My wife and I were trying to think of older TV shows that centered on strong independent women. For purposes of this thread, I will define “old” as at least 30 years old.
Maude.
Rhoda.
The Golden Girls.
Police Woman.
Victoria Barkley (Barbara Stanwyck) from Big Valley. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. I don’t know if it centered on her or if it was more about the boys. It seems like it was more about the boys.
We agreed that “The Mary Tyler Moore” show wouldn’t qualify because Lou Grant (Ed Asner) played the dominating character.
The Lucy Show and the Carol Burnette Show come to mind. While comedy and portraying wacky characters they actually ran the show themselves and were role models for strong women in the entertainment industry.
I would include Mary Tyler Moore show as well for the same reason.
She started with a 15 minute daytime talk show in 1949 and then the show was moved to 11PM. She was noted for standing up for her rights as a women. Faye continued on television in the 50s and 60s in various talk formats and as an actress.
I ran across this name for only the second time Sunday night on CNN’s show on the history of late night television. The previous time was in the mid-70s I think from a TV Guide article.
Another early late night example was Virginia Ruth “Jennie” Lewis, known by her stage name ‘Dagmar’. She started on a late night TV show to play a dumb blond side kick but before long her quick wit made her the star of the show.
The OP may have been looking for fictional TV programs but I mention this one and Faye Emerson because it surprises me that after I have lived through the age of women’s rights there has been almost no mention of these television pioneers. Betty White was among that group too and if she hadn’t flat out refused to die to she’d probably be ignored as well.
That is a good one. I’m sure she was chosen based on her many roles in movies playing strong independent women. And she did it well, she was a physically small woman but she had no trouble with credibility when standing up to a long list of heavies in the show.
An anonymous mention in IMDb trivia says:
“This was the only western to be built around a strong, female lead character.”
She was certainly a strong character, and important to the show, but I’m not sure it was really centered on her. It’s been a very long time since I watched it, but I remember it as being mostly about the adventures of her sons, with her as more of a supporting character. (Also, was mentioned in the OP).