Compelling and/or Fun TV Shows with Female Leads
Titles range from drama, thriller, crime, comedy, horror, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, medical, & multigenre series to kids' programs, teen dramedies, animated shows, miniseries, & reality TV. Updated periodically. 3 pages.
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- CreatorOliver LansleyStarsAnna PaquinLydia WilsonRebecca BensonRobyn, an American publicist working for a cutthroat London PR company that represents troubled celebrities, is adept at keeping her clients' lives appearing in perfect order, while her own falls to pieces.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganA young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
- CreatorMarti NoxonStarsAmy AdamsPatricia ClarksonChris MessinaAfter treating her mental illness, crime reporter Camille Preaker returns to her hometown to solve the murder of two young girls. However, she is forced to face and deal with her own demons too.
- CreatorBrad IngelsbyStarsKate WinsletJulianne NicholsonJean SmartA detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.
- CreatorSam LevinsonStarsZendayaHunter SchaferJacob ElordiA look at life for a group of high school students as they grapple with issues of drugs, sex, and violence.
- CreatorAshley LyleBart NickersonStarsMelanie LynskeyTawny CypressSophie NélisseA wildly talented girls high school soccer team become the unlucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Canadian wilderness.
- StarsJenna ColemanEwen LeslieAsher KeddieA young woman crumbles after her baby disappears. Though the public is quick to place blame, the truth proves to be more complex.My jaw hit the floor every episode.
- CreatorScott FrankAllan ScottStarsAnya Taylor-JoyChloe PirrieBill CampOrphaned 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.
- CreatorTony PhelanJoan RaterStarsBel PowleyJoe ColeAmira CasarFollows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank's family from the Nazis for more than two years during World War II.
- CreatorPhoebe Waller-BridgeStarsJodie ComerSandra OhFiona ShawAfter a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.
- CreatorMichaela CoelStarsMichaela CoelWeruche OpiaPaapa EssieduThe question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation.
- CreatorJennifer Kaytin RobinsonStarsEliza BennettTaylor DeardenBrandon Mychal SmithHell-bent on bringing justice to those who get away with abuse on their college campus, Jules and Ophelia take on double lives as wannabe vigilantes.
- CreatorMelissa RosenbergStarsKrysten RitterRachael TaylorEka DarvilleFollowing the tragic end of her brief superhero career, Jessica Jones tries to rebuild her life as a private investigator, dealing with cases involving people with remarkable abilities in New York City.
- CreatorEliot LaurenceStarsNiecy NashCarrie PrestonJudy ReyesA look at the life and crimes of five women who work at a Florida nail salon.
- CreatorMiranda KwokStarsElodie YungMartha MillanSean LewA Cambodian-Filipino doctor comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her son but when the system fails she uses her cunning and intelligence to save her son.
- CreatorSteven CanalsBrad FalchukRyan MurphyStarsMichaela Jaé (MJ) RodriguezDominique JacksonIndya MooreIn the New York of the late '80s and early '90s, this is a story of ball culture and the gay and trans community, the raging AIDS crisis, and capitalism.More of an ensemble piece -- with gender-non-conforming and male leads as well -- but largely led by Mj Rodriguez and Dominique Jackson.
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsTaylor SchillingDanielle BrooksTaryn ManningConvicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
- CreatorIván EscobarEsther Martínez LobatoÁlex PinaStarsAlba FloresMaría Isabel Díaz LagoMarta AledoShe broke the law for the boss she fell in love with. Now this naive girl has to pay the price.
- CreatorAmy Sherman-PalladinoStarsRachel BrosnahanAlex BorsteinMichael ZegenAfter her husband leaves her, young mother of two Miriam "Midge" Maisel discovers that she has a talent for stand-up comedy. Could this be her calling?
- CreatorPhoebe Waller-BridgeStarsPhoebe Waller-BridgeSian CliffordOlivia ColmanSeries 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.
- CreatorBruce MillerStarsElisabeth MossYvonne StrahovskiAnn DowdSet in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsReese WitherspoonNicole KidmanShailene WoodleyThe 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.
- CreatorAlex GansaHoward GordonStarsClaire DanesMandy PatinkinDamian LewisA bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
- CreatorLiz TigelaarStarsReese WitherspoonKerry WashingtonRosemarie DeWittBased on Celeste Ng's 2017 bestseller, "Little Fires Everywhere" follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
- CreatorNick AntoscaMichelle DeanStarsPatricia ArquetteJoey KingAnnaSophia RobbDee Dee Blanchard is overprotective of her daughter, Gypsy, who is trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her mother. Gypsy's quest for independence opens up a Pandora's box of secrets, which ultimately leads to murder.
