The 100 Most Important Women in Television, 1-25
Issue #41
By Kirsten Kilponen, Julia Korol, Alysse Dalessandro, Jake Giles & Christine Bejasa
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 12:00am
1. Lucille Ball
Television’s most famous redhead certainly doesn’t have any ‘splaining to do about why she’s at the top of this list. Her talent, instinct, and business prowess didn’t just propel her to unprecedented stardom — they acted as the blueprint for the television industry itself.
Lucille Ball came to television after a 20-year film career as a platinum blonde sex symbol. CBS was converting their radio programming to television including their show, My Favorite Husband with Ball and Richard Denning. Ball agreed to move the show, but only if her real-life spouse, Desi Arnez, could play opposite her. Ball wanted to use the show as leverage to keep her traveling husband with a wandering eye nearby. The network thought the public wouldn’t believe a Latin man as her husband to which she replied, “But he is my husband.” Ball and her beau proved the naysaying executives wrong with a wildly successful vaudeville act and Arnez became her on-screen hubbie — making them the first interracial couple on television.
The show first aired in 1951, with Ball as the zany housewife Lucy and Arnez as Cuban bandleader Ricky. Episodes were propelled by a series of wacky schemes from the discontented housewife — all designed to get Lucy into Ricky’s show. Ball’s comic timing and rare gift for physical comedy placed her as a pioneer for television’s future funny women.
Countless moments, such as the unforgettable “Vitameatavegamin” skit, from the show have endured, but its real contributions have been to the television industry itself. Shot in front of a live audience, the show introduced the three-camera setup to the young industry, which is still the sitcom standard. When the show began, it was supposed to air live to the Eastern and Central time zones and through the kinescope for the West Coast, but Ball and Arnez wanted to stay in their Los Angeles home. The sponsor (Phillip Morris) had doubts that he could sell the taped version of the show, so the couple struck a deal that they would take a pay cut if the show could be taped in L.A. — but only if Ball’s own production company, Desilu, had the rights to the filmed tapings. The result? I Love Lucybecame the first show sold into syndication, thus creating the rerun; television production shifted from New York to Hollywood; and 77 countries still watch Lucy — it’s never stopped airing. — AD (photo courtesy of The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center Inc.)
The world would be a strange and different place if Oprah Winfrey wasn’t here to tell us what to eat, buy, donate, and read. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi in 1954, Winfrey experienced a childhood of poverty and abuse. At 19, she became the first African American woman to anchor the news at Nashville’s WTVF-TV. In 1985, her fame from hosting A.M. Chicago, led to an Oscar nominated role in The Color Purple. By ‘86, the budding mogul had launchedThe Oprah Winfrey Show, and the media storm began. In 1998 she created Harpo productions, and in 2000 she debuted her magazine, O. Winfrey has become the ultimate rags to riches tale — Time, CNN, and Life magazine have even gone so far as to call her “the most influential woman in the world.” We just call her the unsinkable Ms. O. — KK (photo courtesy of achievement.com)
Mary Tyler Moore might be famous for her signature smile, but it was her gams that scored her the big break — she got her start as a receptionist on the late ‘50s series, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, where only her legs and voice were featured. Her face time didn’t come until her turn as housewife Laurie Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.After five seasons, CBS approached her to develop her own series in 1970, and Moore sagely took the opportunity to create her own production company, MTM Productions with her then-husband, Grant Tinker. The Mary Tyler Moore Show saw its namesake as Mary Richards, a 30-something woman working in a Minneapolis newsroom. In its seven years, the show received tremendous praise for showing a new woman committed to work rather than family. Moore’s character proved to the world that a woman in her 30s could support herself without a man. — AD (photo courtesy of marytylermoore.net)
Before all the Emmys, Ellen DeGeneres was awarded with one of the highest honors in comedy — she was the first woman asked to sit on Johnny Carson’s couch after doing her bit on The Tonight Show. After that appearance, DeGeneres’ career boomed with a cross-country tour, cable specials, and some small television roles. In 1994 she landed her own sitcom, Ellen, which ran for four seasons. The pivotal moment in the young comedian’s career occurred when DeGeneres and her TV alter-ego came out of the closet in 1997. The media frenzy that followed forced her to become a spokesperson for the gay and lesbian community. Now, more than a decade after the famous, “Yep, I’m Gay” cover of Time magazine, DeGeneres is America’s sweetheart with her award-winning The Ellen DeGeneres Show, CoverGirl campaign, and even a turn as Oscar host. — CB (photo courtesy of sidereel.com)
