In hindsight almost all TV shows in Pakistan are women centric. They're either about a daughter in law who cries 24/7 or a sister who's hell bent on seducing her brother in law or a so called best friend who's never happy for her friend and instead goes out for her husband. Sometimes it's even the cousins. Basically, all women are after each other’s husbands. Our shows might at face discuss woman oriented issues but almost none of them portray a strong female character. She's always the victim or the villain. But never is she in the true sense of the word the main character of her own story.
Now among these repeated and same female characters and dialogues like Do takay ki aurat the new Asim Abbassi web series, Churials, was a refreshing watch. Female characters in Churails were independent, fierce, vulnerable, and above all they were their own person rather than just wives or daughters. Churails among hundreds of the typical Saas/Bahu shows, is the only one that is actually nuanced. But unfortunately it's not really enough to quench the thirst for strong female oriented shows. But despair not, Pakistan might not have the shows you need but we live in the digital age and there are plenty of female oriented shows available on streaming platforms. So, here's the ultimate list of female centric shows that every woman needs to watch in her lifetime.
Starting off on a lighter note, Derry Girls is the perfect show if you're in the mood of a good laugh. It's two seasons long and follows the life of 16-year-old Erin Quinn and her four best friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFmFuXH0IRY
The plot follows Jen whose husband gets killed in a hit-and-run. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Judy, a fellow member in her therapy group. It’s dark, it’s funny and it’s got a female friendship dynamic where men aren’t the only of all their discussions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYBw1raC2o
Just like Dead to Me, Russian Doll also falls into the dark humour category. But it's also a very witty show. Russian Doll is the story of Nadia who unfortunately keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY
No one knows better than a woman what it feels like to be placed into certain categories, and never being allowed to be themselves. Eleanor, the main character, is also in a similar situation in The Good Place. She dies, and in the world that she lives in, when you die you either go to a Good Place or hell. Now Eleanor isn't exactly what you'd call a good person. She has her fair share of vices and when she's sent to the Good Place, she turns the entire system upside down by challenging the notion that people can be placed in such restrictive categories at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfBgT5djaQw
Men like to say women aren't funny. We guess those men haven't met Mrs. Maisel. Set in 1958's New York, the show follows Midge Maisel, a housewife who turns to live comedy when she finds out her husband has been cheating on her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmwkTrW4OQ
By the same creators of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Girlmore Girls is a show centered around a single mother, Lorelai, and her daughter, Rory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kiR2vsfAQ
Hailing from Bollywood, is the Indian web series, Four More Shots Please. It's a fun little show about four friends tackling different issues in their lives. It’s the perfect blend of fun and profound, sprinkled with romance, female friendship, and some amazing styling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7NCW8gMtVs
Only two seasons long, Fleabag is without a doubt one of the best shows ever made. Fleabag tells the story of Fleabag, a dry-witted, sexually active young woman who attempts to deal with her grief while living in London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2ViKQFL_k
Pushavalli is what you can call is the Indian Fleabag. This comedy-drama is without a doubt the first of its kind. It’s hilarious narrative will not only make you laugh but at time will make your eyes well in tears with all the heartfelt emotions It emotes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5M_sdbFoYg
Chartering into a more dark and dramatic category, the next show on our list is the Netflix show, Unbelievable. It explores how one young woman's horrific rape was mishandled by authorities, while simultaneously digging into a series of similar rapes being investigated by two female detectives a few states over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIkUzkbzQk
Based on the true rape story of the Nirbhaya Case from Delhi, Delhi Crime is a spine-chilling thriller series that takes its viewers on a chronological tour of the investigation undertaken by the Delhi Police to catch the rapists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNuKwlKJx2E
Co-directed by Zoya Akhtar, the acclaimed director of films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy, Made in Heaven is about two wedding planners, Tara and Karan. These two wedding planners however, not only organise wedding ceremonies but also stumble upon the deep-rooted social evils that surround the institution of marriage in Indian households.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0UkDQaR5KQ
Based on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, The Crown is an American-British biographical drama series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWtnJjn6ng0
Set inside of a women's prison, Orange Is the New Black tells the backstories of a diverse bunch of female convicts. The show is funny, socially aware, and a must watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0qzXi5oJg