- CreatorPeter NowalkStarsViola DavisBilly BrownJack FalaheeA 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.
- CreatorShonda RhimesStarsKerry WashingtonDarby StanchfieldKatie LowesA former White House Communications Director starts her own crisis management firm only to realize her clients are not the only ones with secrets.
- CreatorBarbara HallStarsTéa LeoniTim DalyErich BergenA political drama which looks into the life of the Secretary of State as she tries to balance work with family.
- CreatorRod LurieStarsGeena DavisDonald SutherlandHarry LennixMacKenzie Allen becomes the first woman American president after she ascends to the job following the death of president Teddy Bridges.
- CreatorKen WoodruffStarsJennifer CarpenterMorris ChestnutRaza JaffreyFBI agent Will Keaton enlists the most notorious traitor in American history to help catch a spy.
- CreatorJoshua SafranStarsPriyanka Chopra JonasJake McLaughlinJohanna BraddyA look at the lives of young FBI recruits training at the Quantico base in Virginia when one of them is suspected of being a sleeper terrorist.
- CreatorTaylor SheridanStarsZoe SaldanaLaysla De OliveiraDave AnnableCIA operative Joe attempts to balance her personal and professional lives as the tip of the spear in the agency's war on terror.
- CreatorRob ThomasStarsKristen BellJason DohringEnrico ColantoniAfter her best friend is murdered, and her father is removed as county Sheriff, Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.
- CreatorLiz BrixiusEvan DunskyLinda WallemStarsEdie FalcoMerritt WeverPaul SchulzeA drug-addicted nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
- CreatorDiablo CodyStarsToni ColletteJohn CorbettRosemarie DeWittA woman struggles to find a balance between her dissociative identity disorder and raising a dysfunctional family.
- CreatorDarlene HuntStarsLaura LinneyOliver PlattGabriel BassoA suburban mother faces her cancer diagnosis while trying to find humor and happiness as well.
- CreatorBryan FullerStarsEllen MuthCallum BlueJasmine GuyAfter being hit on the head by a toilet seat that fell from Mir space station, a young temp clerk becomes a grim reaper in death.
- CreatorLiz FeldmanStarsChristina ApplegateLinda CardelliniSam McCarthyA series about a powerful friendship that blossoms between a tightly wound widow and a free spirit with a shocking secret.
- CreatorKit SteinkellnerStarsElizabeth OlsenKelly Marie TranJovan AdepoHer husband's sudden death upends and transforms relationships in Leigh Shaw's life and also forces her to realize how much she didn't know about him.
- CreatorNeil JordanStarsJulia StilesLena OlinDimitri LeonidasA woman discovers her family's lifestyle has been funded by blood and seeks to protect herself and her loved ones.Goes off the rails in season 2, imo, but the theme song is to die for.
- CreatorJulian FellowesStarsCarrie CoonMorgan SpectorLouisa JacobsonThe series follows the conflicts surrounding the new money Russell family and their old money neighbors, the van Rhijn family, in 1880s New York City high society.
- CreatorDaisy GoodwinStarsJenna ColemanAdrian SchillerTommy KnightThe early life of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18 to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert.
- CreatorPeter MorganStarsClaire FoyOlivia ColmanImelda StauntonFollows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
- CreatorD.C. MooreStarsJulianne MooreNicholas GalitzineTony CurranThe Countess of Buckingham who molded her son to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover, through intrigue, becoming richer, more titled and influential than England has ever seen.
- CreatorJames DuffStarsKyra SedgwickJ.K. SimmonsCorey ReynoldsDeputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style. Her innate ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city's toughest, most sensitive cases.
- CreatorJames DuffStarsMary McDonnellG.W. BaileyTony DenisonThe Closer (2005) spin-off series, which follows Captain Raydor of the Los Angeles Police Department.
- CreatorLiz HeldensStarsMeagan GoodLaz AlonsoTate DonovanA female detective returns undercover to the wealthy family she grew up in--as the maid's daughter, to solve the murder of the notorious heiress who was once her closest friend.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsCalista FlockhartGreg GermannJane KrakowskiFollows the personal and professional life of lawyer Ally.
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsMary-Louise ParkerHunter ParrishAlexander GouldWhen a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.
- CreatorTina FeyStarsTina FeyAlec BaldwinTracy MorganLiz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.
- CreatorGreg DanielsMichael SchurStarsAmy PoehlerJim O'HeirNick OffermanThe absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
- CreatorArmando IannucciStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusTony HaleAnna ChlumskyFormer Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.
