15 great TV series about women in recent years, but not only for them

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Interesting dramas, detective stories, witty comedies and even a dark dystopia.

15. Condolences on your loss

• USA, 2018.
• Drama.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Li Shaw was happily married. And then her husband died, and the young heroine lost almost everything in her life. Lee needs to re-learn how to communicate with friends, remember his interests and gradually let go of the past.

The series produced by Facebook Watch (the largest social network has its own TV projects) will not surprise you with sudden plot twists or intrigue. This is generally one of the simplest and most prosaic projects. He tells in a very naturalistic way how a person experiences the grief of loss and what his relatives have to feel. It is also one of the most powerful dramatic roles of Elizabeth Olsen.

14. And fires are smoldering everywhere

• USA, 2020.
• Drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Elena Richardson lives with her husband and children in the quiet town of Shaker Heights, where everyone is literally obsessed with order and cleanliness. One day, the heroine meets Mia Warren, an artist and photographer, who came with her daughter Pearl and temporarily lives in the car. Elena decides to help her new friend, but gradually this leads to serious problems.

The series, based on the bestseller of the same name by Celeste Ing, wanted to be filmed by Reese Witherspoon herself, who played Elena. Despite some intrigue in the outset, "And Fires Smolder Everywhere" is more a melodrama than a detective story. Witherspoon fits perfectly into the character, and a significant part of the plot is built just on the contrast of her heroine with Mia, played by Carrie Washington ("Scandal").

13. Good girls

• USA, 2018 - present.
• Comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Three housewives found themselves in a very difficult situation: they have no money to pay the bills, and one also has a sick daughter. Desperate, they arm themselves with a toy pistol and go to rob a supermarket. The revenue turns out to be much higher than expected, but the heroines are dragging on the world of crime.

The series primarily attracts with a very motley trinity of main characters, played by Christina Hendrix, May Whitman and stand-up comedian Rhett. And at the same time, it introduces the typical problems of housewives who find themselves in a dependent position.

12. Matryoshka's life

• USA, 2019 - present.
• Comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Nadia leaves a party dedicated to her birthday, and immediately dies under the wheels of a car. The next moment she returns to the moment when she was just about to leave the holiday. The heroine has to die over and over again, stuck in a time loop. Then Nadia decides to figure out the cause of the anomaly.

A very funny and dynamic series from Netflix, it lasts a little longer than a regular movie. But during this time, the authors manage not only to talk about the concept of a time loop and make the heroine "hack" reality itself. They also showed a touching story of a woman in a midlife crisis. The main character looks like Alla Pugacheva only on the poster, in the series she is completely different.

11. Dead to me

• USA, 2019 - present.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

After her husband was hit by a car, Jen is raising two sons by herself. She believes that she can find the culprit of the accident by examining cars on the streets. In a support group, Jen meets a strange neighbor, Judy. Women become friends by supporting each other in difficult times. But Judy has some secrets in the past.

A distinctive feature of this series is black humor. The authors allow themselves to look ironically at very personal and sad topics. And Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini perfectly play the roles of very unusual heroines.

10. Sharp objects

• USA, 2018.
• Drama, detective.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Reporter Camilla Pricker returns to her hometown to write an article on the disappearances and murders of children. But finding herself at home under the control of a despotic mother, she again plunges into unpleasant memories of childhood and her deceased sister. Meanwhile, the general situation is heating up.

With the release of the first season of Big Little Lies (this series will be on the list later), director Jean-Marc Vallee has taken on the filming of the first book by Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl. The main role was played by the famous Amy Adams. As a result, a confusing detective came out, which also speaks incredibly vividly about the childhood traumas that torment a person even years later. You also need to take into account that Valle shoots very beautifully and atmospheric.

9. Forgotten by God

• USA, 2017.
• Drama, western.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

In the Wild West, the criminal Roy Goode escaped from his adoptive father and accomplice Frank Griffin with looted goods. He took refuge on a secluded ranch near the town of La Belle, where almost all women live after the collapse of the mine.

The famous "Logan" screenwriter Scott Frank showed a very dark story of survival in the harsh conditions of the Wild West. Here women have to keep their weapons on a par with men and shoot back at the bandits with might and main.

8. Why do women kill

• USA, 2019 - present.
• Drama, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Three women lived in the same house, but at different times. Each of them at some point faced difficulties in the relationship. It is impossible to predict what a housewife from the 60s, a socialite from the 80s and a lawyer from our day will do. Although the name hints that the matter will not end well.

This series was invented by Mark Cherry, creator of Desperate Housewives and Treacherous Maids. But this time to the traditional drama, he added several timelines and a great detective story.

