# Old TV shows featuring strong independent women **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [May 5, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442 "2021-05-05T15:56:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/1 "2021-05-05T15:56:05Z")
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. What else? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/2 "2021-05-05T15:59:18Z")
Kate & Allie - 80s sitcom about two divorced mothers ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/3 "2021-05-05T16:02:23Z")
Alice Julia [Julia (American TV series) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_(American_TV_series)) ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/4 "2021-05-05T16:02:58Z")
One Day at a Time. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/5 "2021-05-05T16:03:52Z")
“Diana” from 1973, starring Diana Rigg. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/6 "2021-05-05T16:08:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/7 "2021-05-05T16:09:07Z")
Murphy Brown Bewitched Designing Women Wonder Woman The Bionic Woman Alice ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/8 "2021-05-05T16:13:32Z")
“Get Christie Love” from the 1974-1975 season, featuring the lovely Teresa Graves as a sexy black police detective. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/9 "2021-05-05T16:14:44Z")
“Police Woman” starring Angie Dickinson lasted from 1974 to 1978. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/10 "2021-05-05T16:16:18Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > “Police Woman” starring Angie Dickinson lasted from 1974 to 1978. - In the OP. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/11 "2021-05-05T16:25:59Z")
[The Faye Emerson Show.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042102/) 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. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/12 "2021-05-05T16:30:09Z")
Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/13 "2021-05-05T16:37:13Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Bewitched You mean Endora? I wouldn’t think Sam was a good example. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/14 "2021-05-05T16:40:30Z")
The lady detectives in “Barney Miller”. I’d like to see more of Wentworth but Linda Lavin, of course, left for “Alice”. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/15 "2021-05-05T16:42:16Z")
Based on what I remember, Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless were pretty strong and independent in “Cagney and Lacey”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/16 "2021-05-05T16:55:18Z")
Another early late night example was Virginia Ruth “Jennie” Lewis, known by her stage name [‘Dagmar’](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagmar_(American_actress)). 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. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/17 "2021-05-05T17:04:26Z")
Barbara Stanwyck in, “The Big Valley”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/18 "2021-05-05T17:11:27Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/19 "2021-05-05T17:17:16Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442/20 "2021-05-05T17:17:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > An anonymous mention in IMDb trivia says: > “This was the only western to be built around a strong, female lead character.” Until “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”, anyway. Which falls just short of the OP’s 30 year requirement. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-tv-shows-featuring-strong-independent-women/941442.md?page=2)