- CreatorAaron CooleyStarsViola DavisMichelle PfeifferGillian AndersonIn the East Wing of the White House, many of history's most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America's charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.
- CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingStarsJulianna MarguliesChris NothJosh CharlesAlicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.
- CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingPhil Alden RobinsonStarsChristine BaranskiSarah SteeleNyambi NyambiWhen Diane Lockhart's life savings are lost, she must start from scratch at a new firm.
- CreatorGlenn KesslerTodd A. KesslerDaniel ZelmanStarsGlenn CloseRose ByrneTate DonovanA law school graduate becomes the protégée of a successful high-stakes litigator.
- CreatorGreg SpottiswoodStarsSimone MissickWilson BethelJessica CamachoA look at the personal and professional lives of the judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs and cops who work at an L.A. County courthouse.
- CreatorDiane EnglishStarsCandice BergenGrant ShaudRobert PastorelliThe personal and professional misadventures of an opinionated but beloved woman working as a television journalist.The reboot was pretty good too.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksAllan BurnsStarsMary Tyler MooreEdward AsnerGavin MacLeodThe lives and trials of a young single woman and her friends, both at work and at home.
- CreatorSusan HarrisStarsBea ArthurBetty WhiteRue McClanahanFour previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.
- CreatorHal KanterStarsDiahann CarrollLloyd NolanMarc CopageJulia Baker is a young African-American woman working as a nurse. She is also a widow (her husband died in Vietnam) trying to raise a young son alone.
- CreatorRobert GetchellStarsLinda LavinVic TaybackBeth HowlandThe misadventures and trials of an aspiring singer and her co-workers at a greasy-spoon diner.
- CreatorNorman LearStarsBea ArthurBill MacyConrad Bain"All In The Family" spin-off centered around Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay, a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, New York.
- CreatorChuck LorreStarsCybill ShepherdChristine BaranskiAlicia WittA struggling, middle-aged actress attempts to make a career for herself, all while surrounded by her hard-drinking best friend Maryann, her two former husbands, and her two daughters.
- CreatorCarol BlackNeal MarlensDavid S. RosenthalStarsEllen DeGeneresDavid Anthony HigginsJoely FisherEllen Morgan is a neurotic bookstore owner who deals with life through comedy and extensive rambling.
- CreatorAllison M. GibsonStarsReba McEntireJoAnna Garcia SwisherSteve HoweyReba McEntire stars as the titular character in this smash sitcom about a single mom of three, navigating life in a Houston suburb.
- CreatorMeg DeLoatchStarsEveJason GeorgeAli Landry MonteverdeFollows Shelly and her group of friends as they experience life's highs and lows.
- CreatorAwkwafinaTeresa HsiaoStarsAwkwafinaLori Tan ChinnBD WongWith help from her dad and grandmother, Nora Lum navigates young adulthood in Flushing, New York with her cousin.
- CreatorFran DrescherPrudence FraserPeter Marc JacobsonStarsFran DrescherCharles ShaughnessyDaniel DavisAfter being fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend, a cosmetics saleswoman becomes the nanny to the three children of a rich English widower. As time passes, the two fall for each other.
- CreatorMara Brock AkilStarsTracee Ellis RossGolden BrooksPersia WhiteA look at the lives, loves, and losses of four different women, Toni, Maya, Lynn, and Joan.
- CreatorYvette Lee BowserStarsQueen LatifahKim ColesErika AlexanderFollows the lives of several single male and female roommates and friends in 1990s Brooklyn, New York.
- CreatorGloria Calderón KellettMike RoyceStarsJustina MachadoTodd GrinnellIsabella GomezFollows three generations of the same Cuban-American family living in the same house: a newly divorced former military mother, her teenage daughter and tween son, and her old-school mother.
- CreatorLang FisherMindy KalingStarsMaitreyi RamakrishnanPoorna JagannathanDarren BarnetThe complicated life of a first-generation Indian-American teenage girl, inspired by Mindy Kaling's own childhood.
- StarsMichaela CoelDanielle WaltersRobert LonsdaleThe life of Tracey and the mishaps of her neighbourhood, friends and family, and of course, her boyfriend.
- CreatorNida ManzoorStarsLucie ShorthouseAnjana VasanSarah Kameela ImpeyA look at the highs and lows of the band members that make up a Muslim female punk band, Lady Parts, as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussein, a geeky PhD student who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist.
- CreatorWhitney CummingsMichael Patrick KingStarsKat DenningsBeth BehrsGarrett MorrisTwo young women waitressing at a greasy spoon diner strike up an unlikely friendship in the hopes of launching a successful business - if only they can raise the cash.