The show tells the story of a criminal defence lawyer Annalise Keating and a group of ambitious law students that she takes under her wing. They all become involved in a murder plot and as we all know, that is never a good situation to find oneself in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkb-aBaxkVk
The superhero world is one with only few female superheroes. Amongst these very few is Jessica Jones. She's a hard-drinking, sarcastic survivor who takes cases to make enough money to buy more alcohol. However, deep down, Jessica still believes in justice, and does her best to restore it in a sexist and misogynistic society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHUjuJ8zxE
Trinkets follows the story of three very different teenagers who end up becoming friends with each other when they meet at an anonymous shoplifters therapy group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BegK8MyhDf0
Seldom do we get a show where 50 year old women are the main characters. But gladly, Grace & Frankie exists, and we're thankful for that. In the show two frenemies are forced to confront their long-term shared animosity when they discover their husbands have been in love with each other for years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDv6PRi1SgQ
Helmed by a string of female creators is the show, Glow, featuring a band of vastly different women wrestlers. This show is the true definition of a strong women centric show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnKEoXbBTEw
Set in a dystopian world, The Handmaid's Tale is the true depiction of a corrupted, extremist and misogynistic society and how women fare in a society like that.The show is an adaptation of a Margaret Atwood novel with the same name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLiDETfx1c
Another show based on a Margaret Atwood novel is a six-part miniseries, Alias Grace. This show explores the story a real-life servant convicted of murder in 1843.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fofQ9VpPQ
The cat and mouse chase between a cop and a criminal is a genre dominated by male story lines. However, Killing Eve is the only female version of the same savage cat and mouse game. And dare we say it's also the best one among all of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk0PyD-XNZA
This is the show from which the Pakistani series, Churails derived it's inspiration from. Big Little Lies with academy award winner actors Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep and other highly talented female actors is a domestic crime drama that treats women as more complex than simply “wife” or “mother.” A perfect show, if you ask us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XgMvMpvCFI
Now among these repeated and same female characters and dialogues like Do takay ki aurat the new Asim Abbassi web series, Churials, was a refreshing watch. Female characters in Churails were independent, fierce, vulnerable, and above all they were their own person rather than just wives or daughters. Churails among hundreds of the typical Saas/Bahu shows, is the only one that is actually nuanced. But unfortunately it's not really enough to quench the thirst for strong female oriented shows. But despair not, Pakistan might not have the shows you need but we live in the digital age and there are plenty of female oriented shows available on streaming platforms. So, here's the ultimate list of female centric shows that every woman needs to watch in her lifetime.
Derry Girls
Starting off on a lighter note, Derry Girls is the perfect show if you're in the mood of a good laugh. It's two seasons long and follows the life of 16-year-old Erin Quinn and her four best friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFmFuXH0IRY
Dead to Me
The plot follows Jen whose husband gets killed in a hit-and-run. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Judy, a fellow member in her therapy group. It’s dark, it’s funny and it’s got a female friendship dynamic where men aren’t the only of all their discussions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYBw1raC2o
Russian Doll
Just like Dead to Me, Russian Doll also falls into the dark humour category. But it's also a very witty show. Russian Doll is the story of Nadia who unfortunately keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY
The Good Place
No one knows better than a woman what it feels like to be placed into certain categories, and never being allowed to be themselves. Eleanor, the main character, is also in a similar situation in The Good Place. She dies, and in the world that she lives in, when you die you either go to a Good Place or hell. Now Eleanor isn't exactly what you'd call a good person. She has her fair share of vices and when she's sent to the Good Place, she turns the entire system upside down by challenging the notion that people can be placed in such restrictive categories at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfBgT5djaQw
The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel
Men like to say women aren't funny. We guess those men haven't met Mrs. Maisel. Set in 1958's New York, the show follows Midge Maisel, a housewife who turns to live comedy when she finds out her husband has been cheating on her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmwkTrW4OQ
Gilmore Girls
By the same creators of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Girlmore Girls is a show centered around a single mother, Lorelai, and her daughter, Rory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kiR2vsfAQ
Four More Shots Please!
