Originally by Ranker TVList RulesComedy TV shows that feature single or divorced female protagonists
List of the best single woman sitcoms. The greatest television sitcoms starring freedom-loving females in the lead are all ranked here. The two booms of sitcoms about "all the single ladies," to steal a Beyonce quote, occurred decades apart.
The first took place in the summer of 1996 thanks to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Clueless, Townies, and some other awesome shows that have been canceled. Nearly two decades later, mass audiences are watching the trials, tribulations, and hilarious dating misadventures of single girls and their friends on shows like New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, and The Mindy Project. If you are tired of watching shows about bachelors looking for love or lust, check out the bachelorettes on the TV shows listed below. These are strong female leads -- meaning both the characters and the performances are top notch -- and, back in the day, revolutionized the feminist movement. But history aside, these hilarious sitcoms about single women on the prowl, or trying to avoid the prowl, will entertain men and women alike.
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20151The Golden Girls
Bea Arthur, Betty WhitePremiered: 1985
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom, created by Susan Harris, that originally aired on NBC... more on Wikipedia2
23971Who's the Boss?
Tony Danza, Judith LightPremiered: 1984
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on... more on Wikipedia3
12267One Day at a Time
Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie PhillipsPremiered: 1975
One Day at a Time (CBS, 1975) is an American situation comedy television series created by... more on Wikipedia4
12279That Girl
Marlo Thomas, Ruth BuzziPremiered: 1966
That Girl is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as... more on Wikipedia5
12877Will & Grace
Eric McCormack, Debra MessingPremiered: 1998
Will & Grace is an American sitcom, based on the relationship between Will Truman and Grace... more on Wikipedia6
10485The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Mary Tyler Moore, Edward AsnerPremiered: 1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and... more on Wikipedia7
9658Laverne & Shirley
Penny Marshall, Cindy WilliamsPremiered: 1976
Laverne & Shirley is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from January 27, 1976 to... more on Wikipedia8
10162Kate & Allie
Jane Curtin, Susan Saint JamesPremiered: 1984
Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984, to May... more on Wikipedia9
11599Sex and the City
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim CattrallPremiered: 1998
Sex and the City (HBO, 1998) is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by... more on Wikipedia10
6553Just Shoot Me!
Laura San Giacomo, Enrico ColantoniPremiered: 1997
Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March... more on Wikipedia11
12662The Nanny
Fran Drescher, Charles ShaughnessyPremiered: 1993
The Nanny is an American television sitcom originally aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, starring... more on Wikipedia12
6757Alice
Linda Lavin, Beth HowlandPremiered: 1976
Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to March 19, 1985... more on Wikipedia13
6655Julia
Diahann Carroll, Lloyd NolanPremiered: 1968
Julia is an American sitcom notable for being one of the first weekly series to depict an... more on Wikipedia14
11363Suddenly Susan
Joan Rivers, Brooke ShieldsPremiered: 1996
Suddenly Susan is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 19, 1996... more on Wikipedia15
7977The New Adventures of Old Christine
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Clark GreggPremiered: 2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American sitcom television series, starring Julia... more on Wikipedia16
9561New Girl
Zooey Deschanel, Jake JohnsonPremiered: 2011
New Girl (Fox, 2011) is an American sitcom television series created by Elizabeth Meriwether.... more on Wikipedia17
7759The Mindy Project
Mindy Kaling, Chris MessinaPremiered: 2012
The Mindy Project (Fox, 2012) is an American romantic comedy television series created by... more on Wikipedia18
7054Reba
Reba McEntire, JoAnna Garcia SwisherPremiered: 2001
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's... more on Wikipedia19
7888Murphy Brown
Candice Bergen, Grant ShaudPremiered: 1988
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May... more on Wikipedia20
789930 Rock
Tina Fey, Alec BaldwinPremiered: 2006
30 Rock (NBC, 2006) is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey.... more on Wikipedia21
56418 Simple Rules
Katey Sagal, Kaley CuocoPremiered: 2002
8 Simple Rules is an American sitcom, originally starring John Ritter and Katey Sagal. It... more on Wikipedia22
6761Ellen
Ellen DeGeneres, David Anthony HigginsPremiered: 1994
Ellen (ABC, 1994) is an American television sitcom. The show follows Ellen Morgan (Ellen... more on Wikipedia23
6463Ally McBeal
Calista Flockhart, Greg GermannPremiered: 1997
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama television series, originally aired on Fox from... more on Wikipedia24
5859Grace Under Fire
Brett Butler, Cole SprousePremiered: 1993
Grace Under Fire is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993 to February... more on Wikipedia25
155Grace and Frankie
Jane Fonda, Lily TomlinPremiered: 2015
Grace and Frankie (Netflix, 2015) is an American comedy-drama web television series created by... more on Wikipedia
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