12 Inspiring TV Shows About Strong Women Who Rise, Reinvent & Reclaim Power

When no one around you is dreaming big, it’s easy to feel like your ambition is “too much.” But sometimes, the inspiration you need doesn’t come from your circle - it comes from the screen.

Whether you're navigating a career change, studying again, or just feeling stuck, these TV shows about strong women are your sign to keep going. Each one celebrates transformation, courage, and self-worth - in all its forms.

1. One Tree Hill

Theme: Creativity, growth, second chances

What begins as a teen drama evolves into a story of ambition, identity, and resilience. From Lucas’s writing dreams to Brooke’s fashion empire, the characters build lives they believe in.

Available on: Amazon Prime, Apple TV

We all need that thing that’s worth fighting for. Maybe it’s a certain someone, or a special place, maybe just an idea. Find your fight, and fight like hell.
— Brooke Davis
 

2. The Bold Type

Theme: Work, purpose, courage

Three best friends navigate career, love and growth inside a women’s magazine. A must-watch for female entrepreneurs, creatives, and those finding their voice.

Available on: Amazon Prime (Seasons 1–4)

It was the right decision. Because it scared the sh*t out of me.
— Jacqueline Carlyle
 

3. The good wife

Theme: Reinvention, late blooming, quiet power

After a scandal rocks her family, Alicia Florrick reclaims her career - and herself. A powerful show about second acts and rising with dignity.

Available on: My4, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Sky

When the door you’ve been knocking on finally opens, you don’t ask why. You run through.
— Diane Lockhart
 

4. Ugly Betty

Theme: Self-worth, kindness, ambition

Betty Suarez might be underestimated - but she’s also brilliant, kind, and fiercely determined. A celebration of underdogs, identity, and holding your own in glossy spaces.

Available on: Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV

Be who you are. Wear what you want. Just learn how to run real fast.
— Marc St. James
 

Bonus: 8 More Empowering TV Shows for Women Who Want More

These shows feature strong female leads, emotional depth, and transformation arcs:

  • Scandal – Power, politics, and unapologetic leadership

  • How to Get Away with Murder – Intelligence, boundaries, and bold identity

  • Gilmore Girls – Study motivation and mother-daughter resilience

  • Jane the Virgin – Storytelling, reinvention, and self-expression

  • Siren – Feminine strength and reclaiming your voice

  • Sex and the City – Female independence and freedom to evolve

  • Emily in Paris – Creativity, risk-taking, and starting fresh abroad

  • Fleabag – Flawed, raw, brilliant female complexity


Let your next binge move you forward

These aren’t just TV shows for women - they’re stories of rebuilding, becoming, and believing again. Perfect for quiet nights, mindset resets, or moments when you need to remember who you are.

Sometimes, watching another woman rise is exactly the spark you need to rise too.

 
 

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High Flying Design

High Flying Design is an online magazine & community for women invoking change, launching something new or carving a unique path in life.

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