Though it seems like the TV has been a living room staple since the dawn of time, the tube as we know it successfully transmitted its first image as recently as 1927 and Elma Farnsworth had a part in this creation. As the wife of Philo Farnsworth (the man credited as the inventor of the television), she worked tirelessly by his side in the laboratories helping to perfect the prototype. Since her husband’s death, she penned a biography/autobiography of Philo, published in 1990 and titledDistant Vision: Romance & Discovery On An Invisible Frontier, detailing her life with her husband. And until her death three years ago, she has put forth tremendous effort to preserve her husband’s legacy, even facilitating his induction into the Inventors Hall of Fame. Her work as co-inventor earned her the informal title as “The Mother of Television” and provided the women on this list with their medium. — JK (photo courtesy of asu.edu)
Aside from discovering Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, and James Dean, Ethel Winant cast some of the most memorable shows of all time, including The Twilight Zone, Hogan’s Heroes, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But her gig wasn’t always in show biz — during World War II, Winant worked as a riveter. She went to New York to pursue her theatrical career where big-time agents, William Liebling and his wife Audrey Wood, picked her up and added her to a list of clients including Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Gore Vidal. She got her big break when she served as a production assistant on hit shows A Streetcar Named Desire and Death of a Salesman in the 1950s. Winant made the transition from theater to television when a live television drama Studio One hired her on as casting director. In 1973, she was promoted to Vice President of CBS — making her the first female executive of a television network. — CB (photo courtesy of cdn.emmys.com)
Way before captivating audiences on the small screen, Gertrude Berg was dominating the airwaves with her hit radio show The Goldbergs. Berg gets major props for being an actor, writer, and producer decades before the term “triple threat” was even coined. Born in 1898, the native New Yorker attended Columbia University for theater and writing, and was selling scripts to radio stations by her 20s. By 1929, Berg was captivating Americans with NBC’s The Goldbergs. In addition to penning over 5,000 episodes in the 20-year run, the writer also played the lead, Molly Goldberg, a stereotypical Jewish American mother from the Bronx, whose family aspired simply to live the American Dream. In 1949, The Goldbergs made the jump to television, enjoying five seasons on CBS, and Berg nabbed the first ever Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1951. — KK (photo courtesy of Ciesla Foundation)
The one-woman tour de force has yet to be duplicated by any working actor or actress. Although some variety shows have tried in recent years, no one has come close to replicating the success and style of The Carol Burnett Show. During its 11-year run, Carol Burnett’s self-created variety show won a jaw-dropping 25 Emmys. With her ability to play a grab bag of characters, all quirky and human in the best ways, the eight-time Golden Globe winner often emulates the comedic style of Lucille Ball with her timing and expressions. Now in the latter half of her lengthy career, Burnett contributes her wealth of showbiz knowledge to theater-based organizations that nourish young talent. — JG (photo courtesy of tvland.com)
Throughout her career in broadcast news, Barbara Walters has broken down barriers, whether it was discrimination from the male-dominated industry or criticism for her “personality” brand of journalism. From 1961 to 1976, she paid her dues at NBC’s Today Show where she went from covering fluffy features as the show’s “Today Girl” to covering hard news as the show’s first female co-host. After two years as co-host, she took a job offer from ABC to co-anchorABC Evening News, which promised a hefty seven-figure salary. This didn’t go over well with the public — ratings went down and Walters was bumped from the anchor desk. She bounced back as co-host of 20/20, and with The Barbara Walters Special, which has consistently made news of its own. Who can forget the “What kind of tree would you be?” zinger she threw at Katharine Hepburn?
Since 2002, Walters has been executive producer of The View, a hot topic hotbed featuring women of different backgrounds and ages. With the clashing personalities of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shephard, and Walters, the fights alone make headlines. This is not the first women’s daytime show Walters has spearheaded. From 1971 to 1976, she was the host of Not For Women Only. Walters has also penned two books, How to Talk with Practically Anybody About Practically Anythingand Audition: A Memoir.
Walters conducts timely, in-depth interviews with political figures, celebrities, and newsmakers. Her memorable interview with Monica Lewinsky became the highest rated news program ever broadcast by a single network. As her specials became more popular, Walters’ credibility came into question as critics cried “soft journalism” and “infotainment.”
