41 best feminist TV shows to empower, educate and inspire you
Feminist TV shows have long been on our radar, with us constantly being inspired by the celebrations of female voices on-screen, whether it's a true story or a fictional one.
So, for International Women's Day and beyond, we have rounded up the best female-led TV shows for when you need an injection of empowerment in your life, whether it's an uplifting tale of female friendship or a powerful story about women trailblazers who fought against the patriarchy. If you're looking for a docu-series that will rock you to your core, check out Surviving R. Kelly, in which allegations of sexual abuse against the disgraced singer are brought to the forefront by several brave women.
Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, the TV adaptation of Naomi Alderman's bestselling novel premieres this spring.
For feminist dramas you may have missed the first time around, you absolutely settle in to binge-watch all seasons of Mandy Moore's This Is Us as well as the NYC-set The Bold Type, which is the ultimate story of juggling friendship, relationships and a glamorous career. If you don't have much time on your hand, Netflix's Ginny and Georgia and Firefly Lane are a perfect watch with two seasons each. Oh, and don't forget Apple TV+ The Morning Show, which you should catch up on before season three rolls around!
So, to celebrate IWD, here's our edit of the best feminist TV shows and where to stream them now...
If you've already binge-watched all of the below, why not check out our pick of the best self-care TV shows, the absolute best documentaries on Netflix, or the all-time best TV series ever made?
JONATHAN WENK/FREEFORMThe Bold Type
No one is apologetic for their ambition in The Bold Type, centred on three BFFs (Meghann Fahy, Aisha Dee and Katie Stevens) making it in the cutthroat world of magazine journalism. While navigating real-world topics such as sexism, discrimination, new relationships and putting in their best efforts in a workspace that can replace them instantly, the girls all understand what is most important in life: Friendship.
How many seasons? 5
Where can I watch it? Prime Video
Erin SimkinLittle Fires Everywhere
Based on the 2017 novel by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere is a female led-series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. When a couple gets involved in a custody battle after attempting to adopt a Chinese-American baby, their small Ohio town is divided. Mia and Elena, from two vastly different families, are also on opposing sides of the argument, causing them to dig around each other's pasts to uncover some dark secrets.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Prime Video
NBCThis Is Us
This Is Us won numerous awards during its six-season run, and it's not difficult to see why. It's the series that showed us that feminism comes in all sorts of different forms and stages in life, from high-flying ambitions to stay-at-home mothers, teenagers discovering their identity to turning a passion project into a career path later in life, as well as overcoming domestic abuse to navigating life as a single mother following the sudden passing of a significant other. The outstanding cast, including Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz, and Susan Kelechi Watson, brilliantly brought these issues to life, educating us along the way.
How many seasons? 6
Where can I watch it? Prime Video
PHIL BRAY/NETFLIXThe Queen’s Gambit
Anya Taylor-Joy is excellent as Beth Harmon, an orphaned girl in the 1950s who achieves her ambition of being the greatest chess player in the world while facing battles such as overwhelming sexism and her own struggles with addiction.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Netflix
LifetimeSurviving R. Kelly
This documentary series sees all the brave women coming forward to share their horrific experiences with R. Kelly, with allegations of physical, mental, and sexual abuse plaguing the disgraced singer. The likes of civil rights activist Tarana Burke and talk show host Wendy Williams also speak about the singer's controversial past. Still, the most important thing has been getting justice for all those women affected by his wrongdoings.
How many seasons? 3
Where can I watch it? Channel 4
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.Firefly Lane
There aren't many shows centred on the longevity of a friendship, and Firefly Lane provides us with just that as it looks into the bond between Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke) from their teenage years to their forties. The women have always been there for each through thick and thin. However, the first part of season two saw the pair in their first major argument, but knowing these two, we're sure they'll be able to sort things out between them in the second part of the series, out later this year.
How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? Netflix
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.Ginny and Georgia
The relationship between a young mother and her teenage daughter is explored in this series, which looks at Georgia's unapologetically power-hungry, and often criminal, attempts to provide for her child, who in return struggles with navigating her biracial identity, trauma, love, mental health, relationships and ambitions. Despite the less-than-desirable choices made by the pair, who often are at war with one another, we're always rooting for them as they show us how strong women can be.
