Nowadays, if viewers want to watch sitcoms about other women, they have a much larger selection than they used to. TV showrunners are more focused on telling stories about women, and not just the seemingly perfect ones, but everyday women you could meet walking down the street or looking in the mirror.
No-one’s truly ordinary, and the following sitcoms prove it. Some of them are more realistic, others dramatic or over-the-top, but they all have one thing in common. They work with intriguing, clever, sometimes crazy, and independent and loving women. So let’s check them out.
Sideswiped
Sideswiped is a less-known sitcom that deserves more attention. The network canceled it after just one season, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Its heroine is thirty-something Olivia who just celebrated her birthday. While she loves her job and is good at it, she’s also been single for quite some time. Olivia decides to get back into the dating game and goes on Tinder, a decision highly encouraged by her younger sister Jayne, who’s already married and has a child, and by her free-spirited mom Mary. The sitcom is sometimes awkward, often funny, and while the characters may drive you crazy from time to time, they will still make you laugh.
Alexa & Katie
Did you ever have the one best high school friend with whom you used to spent pretty much all of your time and told her everything? Well, the titular heroines Alexa and Katie have this kind of relationship. Unfortunately for the girls, their lives are much more complicated than normal since Alexa is undergoing cancer treatments. The sitcom focuses on the girls’ everyday lives, their school, the relationship with their family and boys, and, of course, the challenges and problems connected to growing up and becoming an adult. It’s sweet, doesn’t feel forced, and works with plenty of memorable characters.
Dollface
Many movie fans will know the American actress Kat Dennings primarily from her part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she played Jane Foster’s friend and co-scientist Darcy Lewis in the Thor films. That said, Dennings also has an impressive TV career and one of her latest TV shows is Dollface. The show tells the story of Jules (Dennings) who recently got dumped and is only now realizing that she separated from all of her female friends while she was in a relationship. Jules decides to connect with her friends again, which leads her on a hilarious journey full of mishaps and touching moments.
2 Broke Girls
Let’s stay with Kat Dennings a moment longer. Long before Dollface, she starred in another, even more, brilliant sitcom. 2 Broke Girls was the show that turned Dennings into a force to be reckoned with. As the title suggests, the sitcom focuses on two young women who are best friends, work as waitresses in New York and have big dreams. Unfortunately, they lack the money to turn their dreams into reality, at least for right now.
Dennings plays Max who comes from a poor family and Beth Behrs portrayed her friend Caroline. The two heroines are the main reason why to watch the sitcom, and also the fact, that it’s simply funny and real in many ways.
Grace and Frankie
Did you notice that sitcoms quite often use the leading characters’ names in the title? Grace and Frankie is a TV show that proves that showrunners don’t create sitcoms only about high schoolers and women in their 20s/early 30s. Unlike some heroines on this list, Grace and Frankie haven’t always been friends. In fact, they hated each other. At least until they found out that their husbands fell in love with each other and decided to get together. Such a shock is enough to bring together even the biggest enemies. Jane Fonda plays Grace and Lily Tomlin portrays Frankie, and it’s a joy to watch these two brilliant actresses play out against each other.
Better Things
You’d think that a sitcom with the word ‘better’ in its title would be much more optimistic. Well, Better Things is certainly funny but the show also shows that life is never perfect and without difficulties. As its main heroine, an actress called Sam could surely attest. Sam, played by Pamela Adlon, is a hard-working actress who struggles to combine her work and the care of her daughters. Oh, and she’d also like to have some social life from time to time, but that’s easier said than done. While not all of us are actors, most people know what it’s like to juggle work and family.
Mom
Not only do sitcoms often use the characters’ names in the title, but their titles also tend to be rather brief. Easier to remember, maybe? Anyway, this sitcom shows that TV comedy series don’t have to be only about friends of various ages. They can also focus on family members.
Anna Faris and Allison Janney play the daughter and the mother in this piece which often feels like the creators took it directly from the real lives of many parents and their children and transported onto the TV. As you probably know, family relationships aren’t always easy but that doesn’t mean they can’t be funny, as this sitcom proves.
Broad City
Let’s get back to New York City and its female inhabitants. The sitcom Broad City tells the story of two young Jewish women in their 20s whose lives often turn unpredictable and slightly insane. After all, it’s hard to face the everyday challenges which await you, especially if you’re still deciding who exactly you want to be and where do you want your life to go. Broad City got a whole 5 seasons so if you like the first episode, you’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson did a great job and the friendly chemistry between them is top-notch.
Tuca & Bertie
What kind of a sitcom list would this one be without at least one animated TV show included? Tuca & Bertie is a story of two best female friends - but with a slight twist - they’re both bird ladies. Yep, they actually have bird heads, and they’re not only ones in the show’s interesting, albeit somewhat crazy world. The sitcom is even more interesting thanks to the different characters of Tuca and Bertie. Tuca is more free-spirited and Bertie is insecure. The animation is brilliant, full of lively, bright colors, so it will definitely cheer you up after a long day at work or school.
Girls
The final female sitcom on this list had to be Girls. This already-legendary TV show ran from 2012 to 2017, has a whole 6 seasons, and is the brainchild of Lena Dunham who became famous thanks to the show. Lena plays a twenty-something woman Hannah who’s living in New York and trying to sort out her life, but she keeps struggling both with work and with relationships. The show is primarily about Lena’s character Hannah but also works with other intriguing female heroines, which makes for an interesting dynamic between the leading characters. Plus, you may recognize yourself in one of the ladies of the show.
