Netflix shows with a female lead

Top 5 Shows on Netflix with a Female Lead

We have a plethora of guys that have taken over Netflix. TV show after TV show has another male protagonist that always saves the day and make all the ladies swoon. Don’t get me wrong, characters like The Doctor, Merlin, Sherlock, and Jon Snow are all absolutely fantastic! My only question is, where are all the female heroes? Surely us girls are capable of saving the day once in a while, right? Well I went on the search for the top 5 TV shows on Netflix with a female lead that kicks the damsel in distress stereotype right where it hurts!

5) Orange Is The New Black

Netflix shows with a female lead: orange is the new black
Netflix.com

The prison drama came out in 2013 and took the world by storm. It became a the number one TV show to binge watch basically over night. The show focuses on Piper Chapman, who is sent to prison for a decade old crime. While she is in Litchfield Penitentiary for her 15 month sentence, she meets some very interesting characters.

The reason this made the list is that no other show has such a large group of women that have such diverse backgrounds. The show is not afraid of sexuality, race, age, or gender and represents a portion of society that is often not shown on TV. The women on the show learn to stand up for themselves and while their methods are often unorthodox, it’s a great show for women and men everywhere to watch.

4) Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time: shows with a female lead
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Once Upon A Time aired in 2011 and it has some of the most inspiring and brave female characters in the world of television. Emma Swan, the leading lady, is not by any stretch of the imagination the type of girl to let a man take the lead.  Emma, Regina, and Mary Margaret are the often the first people to run into the eye of the storm and save the town from dragons or evil witches. The men usually show up after the fight is already over or play nice back up to the women.

One of the creators for the fairy tale inspired show, Adam Horowitz, said in an interview with LA Times that “We did not want to have the damsel in distress. We did not want to have the princess who needs saving.” The creators achieved their goal, and their female leads kick butt and are sources of empowerment for young girls and women everywhere.

3) Bomb Girls

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Bomb Girls (2012-2013) is probably one of the most underrated TV shows on Netflix that portrays an absolutely phenomenal female cast. The show is set during WWII and focuses on a a few women working at a munitions factory while the men are off fighting in the war. The women have big dreams and even bigger hearts. They are ordinary women that fight for what they believe in and stand up for one another no matter what. Gladys, the first of the girls the viewers get to know, has a dream of helping the men fighting in the war. Gladys gets a job working the line at Victory Munitions Factory making bombs for their boys. The story follows Gladys and a few other women during a time that women were considered second class workers – and citizens – and their fight for equal opportunity and freedom.

2) Parks and Recreation

Shows with a female lead: parks and recreation
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We have another great ensemble of brilliant actors and actresses with Parks and Recreation. The show started in 2009 and just ended earlier this year. Leslie Knope, the Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, is possibly one of the greatest women on television. She is the ultimate hero who is passionate, driven, and enthusiastic. She tackles political barriers and jumps through bureaucratic hoops just to help the greatest town on the Earth, Pawnee. She has unmatchable strength and is a role model for women everywhere.

1) The Fall

The fall, shows on netflix with a female lead
bbc.co.uk

Another underrated TV crime series – The Fall – follows a detective, Superintendent Stella Gibson, as she hunts down a serial killer in Belfast. She is brought in to investigate a single murder that the Belfast Police had been unable to solve. Stella Gibson is a woman in a anti-woman world, but she has no problem coming in and taking control. Gibson is very professional and the great thing about her character is that yes she is a woman in power, but she did not have to sacrifice her personal life to get to that point. Women who are in positions of authority are often shown as having no social life, and Stella Gibson combats this stereotype. She is confident, extremely intelligent, and proud. Her complex character makes her a very interesting to watch.

If you don’t have a Netflix, but have a Hulu Plus account there are also some great shows out there such as The Mindy Project and How To Get Away With MurderParks and Recreation is also on Hulu Plus, and many others!

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