7. Killing Eve

• USA, UK, Italy, 2018 - present.
• Drama, thriller, crime.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

MI5 worker Eva Polastri is completely different from the cool intelligence agents from the movies. She is mired in everyday problems and feels very insecure. But it is Eve who will have to hunt down the insane assassin with Russian roots, known under the pseudonym Villanelle. Over time, their confrontation develops into an obsession.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, one of the most famous screenwriters of recent years, adapted a series of books by Luke Jennings. In the serial version, everything turned out perfectly: the incredible reincarnations of Villanelle, the idea that only a woman can catch a woman, and a completely unexpected look at the secret service workers.

6. Morning show

• USA, 2019 - present.
• Drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Alex Levy hosted the popular Morning Show for many years with her colleague Mitch Kessler. But then he was accused of sexual harassment and fired. Now Alex must fight for her place with new employee Bradley Jackson.

In the era of numerous scandals related to sexual harassment, such a series could not but appear. Streaming service Apple TV + has made The Morning Show one of its main projects, bringing in great comedic actresses, starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. And the series is also ambiguous about the kinks in the #MeToo movement.

5. The Handmaid's Tale

• USA, 2017 - present.
• Science fiction, thriller, drama.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The action takes place in the near future in the totalitarian state of Gilead, where the military seized power. There is a serious problem in the country: only one in a hundred women is able to give birth to a child. Therefore, officers' wives take maids into their homes, who become surrogate mothers for their children. The main character June Osborne also fell into slavery. Now her name is Fredova (that is, belonging to Fred), and she has lost all rights.

The dark dystopia, based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, does not just scare the fictional world of the future. This series makes you look differently at modern society. After all, many of the nightmares from "The Handmaid's Tale" have already become reality.

4. Big little lies

• USA, 2017–2019.
• Drama, detective.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The series begins at a charity ball where a murder takes place. Neither the perpetrator nor the victim is shown to the viewer. And then the plot tells about the events that preceded the tragedy. It all started with the fact that single mother Jane Chapman came to the city, and it seems that her child offended the daughter of one of the very important women in the city.

Jean-Marc Vallee is renowned for his love of non-linear storytelling. In Big Little Lies, based on the book by Liane Moriarty, it created an unusual detective story. Viewers have to guess not only the killer, but also the victim and the circumstances that led to this. And at the core is a tough drama about the secrets of family relationships and domestic violence. Valle refused to film a sequel, and another director worked on the second season. There, the action became more linear, and the detective was replaced by a social drama.

3. The amazing Mrs. Maisel

• USA, 2017 - present.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The life of the witty and energetic Midge Meisel is wonderful: she is married, has two children, and her parents provide all their needs. But then the husband goes to the secretary. And then Midge thinks about his own desires for the first time, without being tied to parents, children or husband. It turns out that she has an incredible talent as a stand-up comedian.

A very funny and vivid series in the setting of the 50s USA not only makes you laugh, but also makes you look differently at the problems of family life. This is not about survival after divorce, but about finding yourself. And at the same time, Midge cheerfully talks from the stage about the most personal and touching moments. An incredible stream of jokes, coupled with amazing actors and very graceful filming, made "The Amazing Mrs. Maisel" one of the main comedy hits of recent years. Only the next series on the list competes with him.

2. Rubbish

• UK, 2016-2019.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The main character, nicknamed Fleabag (that is, rubbish), cannot be called very pleasant. She sleeps with everyone, never learned to communicate with her family and lost her beloved friend. But the girl manages to remain witty even in the most difficult situations.

The author's project of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who personally played the main role, grew out of her solo performance. That is why, even in the series, the heroine speaks directly to the audience. The television "Trash" had the effect of a bomb: Waller-Bridge was instantly named the main scriptwriter of our time, several important contracts were signed with her, and even invited to add dialogues to a new James Bond film. The thing is that she organically combines very sharp and even rude jokes with a talent for revealing living human characters. And it's also surprising that the second season of "Rubbish" was even better than the first.

1. Crown

• UK, 2016 - present.
• Drama, biography.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

This biographical series from Netflix follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II of England from a young age to the present day. After ascending the throne and marrying Prince Philip, she will have to make many difficult decisions and somehow maintain a balance between her personal and public life.

The authors of the series have conceived a global and very expensive project, the plot of which stretches over decades. Therefore, in "Crown" every two seasons, the cast completely changes. Young Elizabeth was played by Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman took her place. The story will end on the fifth season, where Imelda Staunton will play the main role.