Since Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy, female friendships have been featured in some of the best TV shows of all time. Whether pushing each other professionally or academically, these women bring out the best in each other as some of the most iconic TV characters. These women include many of the best female characters in sitcoms, but also tearjerker dramas and fantasy-action series, too.
Amy Santiago & Rosa Diaz
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2018)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Amy Santiago and Rosa Diaz have one of television’s most compelling workplace friendships, balancing professionalism with genuine loyalty and camaraderie. Amy’s ambitious, detail-oriented personality contrasts sharply with Rosa’s tough, no-nonsense demeanor, yet this difference strengthens their bond.
They challenge each other, push each other to grow, and celebrate personal and professional victories together. Even as they ultimately choose different careers and lifestyles, with Amy choosing to climb the precinct ladder and pursue marriage and motherhood, while Rosa leaves the force altogether, they continue to support and cheer for each other.
Sutton Brady, Kat Edison, & Jane Sloane
The Bold Type (2017-2021)
The Bold Type is Freeform’s millennial answer to Sex and the City, following Jane Sloane, Kat Edison, and Sutton Brady as they navigate romance and climbing the ladder at Scarlet magazine. While the show can be a little uneven, it tackles complicated topics with surprising depth, including preventive breast cancer surgery, coming out as a woman of color, and immigration.
At its core, the series is about friendship: these three women support, challenge, and protect each other through personal and professional highs and lows. With more heart than it often receives credit for, The Bold Type is a truer spiritual successor to Sex and the City than And Just Like That.
Tully Hart & Kate Mularkey
Firefly Lane (2021-2023)
Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey’s friendship in Netflix’s Firefly Lane is a devastatingly emotional exploration of a lifelong bond. Audiences follow their relationship across three interwoven timelines, from teenage insecurities to the pressures of adulthood, career struggles, and family life.
Their friendship is messy, complicated, and intensely loyal, filled with love, rivalry, misunderstandings, and unwavering support. The series doesn’t shy away from showing how time, distance, and personal choices can strain even the closest bonds, making their moments of connection and reconciliation all the more powerful.
Liz Lemon & Jenna Maroney
30 Rock (2006-2013)
30 Rock offers a sharp and hilarious look at the complicated dynamic between friends who also work together through Liz Lemon and Jenna Maroney. Having come up together before TGS, their bond is tested by professional hierarchies: Liz is both Jenna’s boss and, often, her reluctant babysitter.
Their friendship is messy, full of manipulation and absurd hijinks, yet it’s also essential: Liz keeps Jenna grounded, while Jenna pushes Liz out of her comfort zone. Their interactions balance the show’s chaos, blending biting workplace comedy with the genuine emotional beats of 30 Rock’s best episodes.
Rory Gilmore & Paris Geller
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
Rory Gilmore and Paris Geller’s friendship is one of the most compelling in Gilmore Girls. From their early days at Chilton to their time at Yale, Rory and Paris push each other, holding each other to standards they might not reach alone. Their bond blends competitiveness with deep loyalty, creating a friendship that is as motivating as it is complex.
While fans often highlight Rory and Lorelai, a mother-daughter relationship can never be purely friendship-based. Rory and Paris, by contrast, are equals, making their friendship a cornerstone of the series’ exploration of growth, ambition, and female connection.
Daria Morgendorffer & Jane Lane
Daria (1997-2002)
Daria and Jane’s friendship in Daria is the perfect pairing of sarcasm, intelligence, and loyalty. Jane is outgoing, artistic, and witty, while Daria is deadpan, cynical, and fiercely observant, but together they balance each other perfectly.
Their bond is built on mutual understanding, shared humor, and an unspoken trust that allows them to navigate the absurdities of high school and teenage life. They challenge each other’s perspectives, support one another’s ambitions, and provide a safe space to be unapologetically themselves.
Unlike many teen shows, Daria celebrates a friendship that’s not overshadowed by romance or drama. This helps make Daria and Jane one of the most enduring and relatable portrayals of female friendship on television.
Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney
Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983)
The titular friendship in Laverne & Shirley is a classic example of enduring female camaraderie on television. Originally introduced on Happy Days, their chemistry and humor were so memorable that they earned their own Happy Days spinoff series. From their first day working together at the Shotz Brewery, the duo’s bond is marked by a shared knack for misadventure.
Laverne’s bold, impulsive personality perfectly complements Shirley’s sweet, optimistic demeanor, creating a dynamic that fuels both comedic chaos and heartfelt moments. Through romantic entanglements, workplace struggles, and personal setbacks, they consistently have each other’s backs, showing that friendship can be both silly and deeply supportive.
Joan Carol Clayton, Toni Marie Childs-Garrett, Maya Denise Wilkes & Lynn Ann Searcy
Girlfriends (2001-2008)
Joan, Toni, Maya, and Lynn in Girlfriends represent one of the most realistic and enduring portrayals of female friendship on television. Joan is ambitious and career-driven, Toni is witty and fiercely loyal, Maya is passionate and principled, and Lynn is quirky yet caring.
Together, they challenge each other, provide emotional support, and celebrate each other’s successes and failures. The show doesn’t shy away from conflict or complicated dynamics, portraying fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations in a way that feels authentic.
Buffy Summers & Willow Rosenberg
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Buffy and Willow’s friendship in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of television’s most iconic portrayals of female loyalty and growth. Buffy’s courage and leadership complement Willow’s magical talents and intelligence, creating a partnership built on trust, support, and mutual respect.
The series doesn’t shy away from interpersonal conflict, but their friendship endures, providing a safe space for honesty and growth. Beyond the monsters and magic, Buffy and Willow demonstrate how female friendships can be transformative, resilient, and emotionally rich, influencing countless shows that followed in blending action, drama, and heart.
Grace Hanson & Frankie Bergstein
Grace And Frankie (2015-2022)
Grace and Frankie’s friendship in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie is a groundbreaking portrayal of female friendship among older women, a group often underrepresented on television. Grace and Frankie are brought together under unusual circumstances when their husbands leave them for each other, but their bond quickly evolves into a supportive friendship.
The series follows them navigating love, careers, family, and personal reinvention in their later years, two of many characters who prove age is just a number. Grace and Frankie balance each other perfectly: Grace’s elegance and control meet Frankie’s free-spirited creativity, creating humor, heart, and resilience that highlight the richness of female connection at any stage of life.
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