These women-led shows will be your latest TV obsession.
7 Television Shows That Pass The Bechdel Test
These women-led shows will be your latest TV obsession.
It's not very hard for films to pass the Bechdel Test. All they need to do is feature at least two women, who are named, and talk together about something other than a man. And while many more shows pass with flying colours than when the test was invented back in 1985, it's still worth considering when hunting for your latest TV obsession.
The idea behind the test is that, for a long time, this seemingly low bar was not being cleared in popular culture. The Bechdel test is far from perfect. As critics point out, it doesn't always offer an accurate depiction of representation on screen and many films that pass are still anti-women in other ways. However, it's one way to gauge the tone of a show... and work out if it's worth watching.
Here are some of our favourite shows that pass the Bechdel test.
1. Killing Eve
Where can I watch it? Stan
Two named female characters? Jodie Comer’s Villanelle and Sandra Oh’s Eve. Check. Talking to each other about something other than a man? Well, does murder count? Killing Eve definitely passes the Bechdel test with flying colours, given this is a series not about men but about a deadly assassin and a cat-and-mouse game between the agent hunting her down. The first season of this series is fantastic, and well worth a watch.
2. The Good Fight
Where can I watch it? Paramount+
The Good Fight often comes up when talking about the Bechdel test, because it is a show that passes with excellent marks. The spin-off series of The Good Wife – still one of our favourite shows of all time – stars Christine Baranski as powerhouse lawyer Diane Lockhart, who has joined one of Chicago’s rising star lawyers Lucca (played by Cush Jumbo) along with her goddaughter Maia (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) at a new firm. And what do these three women talk about? Not men, that’s for sure, but rather case after case requiring their expert legal wisdom.
3. Hacks
Where can I watch it? Stan
There are so many things to love about Hacks. In this hilarious dramady, Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, legendary Las Vegas comedian who refuses to believe she's past her prime. Her beautiful house and glorious wardrobe are a feast for the eyes, but what we love most is the relationship between Vance and her long-suffering assistant writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder). Yes, their dynamic is a tough one, but there’s a genuine connection and understanding that they are each other’s equals. We love this show and can’t wait for a third season.
4. Yellowjackets
Where can I watch it? AppleTV
Okay, yes, there is a bit of boy chat in this series. But on the whole, the many women who star and lead this fantastic – and utterly addictive – drama forward, including Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), Misty (Christina Ricci), Natalie (Christina Ricci), Lotte (Simone Kessel) and Taissa (Tawny Cypress) are often talking about something else: what really happened out in the mountains of Canada when they and the rest of their soccer team got stranded there for 19 months in the ‘90s. They talk about survival, friendship, and the lengths they went to in order to make it out the other side… This woman-led show is one of our favourites of recent years and with the second season just wrapping on AppleTV, now is a great time to binge the whole thing.
5. Ted Lasso
Where can I watch it? AppleTV
Forget the title for a second. When focusing on the friendship between Keeley (Juno Temple) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Ted Lasso sails through the Bechdel test on all counts. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that watching these women and their friendship and unwavering support of one another is one of our favourite things about the show. Though they occasionally discuss romance, more often than not their storylines revolve around work, success, ambition and life.
6. Big Little Lies
Where can I watch it? Binge
The first season of Big Little Lies was rightly praised for its rich portrayals of its central characters: Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman), Renata (Laura Dern), Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) and Jane (Shailene Woodley). Here is a show about five women, all richly drawn and fascinating, each with their own struggles and stories, and all of them taking up space in the narrative. Though there is some chat about men between them, on the whole, their conversations are about friendship, community, work, health and family – all the stuff of life. The second season could never live up to the explosive first season, but it’s still worthy of a watch if you’re looking for your next binge.
7. Orange Is The New Black
Where can I watch it? Netflix
One of the Netflix originals, and still one of its best, Orange Is The New Black set a high precedent for television when it premiered a decade ago in 2013. It also passed the Bechdel test admirably, with its long list of female characters including Piper (Taylor Schilling), Alex (Laura Prepon), Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba), Tasha (Danielle Brooks), Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) and Poussey (Samira Wiley) among many, many, many more. These women talked frequently and often during their incarceration at Litchfield Penitentiary about many things, and more often than not it had nothing to do with men. There are seven seasons on Netflix now in case you’re in need of a binge.
