In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite female-led comedy TV shows. These three shows were created by three strong women who came from different backgrounds and went on to write books, become successful in their own right, and, more importantly, create a show that became my comfort show (I know, their highest honors).
Tina Fey – 30 Rock (2006-2013)
Born in Pennsylvania in 1970 and went on to work in Chicago, then NYC, to be the first female head writer for Saturday Night Live, Fey wrote the teen hit Mean Girls. From the success of that film, she got the opportunity to do her own show and was inspired by her time on her time on SNL. Her memoir Bossypants explains some of the backstory to plots, like how the male writes on SNL really do pee in jars, great advice to always wear a bra for a job interview, and more. The show showed a platonic male/female mentor/mentee friendship that is one for the books. Why anyone wanted Liz and Jack to be romantic is beyond me. Fey and Alec Baldwin had amazing chemistry, but it was always meant to be platonic. The show has some classic lines, like:
“Why are you wearing a tux?”
“It’s after 6, what am I a farmer?”
and a million more! The older I get, the more I understand Liz’s singledom and Jack’s obsession with capitalism and how odd their dynamic is, which makes it all the more endearing.
Mindy Kaling – The Mindy Kaling (2012-2017)
Born in Massachusetts in 1979, she went to Dartmouth, toured the country with her friend for their popular play, Matt & Ben, moved to Los Angeles, and became a writer and eventually popular character and producer for the US version of The Office. After the show ended, she started her own show about an OBGYN, single, 30-something gal in NYC (Kaling’s mother was an OBGYN). One of the funniest TV episodes in history is Season 1, Episode 5, “Danny Castellano Is My Gynecologist.” “Hey, eyes down here.”
Another highlight was seeing all the beautiful clothes Mindy wore. The costume department and Mindy wanted to show that any woman of any color or size can have fun, and they pulled that off.
And, of course, thank you, Mindy, for giving us plenty of eye candy, including Chris Messina’s talented dancing moves and several stripteases.
Kaling has also written several books before, during, and after her show. Since The Mindy Project, her other shows have gone on to be even more successful, including one of the few teen shows I actually watch and like, Never Have I Ever.
Miranda Hart – Miranda (2009-2015)
Born in Devon, England, in 1972, Miranda Hart was working temp jobs, always a unique personality, always lanky and tall. She then started stand-up and eventually had the opportunity to start her own show. The show is about a six-foot-tall, single, 30-something woman who opens a joke shop with her best friend, disappointing her mother, who just wants her to get married. Then, her childhood crush moves back, and they decide to become friends while everyone else notices their immediate chemistry. It was a short but memorable. She also has written several books but her 2012 book, Is It Just Me? shares some inspirations that made it to the series like how she did fart during a chiropractor appointment.
Another funniest episode in television history is from this show, Season 2, episode 5, “Just Act Normal,” in which Miranda and her mother are given court-ordered therapy due to a misunderstanding with an ice cream van. Trust me, just watch the episode; you do not need to see the whole show to get it.
There are plenty of other shows that have been created by talented women, but I wanted to highlight these three for now. These three women, their books, and their shows have been there for me over the years. I thank them for their ability to make me laugh, think, be inspired, and not feel alone. Happy Women’s History Month, everyone!
Feature Image via Wikimedia.
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