How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Paramount plusYounger
Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) is newly single following a less-than-pleasant divorce from her gambling-addicted husband. Not ready to be alone in NYC in her forties, she decides to kickstart her career again in publishing, but every job she applies to rejects her, and she's sure it's because of her age. To reclaim her power, Liza successfully poses as a young twenty-something to land the assisting job of her dreams. But as she makes new friendships, new relationships and new power moves in the world of publishing throughout the series, she learns that age is nothing but a number.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? NOW TV.
Erin SimkinThe Morning Show
The Morning Show, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, delves into the high-profile behind-the-scenes world of television broadcasting. When Mitch Kessler is fired following allegations of sexual misconduct, it's up to his famously polished and uptight co-host Alex and the new recruit Bradley, an unapologetically haphazard field reporter, to band together to save the network as well as the world of news reporting.
How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? Apple TV+
I May Destroy You
Michaela Coel's I May Destroy You was one of the bravest TV shows we've seen in recent years, and even though it first aired back in 2020, nothing has come close since. The series follows Arabella as she struggles to remember the events that took place during her night out with friends. Over the course of 12 episodes, our protagonist starts to piece together what happened, uncovering darkness both in herself, those around her and the wider world.
Depicting the vast spectrum of sexual assault and consent - date rape, a male partner removing his condom during sex without consent, a threesome that wasn't as consensual as it had initially seemed - in a nuanced, thoughtful and powerful medium, I May Destroy You is one of the most thought-provoking shows of our time.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer
Phillip CarusoHigh Fidelity
Have you seen Zoë Kravitz in High Fidelity, the TV show remake of the 2000 film and adaptation of the 1995 novel? The show, which was sadly cancelled after just one series, follows a recently single and heartbroken woman approaching her thirties and figuring out which route her life should take. But hold on, before you switch off (mentally and literally), this isn't a clichéd tale of her search for the real love of her life, this is about peeling back the layers of the main character, Rob, and discovering that things - and even our own inner workings - are not always as they seem.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Richard CartwrightBlack-ish
You've got eight entire seasons of Black-ish to blow through, so get ready! Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, and Caila Marsai Martin have all brought memorable female roles to the Johnson family, and the show has won well-deserved acclaim for tackling social justice issues head-on and providing an educational experience too, on topics like police brutality and the importance of celebrating Juneteenth.
How many seasons? 8
Where can I watch it? Disney+
ProductionShrill
Based on author Lindy West's memoirs, Shrill follows Saturday Night Live's brilliant Aidy Bryant as Annie, an aspiring writer from Portland who is trying to navigate her career, the relationship she has with her body, dating, useless boyfriends and maintaining a close and good relationship with her parents all at the same time. It's honest, heartbreaking, and sadly, still uniquely refreshing to have a plus-size woman as the lead in a TV series, so we couldn't be more here for it. Think sexist internet trolls, empowering body diverse and inclusive pool parties and a woman's journey to realising that she's worth more than her male boss or boyfriend would have her believe.
How many seasons? 3
Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer
Sid Gentle FilmsKilling Eve
Having been recruited by an intelligence agency, Eve (played by Sandra Oh) is thrown into the direct path of Villanelle (Jodie Comer, an assassin. Though the mission is to kill her, the two women find themselves strangely drawn to each other, and their seemingly inextricable entwinement takes the reader through humour, thrill and spine-tingling female force. With all four seasons featuring different female lead writers - Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennel and Suzanne Heathcote - it's no wonder this cat-and-mouse spy drama was such a game changer.
