Women are finally finding their footing in television. As time goes by we're seeing more and more strong, powerful, intelligent and compelling female characters on the small screen that dominate screen time and prove their worth.
From these women we can all take a few lessons, so we've collated a list of ten of our favourite powerful ladies of the modern-day television world - let us know whether or not you agree with our list, and who should have made the cut!
Annalise Keating - How To Get Away With Murder
Viola Davis is beyond a doubt my actress of the moment. Her portrayal of somebody who I believe is one of the best characters to come out of television in the past decade has seen How To Get Away With Murder become one of the most talked about new shows in the past 12 months. It may have finished over two months ago now, but HTGAWM is still something I think about at least once a week. Basically, I need season two to hurry the hell up.
Annalise is a woman who gives no mercy to those who oppose her. A force to be reckoned with in the court room, she has an incredible record behind her and manages to find the best ways in which to defend her clients. As a teacher she's firm but fair, hoping to get the best out of her students.
Then there's the incredible scene which truly humanised Annalise. She took off her wig looking into the mirror and wiped away all of her makeup. It proved that no matter who you are, where you come from or what you look like, you can make little changes to dominate in the current climate. Sure, it showed that behind the bravado, Annalise is sometimes a fragile woman, but she uses that to build on her strengths.
Bea Smith - Wentworth
Three years ago when Wentworth first premiered, Bea Smith wouldn't have made this list. She was thrown into prison following the attempted murder of her violent and abusive husband, and was instantly told her place and how she should act behind bars. Through learning the basics however, Bea Smith has managed to rise to power.
'Queen Bea' now acts as Top Dog at Wentworth, with many of the prisoners being friendly to her in order to ensure their safety going forward. After the murder of her daughter Debbie, she took revenge by escaping from the compound and shooting the man who helped Debbie overdose straight in the head. Now this of course isn't something to be admired, but her drive and conviction certainly is.
Bea was willing to throw potential freedom away for the sake of her family. She manages to utilise those around her to ensure her life at Wentworth is as comfortable as possible, but she isn't completely cold. She has close friends who she likes to see with smiles on their faces, and the current third season has seen her go up against Governor Joan Ferguson in a battle for power. She's a tough woman with a lot of determination and a conscience - for that, she's got to be loved.
Daenerys Targaryen - Game of Thrones
Starting out as a fragile young thing, Daenerys made her way through the first season finding her feet and discovering just how powerful her last name truly is. As a Targaryen, her brother expected great things but had a terrible attitude in going about getting them, resulting in his swift and brutal end. Now she sees herself as the last in her line and wants to take her place on the throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms. Oh, and of course she's the Mother of Dragons, with three beasts by her side.
Though lately we've seen Daenerys lose quite a bit of the control she has had over so many, it's been incredible to see her character evolve and shape her destiny. It's impossible not to root for her - a true survivor of some extremely bad surroundings and goings on.
Some of her most notable moments include the season three episode which saw her command her army to free every slave and kill every master in Astapor. In doing so she's gained even more allies who have rallied to her cause. Through manipulation of those who are pure evil, Daenerys is one of the most powerful residents of Westeros and a real threat to the Lannister's hold on the Iron Throne. We can't wait to see just what she does next.
Olivia Pope - Scandal
After helping the fictional United States President Fitzgerald Grant win office, Olivia Pope is a "gladiator in a suit" with a team that manage to avert a wide array of crises, whilst taking on clients who may have found themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Alongside Annalise Keating as one of the most complex black female leads in television history, Olivia is at her most powerful when in her profession, juggling the troubles she has in her complicated personal goings on. She demands loyalty from those who work with her and want to be a part of her life and for that she is respected. Unwilling to allow others to walk over her she will instead sweep the rug out from under the feet of those who go up against her, usually in spectacular fashion.
Admirable and unconventional, she refuses to conform to stereotypes and instead leads the way for women all over the world. Not without her flaws, we could all do with taking a leaf out of Olivia Pope's book.
