My Favourite Female Leads in Comedic TV

From the get go I was watching shows like I Love Lucy, The Golden Girls, and even Designing Women.  So let that sink in and it may make this list make a bit more sense.  

I also need to point out that while I'd love to put Claire Huxtable on this list, she didn't play as funny as the rest of the women on this list.  

She was just a boss on The Cosby Show and she deserves a mention before we get into the real list.

Actor/Character:
Janet Hubert as Vivian Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Funniest moments:
I don't acknowledge the other person who stepped into this role after baby Nicky was born.  I get that she still was called "aunt viv" but I just like to think that Uncle Phil remarried...  Anyway!  The real Aunt Viv will forever be remembered as the woman who got things done while being just as fun to watch as Will.  When she insisted on getting her pawn shop gift, and when she outdanced the youngings it was clear she was a force to be reckoned with. I was so sad when she left and even sadder when I realized she hates not just Will but the rest of the cast.

Actor/Character:
Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)

Funniest moments:
Remember that show Dinosaurs?  Jessica played the mom on that show!  I say that to say this, when Jessica drops the motherly act, she gets to snapping and it's never not great to watch!  My favourite moment was when she started roasting her daughter and explained she just wanted to toughen her up in case their were meaner kids at school.  Add to that the pure joy she gets out of Gene Parmesan and you've got an argument for best Arrested Development character!

Actor/Character:
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon (30 Rock)

Funniest moments:
I generally like to write female characters with the rule "What Would Liz Do?"  I don't know why I enjoy watching Tina Fey as Liz Lemon operate on screen so much.  Maybe because she was one of the first characters I saw show a broader spectrum of emotions.  Liz gets to be afraid, angry, happy, and insecure.  She's allowed to want things and be selfish.  She's also kind and looks out for everyone.  All in a 30 minute sitcom on NBC.  It's hard for her to top spite buying all the hot dogs at a cart because someone tried to cut the line.  However, I loved seeing her struggle with trying not to seem racist while trying to break up with Aaron Burr!

Actor/Character:
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)

Funniest moments:
I hate to admit it but upon re-watching the first season of Parks & Recreation I feel that Amy was trying to be pigeonholed into being female Michael Scott.  Once Amy was able to be her own person, everything started to sing on this show.  The best part of Leslie Knope was that she was an example of hard work and compassion paying off.  However, if we're talking funny... Leslie trying to give up and calling her staff jabronis was amazing!  Pauline and I both agree that Leslie's Bill Cosby impression cannot be beat!  Leslie gets to be a lot of things just like Liz but I preferred watching her got to the extremes.

Actor/Character:
Eliza Coupe as Jane Kerkovich-Williams (Happy Endings)

Funniest moments:
I'm sure there are other examples of it but I truly appreciated the fact that Jane was a part of an interracial couple on an ABC sitcom and that relationship was the most stable and loving relationship on the show.  It was almost like the writers didn't need to draw attention to the fact that the couple was interracial and fetishize it.  But Jane isn't here for who she married.  As with most of the women on this list, she got here by knowing what she wanted and going for it.  And jokes like telling her knitting club friend she's a "knitter with attitude" then laughing at her own joke and musing "I told you I'm edgy" are great examples of what makes Jane great.

Actor/Character:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer (Veep)

Funniest moments:
Selina actually works better as a way more successful female Michael Scott.  In that she is interesting to watch because she can be childish and petty but is still in charge and will show flashes of why every now and then.  However I do appreciate that, like Leslie Knope, Selina gets to show the audience what it's like when a woman wants to excel in a male dominated world.  Her funniest moments involve her daughter.  How she tries to micromanage her daughter is great but the moment she tries to cheer her daughter up immediately after a death in the family with news of her chances of staying president is amazing!

Actor/Character:
Krysten Ritter as Chloe (Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23)

Funniest moments:
There are limited layers to Chloe, but her capacity to plot and exact revenge is what earned her a spot on this list!  In an effort to fluster her roommate and mother she sets her dad up with her roommate and just watches her puppets dance.  I think it also says a lot that I feel Krysten is completely different in this role than she is in Breaking Bad or Jessica Jones and I find her believable in all three roles.

