8 Empowering TV Shows Made With, For, and by Strong Women

While the tradition of celebrating and remembering all the women who fought for the rights we have today in March is great and needs to continue, women deserve to be in the spotlight year-round.

Luckily, with so many talented women in the entertainment industry, TV shows and movies about women and created specifically for women just keep coming. Here are 8 TV shows produced by female professionals with female audiences in mind that deserve your attention the most.

Killing Eve ( 2018-2022)

Although the show is based on a book by British journalist and author Luke Jennings, it has become widely known and beloved for the performance and chemistry of two of its leads, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer.

While the finale of the series is controversial, the entire first season, written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, can be considered a miniseries masterpiece, so if you're too afraid to be disappointed, you can always stop there.

Fleabag ( 2016-2019)

Speaking of Waller-Bridge, it would have been impossible to make a list like this and not include Fleabag. Brutally honest and utterly unlikable, Fleabag opens up a can of worms that isn't usually exposed when creating a female lead on television. And that is exactly what makes her so fascinating as a character and the show itself so relatable.

Plus, you don't need an excuse to see Andrew Scott as a hot priest. That too is part of the empowerment.

GLOW (2017-2019)

Physically strong women are another category of character that is sorely lacking on television, even in 2024. While there are plenty of meek and gentle ladies, there are also plenty of girls who can fight, and they deserve some characters like them.

GLOW, a show that explores the complexity of the physical and artistic effort that goes into professional wrestling, covers the bases perfectly. The journey of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling team is fun, emotional and extremely engaging, leaving viewers wanting more.

Big Little Lies (2017-...)

Based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, this show features an all-star cast of A-list celebrities. Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz portray 5 women who become embroiled in a twisted and dangerous murder investigation.

Devastating and downright scary at times, this HBO show is also full of dark humor and never lets the viewer out of its grip for a second.

Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)

To say this show revolutionized television would be an understatement. Risky and daring, the women's prison story created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix has been on everyone's minds since its inception.

For years, female characters weren't allowed to be dark, antagonistic, and morally complex, and all uncomfortable topics were silenced. Orange Is the New Black put everything into perspective and let viewers into the wild world of women behind bars.

Minx (2022-2023)

Following Joyce Prigger, a young and driven woman in 1970s Los Angeles, Minx tells the story behind the creation of the first erotic magazine to feature nude men, not women. Created and written by Ellen Rapoport, the series is lighthearted and fun, but follows a very important narrative.

The fight Joyse took to make the change is exactly why the show is worth watching, even though it was canceled after only two seasons.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-...)

The premise of the show is the idea of a dystopian world where women lose authority over their own bodies and become reproductive tools to increase the birthrate.

Based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, it still hits very close to home for many women who grew up with similar beliefs, and shows exactly why such a regime would not only not work, but would be harmful to everyone. It is not an easy film to watch, but it is an important and enlightening one.

How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020)

Speaking of shows created by women, it would be a crime not to mention Shonda Rhimes. Known for a wide variety of projects, the producer continues to create shows that focus on women, and we love every single one of them.

Led by Viola Davis, who portrayed Annalise Keating, a prominent defense attorney, this crime drama managed to explore a whole host of important issues, from domestic violence to racism and discrimination. Not to mention its truly masterful mind-bending mystery.