The Best Feminist TV Shows That You Need To Watch ASAP (Women’s Day Special) 

Feminist TV shows have been on our priority list for just too long. Moreover, whether it is a fictional story or a true one, these TV shows have never failed to inspire us with their celebration of female voices and characters on-screen.  

With International Women’s Day around the corner, it was only natural to do what we have been thinking of doing for a while now – to list the best female-led television shows for empowering women everywhere. 

Whether it is an uplifting story of powerful female friendships (think Bold Type) or strong women who put up an even stronger fight against patriarchy (of course, The Handmaid’s Tale), there are so many great feminist TV shows out there.  

Moreover, only recently, we sat down to round up the best feminist films of all time, and now we have a movie marathon planned for the weekend! So, it was about time we came up with a similar edit for TV shows as well.  

What a fantastic idea, considering we are spoilt for choice – a movie marathon with the ladies or a solo binge-watch weekend? Only time will tell – for now, Gossipment presents the best feminist best tv show of all time.  

The Best Feminist TV Shows That You Need To Watch ASAP (Women’s Day Special)

There is literally no bad time to begin watching a feminist TV show – it doesn’t have to be about Women’s History Month. Supporting as well as uplifting women in different aspects of their lives is essential and even long overdue.  

Over the last few years, the dark history of power abuse and inequality that women are subjected to has been exposed in films and television shows. Moreover, creating women-centric stories with independent, strong women at the center is so important.  

Women everywhere have been raising their voices for decades now, but only recently people have begun to listen. While these shows are entertaining, it is vital to watch them to show support for feminist representation in the world of entertainment.  

As a result, we thought it was crucial to talk about the best feminist TV shows that you must watch ASAP! 

1. Big Little Lies (2017):

Big Little Lies is a limited HBO series about five mothers who live in Monterey, California. The tragic yet beautiful story talks about five women putting on a happy face for the world, with each fighting their own battles – from murder, fraud, and tarnished relationships to sexual assault, affairs, and domestic abuse. 

Even while their worlds are falling apart, these women depend on each other for getting through difficult periods. Moreover, the show’s stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley are responsible for its huge success.  

Apart from the cast, the show does tell a great story. Additionally, the chemistry and connection between the cast are so good that you will fall for the characters. Gossipment recommends Big Little Lies as a must-watch for everyone. 

IMDB Summary: “The apparently-perfect lives of upper-class mothers of students at a prestigious elementary school unravel to the point of murder when a single mother moves to their quaint California beach town.” 

2. The Queen’s Gambit (2020):

You should watch The Queen’s Gambit for Anya Taylor-Joy’s incredibly powerful performance. In addition to The Queen’s Gambit, the talented actor has also delivered memorable performances in The Northman, Emma, Split, The Witch, Last Night in Soho, and The Menu.  

In the show, Taylor-Joy plays the character of Beth Harmon, a chess-playing prodigy who was trying to become the best chess player of all time during the Cold War.  

Her sheer addiction to chess attracts her consistently to frustrating and intense situations that she cannot seem ever to escape. In fact, this Netflix Original made it to our lives first in 2020 and has received plenty of critical acclaim since then.  

IMDB Summary: “Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.” 

3. Ginny And Georgia (2021):

Ginny and Georgia is a Netflix Original starring Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey as the leading ladies of the show. The actors (Howey and Gentry) play a mother-daughter duo, Ginny and Georgia, who decide to move to a Massachusetts small town for a fresh start after Georgia’s husband dies.  

The dramedy also features a third character in the Ginny and Georgia clan – Georgia’s son Austin (Diesel La Torraca). While the second season dropped in January 2023, much to the delight of fans, the streaming giant has renewed the show for a third and fourth season. As per our research, the fourth season is also going to be the show’s final season.  

IMDB Summary: “Ginny Miller, an angsty fifteen-year-old, often feels more mature than her thirty-year-old mother, the irresistible and dynamic Georgia Miller.” 

4. Sex And The City (1998):

Carrie Bradshaw is undoubtedly one of television’s most iconic characters, best known for her exciting lifestyle, incredible clothes, and simple ability to live her dream life in NYC with her best friends.  

Throughout the whole show, Carrie and her three best friends – Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte – discover life’s highs and lows. In fact, the show does a fantastic job of showing what it means to be a single woman living her life in Manhattan.  

Moreover, while all four characters have a dream life that is different from one another, they act as incredible support systems for each other.  

Also, much like Big Little Lies, it is the chemistry between Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, and Kim Cattrall that is responsible for the show’s massive success.  

IMDB Summary: “Four female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the late 1990s.” 

5. Gilmore Girls (2000):

We cannot have a list featuring the best feminist TV shows of all time and forget about Gilmore Girls. The show is an absolute fan-favorite that highlights the relationship between a mother-daughter duo, Rory and Lorelai Gilmore.  

