptoms of Asperger's syndrome.

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'Scandal' (2012–2018) -

Kerry Washington's slick fixer Olivia Pope epitomized the skullduggery and backstabbing seemingly prevalent in Washington, D.C. In fact, 'Scandal' essentially became an examination of political power in the United States. And what of Pope? Hero or antihero?

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'Orange Is the New Black' (2013–2019) -

'Orange Is the New Black' features an almost exclusive female cast, with Taylor Schilling portraying Piper Chapman, a character based on Piper Kerman, an author who spent time in a correctional facility after being found guilty of money-laundering. The series is noted for including in the cast a trans woman in the character Sophia Burset, who's played by Laverne Cox. For her role, Cox became the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a primetime acting Emmy.

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'How to Get Away with Murder' (2014–2020) -

Viola Davis stars as Philadelphia law professor Annalise Keating, who along with her students becomes embroiled in a sinister murder plot. Shocking and compelling, 'How to Get Away with Murder' saw Davis become the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

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'Fleabag' (2016–2019) -

Described as a modern feminist black comedy, 'Fleabag' was created, written by, and starred Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the self-loathing Fleabag (she's never actually given a name in the show), a listless woman trying to cope with grief, despair, and loneliness while attempting to navigate a seemingly desolate and unforgiving London into the bargain.

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'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' (2017–present) -

'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' is all about a New York housewife who discovers she has a natural talent for stand-up comedy and decides to pursue a career in it. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Miriam Maisel, who changes her life forever to to make people laugh out loud.

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'The Handmaid's Tale' (2017–present) -

Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood, 'The Handmaid's Tale' is essentially about women's suffering, set as it is in a totalitarian society where they are brutally subjugated. Many observers have pointed out how dishearteningly relevant Atwood's 1985  dystopian tragedy still is. The series has been widely lauded, with Elisabeth Moss singled out for her performance as fertile June Osborne, one of the "handmaids" forced into child-bearing slavery.

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'Killing Eve' (2018–present) present -

Sandra Oh leads the cast as British intelligence investigator Eve Polastri in this dark and compelling spy drama that surprises with its occasional comic interludes. Its gasp-out-loud moments make 'Killing Eve' compulsive viewing.

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'I May Destroy You' (2020) -

This probing and deeply disturbing British series stars Michaela Coel as Arabella, a victim of a brutal violation who attempts to rebuild her life and overcome the trauma. What is unique about 'I May Destroy You' is that it fictionalizes Michaela Coel's own sexual assault several years earlier.

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'The Queen's Gambit' (2020) -

'The Queen's Gambit' chronicles the life of an orphaned chess prodigy named Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), whose rise to the top of the chess world is severely impeded by her struggle against alcohol and narcotics abuse. As well as the universal acclaim heaped upon the series and Taylor-Joy's performance, 'The Queen's Gambit' also received a positive response from the often staid chess community.

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'Mare of Easttown' (2020–present) -

Kate Winslet portrays Mare Sheehan, an exhausted detective in a small Pennsylvania town who juggles her job while taking care of family. Hugely watchable as a crime drama and as a offbeat sitcom, 'Mare of Easttown' has already garnered rave reviews, not least for a defining performance by its lead actress.

Sources: (Emmys) (Rolling Stone) (Syfy) (The Guardian) (Vox) (NPR) (The Verge) (Deadline) 

See also: The most inspiring female characters in movies and TV

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