Hailing from Bollywood, is the Indian web series, Four More Shots Please. It's a fun little show about four friends tackling different issues in their lives. It’s the perfect blend of fun and profound, sprinkled with romance, female friendship, and some amazing styling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7NCW8gMtVs
Fleabag
Only two seasons long, Fleabag is without a doubt one of the best shows ever made. Fleabag tells the story of Fleabag, a dry-witted, sexually active young woman who attempts to deal with her grief while living in London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX2ViKQFL_k
Pushavalli
Pushavalli is what you can call is the Indian Fleabag. This comedy-drama is without a doubt the first of its kind. It’s hilarious narrative will not only make you laugh but at time will make your eyes well in tears with all the heartfelt emotions It emotes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5M_sdbFoYg
Unbelievable
Chartering into a more dark and dramatic category, the next show on our list is the Netflix show, Unbelievable. It explores how one young woman's horrific rape was mishandled by authorities, while simultaneously digging into a series of similar rapes being investigated by two female detectives a few states over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIkUzkbzQk
Delhi Crime
Based on the true rape story of the Nirbhaya Case from Delhi, Delhi Crime is a spine-chilling thriller series that takes its viewers on a chronological tour of the investigation undertaken by the Delhi Police to catch the rapists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNuKwlKJx2E
Made in Heaven
Co-directed by Zoya Akhtar, the acclaimed director of films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy, Made in Heaven is about two wedding planners, Tara and Karan. These two wedding planners however, not only organise wedding ceremonies but also stumble upon the deep-rooted social evils that surround the institution of marriage in Indian households.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0UkDQaR5KQ
The Crown
Based on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, The Crown is an American-British biographical drama series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWtnJjn6ng0
Orange Is the New Black
Set inside of a women's prison, Orange Is the New Black tells the backstories of a diverse bunch of female convicts. The show is funny, socially aware, and a must watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY0qzXi5oJg
How to Get Away With Murder
The show tells the story of a criminal defence lawyer Annalise Keating and a group of ambitious law students that she takes under her wing. They all become involved in a murder plot and as we all know, that is never a good situation to find oneself in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkb-aBaxkVk
Jessica Jones
The superhero world is one with only few female superheroes. Amongst these very few is Jessica Jones. She's a hard-drinking, sarcastic survivor who takes cases to make enough money to buy more alcohol. However, deep down, Jessica still believes in justice, and does her best to restore it in a sexist and misogynistic society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHUjuJ8zxE
Trinkets
Trinkets follows the story of three very different teenagers who end up becoming friends with each other when they meet at an anonymous shoplifters therapy group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BegK8MyhDf0
Grace & Frankie
Seldom do we get a show where 50 year old women are the main characters. But gladly, Grace & Frankie exists, and we're thankful for that. In the show two frenemies are forced to confront their long-term shared animosity when they discover their husbands have been in love with each other for years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDv6PRi1SgQ
Glow
Helmed by a string of female creators is the show, Glow, featuring a band of vastly different women wrestlers. This show is the true definition of a strong women centric show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnKEoXbBTEw
The Handmaid's Tale
Set in a dystopian world, The Handmaid's Tale is the true depiction of a corrupted, extremist and misogynistic society and how women fare in a society like that.The show is an adaptation of a Margaret Atwood novel with the same name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVLiDETfx1c
Alias Grace
Another show based on a Margaret Atwood novel is a six-part miniseries, Alias Grace. This show explores the story a real-life servant convicted of murder in 1843.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fofQ9VpPQ
Killing Eve
The cat and mouse chase between a cop and a criminal is a genre dominated by male story lines. However, Killing Eve is the only female version of the same savage cat and mouse game. And dare we say it's also the best one among all of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk0PyD-XNZA
Big Little Lies
This is the show from which the Pakistani series, Churails derived it's inspiration from. Big Little Lies with academy award winner actors Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep and other highly talented female actors is a domestic crime drama that treats women as more complex than simply “wife” or “mother.” A perfect show, if you ask us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XgMvMpvCFI