So, the show chronicles how the two worlds work hard to build successful and, most importantly, happy lives for themselves. Set against the backdrop of Storybook, Connecticut, the two deal with multiple personalities and interact with different characters frequently.  

In fact, it almost always feels like a struggle for Lorelai to gain approval from her rich parents while Rory struggles with high school, eventually ending up at the prestigious Yale University.  

Moreover, the two characters are smart, strong, and super independent. As a result, the show owes its massive success to the two strong characters and their unbeatable chemistry.  

IMDB Summary: “A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.” 

6. The Handmaid’s Tale (2017):

The Handmaid’s Tale is a Hulu Orginal starring Elisabeth Moss, who plays the role of the central protagonist, Offred. So the show first became popular when it dropped on Hulu for the first time in 2017. Since then, the show has gained plenty of critical acclaim, rising up the charts in no time.  

Moreover, with five successful seasons under its belt, the show has managed to bag 8 Primetime Emmy Awards, including the much-coveted Outstanding Drama Series.  

Additionally, this dystopian science fiction series is one of the best adaptations of the 1985 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, focusing on the desire and the need to control the fertility of women.  

IMDB Summary: “Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.” 

7. The Bold Type (2017):

Let’s begin with how we love The Bold Type!  

Nobody is literally sorry for the ambition of the ladies in The Bold Type! The story is about three work friends (played by Aisha Dee, Katie Stevens, and Meghann Fahy) trying to rise in the cutthroat publishing and journalism world.  

Moreover, the show also does a fabulous job of navigating real-world issues like new relationships, discrimination, and sexism and doing their best in a workplace that can instantly replace them. But amidst all these issues, the girls understand what is really important – the friendship they share.  

Also, special mention for Sutton Brady and her cute he-is-too-old-but-I-love-him romance with Richard Brady – so much better than Carrie and Big, though SATC is our favorite. 

IMDB Summary: “A glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of those responsible for a global women’s magazine.” 

8. Killing Eve (2018): 

After an intelligence agency recruits Eve (Sandra Oh), she comes across an assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer).  

While the mission is to actually kill her, the two ladies are strangely attracted to each other, with their inextricable entwinement taking the audience through thrill, humor, and a spine-tingling female character.  

Moreover, the show has four seasons, with each season featuring various female writers. From Emerald Fennel and Suzanne Heathcote to Waller-Bridge, it is no surprise that this cat-and-mouse drama is a definitive game changer.  

IMDB Summary: “After a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.” 

9. Fleabag (2016): 

If you still haven’t watched the Fleabag, then this is your sign to start watching the show. After all, it is one of the best feminist TV shows of all time.  

The show not only stars the talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge but is also written by the same genius. Perhaps the most accurate portrayal of a young British woman, Fleabag, is exactly like all of us – an ordinary woman who is a mess like most of us.  

She boomerangs back and forth from a boring but safe relationship. But ladies, there’s plenty of filthy sex and creative swearing – it’s glorious, literally!  

IMDB Summary: “Series adapted from the award-winning play about a young woman trying to cope with life in London whilst coming to terms with a recent tragedy.” 

10. Dynasty (2017): 

As hardcore fans of television, we rejoiced when the 80’s hit show Dynasty’s reboot dropped on Netflix. Fortunately for the makers of the reboot, the new spin on the old plot is anything but disappointing.  

Just like the original show, Dynasty centers around the rich and dysfunctional Carringtons, oil business moguls. To make matters more interesting, the Carringtons are in the middle of an ongoing feud with their rivals, Colbys.  

So, while the storyline and the root of Dynasty have stayed the same, this version is modern with much more diverse characters. For instance, Sammy Joe is a gay Hispanic man, and the Colbys are black. But nothing beats the star of the show – Fallon, Blake Carrington’s eldest daughter.  

While Fallon’s counterpart from the 80s was feisty and tough, the modern Fallon worries less about her messy romantic life and more about her father’s firm. Also, she is always in control – we love it! 

IMDB Summary: “Follows two of America’s wealthiest families as they feud for control over their fortune and their children.” 

11. How To Get Away With Murder? (2014)

Viola Davis is truly a tour de force IRL – and so is her role in the show. Professor Annalise Keating is a legal genius who gets involved in a murder.  

Moreover, Davis went on to win a Primetime Emmy, being an Outstanding Actress in Drama for her role. She was also the first black woman to win the award.  

While Annalise doesn’t appear to be a likable heroine, we would like to congratulate the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, for the same. Why should men get to play the anti-hero with multiple flaws?  

IMDB Summary: “A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.” 

And It’s A Wrap!

And it’s a wrap on the best feminist TV shows of all time! 

We can keep adding movies to this list – but when you make a list featuring too many options, it just fails to add value. After all, if we had featured 100 TV shows, then you would never have been able to make up your mind about which one to watch and which one to save for later! 

So, we decided to feature 11 TV shows – 11 shows that are empowering, inspiring, and, most importantly, talk about the universal truth. Who rules the world? GIRLS!