The 100 and 9 TV shows with strong women

March is Women's History Month, which honors the women who paved the way to groundbreaking changes and revolutionized the world for a brighter future. They're doctors, leaders, mothers, advocates, journalists, rulers, and many more. Without their sacrifices and dedication, society as we know it would crumble.

Like real-life women in history, fictional solid women in TV shows set the tone for saving humanity and advocating for what's right. Because of this, we become engrossed in their characters and look up to them as role models, shaping them into our own lives.

To celebrate the strong women in television, we've compiled ten shows featuring women who forever changed the industry and became the leaders they rightly deserve.

10 TV shows with strong women

The 100 (The CW 2014-2020)

The 100 unlocked several firsts in network TV and created a hardcore fanbase that's still alive today. The series wasn't meant to be black and white or a cookie-cutter look at post-nuclear dystopia. It reflected several perspectives of a broken world and gained insight into the questions of humanity. The moral compass was constantly spinning, not knowing where it would stop, but one thing is for sure: there's always an outcome. How that outcome was solved impacted humanity.

The series was told through the vision of Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor), who literally held the world and the survival of her people (and others) on her shoulders. While not perfect, Clarke tried to push for righteousness despite being flawed along the journey. Perhaps her four guiding stars were her best friend, Bellamy Blake (Bob Morley), her mother, Abby (Paige Turco), her adopted daughter Madi (Lola Flanery), and her love, Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), all of whom that she lost, but not forgotten.

As for those firsts, Clarke was the first bisexual lead in network TV that carved paths for future LGBTQ representation in media. The 100 additionally depicted realistic disabled characters that offered so much more than their challenges, a rare gem to have in media, and a light for the Disabled Community. As for the women, they ruled with strength and purpose, but possessed humility.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman ( CBS 1993-1999)

Dr. Quinn outlines the trials and triumphs of a woman doctor in the Old West in the post-Civil War era. The lead, Dr. Michaela Quinn (Jane Seymour), relocates from her hometown of Boston to Colorado Springs when a doctor is greatly needed in the established town. When the residents discover Dr. Quinn is a woman and not a man, they're hesitant regarding her expertise, but over time, she becomes a viable asset to the town.

Dr. Quinn further explored societal and humane subjects of the 1800s, including racism, economic structures, colonialism, women's rights, and medical practices. For the latter, the procedures used in the show were accurate for the period, but the survival rates following them were not. It wasn't until the early half of the 20th century that there were better recovery methods, but as this is TV, some material had to be embellished.

The drama could teach us that women are still undermined by their male counterparts, an antiquated ideal that must be extinguished. Utilizing our mental prowess, determination, and instinctive leadership drives, we can prove the world wrong and become who we're meant to be.

Quantum Leap (NBC 2022-present)

Quantum Leap shone a light on women scientists and mathematicians while giving them a personal connection. In season two, Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) met and fell in love with Hannah Carson (Eliza Taylor), who held the key to guiding him home. Together, they embarked on some incredible historical adventures, alternating them for the better.

Outside the Ben and Hannah equation, QL allowed their female characters to be fierce and serve as a significant narrative component without sacrificing their core beliefs.

The Simpsons (Fox 1989-present)

Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner) isn't credited enough, and that's a problem. She must have a Saint's soul to put up with her husband Homer's (Dan Castellaneta) insidious acts and her kids' constant rivalries. Plus, running a home while Homer's off to Moe's is no easy feat, but in total Simpson-style, Marge does it with the long-running series' trademark humor.

But there's a relatable side to Marge as she takes the time to relax and dwell in her passions, including art, writing a novel, or standing up to Mr. Burns (Henry Shearer) when he commited sexism towards her when she was under his employment. It's the traits such as these that make Marge whole.

Living Single (Fox 1993-1998)

Before there was NBC's Friends, a Fox sitcom starring an all-Black cast took place. Titled Living Single, the series revolved around five friends living in a Brooklyn Brownstone in the 90's. For the Black Community, in particular, Living Single was a stepping stone for representation and defying stereotypes. It offered a glimpse of professional Gen-X women with lucrative careers while living everyday lives outside their respective jobs.