Judging by the constant buzz surrounding her roundtable coffee talk with the ladies of The View, her tête-à-têtes with world leaders, and her tear-inducing exclusive interviews, one thing is clear — Walters makes news. And she’s been doing it for almost 50 years. — CB (photo courtesy of Barbara Walters)
It’s hard to explain what makes Tina Fey so funny, but it’s obvious that people are in on the joke; 30 Rock is one of the highest-rated shows on television, routinely sweeps awards shows, and has become the premier spot for celebrity guest stars. Before the hit show, Fey was a member of the unofficial Saturday Night Live grad school, Second City, and also was a regular player at ImprovOlympic. Fey joined the SNL cast in 1997 and shattered the glass ceiling as the first female head writer of comedy’s most notorious boy’s club in 1999. Even though she was no longer a cast member, Fey led her comedic brilliance with her uncanny impersonation of Sarah Palin that just may have changed the course of a presidential election. Although the press had a field day with Palin’s off-handed remarks, it was Fey’s impersonation that spotlighted Palin’s idiosyncrasies, making her nothing more than a caricature. Whether she’s writing, creating, or acting, she has an incredible ability to recognize the humor in everyone and everything. — JG (photo courtesy of tinafey.com)
Not only did The Tracey Ullman Show spawn the longest-running American sitcom, The Simpsons, it also won FOX its first Emmy nomination. Before her American television debut, Tracey Ullman had already made a name for herself as a top-100 pop star and sketch-comedy actor in her native England. When she crossed the pond, it didn’t take long for her name to become a key part of the evening TV lineup, first with The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990) and later with Tracey Takes On… (1996-1998). Her current show, State of the Union, is a sketch-comedy series where she portrays over-the-top characters from every walk of American life. With no limits to Ullman’s range of impersonations — thanks to her prosthetics, hair, and makeup people — she has morphed into a wide spectrum of characters for State of the Union, from Renee Zellweger to a Bollywood pharmacist. — CB (photo courtesy of commercialappeal.com)
Although the quality of reality television is certainly questionable, its impact is undeniable. Mary-Ellis Bunim started it all by predicting viewers might just be interested in what happens “when people stop being polite and start getting real.” As the co-creator of MTV’s Real World and Road Rules, Bunim can be credited with the creation of reality television. The producer, who started her career with 1970s soap operas, teamed up with television newsman Jonathan Murray at the dawn of the ‘90s. The pair decided to combine the drama of soaps and the documentary nature of news — but with no actors and no script. The Real World was born in 1992. In 1994, the show made its mark by casting HIV-positive Pedro Zamora, who went on the show to raise AIDS awareness and became the first HIV-positive male to appear on television. — AD (photo courtesy of mtv.com)
The Carsey-Werner Company explores casts and settings that deviate from traditional norms; The Cosby Showdepicted the life of an upper middle class, African American family during a time when mainstream television saw through a white veil. Roseanne showed a hard-working couple struggling to support their three children, and with their own marriage. The female half of the unstoppable duo is Massachusetts-native Marcy Carsey, frequently cited as one of the most powerful women in television. Her reign began in 1978 when she became the ABC Senior Vice-President Of Primetime Series, during which she developed now classic shows such as Happy Days and Soap.Since that time, Carsey has cast the molds by which newer sitcoms follow and rarely stray — including the “situation built around a stand-up comedian” genre that eventually spawned Seinfeld. Through her company’s support and her own creativity, she made some of television’s most iconic shows and characters. — JG (photo courtesy of museum.tv)
No one put it better than Millicent Hearst when she described Martha Rountree as “a diesel engine under a lace handkerchief.” Rountree’s been firing intellectual bullets and challenging watered-down media long before the creation of her journalistic gem, Meet The Press. Born in Gainesville, Florida in 1911, but raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Rountree grew up during a time where presenting information to the public was premeditated, and the phrase “life unscripted” meant nothing to the media. Her career in journalism all started when she needed a way to pay for college after her dad died when she was 16. She took a job working for the Columbia Record newspaper, and when she couldn’t scrape up enough money for school anymore, she moved to Tampa and took a job with The Tampa Tribune. She left the Sunshine State in 1938 for New York City, where she worked as a freelance writer for magazines. In 1944, she and her sister Ann founded the production company, Radio House. A year later the sister act would give birth to the radio show Leave It to the Girls, the first in which a moderator asked female celebrities questions viewers sent in. This later led to the 1947 creation of the ultimate archetype of political talk shows, Meet the Press, co-produced by Lawrence E. Spivak.
