While TV shows and movies are largely dominated by male main characters, there has been a surge of late of series and films that put females front and center. Sure, females have always been among casts, but historically they were the secondary members of larger groups that focused on the ladies in the context of family, the workplace, or as members in a cohort of friends of both genders.
However, for anyone looking for TV shows that feature women who lead the pack and whose stories guide the entire direction of the series, here are some great examples that are all available to check out on a streaming platform right now.
Sex And The City (1998-2004)
Arguably one of the first high-profile drama series that focused mostly on women, Sex And the City put HBO on the map as a cable network that offered really good television. At the center of the show were four very fashionable, very self-sufficient female professionals living in New York.
While the episodes included plenty of male cast members, from potential love interests to co-workers and friends, at the heart of every story were Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte.
Workin' Moms (2017-Present)
This sitcom pulls back the curtain on the struggles that working mothers face. It's raw, brash, and unapologetic, with topics ranging from balancing a career to broken marriages, problem children, and the desire to just have some "me time."
Don't be surprised to hear graphic conversations about breast milk, the glass ceiling, and feelings of failure as a parent— but handled in a hilarious way that every working mother can relate to.
Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)
Sure, the show was filled with juicy gossip, scandal, and drama, just as one would expect from a prime-time soap opera. And while the husbands, pool boys, neighbors, and friends all played a role on Desperate Housewives, it was all about the four main female frenemies.
The women may have frequently fought and competed with one another, but they also had tender moments and often shared in each other's successes.
Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Most impressive about this sci-fi thriller wasn't just that it was centered around female characters but that the majority of them were clones played by one actor: Tatiana Maslany.
Each clone on Orphan Black, from obsessive Type-A housewife Alison to rebellious con woman Sarah, had very distinct looks, personalities, and mannerisms. And while there were other core characters on the series, both male and female, Maslany's many clones were at its heart.
Golden Girls (1985-1992)
Golden Girls was not only all about four women at a time when few shows had heavily female casts, but all of them were elderly women living together in a retirement community. Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose were all in their 50s and 60s, living together with Dorothy's mother, Sophia.
Their interactions with one another, and distinct personalities, were all that was needed to make this sitcom shine— but the series was also very progressive and tackled many sensitive topics that would be controversial even today.
GLOW (2018-Present)
Preparing for its fourth and final season, this comedy-drama focuses on syndicated women's professional wrestling in the '80s, known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling— or GLOW.
The show is a dramatized look at the real-life league that helped bring women into the world of wrestling, making their own way in a traditionally male-dominated sport— and one that, when it did feature women, it was typically for eye candy and nothing more.
Grace And Frankie (2015-Present)
This comedy, which will end after its upcoming seventh season, showcases two older women, played by legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Despite their differences, the women must lean on one another when they learn their husbands have been in a secret romantic relationship with each other for decades.
Grace and Frankie is raw, emotional, and downright hilarious. Sure, men are part of the cast, too, but what the show is truly about are the titular women and their emotional journey.
The Handmaid's Tale (2017-Present)
The ladies of The Handmaid's Tale aren't exactly depicted in the greatest light. They range from subservient handmaids forced to bear children for wealthy commanders, to the barren wives of commanders. There's also the terrifying Aunt Lydia who is in charge of all of the handmaids and rules with cruelty and intimidation.
But the series as a whole, based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, is about these women fighting in an unfair and misogynistic dystopian world.
Broad City (2014-2019)
The entire series was focused on two main female characters played by Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, and portrayed a fictionalized version of their real-life friendship and attempt to make it big in New York.
Broad City is considered one of the best TV series of the 2010s, an accomplishment for these two young, strong, independent women who not only starred in the series based on their lives but also created and produced it.
Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)
Considering it's based around a women's prison, it's no surprise that the majority of the main characters on Orange is the New Black are women. Not only that, but they range in age, body type, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and social standing.
The comedy-drama arguably displayed the most diverse cast of female leads ever in a television series, and the performances were equally as impressive as the characters themselves.