- CreatorEmily KapnekStarsKaren GillanJohn ChoAllyn RachelAfter being the subject of an embarrassing viral video, a self-involved 20-something enlists the help of a marketing expert to revamp her image in the real world.
- CreatorKenya BarrisTracee Ellis RossPeter SajiStarsTika SumpterMark-Paul GosselaarChristina AnthonyFollows Bow's parents, Paul and Alicia, who are forced to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family after the dissolution of their cult.If you enjoy Black-ish, you'll likely enjoy this spinoff as well. I really appreciate it as a biracial woman myself.
- CreatorJeffrey KlarikStarsEssence AtkinsRachel TrueChico BenymonMona and Dee Dee are half-sisters with the same father who didn't really know each other when they were little and are complete opposites, but as adults they live in the same apartment building and at least try to bond.
- CreatorKim BassGary GilbertFred ShaffermanStarsTia MowryTamera Mowry-HousleyJackée HarryTia Landry and Tamera Campbell are twins separated at birth who learn of each other's existence and come together as teenagers.
- CreatorAnnie WeismanStarsBrittany SnowTimothy HuttonMegalyn EchikunwokeA woman who grew up as an only child discovers that her dad fathered many other children as a sperm donor.
- CreatorLee DanielsTom DonaghyStarsJude DemorestBrittany O'GradyRyan DestinyA trio of women form a musical group in Atlanta.
- CreatorLiz FlahiveCarly MenschStarsAlison BrieMarc MaronBetty GilpinA look at the personal and professional lives of a group of women who perform for a wrestling organization in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
- CreatorDan FogelmanRick SingerStarsKylie BunburyMark-Paul GosselaarMark ConsuelosA young pitcher becomes the first woman to play in the Major Leagues.
- CreatorSarah WatsonStarsKatie StevensAisha DeeMeghann FahyA glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of those responsible for a global women's magazine.
- CreatorMarti NoxonSarah Gertrude ShapiroStarsShiri ApplebyCraig BierkoJeffrey Bowyer-ChapmanA behind-the-scenes look at the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program.
- CreatorLucia AnielloPaul W. DownsJen StatskyStarsJean SmartHannah EinbinderCarl Clemons-HopkinsExplores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old.
- CreatorMichele AbbottIlene ChaikenKathy GreenbergStarsJennifer BealsLeisha HaileyLaurel HollomanFollows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbian women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.
- CreatorPamela AdlonLouis C.K.StarsPamela AdlonMikey MadisonHannah RileyAn actress raises her three daughters while juggling the pressures of working in Hollywood and being a single parent.
- CreatorMindy KalingStarsMindy KalingIke BarinholtzEd WeeksA young Ob/Gyn doctor balances her personal and professional life, surrounded by quirky co-workers in a small office.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsSutton FosterHilary DuffDebi MazarAfter being mistaken for younger than she really is, a single mother decides to take the chance to reboot her career and her love life as a 26-year old.
- CreatorIssa RaeLarry WilmoreStarsIssa RaeYvonne OrjiJay EllisFollows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.
- CreatorSam BoydStarsAnna KendrickZoë ChaoPeter VackAnna Kendrick stars in a fresh take on a romantic comedy anthology series about the journey from first love to lastingSeason 1 stars Anna Kendrick.
- CreatorJustin SpitzerStarsBen FeldmanLauren AshColton DunnA look at the lives of employees at a big box store.More of an ensemble piece but seasons 1-5 are arguably led by executive producer America Ferrera.
- CreatorMichael SchurStarsKristen BellWilliam Jackson HarperJameela JamilFour people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.
- CreatorNahnatchka KhanStarsKrysten RitterDreama WalkerMichael BlaiklockChloe is a New York party girl with the morals of a pirate. She causes trouble for her best friend James Van Der Beek and her naive small-town roommate June.
- CreatorValerie ArmstrongStarsAnnie MurphyRaymond LeeEric PetersenA look at the secret life of a sitcom wife.
- CreatorGemma BakerEddie GorodetskyChuck LorreStarsAllison JanneyAnna FarisMimi KennedyA newly sober single mom tries to pull her life together in Napa Valley while dealing with her wayward mother.
- CreatorDick ClairJenna McMahonStarsVicki LawrenceBeverly ArcherKen BerryMama's Family originated with Thelma "Mama" Harper, and her younger sister Fran living together in Mama's house.
- CreatorLowell GanzGarry MarshallMark RothmanStarsPenny MarshallCindy WilliamsDavid L. LanderThe misadventures of two single women in the 1950s and '60s.