March is a month that’s characterized by warm weather and green for Saint Patrick’s Day. But most importantly, March is Women’s History Month. This month is the perfect time to celebrate the talented, special women around you, and an easy way to do this is by interacting with women-focused media. Celebrating women shouldn’t only occur in March. However, it’s a perfect time to indulge in women-led TV series to honor the incredible actresses and the characters they play. It’s always entertaining to have a binge-worthy show on the go to split up the monotony of campus life and school work.
You might already watch shows and movies that pass the Bechdel test, where women aren’t only playing love interests and the plot doesn’t center solely around men. But if you don’t, March is the perfect time to start. Besties, I’ve got some fabulous TV show recommendations for you and if you’ve already seen them, there’s no such thing as too many rewatches.
- The Queen’s Gambit
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The Queen’s Gambit is a limited Netflix series set during the mid-late 20th century, that follows an orphan chess prodigy named Beth Harmon, who struggles with her addictions on her quest to becoming the greatest chess prodigy in the world. Chess was a heavily male-dominated game in the twentieth century, meaning Harmon wasn’t just ruling the chess scene, but a woman chess champion was absolutely unheard of. Harmon is played by Anya Taylor Joy, who is one of the bright young actresses who’s currently killing it in the Hollywood scene.
- Mare of Easttown
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If you’re looking for a quick suspenseful mystery series, Mare of Easttown is for you. This limited series follows a strong woman detective (Kate Winslet) investigating a small-town murder in Pennsylvania. Watching a woman crack the case is a refreshing change from the detective shows that are typically spearheaded by men. Winslet even won an Emmy for her role in the show.
- The Great
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The Great is a three-season show led by Nicholas Hoult, as Peter III of Russia, and Elle Fanning, as Catherine the Great. The series is a humorous and fictionalized account of Catherine the Great’s experience as the Empress of Russia and her fight to see true change and progress in Russia, despite her inferior position to the emperor.
- Unbelievable
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Unbelievable is a heartwrenching limited series that’s based on a true story of a young woman who went to the police about her rape, only to be manipulated into recanting the ordeal. Two female detectives decide to dig deeper into the young woman’s story and discover the truth. Unbelievable follows the strength and power of women who refused to be silenced. The cast includes Toni Collette and Kaitlyn Dever, who also starred as Belle Gibson in Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar.
- The Handmaid’s Tale
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This Emmy Award-winning Hulu series is based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name. The story follows a dystopian America where fertile women are turned into “Handmaids,” live with authoritarian families, commit sexual acts with the husbands, and carry children for the richer wives. The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a disturbing warning of what society would look like if women were valued for solely their ability to reproduce.
- Fleabag
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Fleabag is a clever and hilarious two-season Prime Video series that follows Fleabag as she navigates her cafe and messy life characterized by sex and raunchy jokes. Fleabag is a nuanced, well-rounded, and human character, written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Her relationships with the women around her like her sister, Claire, and her best friend, Boo, help to make the show relatable, emotional, and special.
- Girls
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Lena Dunham created a masterpiece with Girls, a six-season show that follows Hannah Horvath, an aspiring writer, and her friends, living in NYC and trying to figure out their lives after college. For all the 20-year-old girls who might be feeling lost, just know that you’re not alone and there are shows like Girls that prove this.
- The L Word
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The L Word is a chaotically fun Showtime series that follows a close-knit group of lesbian and bisexual best friends who live in Los Angeles. The show is funny and messy as the characters’s love lives are frequently intertwined. While the show may be slightly dated now, it was one of the first series to focus fully on queer women and remains quite camp.