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Strong women take center stage on prime-time TV
TVData Entertainment Features Syndicate - December 1, 1999
By Candace Havens
For years, male-driven sitcoms and dramas were the norm on prime-time television. Women only showed up to play
supporting characters - and victims of the week in TV movies. And though there were a few shows in the last decade -
Roseanne, Designing Women, Murphy Brown and Grace Under Fire - with female leads, men dominated the market.
In the mid-to-late '90s, however, a new trend toward stronger roles for women began. Not since Wonder Woman tossed
out her golden lasso for the last time in 1979 have there been such tough chicks on TV, from The WB Network's Buffy
(Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) to USA Network's Nikita (Peta Wilson, La Femme Nikita) and
Universal Television's Xena (Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess). These heroines were among the first to prove
viewers wanted to see women take control.
But as the past two TV seasons have shown, strong women on television don't necessarily have to pack a punch. Last
year, Providence joined the NBC lineup as a midseason replacement. Critics were shocked when viewers made the
female-oriented series one of the highest-rated shows of the season. The success of Providence helped to spawn a
slew of new shows featuring women for the fall 1999 season, all of which are pulling in good ratings for the
networks.
CBS' Judging Amy pairs two dynamic actresses: Tyne Daly as semiretired social worker Maxine Gray and Amy Brenneman
as Judge Amy Madison Gray. They are a mother and daughter who are not afraid to fight for what they think is right.
And oh, how the righteous fight.
The inspiration for Judging Amy is Brenneman's mother, a judge who was one of the first women to graduate from
Harvard Law School.
"I really couldn't have had a better role model growing up," Brenneman says. "Most of my friends'
mothers stayed at home or worked in what was considered normal jobs. My mom was a superior-court judge.
"In a way, I am playing her job, although I probably have a very different style from her on the bench,"
Brenneman says. "But in the relationship of me to Maxine, I'm very much me. I react to my own mother in many of
the same ways. My mother and I are strong women with our own opinions, and so is Tyne. It makes for an interesting
relationship and great dialogue for the show."
Daly was hesitant about returning to TV, but she knew the role was worth it. "I did take my time in coming
back, but I saw something special in this role," Daly says. "I play a mother who gets a reality of her
own, rather than just being seen through the eyes of her children."
"Tyne's character is a trailblazer on the show," executive producer Barbara Hall says. "She was a
social worker before we even understood what social work was. Amy is a juvenile-court judge who deals with custody
and neglect, but the child abuse laws, as we know them, only came into being in, like, 1960, so (Maxine) had to be a
pioneer of that work. In a way, she paved the way for Amy to have this job."
Another CBS drama, Family Law, stars Kathleen Quinlan, Dixie Carter and Julie Warner as three lawyers who aren't
afraid to take on tough cases. It is also one of the top new dramas of the season. "These are women who are
thrown into a difficult situation and come out fighting," says Paul Haggis, executive producer of the show.
"They don't need men or any one else to tell them how to run their business. The show is seen through the eyes
of women, which I think is nice for a change."
Quinlan is quick to point out that while the characters on her show are strong-willed, they aren't necessarily
perfect. "We have one woman who didn't have a clue her husband was about to divorce her, and another who
murdered her husband," the actress says. "They don't always handle things well. But they do learn from
their mistakes and move on, and I think that is the beauty of it."
The title character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has become a role model for young women around the world, and Gellar
doesn't have a problem with that.
She says it's creator-executive producer Joss Whedon who makes Buffy a role model. "I think he handles that
amazingly," Gellar says. "I think she's an incredible role model. I wished growing up that there were
characters like that, that I could watch. A female who's not the prettiest and most popular and can take care of
herself ... I think that is so important for girls to see."
Copyright © 1999 TVData. All rights reserved.
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