Queen Latifah brought life into her role as Khadijah James, the Editor-In-Chief of her urban magazine while delivering an essence of personal glory. Joining her is Maxine Shaw (Erika Alexander), a high-powered attorney with strong feminist values; cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles), an aspiring actress and comedian; and best friend Regine Hunter (Kim Fields), a husband hunter but a successful businesswoman in her own right.

The Waltons (CBS 1972-1981)

The Waltons was another great show that featured strong female characters with an integral purpose. Set back-to-back during two of America's crucial historical periods- The Great Depression and World War II- a writer named John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) documents his upbringing living in the rural mountains in Virginia. He credits his mother, Olivia (Michael Learned), and grandmother, Esther (Ellen Corby), as "pillars of strength" of his large family and keeping everything in order.

For the three sisters, Mary-Ellen (Judy Norton Taylor), Erin (Mary Beth McDonough), and Elizabeth (Kami Coulter), each have a substantial career in their adulthood. Mary Ellen became a doctor, Erin became a pioneer of women's rights, and Elizabeth followed her dream to be a school teacher.

Maude (CBS 1972-1978)

Maude was one of the first shows to showcase a turning point for women's liberation and an evolving society. A spin-off of the late Norman Lear's 1971 sitcom, All In The Family, Maude starred Bea Arthur as the titular character, Maude Findlay, a liberal Democrat with a sharp wit and an advocate for human rights.

While it was a sitcom, Maude raised awareness of topics such as abortion, alcoholism, and civil rights. Like her character, Arthur strongly believed in advocation, so the audience witnessed her natural charm through Maude.

The Golden Girls ( NBC 1985-1992)

Like Maude, The Golden Girls advocated for women's liberation and societal reforms through the lens of four golden-aged women sharing a house in Miami. While topics such as LGBTQ, interracial marriage, and immigration were discussed, Betty White (Rose Nyland), Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak), Rue McClanahan (Blanche Devereaux), and Estelle Getty's (Sophia Petrillo) wits brought humor to the discussions to lift some of the tension from the subjects.

What's more, Golden Girls allowed its older audiences to feel confident and good about themselves, regardless of age and gender. For newer audiences, the sitcom gives a glimpse into the early age of media using productions to establish an important value.

I Love Lucy (CBS 1951-1956)

It goes without saying, "Without Lucy, there'll be no TV." Such is the truth because Lucille Ball was the first woman to conceptualize a TV show about a scheming 1950s housewife and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz. When I Love Lucy was initially pitched to CBS, studio executives rejected it because it centered around an interracial couple (Arnaz was Cuban), which was taboo in post-war America but has been going on for centuries.

To prove that I Love Lucy would be a ratings smash, Lucy and Desi took their show on the road. It became so successful that CBS greenlit the series. From 1951 to 1960, Lucy was the Queen of TV and brought the television media to exponential proportions.

Episodes such as "Job Switching" and "Lucy's Having A Baby" introduced females in the workforce and birth. For the latter, Lucy's second child and son, Desi Arnaz Jr., was born on the same date as her TV baby, Little Ricky, on January 19th, 1953.

Ghosts (CBS 2022-present)

Ghosts gave us historical insight into the spirits who inhabit Woodstone Manor. Each one, ranging from the Revolutionary War to the Y2K eras, had a colorful past, as they were significant individuals of their times. Because of this, we connected with their characters, giving us an idea of what happened then in their own visions.

The women Ghosts embodied female history in their own right. Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) came from the Gilded Age when suffrage was at its peak, and women were lowered to be the servants of men. Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) hailed from the 1920s Prohibition era. The decade gave women the right to vote and find their independence after being curtained for many years. Flower (Sheila Carrasco) was a hippie in the '60s, another intense period for liberation and solidarity.

Through the life reflections and stories of these woman characters, we're scoping tinto their perspectives. By doing so, we can learn something ourselves or make our lives better.