Wayward Sisters: 7 shows that prove female leads work extremely well

Photo Credit: Supernatural/The CW by Dean Buscher Image Acquired from CW TV PR /

Are you worried about an all-female cast for Wayward Sisters? There’s no need to be.

When fans heard that Supernatural was getting a spin-off, there was some apprehension. Then fans learned that Jody Mills would be the main character and many fans were excited. It soon turned out that the spin-off was a dream come true, focusing on Jody, Donna, Alex and Claire.

Then two more women were announced as lead characters. Suddenly, Wayward Sisters only had female leads and some fans started to worry. Would it be possible for an all female-lead cast to pull off a show? After all Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the first show people think about that that had Xander, Giles and Angel in the beginning to support Buffy, Willow and Cordelia.

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Well, there are other shows that have proven female leads work. Here are seven shows that make it clear Wayward Sisters can thrive without men.

Gilmore Girls

Yes, there are men as main characters, but the main focus of the show is on the two Gilmore women: Lorelei and Rory. The mother and daughter team have proven time and time again that they don’t need a man around to help them. They had their father/grandfather, but he wasn’t around too much. Most of the unexpected help came from Lorelei’s mother to add another woman to the mix.

While Gilmore Girls isn’t on the air anymore, it kicked started many actresses’ careers. One in particular went on to have one of the most heartbreaking scenes on TV. Yes, we’re talking about Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid’s Tale!

The Handmaid’s Tale

Speaking of that show, it definitely deserves a mention on this list. While there are a few men in lead characters, the majority of the focus is (rightfully) on the women. Fans get to see both sides of the coin, with women in positions of (questionable) authority and others forced into submission because they are able to get pregnant.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1 showed that women hold their own in every single episode. Whether it’s Serena Joy realizing that the world she wanted hasn’t quite come to pass, Aunt Lydia attempting to protect her girls in some of the whacked out ways, or Offred making it clear she was done being a puppet, there is a woman at every corner proven a man isn’t necessary. Now if only the women can get rid of the ones in power.

Supergirl

The hint is in the title. Kara Danvers is the woman in blue and red; the one to protect her city from every alien force that comes her way. She takes on evil every single week, including those that call themselves family.

She doesn’t do it alone and there are some men that help. However, there’s one particular woman who has proven that she doesn’t need a man around: Alex Danvers. Kara’s elder, adopted sister is the one to watch in every episode.

Charmed

Where would a show about female leads be without Charmed? While Buffy started the idea of Girl Power, Charmed took it a step further. It became the longest running show with an all-female lead, until one later on this list pipped it.

The show focused on three sisters, who just happened to be the most powerful witches in the universe. While they may have had magical powers, they still had to live their normal, mortal lives. They had to manage jobs, business, family and more. All while helping to save the innocent.

There were times they turned to the men in their lives, but in the end it always came down to the three of them together. Whether you loved Prue or preferred the Paige years, the three sisters kicked butt. The show was so successful that fans still take to forums and groups to discuss and there are talks of Charmed reboots.

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Teachers

Not all successful female-led shows need to be serious ones. Teachers was the comedic genius from TV Land in 2016 and it’s still going. The series focuses on a group of elementary schools teachers, who aren’t the most well-behaved.

The success of the show is actually surprising. It was based on a web series and was originally going to be a web series of its own. In the end, it was picked up as a TV series instead, as TV Land decided to start branching out into more original content. Definitely a good move.

Desperate Housewives

This TV show was promised. After all, it took the longest running female-led show off Charmed’s hands, but just one episode! The series focused on housewives of a quiet suburban area. Well, it was supposed to be quiet but turned out to be anything but.

Starring an epic cast, the show delivered hilarious and heartbreaking stories in one. Whether it was kidney failure, neighborhood murders, divorce or bullying, there was nothing this show wasn’t afraid to cover. The show went out in style with a murder trial that nobody knew how would end.

Sex and the City

Most people in the 90s and early 00s watched Sex and the City. Women of all ages followed Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, as they navigated the dating world in New York City. There were all sorts of ups and downs along the way. Some found love and others struggled. Kids were on the cards for some and others realized they were lesbians.

The show was full of laughter and tears. Like Desperate Housewives later, this show wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and try everything. The series was so successful that it’s spawned two movies.

Anyone who thinks an all-female lead for a show wouldn’t work just has to look at the previous shows over the years. There is space for Wayward Sisters because of its lack of series regular men (so far)!

Next: Ranking the Supernatural season 13 episodes so far

Are you excited for the Supernatural spin-off? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Wayward Sisters’ backdoor pilot airs on Jan 18 at 8/7c on The CW.

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