Has This Been the Best Year for Women on Television?

Ahead of the Emmy nominations, things are looking up for women in television.

By Seija Rankin Jul 12, 2017 3:00 PMTags
Women on TV, Handmaid's Tale, Big Little Lies, ShamelessHulu; HBO; Showtime

Every year when it comes time for the Emmy nominations it seems like the industry decides that television is really having a moment. That prestige programming has never been better. That network TV is climbing back to the top. That streaming is the future. This year, on the heels of this morning's big announcement, the pattern continues. 

But there's another pronouncement that's been buzzing around the tongues of everyone in Hollywood: That this year might have been the one to finally put women on top of the game. 

There are countless problems with representation and diversity in the industry, whether on the big screen or small, and those are issues that aren't news to anyone. There's no Band-Aid cure-all that can be applied here to instantly make television look the way the rest of the country does, and frankly we're not necessarily in the position to tell those in charge what to do (unfortunately). But what we can do is take this opportunity to look back at the past year of TV-watching and decide if it was everything it's cracked up to be, womanly-speaking. 

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It makes sense to start with the program that is still on everyone's hearts and minds and, presumably, in their nightmares as soon as they shut their eyes at night. The Handmaid's Tale is not a new story—it is, of course, based off of Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel of the same name—but its existence in the pop culture space is still a very big deal. Political commentary regarding the eerie timing of its release and the even eerier correlations between the show's themes and some of the developments of the current administration aside, it's a show whose entire existence is to warn and educate about the subjugation of women.

The 10-episode season streamed on Hulu and could easily have been thrust into niche territory. But it bulldozed onto the national spotlight, with rave reviews and a quick greenlight for a second season. It helped to revive the career of one Alexis Bledel after a bit of a hiatus from the industry and ensured that Elisabeth Moss' career would continue its upward trajectory in a post-Mad Men world. The show is a front runner to land a nomination for Best Drama Series and don't be surprised if you see Moss' name on the list as well. 

When speaking of career revivals it's truly impossible not to bring up Mandy Moore. This past season of television may have been the year of women, it may have been the year of Netflix, but it was without question the year of Mandy Moore. This Is Us is single-handedly shutting down network TV naysayers and Mandy is its best success story (out of many success stories). The family drama is the true definition of a group effort, with Milo Ventimiglia and Sterling K. Brown and Justin Hartley and Chrissy Metz and those freaking adorable kids all chipping in to make America fall in love with the Pearsons, but it seems like everyone is cheering for Mandy the loudest. After countless failed pilots and movies that didn't quite live up to their expectations, 2017 is the year that the Universe is paying her back. 

A quick glance at the predictions for this year's Emmy nominations points to plenty of other women worth celebrating. Stranger Things was a critical darling and is one of the most anticipated second seasons and its star Millie Bobby Brown was easily the best part of the show. (Sorry, Barb stans.) Anytime a 13-year-old girl shaves her heads, captures the hearts of all of Hollywood and gets launched to stardom is a good time for everyone. 

The Crown has taken an age-old pop culture tradition of creating content about royal families and centered the story on the matriarch for once. Queen Elizabeth II is a worthy protagonist and puts the overly macho swashbuckling ways of past shows like The Tudors to shame. Claire Foy for President? Totally. 

Grace and Frankie stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin will likely go toe-to-toe for a nomination in the Best Comedy Actress category, and the fact that they are both well past the age of what is considered "young" in Hollywood and starring in a show that follows the lives of two women who are definitely not young, with humor that is not for the young. What better way to prove the theory of universal appeal?

Female-led stalwarts continue to reign, too, with Homeland and How to Get Away With Murder expected to see noms yet again, honoring their heroines who grace our screens with all their complicated, fascinating faults. The reboot of Gilmore Girls might even swoop in under the radar, if nostalgia is worth as much as networks think it is, offering up plenty of programming in which women aren't expected to get by on their looks or romantic story lines but instead are allowed to simply interact with one another for our own enjoyment. 

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A show that may not make it on the hot list of Emmy nominations but still deserves a shoutout, especially when it comes to debating the television landscape for women, is Shameless. Sure, it's not exactly a female-friendly show, in material nor in cast makeup. But it made headlines this season for all the right reasons. Star Emmy Rossum created an all-out salary standoff when she held up negotiations for the show's season eight renewal because of the network's hesitation to give her equal pay.

Rossum stars opposite William H. Macy in the off-kilter comedy (or dramedy, rather) and for years had been paid less than her male counterpart. This winter the actress decided to hold out on signing her contract until she received equal pay. Her successful bid for parity not only proved that studios truly have no valid reason for valuing a male star over a female star, but it made people respect the crap out of Emmy. Robin Wright, who plays Claire Underwood on House of Cards, has done the same, threatening to go public with her wage gap unless Netflix matched her salary to Kevin Spacey's. There are very few people who would argue that anyone in Hollywood is underpaid in comparison to the rest of America, but this is definitely a one giant leap for womankind kind of situation. 

So far all signs point to: Yes, this past year was very good for women on television. Now not to get over-dramatic, but we haven't even graced the surface of what was undoubtedly the best thing to happen to us personally as female television viewers. A program so captivating, so beautiful, so angsty, so full of the most breathtaking seascapes. Television audiences were truly given a gift in Big Little Lies and it won't be surprising if the show is repaid with several nods.

There is really no quicker way to ensure that women have a standout year on television than to bring the film industry's legends to the small screen. Reese WitherspoonNicole KidmanLaura DernZoë Kravitz and Shailene Woodley represent the best of the gender and watching Big Little Lies felt like a delightful (and very long) movie that just happened to be on TV. The show was arguably the runaway hit of 2017 and all of its success was thanks to its female characters. And, quite frankly, was no thanks to its male characters. (Except Tom. We love you, Tom.) Even more delightful was that the show itself had a broad appeal and proved that what may seem like petty Mom drama on the outside actually makes for fascinating character studies that everyone enjoys. Plus, it's going to (hopefully) get Reese Witherspoon one step closer to EGOT status. 

So where does this leave us? It leaves us with the same overwhelming feeling that there is so much work to do, but we can at least take one morning to appreciate what women brought to the screen this year.