Poll: Trailblazing TV Female Characters

Results of 220 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek (1966)

    

   NYOTA UHURA (Nichelle Nichols) from "Star Trek": first African-American woman in a leading position, playing an officer aboard the Enterprise, also contributed to a defining moment for Blac…
2. 2.
   

   Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy (1951)

    

   LUCY RICARDO (Lucille Ball) from "I Love Lucy": first American TV female icon who built her popularity on many re-runs, a character that proved that women could be funny, that women over 40 …
3. 3.
   

   Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)

    

   LISA SIMPSON (Yeardley Smith) from "The Simpsons": Why? because if there had to be an animated character, it had to be Lisa. Because she's perhaps the best role model to many young girls tea…
4. 4.
   

   Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

    

   BUFFY SUMMERS (Sarah Michelle Gellar) from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": first heroine who subverted the damsel-in-distress trope with her warrior persona and super fighting skills, paving the…
5. 5.
   

   Donna Reed in The Donna Reed Show (1958)

    

   DONNA STONE (Donna Reed) from "The Donna Reed Show":first TV mother to be the prime focus of the show.
6. 6.
   

   "Mary Tyler Moore Show, The" Mary Tyler Moore 1970 CBS

    

   MARY RICHARDS (Mary Tyler Moore) from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show": a continuation of That Girl", the heroine went further by pioneering all these upper-class sophisticated and high-spir…
7. 7.
   

   Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman (1975)

    

   DIANA PRINCE/ WONDER WOMAN (Lynda Carter) from "Wonder Woman":first empowered TV female lead.
8. 8.
   

   Sandra Oh in Killing Eve (2018)

    

   EVE POLASTRI (Sandra Oh) from "Killing Eve":first TV role earning an actress of Asian descent an Emmy nomination in a leading category.
9. 9.
   

   Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City (1998)

    

   SAMANTHA JONES (Kim Cattrall) from "Sex and the City":first female lead whose trademark is a sexual appetite generally seen on male characters.
10. 10.
    

    "The Cosby Show" Phylicia Rashad

     

    CLAIR HUXTABLE (Phylicia Rashad) from "The Cosby Show": maybe the ultimate sitcom mom in the way she could balance work and family life while criticizing traditional gender roles through som…
11. 11.
    

    America Ferrera in Ugly Betty (2006)

     

    BETTY SUAREZ (America Ferrara) from "Ugly Betty":first female lead of Latin-American background, and also first protagonist who's not exactly conventionally attractive.
12. 12.
    

    Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who (2005)

     

    The 13th DOCTOR WHO (Jodie Whittaker) from "Doctor Who": first female incarnation of the iconic Time Lord
13. 13.
    

    Marlo Thomas in That Girl (1966)

     

    ANN MARIE (Mario Thomas) from "That Girl": first sitcom heroine remaining single for the entire show, living on her own, inspiring young women that marriage isn't a finality and there are ot…
14. 14.
    

    Diahann Carroll in Julia (1968)

     

    JULIA BAKER (Diahann Carroll) from "Julia": first African-American series lead who wasn't a servant or a maid and even more noteworthy, the first to earn an Emmy nomination for a Black actre…
15. 15.
    

    Ellen DeGeneres in Ellen (1994)

     

    ELLEN MORGAN (Ellen DeGeneres) from "Ellen": first main character to come out as gay.
16. 16.
    

    Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black (2013)

     

    SOPHIA BURSET (Laverne Cox) from "Orange is the New Black": first significant role that allowed a trans person to be nominated for an Emmy
17. 17.
    

    Bea Arthur in Maude (1972)

     

    MAUDE (Bea Arthur) from "Maude":first female character shown contemplating abortion.
18. 18.
    

    Patty Duke in The Patty Duke Show (1963)

     

    PATTY LANE (Patty Duke) from "The Patty Duke Show":first young actress (under 18) to headline her own TV show.