40 binge-worthy TV shows: Watch them all right now because who needs sleep
By Sundi Rose
Photo: CBS
Maude – YouTube
There are ordinary sitcoms about ordinary women … and then there’s Maude. The formidable Bea Arthur plays the title character in this show about a middle class liberal woman living in the suburbs. This is probably the most feminist show in the history of television.
And it’s really, really funny. Maude, on her fourth husband, lives with her divorced daughter Carol and her adolescent son. Maude was politically outspoken in her life, and often clashed with the other characters on the show. She wouldn’t be shushed or diminished, and she was often the loudest voice in the room.
Maude was another show that was far ahead of its time. She even had an abortion during the show’s run. This was unheard of during this time in American television history. Maude also launched another show on the list, Good Times. Maude employed Florida Evans as a domestic work she felt she had to “liberate.”
Critics had the hardest time with this side of the show. She could sometimes go too far, and she often shrugged off the intersectional aspects of feminism. She took on a lot of social issues, and the show was known for its balance of politics and humor.
Starring: Bea Arthur, Adrienne Barbeau, Rue McClanahan, Esther Rolle