It’s never been a better time for female characters on prime time television. They’re unique and more interesting than ever, and the actors who portray them have ample talent to flesh them out, making it easy to get caught up in their lives. Picking one character that stands out on each night of the week became especially hard because many had to be bypassed.
And in one case, it seemed fairer to select a whole group of characters on one particular show, which also celebrates the fact that a series has so many strong women.
The list that follows is wholly subjective and not meant to exclude the many others who are so compelling and fun to watch.
We still like the heroic Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), the self-assured Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files”), the strong Sydney Hansen (Melina Kanakaredes, “Providence”), the funny mock newsreader Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live”), the whimsical Dharma Finkelstein Montgomery (Jenna Elfman, “Dharma & Greg”), the conflicted Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart, “Ally McBeal”), the loyal “M.E.” Sims and Rene Jackson (Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint, “Any Day Now”), and the positive Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, “Gilmore Girls”).
The selections below are a nice representation of what’s new.
Our picks for tuning in
SUNDAY
Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), ABC’s “Alias” (8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7)– College student by day, master spy by night. Sydney is the type of head-banger that has become popular since the premiere of “Xena: Warrior Princess.” But for all of her feistiness, Sydney also seems the most human of the fighting females out there now. That makes her the most relatable.
MONDAY
Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton), CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond” (8 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2)–Barone is typical of the up-to-date TV mom so different from the 1960s model: She doesn’t mind telling her husband she’s tired of his nonsense, she won’t make nice with her in-laws no matter how harmonious the conclusion, and she loves her kids, but if they’re a pain she says so. Sound familiar?
TUESDAY
Kathleen Maguire (Kim Delaney), ABC’s “Philly” (9 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7)–Maguire doesn’t back down from judges and prosecutors. She fights for her clients with almost as much zeal as she fights her ex-husband for the well-being of their son. And she has no qualms about using salty language and devious tricks if it means the people she represents will benefit.
WEDNESDAY
Vicki Marbrey, CBS’ “60 Minutes II” (7 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2)–There are other captivating women on this night, on such shows as “Law & Order” and “The West Wing.” But Marbrey stands out because of her evenhanded and intelligent reports. She displays a deft and professional touch on a show whose name is as synonymous with news as it is with being an all-boys club.
THURSDAY
The women of NBC’s “ER” (9 p.m. NBC, WMAQ-Ch. 5)–It would have been unfair to single out any one woman on this show, even though nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) has replaced Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) as the heart of the series. But with Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston), Cleo Finch (Michael Michele), Jing-Mei Chen (Ming-Na), and the returning Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) from the show’s first three seasons, “ER” has one of the finest female ensembles on television.
FRIDAY
Max (Jessica Alba), Fox’s “Dark Angel” (7 p.m., WFLD-Ch. 32)–So she doesn’t come off as vulnerable as Sydney on “Alias.” Too bad. We still like this smart-mouth fighting machine for her moxie, charm, and that occasional flash of fragility that comes out every once in a while. But we also like how she takes on her opponents when she has to.
SATURDAY
Monica (Roma Downey), CBS’ “Touched by an Angel” (7 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2)–This angel gained her wings a long time ago, but with the move to the least-watched night of the week, combined with this being the seventh season of “Touched,” it might be the end of the line for the spirit who helps other wounded spirits. Then again, miracles do happen.