Elizabeth McCord - Madam Secretary
Madam Secretary is a show that's relatively new to me, but Elizabeth McCord - played brilliantly by Téa Leoni - is somebody I instantly fell in love with. Her way with words and ensuring she gets the job done no matter what the cost to her personally is leaves audiences mesmerised.
The first episode of the new series saw a very sticky hostage situation dealt with in a manner that wasn't supported by everybody in the US State Department team. Despote that, Madam Secretary plugged ahead and made a dangerous decision for her first major situation in the job, and it's one that paid off immeasurably.
Michonne - The Walking Dead
Has a katana ever been used so brilliantly in television before Michonne showed her face? I don't think so. She's the bad-ass zombie ass whopper the show needed to stop it from going stale. Remaining secretive and quiet about most things, she gives off the impression that she's not somebody to be played with. Get on the wrong side of her, and you may just end up sliced in two.
Struggling through the loss of her son Andre, her courage is something we could all do with a little bit more of. She's unafraid to be herself, but instead finds fear in letting her emotions run wild. Despite that she does at times allow her walls to crumble, and for that she's become a more human character than many of those she deals with.
Then there's the scene she shared with Carl when some of her mothering side was revealed. The pair competed in a bet to see just who could walk on the rails for the longest without falling. When Carl won, she allowed him to choose one of the last two candy bars in their supply. It was a simple yet touching moment.
Red - Orange is the New Black
Running the prison's kitchen throughout the debut season and acting as behind-the-scenes leader of the prison's white population, Red draws on her links to the Russian mafia to ensure that her life behind bars is one she can live without the hassle of being targeted by over-emotional inmates.
Unfortunately for Red, an old enemy returned with season two in Vee, and she ended up getting pretty badly injured in an attack that saw her whacked over the head with a lock in a sock.
Her power comes from her demeanour. When running the kitchen she was under pressure to import drugs into the prison and so tried to come up with the perfect plan of having Officer Mendez - the man pressurising her - removed from the prison. Though it didn't go entirely the way she would have liked, Mendez is no longer involved in the running of Litchfrield Penitentiary, and viewers know that this is something partly down to Red.
Ellie Miller - Broadchurch
What's harder than discovering your husband had an unhealthy obsession with a child that led to the child's murder and a trial that ultimately had said husband found not guilty? Not many things, I imagine. Ellie Miller is a woman who we see at first seemingly in the perfect family with great friends, but when tragedy strikes she has to draw on a huge amount of strength to survive.
Olivia Colman plays the role of Ellie brilliantly, and it's hard not to shed a tear whenever she's on-screen having a hugely emotional moment. The episode from season two in which she demanded her son would return home for example was just astounding, brilliant television.
Ellie is powerful in the way that she's able to deal with grief and move past it. It's something everybody has to do in their lives at one time or another, and she is the perfect inspiration.
Laurel Lance - Arrow
Season three of Arrow has seen Laurel Lance step into some very, very big shoes. In a short time she's become a fighting machine, able to take down villains with a few kicks and punches and even taking it upon herself to visit S.T.A.R. Labs' worker Cisco to collaborate on one of the Black Canary's most iconic pieces of weaponry.
Many had their doubts about Laurel taking over the Canary role. In fact, I'd say it was most of the series' fandom, but she's now managed to prove her worth in a short amount of time. Laurel isn't without her issues, but the perfect character isn't what we're looking for here.
Always with a passion and drive to get to the root of problems that have presented themselves and almost stopped her from getting where she needs to go, Laurel's way of going about things is to be celebrated. They may not always be above board, but she sure does know how to ensure she's (mostly) one step ahead of the crowd, and her meddling father.
Carrie Mathison - Homeland
We're to thank Homeland co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa for their reimagining of Carrie Mathison. She was initially going to be a strict-laced CIA officer - just imagine how boring her character would have been if that was the route they ultimately decided to take.
Now she's a woman with bipolar disorder, unreliably narrating the story for audiences and becoming one of the most flawed characters in Homeland. Despite that she proves that whilst you may not be perfect, you can be a compelling, strong and powerful female.
There's a reason Carrie has been named one of the best characters on television - make sure you watch Homeland to find out just why that is.