The NBC network show forever changed the way we probe public figures, by putting them on the spot to answer questions they had no prior exposure to. This impromptu interviewing style proved a popular way for important figures to show authenticity. It has been so popular that Meet the Press has aired for over 60 years, making it the longest running program on network television. Rountree’s brainchild has brought us 60 years and over 4,000 episodes of unfiltered, unscripted interviews with everyone from presidents and Olympians to misunderstood foreign leaders and astronauts. — KK (photo courtesy of PHOTOFEST)
Anyone who came of age after 1969 owes their early childhood education — not to mention their ABCs and 123s — to Joan Ganz Cooney, the woman who positioned television as a learning tool for children. The success of Sesame Street has helped TV maintain a good rep in the face of the numerous naysayers who claim it rots brains. The world populated by Big Bird and his fuzzy friends was based on Cooney’s research paper on the potential uses of television in preschool education. In addition to being one of the founders of Children’s Television Workshop, the organization famous for the beloved children’s show, Cooney is also responsible for Jim Henson’s involvement in the show. Her standout work in television has earned her a place in both the National Women’s Hall of Fame as well as the Television Hall of Fame. — JK (photo courtesy of museum.tv)
From her wedding gown-clad performance at the first annual MTV Video Awards to the infamous “Britney Kiss,” one thing’s for sure — when Madonna’s on television, you watch. We’ve seen her go through radical changes in fashion, beliefs, lovers, and lifestyles. We’ve watched as she shocked us with the Like a Prayer video, which horrified Pepsi executives by featuring burning crosses and Madge making out with Saint Martin de Porres. Even her promotional appearances shake things up, such as her 1994 spot on Late Show with David Letterman, where she said ‘fuck’ 13 times, making the show the most censored in television talk show history. — CB (photo courtesy of madonna.com)
Widely regarded as the most influential female broadcast journalist, Diane Sawyer’s extensive resume of heavy-hitting interviews includes Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The young broadcaster honed her skills at a Louisville newsstation before serving in the Nixon administration, and eventually helped the president pen his memoirs. Due to her close contact with the embattled politician, Sawyer was suspected as Deep Throat, the source of secret information leaks involving the Watergate scandal. In 1978, Sawyer joined CBS as a political correspondent, and six years later became a reporter on 60 Minutes. Since 1999, Sawyer has been waking us up as co-anchor of Good Morning America. — JK (photo courtesy of msnbc.com)
In addition to winning several Emmys and being the first woman inducted into the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame, Julia Child made sophisticated cooking techniques and unfamiliar foods accessible to the everyday American. If it weren’t for Child, we would probably still be confined to indistinguishable meat and potato dishes on our dinner plates. Surprisingly, America’s most-loved television chef started off her career with a bachelor’s degree in history from Smith College. She married Paul Child in 1941 and moved to France — her first taste of the cuisine led her to lead a culinary revelation. After attending the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Child co-penned Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961. For the 40 years that followed, Child hosted a slew of cooking shows, where her wavering voice, enthusiasm, and sense of humor warmed our hearts and our bellies. — KK (photo courtesy of pbs.com)
Bea Arthur may best be known for her role as Dorothy Zbornak on Golden Girls, but in between theater jobs in the ‘50s, Arthur used her sultry, deep voice as a nightclub singer. For 25 years she worked on stage before catapulting into stardom with Maude in 1972. Norman Lear created the title character Maude, an impassioned, liberal woman as the answer to the bigoted Archie Bunker on All in the Family, where she appeared as Edith Bunker’s cousin. Maude pushed the envelope with topics like women’s liberation, pornography, abortion, and race. Arthur left the show in 1978 at what she deemed its peak. In 1985, she began Golden Girls, which remained in the top ten ratings for all of its six seasons. Thank you for being a friend, Bea. — AD (photo courtesy of nndb.com)
What’s not to like about this award-winning actress whose five decade-long career shows no signs of slowing? Since beginning her career at 19, Sally Field has managed to maintain a long, successful career and she continues to play to her strengths as a versatile actress which continue to win her both film and television awards. Among Field’s TV roles include her breakout role in Gidget(1965-1966), The Flying Nun (1967-1970), and The Girl with Something Extra (1973-1974). Field made a leap from television to film and she won an Oscar for her role as the fearless female union leader in 1979’s Norma Rae, which is perhaps the ultimate portrayal of both Field the actress and Field the activist. Currently, she stars as the matriarch on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, a role which earned her an Emmy in 2007. We like Sally Field, we really like her! — JG (photo courtesy of tv.yahoo.com)
