21 Highly Influential Female TV Characters

13. Agent 99 – Get Smart

Agent 99 was the damsel in distress of 1960s television. Relegated to a supporting role all to make the incompetent Maxwell Smart likeable to television audiences. She was glamorous and attractive, and while producers didn’t want her to be funny, she was. 

14. Maude Findlay – Maude

Maude is best known as one of the first characters to have an abortion on prime-time television. She was unapologetically a feminist and a strong mother who wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs. Maude became a congresswoman at the end of series.

15. Polly Bergen – The Polly Bergen Show

Best known for her role in the original Cape Fear and Desperate Housewives, Polly Bergen was one of the very first women to have a variety show on NBC in 1957.

The show showcased singing, comedy acts, and interviews with actors such as Tallulah Bankhead. While the show was short-lived, it served as a template for future variety shows and brought Bergen and her lovely singing voice into 1000s of households every Saturday night.

16. Edith Bunker – All In The Family

Where to begin with Edith? Often seen as kooky and absentminded, Edith was kind, utterly non-judgmental and entirely dedicated to her husband, the voice of reason and often contributed a different point of view and opinion from that of her husband’s.

Only Jean Stapleton could bring this much depth to a character that easily could have been written off as a fool.

17. Claire Huxtable – The Cosby Show

Originally written to be a housewife, Claire Huxtable won the hearts of millions by not only being a killer lawyer but also a compassionate, hilarious, and headstrong mother to the Huxtable children on The Cosby Show.

18-21. Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia – The Golden Girls

There was never a more fabulous group of women on television than the Golden Girls. Each and every one of them brought a different viewpoint, experience, and insight to life. All of these women were role models and changed how older women are seen on television.

Which of these characters is your favorite, and who else would you add to our list? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this article with a friend!