Great Single Female Characters From the 80s

These days, it is unfortunately common for people to assume that once upon a time all society was like ____________ (fill in the blank). For instance, to assume that thirty+ years ago, all women were sexually harassed in the workplace, placed family over career, etc. etc. etc.

Granted, many women were full-time housewives when I was growing up. But I'm not writing about statistics. I am writing about perception. And 1980s television was full of strong, single women who lived independent and fulfilled lives. Here are two examples:

Francine (Martha Smith) from Scarecrow and Mrs. King

This show is impressively even-handed in its treatment of all characters. Francine is initially presented as the Cordelia-like character, the obnoxious snob who acts as a foil to the more down-to-earth female protagonist.

What is quite cool about Francine is that she is allowed to be a good agent, who wants to be good at her job. She is, in fact, not in competition with Mrs. King, and the two occasionally work together to help the agency and to help Lee. When they do compete, they don't actually compete over men (or a man). They compete over their careers.

Two tough ladies.

Mrs. C: You're not afraid of me, are you?

Jennifer merely smiles.

Jennifer (Loni Anderson) from WKRP in Cincinnati

Jennifer is rich, beautiful, alluring, flirtatious (to exactly the degree she wants to be), courted, and single.

She is also impressively confident, although occasional episodes and dialog establish that when she first arrived in the "big city," she was timid and unsophisticated. Like Francine, Jennifer is never portrayed as desperate or unhappy. In fact, she seems to prefer her life as a single woman of great ability who not only earns more than any one else at the station but is eventually appointed the executor of a large fortune. "The admiral knew that I needed a project," she explains.

Great single female characters who are never excused,  explained away, or even defended. They are not treated as REPRESENTATIVE. As individual characters within their shows, they simply are.