MickeyTelevision and the Female Characters
I had an interesting conversation this morning, with a friend of mine about all things television which ended up in a friendly debate about female characters in television series. Who we liked, who we hated, who was strong and who brought about change. I thought it would make an interesting post on what ended up being the top 10 female characters that have appeared on television in the last few years.
In no particular order...
1 - Dana Scully - The X-Files (Gillian Anderson)
Why?: Dana Scully was the first of her kind - the female detective that was beautiful AND smart. She was what other characters such as CSI's Catherine Willows were born from.
2 - Ellen Morgan - Ellen (Ellen Degeneres)
Why?: Ellen Morgan was the first lesbian lead character in a TV show. She paved the way for shows such as Queer as Folk and The L Word. Ellen was funny and ambitious, always made light of a dark situation and we got to see her vulnerable side when it came to dating and relationships with women.
3 - Karen Delaney Walker - Will & Grace (Megan Mullally)
Why?: She's shrill, she's a gold digger, a pill popper, and she managed to steal the show with her co-hort Jack McFarland, from the main stars. No matter how dosed up she was or how hard she tried to conceal it, Karen always kept look out for those close to her.
4 - Sydney Andrews Mancini Field - Melrose Place (Laura Leighton)
Why?: Why not?! She's been a stripper, a prostitute, a fashion designer, a medical receptionist and a clothing boutique owner. She Begged, stole and blackmailed. She married her brother in-law, drugged her sister and survived a bomb attack. But underneath all this mayhem was a deeply uncertain lass who always felt over shadowed by her big sister and always felt left behind.
5 - Carrie Bradshaw- Sex and the City (Sarah Jessica Parker)
Why?: She had the life we all wanted. Lived in New York, a fabulous shoe collection, a job that seemed at most times, very lax and a group of girlfriends she couldn't live without. Oh and then there's the roulette of men that would come and go, day in, day out. But like us, Carrie had life problems such as "The man who would, then wouldn't, then would and so forth. We felt for Carrie, we knew what was best for her and hoped that she could hear us and take our advice!
6 - Lynette Scavo - Desperate housewives (Felicity Huffman)
Why?: Tough decision on this one. There was an agreement that a Desperate Housewife should appear on this list....but which one? We finally agreed on Lynette Scavo, the housewife that most viewers could identify with. There is no expensive jewelery, no clumsiness, no perfectly preened gardens, just a happily married woman with a bundle of kids trying to get through life. Lynette is always touted as the one character that is real, and with this new cancer storyline going on...it only adds fuel to the fire.
7 - Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
Why?: Our very own heroine who kicked vampire butt to save humanity, and she did all while trying to maintain friendships, relationships and her nails. It wasn't until later seasons of the show did Buffy become more than a two dimension character. Her tortured relationship with Angel, the death of her mother and the discovery of a younger sister all proved that Buffy was more than just a vampire killing machine.
8 - Phoebe Buffay - FRIENDS (Lisa Kudrow)
Why?: Of all the Friends characters, Phoebes back-story was always the most compelling. Abandoned by her mother and father as a child, her adoptive mother then killed herself, she never went to high school, lived on the streets and no emotive connection to her twin sister. Yet after all this, Phoebe went on with life, made some friends, got into massage therapy and married a man she loved. Talk about a happy ending!
9 - Julia McNamara - Nip/Tuck (Joely Richardson)
Why?: With all the drama that surrounds the McNamara/Troy Plastic surgery office, Julia stands out as a strong and independent woman who with some assistance, finally came into her own. Discovering that after 17 years, her son is actually fathered by her husbands best friend, applied and dropped out of medical school twice, had numerous affairs with said husbands best friend and to top it all off, discovering she's a lesbian, all while trying to keep the sanity of her two children.
10 - Addison Shepard - Grey's Anatomy (Kate Walsh)
Why?: Addison made it to the list for the pure fact that in the first season finale, she came to Seattle Grace Hospital to reclaim her husband (McDreamy) away from the greedy clutches of Meredith Grey only to become the shows most hated character, and in turn, become one of the most beloved characters by the end of the 2nd season. We saw Addison in turmoil trying to save the marriage that couldn't be saved while trying to fend off the advances of the man she had an affair with years earlier. In the end, after learning she was unable to have children, Addison decided to leave it all behind and moved to Los Angeles for a new job.
In no particular order...