Actor/Character:
Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer as Abbi Abrams & Ilana Wexler (Broad City)

Funniest moments:
I gave you 5 reasons to watch this show.  But there is only 2 you need.  Abbi & Ilana go to work on this show!  They are extremely entertaining to watch when they're on their own but when they connect for a scene together you get amazing moments like when Ilana assures Abbi she knows exactly what to do during a game of truth or dare!  A moment that made Pauline harder than I've ever seen her laugh before or since.  Abbi getting competitve during a retreat with her work will always make me laugh and anything to do with Ilana in a professional setting will make me laugh!

Actor/Character:
Jessica St. Clair & Lennon Parham as Emma Crawford & Maggie Caruso (Playing House)

Funniest moments:
Jessica and Lennon just know how to make me laugh!  They've got a podcast that I listened to and wrote about HERE.  They had a show before this one that I thought was hilarious and now they've got Playing House!  Jessica plays Emma and Lennon plays Maggie.  I think, much like the women from Broad City, that it's important that both women can kill a scene on their own but that it really does feel like something special is happening when they're together.  Maggie's character Bosephus is out of nowhere and amazing all at once.

Actor/Character:
Constance Wu as Jessica Huang (Fresh off the Boat)

Funniest moments:
I gave you five reasons to watch this show too.  And Jessica has only grown on me since she appeared on that list.  She is such an amazing presence I even cast her as Lois Lane on the Spoiled Rotten Podcast.  Jessica knows how to get to the heart of any issue.  Because of that she's funny even when she isn't trying to be as well as getting a couple of good jokes on purpose!  This season the show realized the real comedy gold is mined from scenes with Jessica and her youngest son, Evan.  Sure, she's funny when she takes on the Neighbourhood Watch and pals around with Honey, but nothing strikes Pauline and I quite the way a good Evan and Jessica moment does.

Actor/Character:
Michaela Coel as Tracey (Chewing Gum)

Funniest moments:
Chewing Gum has dealt with a lot of stuff concerning women and specifically black women trying to feel desirable.  However, don't let that stop you from embracing it as the comedic genius that it is.  There are a lot of lessons to be learned but you'll be laughing the whole time. The first season focused on the mishaps of Tracey's sex life and that was definitely funny, however, the new season added her low-key rivalry with her ex's new girlfriend and that gave Tracey a chance to shine as someone who you shouldn't mess with and I loved seeing that side of her and how quickly she shot back at her foe each time!  Because Michaela writes, directs, and stars as Tracey in this show it's understandable why we don't even get 13 episodes per season but it certainly says something that I'm actually advocating for more episodes per season!

Actor/Character:
Maria Bamford as Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite)

Funniest moments:
Maria Bamford is the most consistent comedian I know period.  While her Netflix show does have a bit of a learning curve for how the story unfolds, it is a worthwhile show for it's exploration of mental health, fame, and just trying to do the right thing.  Anytime someone breaks the fourth wall to comment on how Maria is making yet another show about being a stand up is funny to me and everything to do with her stint as a spoke person and the effect that had on her is great for laughs!

Actor/Character:
Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)

Funniest moments:
I slept on Kristen till I saw her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and caught her on Deadwood.  I'm sorry!  The writing on this show, but Kristen knows how to make some of these lines sing.  Like what if I told you the funniest moment in this show features Eleanor takes her roommate to task over how tickets to a movie will be bought.  The fun doesn't stop there.  When the episode reveals what happened at the actual movie, I had to rewind because I was laughing over the subsequent dialogue.  Yes I love how funny Eleanor can be, but I also love watching her grow as a person in the afterlife and finally find the right mix of people to make her less selfish and more trusting.

Actor/Character:
Issa Rae as Issa Dee (Insecure)

Funniest moments:
It says a lot that I still want to see Issa happy after she spends most of the first season being mean to her friends and her significant other.  Maybe not mean, but inconsiderate.  There is still something so endearing about her and I think the magic to that is hidden in the moments where she recites poetry in front of mirrors.  Hearing her inner monologue in a fun way always helps to excuse some of her other transgressions.  I can't wait for this show to come back!

-YG