Choosing my favourite female characters was so much more difficult than choosing the males. I tried to be diverse I tried to be fair and I had to put 6...and here they are...but let me list some runners up first...
Here they are: for constantly being excellent even when their cast does not back them up I submit a quintet of excellent ladies from Grey's Anatomy in preferential order - Chandra Wilson as Dr. Bailey, Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens, Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres, Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang and of course Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey; for managing to cross over to another show and become an even greater character Kate Walsh in Private Practice, for bringing the funny and being real Isobel Sanders on The Jeffersons, for saving the world again and again Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the combined female casts of Sex & the City, Desperate Housewives, Glee and Brothers & Sisters
#6: Lorelai Gilmore
Show: Gilmore Girls
Actor: Lauren Graham
Trade Marks: Devotion to Rory - her daughter, crazy banter with everyone around especially her mother (played excellently by Kelly Bishop), a predilection for Luke's coffee and Luke, bad decisions,
Turn Offs: her parents - especially when they want to control Rory's life, boys who get in the way of her daughter's education (I'm sensing a trend here), boring people
Why I Love Her: Because Lauren Graham plays this role so beautifully it makes me sad when people forget that she so talented. The part of the kooky mother may be a stereotype, but don't tell her that because Lorelai is a creation all her own. It doesn't matter what she is doing, you cannot take your eyes off her performance. That is called good acting.
#5: Sharona Flemying
Show: Monk
Actor: Bitty Schram
Trade Marks: devotion to her son and her boss – Adrian, wisecracks, gumption and dedication worthy causes, being a hot mom.
Turn Offs: her boss – Adrian when he's out of control, Randy, Natalie (at first), her deadbeat ex-husband (until he cleaned up his act)
Why I Love Her: Because Sharona was my favourite character on Monk more than Monk himself somtimes. So wise, so streetsmart, good looking, and dedicated to her son. When she left the show I stopped watching for months only coming back in bits. Traylor Hackford (what kind of a name IS THAT?) could never replace her. Sigh.
#4: Miranda Hobbes
Actor: Cynthia Nixon
Trade Marks: Pragmatism and sensibleness, her red hair,
Turn Offs: Wishy-washy men, not getting promoted, models and modelizers (love that episode)
Why I Love Her: Because the fact that she has two Emmy's is no fluke. Every episode I wait for Miranda to come, and when she turns up with her red hair and intelligence and delivers smart cutdowns that are still hilariously, I ask myself - why the hell does she not have a proper film role?
#3: Phoebe Buffay
Actor: Lisa Kudrow
Trademarks: Kookiness, vegetarian ways, guitar and song, random humour, her pornstar twin sister, her massages
Turn Offs: Evolutionist theory, her twin sister, sad endings, mean people
Why I Love Her: Because Lisa Kudrow is just amazing and Phoebe's random humour is essential to the show. From watching Phoebe run in the park, to watching her banter with Joey and Mike and everything that comes in between there's no doubt that she is one brilliant character.
#2: Olive Snook
Show: Pushing Daisies
Actor: Kristin Chenoweth
Trademarks: Breaking into song, rash behaviour, devotion to Ned regardless of obstacles, perkiness, sweetness, all around awesomeness
Turn Offs: Anything between her and Ned - aything, quietness
Why I Love Her: Because she is played by Chenoweth (just kidding, sort of). Olive is so lovely and Chenoweth makes her so loveable even when we should not be rooting for her, and she sings (what more can we ask more) and maintains this all while still defending our hero.
#1: Karen Walker
Actor: Megan Mullally
Trademarks: Accompanying drink in hand, devilish cackle, arguments with her maid – Rosario, spending her husband’s money, inability to use public amenitie, extensive use of the word "honey".
Turn Offs: Poorness, work, Minnie Driver and the character she plays - Lorraine Finster, Candice Bergen
Why I LOVE Her: Megan's comedy genius cannot be touched by ANY ACTOR on TV. It's the sort of genius that leaves me gasping for air, not only from the writing but from her ability to make even the most tired jokes something tired.
The ongoing TV MEME goes on, for it must.
Which of these women remind you of the wonders of TV? Whom have I missed?
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