1 - Dana Scully - The X-Files (Gillian Anderson)
2 - Ellen Morgan - Ellen (Ellen Degeneres)
Why?: Ellen Morgan was the first lesbian lead character in a TV show. She paved the way for shows such as Queer as Folk and The L Word. Ellen was funny and ambitious, always made light of a dark situation and we got to see her vulnerable side when it came to dating and relationships with women.
3 - Karen Delaney Walker - Will & Grace (Megan Mullally)
4 - Sydney Andrews Mancini Field - Melrose Place (Laura Leighton)
Why?: Why not?! She's been a stripper, a prostitute, a fashion designer, a medical receptionist and a clothing boutique owner. She Begged, stole and blackmailed. She married her brother in-law, drugged her sister and survived a bomb attack. But underneath all this mayhem was a deeply uncertain lass who always felt over shadowed by her big sister and always felt left behind.
5 - Carrie Bradshaw- Sex and the City (Sarah Jessica Parker)
Why?: She had the life we all wanted. Lived in New York, a fabulous shoe collection, a job that seemed at most times, very lax and a group of girlfriends she couldn't live without. Oh and then there's the roulette of men that would come and go, day in, day out. But like us, Carrie had life problems such as "The man who would, then wouldn't, then would and so forth. We felt for Carrie, we knew what was best for her and hoped that she could hear us and take our advice!
6 - Lynette Scavo - Desperate housewives (Felicity Huffman)
Why?: Tough decision on this one. There was an agreement that a Desperate Housewife should appear on this list....but which one? We finally agreed on Lynette Scavo, the housewife that most viewers could identify with. There is no expensive jewelery, no clumsiness, no perfectly preened gardens, just a happily married woman with a bundle of kids trying to get through life. Lynette is always touted as the one character that is real, and with this new cancer storyline going on...it only adds fuel to the fire.
7 - Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
Why?: Our very own heroine who kicked vampire butt to save humanity, and she did all while trying to maintain friendships, relationships and her nails. It wasn't until later seasons of the show did Buffy become more than a two dimension character. Her tortured relationship with Angel, the death of her mother and the discovery of a younger sister all proved that Buffy was more than just a vampire killing machine.
8 - Phoebe Buffay - FRIENDS (Lisa Kudrow)
Why?: Of all the Friends characters, Phoebes back-story was always the most compelling. Abandoned by her mother and father as a child, her adoptive mother then killed herself, she never went to high school, lived on the streets and no emotive connection to her twin sister. Yet after all this, Phoebe went on with life, made some friends, got into massage therapy and married a man she loved. Talk about a happy ending!
9 - Julia McNamara - Nip/Tuck (Joely Richardson)
Why?: With all the drama that surrounds the McNamara/Troy Plastic surgery office, Julia stands out as a strong and independent woman who with some assistance, finally came into her own. Discovering that after 17 years, her son is actually fathered by her husbands best friend, applied and dropped out of medical school twice, had numerous affairs with said husbands best friend and to top it all off, discovering she's a lesbian, all while trying to keep the sanity of her two children.
10 - Addison Shepard - Grey's Anatomy (Kate Walsh)
Why?: Addison made it to the list for the pure fact that in the first season finale, she came to Seattle Grace Hospital to reclaim her husband (McDreamy) away from the greedy clutches of Meredith Grey only to become the shows most hated character, and in turn, become one of the most beloved characters by the end of the 2nd season. We saw Addison in turmoil trying to save the marriage that couldn't be saved while trying to fend off the advances of the man she had an affair with years earlier. In the end, after learning she was unable to have children, Addison decided to leave it all behind and moved to Los Angeles for a new job.
Film & TV on DVD
Well I agree with Dana Scully and think she was a positive force, the rest not so much....some may have been vessels for change, but very hollow characters for me. It seems what they represented was more important than the way they were written.
A few strong female characters that are flawed, complex and enriching for me over recent years:
Carmela Soprano - Edie Falco (Sopranos)
Alma Garrett - Molly Parker (Deadwood)
Starbuck - Katee Sackhoff (new Battlestar Galactica)
George - Ellen Muth (Dead Like Me)
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Also, the level of interest in Ellen's character coming out of the closet may have been unprecedented, but it wasn't a 'first' by any stretch - Eastenders was showing major lesbian characters kissing each other as early as 1994 (and not without controversy either, questions were raised in UK parliament in the late 80s over the appropriateness of the same television show portraying gay males kissing).