LIVE POLL: Trailblazing TV Female Characters

@ElMaruecan82​ ,

I've been looking for your idea for the last two days. I did not see it, since I filter on Idea. Your thread is categorized as Question. Please change to Idea.

Otherwise, this looks like a good start.

Woops, my mistake then!

@ElMaruecan82​ ,

I'm somewhat at a loss think of other Trailblazing Female Characters with the caliber of the ones already in your list.

Here are some possibilities:

Sgt. Suzanne 'Pepper' Anderson the lead character of Police Woman (1974–1978)

Follows Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson, LAPD's top undercover cop. A member of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Pepper works the wild side of the street, where she poses as everything from a gangster's moll to a streetwalker to a prison inmate.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071034/mediaviewer/rm668568065/

Olivia Benson one of the lead characters of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999– )

Olivia Benson started out as a detective in the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and rose in the ranks to become the captain in charge of SVU.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203259/mediaviewer/rm50277120?ft0=name&fv0=nm0002127&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame&ref_=tt_ch

Peggy Carter from Agent Carter (2015–2016)

In 1946, Peggy Carter is relegated to secretarial duties in the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR). When Howard Stark is accused of treason, he secretly recruits Peggy to clear his name with the help of his butler, Edwin Jarvis.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3475734/mediaviewer/rm1315396864?ft0=name&fv0=nm2017943&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame&ref_=tt_ch

Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh from Crossing Jordan (2001–2007)

A "sexy, brilliant" Boston medical examiner. Despite a checkered career, Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh goes above and beyond to solve cases.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284718/mediaviewer/rm947951872?ft0=name&fv0=nm0005007&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame&ref_=tt_ch

Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998)

The trials and adventures of a female doctor in a small Wild West town.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103405/mediaviewer/rm1868546304?ft0=name&fv0=nm0005412&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame&ref_=tt_ch

Maj. Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan from M*A*S*H (1972–1983)

Maj. Houlihan is the head nurse for the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH).

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068098/mediaviewer/rm1267481344?ft0=name&fv0=nm0842794&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame&ref_=tt_ch

I will try to create descriptions for these characters similar to the ones you've already written.

@ElMaruecan82​ ,

Thanks for updating the category of this thread to Idea.

Yes, thanks Dan, if the description features the word "first", it's perfect. Your suggestions are great (I'm a big fan of some characters you listed), however I wouldn't want this poll to be just "another great TV female character" poll, there should be an element of novelty, something that influenced other characters...

Reading a few lists on the Internet, I have the feeling I should add Leslie Knope or Roseanne Conner but I don't know how they were groundbreaking.

Was Ugly Betty really "the first protagonist who's not exactly conventionally attractive" when we had already had Roseanne?

@Peter_pbn​ 

You're absolutely right. But I'm not sure it's just for her everyday looks that Roseanne Conner was considered groundbreaking. Was it because she was the first blue-collar series' mother, less glamorous but more relatable than other TV moms?

@urbanemovies​ 

Thanks a lot, urbane. I added the first and the third.

I was about to add Cicely Tyson but with your permission, I will not consider it for the moment. I understand it is a milestone in the history of television but if anything the merit goes to the actress while I'm looking for TV characters who achieved memorability because of the context but also regardless of the context. Every major step has been preceded by two or three smaller (albeit significant) ones, I'd rather focus on the big ones.

But I may be wrong.

@ElMaruecan82​ I would disagree. I would take a quick look at how she is described in her obituaries (groundbreaking, pioneering, broke barriers, shattered stereotypes, etc.) and at her list of career awards. Her career spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre and her portrayal of strong African-American women was her signature. Aside from all her firsts, I am impressed by the scope of different mediums she worked in and how she excelled at all of them. But, her biggest accomplishment is how she changed perceptions of blacks, women and minorities in general. IMHO, she belongs in this answer pool.

Awards

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Cicely_Tyson

Obituaries

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=cicely%20tyson%20obituary&ko=-1&atb=v323-1&ko=-1&t=ddg_android

I know about Cicely Tyson, just saw her recently in the miniseries about Harriet Tubman (superior than the film).

Actually, we're on the same wavelength.

My poll is about fictional characters, of course through them you also honor the actresses who played them but if I add Cicely Tyson, I have to add Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters etc. 

I could have made a people-related poll from the start: Nichelle Nichols, Patty Duke, Lynda Carter, Sandra Oh, Cicely Tyson...

I thought it'd be more fun with characters

@ElMaruecan82​ Sorry, I realized that I started my suggestion, but lost sight of that fact. You are right.

Proud of that one:)

@mariojacobs​ 

Thanks mario for the suggestion, I think we could extend the poll to at least 10 characters... anyway I'm glad the "undeniable" ones are there already... Wilma Flinstone is certainly an icon and I wasn't aware of the fact you mentioned but since her legacy goes beyond that episode, I think she would get many votes but for not reasons in-line with the purpose of the poll.

Again, it's purely subjective and I may be wrong.

@dan_dassow​ 

No problem, I've checked many "trailblazing" lists to make this poll and I guarantee most of the listed characters here were at least in 3 or 4 of them, so it's a safe list, although not perfect