Gilda Radner was the first person cast on the new sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1975 where she earned an Emmy and a shiny star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her comedic brilliance. Ironically, she started off her career as the weather girl at Ann Arbor’s college radio station, Detroit-native funny girl Gilda Radner finally set off on the right path by joining Toronto’s Second City comedy troupe. Passionate about making people laugh, she went on to become a featured member of the National Lampoon Radio Hour with heavy-hitter cast mates John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray. But her real breakout came on SNL where she created famous characters like “Baba Wawa”and no one from Lucille Ball and Patti Smith was immune to an impression. Her success on the show paved the way for future generations of funny ladies like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. — JK (photo courtesy of fanpix.net)
Murphy Brown cast a light on heavy issues like alcoholism, pregnancy, and even cancer in the ‘90s. In the late ’80s early ’90s, these subjects carried a larger taboo that some audiences weren’t ready to digest while digesting dinner. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop the producers of Murphy Brown and its lead, Candice Bergen, from spotlighting not only a single mother, but also a recovering alcoholic eventually diagnosed with breast cancer. Dan Quayle criticized the character in a 1992 speech for supposedly disregarding the importance of a father in the nuclear family. With Bergen at the helm of the show for its ten season run, Murphy Brown benefited from her gusto and humor. She went on to win five Emmys and two Golden Globes. Although she’s experienced much success with Boston Legal, she’ll be known best as the hard-working liberal journalist at FYI. — JG (photo courtesy of nnbd.com)
Diahann Carroll smashed stereotypes by becoming the first black woman to star in her own TV series, Julia, which surprised critics and stole our hearts. Before she took the lead role in Julia, black women were almost always somebody’s nanny, cook, or maid. If they played a central character, it was usually based on stereotypes. During its three season run, Julia was nominated for five Emmys, and won Carroll a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 1969. Long before she was swimming in accolades, Carroll was a student at New York’s Music and Performing Arts high school — paying for her education by modeling and singing in nightclubs. Carroll took her flare for performance further in 1954, when she first appeared as a supporting character in the movie Carmen Jones, whose lead role was played by Dorothy Dandridge. Carroll’s notable collaborations continued as she acted alongside greats like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Sidney Poitier, in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess. In her days after Julia, Carroll continued to act and break boundaries. In 1984, she became the first black woman to star in primetime soap Dynasty which is still in syndication all over the world. In between starring in Broadway shows, Carroll received an Emmy nomination in ’89 for her recurring role in the Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World. In addition to her recent guest role on Grey’s Anatomy as the mother of Dr. Preston Burke, the 74-year-old Carroll has been cast in White Collar, a USA pilot. A true pioneer, Carroll’s television career shattered the racial ceiling on network television. Without her efforts, the landscape of television’s biggest personalities would look a lot different. — KK (photo courtesy of Diahann Carroll)
As CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour has found herself reporting from the trenches to the courthouse — everywhere from Iraq to Rwanda. Born in London to an Iranian father and British mother, Amanpour studied in England and later graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island. After being an entry-level assistant for CNN in Atlanta in 1983, Amanpour worked her way up to became what she is known for today. Ever since viewers saw her first major assignment on the Gulf War, Amanpour has impressed us with her bare bones reporting of wars, famine, genocide, and natural disasters. She’s earned a wealth of awards, including being made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), by Queen Elizabeth II for her "highly distinguished, innovative contribution" to journalism in 2007. Amanpour continues to unapologetically push the boundaries of reporting the truth, without over-powdered makeup or shellacked hair. — KK (photo courtesy of CNN.com)
As president of NBC Universal’s Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks, Lauren Zalaznick believes that dedicated viewership comes from quality programming. She infuses popular culture with already successful reality TV formats. The Emmy-nomaninated, Zalaznick, has proven it by overseeing the creation of Project Runway, Top Chef,The Rachel Zoe Project and Make Me a Supermodel. Bravo’s brand of reality television makes it the largest growing network among women ages 18-49. With Zalaznick responsible for the development of new shows and maintenance of fan favorites, television audiences can depend on Bravo and its sister networks to deliver a more sophisticated brand of guilty pleasures. As television continues to become a platform for social changes and trends, Zalaznick has set the bar high for network show development proving that catering to audiences rather than forcing programming leads to dedicated viewership. — JG (photo courtesy of time.com)
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More from our list of 100 Most Important Women in the History of Television:
26-50,
51-75,
76-100
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