How many seasons? 4
Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer
SKYCatherine The Great
Catherine the Great (played by Helen Mirren) is the feminist icon you didn't know you needed in your life. Strong-minded, independent, intelligent and sexually liberated, this four-part drama follows her power throughout Russia for nearly half of the 18th century as one of the most powerful monarchs in history.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime
SKYHillary
This four-part docu-series offers an intimate, unrivalled insight into one of the most divisive female figures in modern politics, Hillary Clinton, using never-before-seen footage from her 2016 election campaign and exclusive interviews.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Now TV/ Sky
NetflixSelf Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
The story of a woman who, against all odds, built a haircare empire and went on to become America's first Black, self-made female millionaire.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Netflix
SKYWork In Progress
Created by and starring comedian Abby McEnany, Work In Progress is a heartfelt dramedy about Abby, a 45-year-old
self-identified “fat, queer dyke whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship.”How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? Now TV/ Sky
SKYBlack Lady Sketch Show
A narrative series set in the first all-black women writer’s room (led by Lauren Ashley Smith), the first black woman sketch
director (Dime Davis, “Boomerang”), and the first sketch series cast composed entirely of black women.How many seasons? 3
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
NetflixUnbelievable
Unbelievable is based on the true story of a teenager who was charged with lying about rape, the horrific miscarriage of justice, and the female detectives who fought for the truth to be heard.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Netflix
BBCFleabag
Written by and starring the genius that is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this is probably the most accurate portrayal of life as a young British woman that we've seen. 'Fleabag', as she is called, fucks up like the rest of us, she can be a mess like the rest of us, she boomerangs back and forth from a safe-but-boring relationship like the rest of us. There's creative swearing and filthy sex - and it’s glorious.
How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? BBC iPlayer
The Handmaid's Tale
The Lowdown: Elisabeth Moss plays June, a woman stripped of her freedom and identity as she is forced into being the concubine of the leader of a new dictatorship that overtakes USA. As June, now named Offred attempts to escape her new reality the show sheds some serious light on the gender inequalities in our actual real life world too.
How many seasons? 5
Where can I watch it? Prime Video
Big Little Lies
In possibly the best all-star cast ever seen on TV, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley play a group of women who come together to cover up the murder of Nicole Kidman's abusive husband. We are not going to beat around the bush here, it's one of the best TV shows of ALL TIME.
How many seasons? 2
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
Dynasty
When a reboot of the hit 80s series Dynasty was announced, TV lovers rejoiced. And much to their luck, the new and improved spin has been far from disappointing. Like the original, it centres around the wealthy yet dysfunctional Carrington family, who own an oil business while enduring an ongoing feud with a rival family, the Colbys. While the root of the storylines stays the same, the 2017/18 version has been modernised. Not only are the characters a lot more diverse - Sammy Joe is now a gay hispanic man while the Colbys are black - but Blake Carrington's eldest daughter, Fallon, is the star of the show. Just as tough and feisty as her 80s counterpart was, the modern-day Fallon is less worried about her messy love life and more about taking over her father's firm. Oh, and she's always in control.
How many seasons? 5
Where can I watch it? Netflix
ABC/Getty ImagesScandal
Olivia Pope is the most badass of TV badasses. A ‘fixer’ who helps Washington’s rich and powerful clean up their messes and play the PR game to perfection, Pope (Kerry Washington) leads a team of ‘gladiators’ who help her get the job done. Rocking the hell out of a white suit (a fashion line inspired by her chic power dressing was even released), Olivia can have an illicit shag with the President, solve a client crisis and neck a giant glass of red wine all in one day. Olivia Pope aside, the Washington of the Scandal universe is full of powerful - if not always ‘nice’ - women, including the deliciously conniving First Lady and her stop-at-nothing political advisor (played by Portia di Rossi).
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Rex FeaturesGilmore Girls
A fast-paced battle of wits between three generations of women in well-heeled Connecticut, Gilmore Girls, is noted for its zingy scripts, quick-fire pop culture references, and seven seasons of storylines that demolish the Bechdel Test. Gilmore Girls not only has some of the most endearing leads in recent TV history (Emily Gilmore FTW), but inspiring, zany and enraging supporting characters to spare.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Parks And Recreation
Government official Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) invented our favourite feminist holiday, ‘Galentine’s Day’ which takes place on February 13 to celebrate the women in your lives. Or, as Leslie puts it: “Ovaries before brovaries”. During Leslie’s ambitious political career she leads the Pawnee Godesses youth group (like Brownies but way better), fights the sexist boys club of Pawnee’s City Hall, and delivers the ultimate comeback to the myth that women are too frail and breakable for politics: “Is it possible you’re thinking of a lightbulb?"
Number of seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Broad City
Abbi and Ilana are weed-smoking, wise-cracking best mates who just about tolerate their unfulfilling jobs and crappy housemates. We follow their (often stoned) exploits in a New York that’s about as far away from SATC as you can get - and so are their characters. Forget uptight, neurotic crises - these ladies are total dudes (you know what we mean). Moreover, they have the kind of in-joke riddled, 100% relaxed relationship that only true friends achieve.
