The 17 Most Powerful Female Characters In Television

Emma Peel

When Emma Peel arrived for season four of The Avengers in 1965, audiences were immediately swept away by the character. Played with effortless vigour by Diana Rigg (yes, Olenna Tyrell from Game Of Thrones), Emma Peel was partnered with British secret agent John Steed (Patrick Macnee) after the departure of series regular Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) – and she remained for 51 episodes.

As a master of martial arts and fencing, she was more than capable of holding her own in any physical altercation – including those in which she needed to rescue Steed. She was of exceptional intelligence – specializing in chemistry – and conducted herself with an unflappable and formidable grace in every situation. With her husband, Peter, missing and presumed dead, Peel went to work with Steed, and enjoyed an especially flirtatious bond.

Maude Findlay

In the sitcom, Maude – spun off from All In The Family – Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) was a politically active, middle class feminist, navigating her way through her fourth marriage in suburban New York. As a devoted Democrat, she regularly clashed with her Republican neighbour, Dr. Arthur Harmon (played by Conrad Bain). Early episodes depicted her having an abortion due to an unplanned pregnancy at the age of 47, as well as tackling subjects such as domestic violence, alcoholism, drug legislation, mental health issues and suicide.

Notably, season four of the series featured an episode in which Bea Arthur performed the entire show solo, as Maude verbally explored her situation during a therapy session – something that was an incredibly bold move for a TV show that was made from 1972 to 1978.

Mary Richards

The Mary Tyler Moore Show arrived on television in 1970, and introduced the world to Mary Richards – a 30 year old woman recently relocated to Minneapolis after the end of a long and serious relationship. The show followed the trials and tribulations of her career and personal life, as she shared a house with other women, and went to work at a TV news station – first as an Associate Producer, then later, as Producer.

Episodes dealt with issues such as equal pay, sexuality, infidelity, adoption, infertility, addiction and divorce, as Mary Richards (played by Mary Tyler Moore), supported those around her through their lives, as well as trying to lead her own. Mary Richards was considered a trailblazer of a character in her time, because nothing about her character or her story was defined by her relationship to men, beyond her initial decision to relocate. Unlike most female characters on television, she was neither widowed nor divorced, nor was she particularly seeking romantic entanglement. She was simply a single, working woman, with a network of friends, and a life of her own.