How many seasons? 5
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
The Golden Girls
Even in 2020, it’s rare to see older women in prominent roles. In the mid-80s, four of them aced prime-time comedy – and made the world re-think how single, older women are portrayed. With sharp writing, genius casting and boundary-busting characterisation, it proved that older women could totally carry a hit show – and be hilarious while they’re doing it. Also, that women don’t stop caring (and talking) about fashion, their careers, friendships and great sex just because they hit 50.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Madam Secretary
Tea Leoni plays Dr Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst turned political science professor turned Secretary of State (how’s that for a power CV?) Shrewd and decidedly no-nonsense, she knows how to play the game at the White House - and most of all, she gets sh*t done.
How many seasons? 6
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Dubbed TV's first truly female-dominated sitcom, it aired in the 1970s when female characters were crude caricatures subject to shudderingly awful, nudge-nudge, wink-winks sexism. When Tyler Moore's character, Mary Richards - a 30-year-old single woman - moved to the city on her own, to start working as a TV producer, she did something that no female TV character had ever done before.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Apple+
HBOGirls
Lena Dunham held a mirror up to the often painful truths of life as a Millennial woman (well, a white, privileged Millennial living in Brooklyn). But from the mega-awks sex scenes to the complicated nature of female friendship, it’s an unapologetic portrayal of attempting to be an adult woman, f**k-ups and all.
Number of seasons: 6
Where can I watch it? Apple+
Getty ImagesHow To Get Away With Murder
Viola Davis is a tour de force - and so is her character, Professor Annalise Keating, a legal genius who becomes entwined in a murder. Davis won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama for the role - the first black woman to do so. Annalise isn’t the most likeable heroine - and kudos to creator Shonda Rhimes for making her this way: why do men get to corner the flawed anti-hero roles.
Number of seasons: 6
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Rex FeaturesBuffy The Vampire Slayer
When the Hellmouth opens, who’s going to save the world? A high-school girl with serious chutzpah, that’s who. For all of us who grew up with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s smart-talking vampire slayer, she remains a feminist hero. And the finale of the show, where she literally puts the safety of the world in the hands thousands of other women (who are potential slayers) felt like the most feminist ending the show could have had. Sharpens stak
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Apple+
Orange Is The New Black
Where else other than OITNB can you watch nuanced stories of so many women? Race, class and sexuality aren’t sidelined or treated with kid gloves. And all the better for it. With detailed back stories for all the characters, the women of Litchfield Penitentiary are portrayed as more than inmates; and there’s a smart commentary on the US criminal justice system to boot.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Rex FeaturesThe L Word
When this first aired in 2004, it was fairly revolutionary in following a group of lesbian women. Like Girls, it represented a certain type of white woman - living in LA rather than NY - but it was a rare case of a show for women made by women (the creator and writers were gay women, too).
How many seasons? 6
Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime Video
Rex FeaturesEmpire
The show that gave us Cookie Lyons - fierce, formidable, fond of leopard print - there’s no way she’s playing second fiddle to the ex-husband she set up a record label with.
How many seasons? 5
Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime Video
Grace & Frankie
Two awesome actresses with over 40 years of experience between them - Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin - play the titular characters, who find their lives turned upside down after their respective husbands leave them (to start a gay relationship with each other). The women’s friendship, and the highs and lows of their search for a new life post-marriage (encompassing work and love), are so superbly portrayed it can make you laugh and cry within the space of 20 minutes.
How many seasons: 6
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Cagney & Lacey
On the mean streets of ’80s New York, nothing fazed these two detectives – just check out how they facepalm a flasher in the opening credits. Whether chasing murderers or juggling work and family (Mary Beth) or work and alcoholism (Christine), these two were realistic and utterly kick-ass – if you were in trouble, you’d totally want them on the case.
How many seasons? 7
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
The Mindy Project
In the show that bought Mindy Kaling to the world's attention, Mindy plays her namesake character, a gynaecologist in NYC who tries to get her love life back on track.
How many seasons? 6
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
Godless
This limited series slipped under the radar on Netflix but it's feminist TV at its best as a group of women who were widowed following a coal mining accident attempt to protect their town from bandits. Michelle Dockery stars alongside Merrit Weaver and Jack O'Connell.
How many seasons? 1
Where can I watch it? Netflix
