We’re Watching: Notable Black Leading Ladies on TV Dramas Past, Present and Future

via ABC

Kerry Washington – “Scandal”

Washington has broken down barriers as the lead of “Scandal” — becoming the first black woman in nearly 40 years to lead her own TV drama on American network TV. Now the popular series season three finale is upon us. And fans of the show are celebrating the end to another successful season with Washington playing gladiator Olivia Pope. Since the success of “Scandal,” more networks are producing dramas featuring black female leads. But the road to having successful shows featuring a black female lead hasn’t always been easy. MadameNoire compiled a list of notable black women who played lead roles on TV dramas from the struggling past to the blossoming present and future.

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Source: ABC

Teresa Graves – “Get Christie Love!”

Graves played the famous blaxploitation character Christie Love in a TV film that later became a TV series. She became the first black actress to lead a TV drama (after Diahann Carroll became the first black actress to lead a non-stereotypical sitcom in “Julia.”) Love, an undercover detective was inspired by other famous characters, Coffy, Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones. Unfortunately, the show only lasted for one season due to budget issues and Graves conversion to Jehovah Witness. Before Washington, she was the last black woman to lead a series on an American network (ABC).

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Source: NBC

Meagan Good – “Deception”

A year after “Scandal” became a popular series, Good starred as the lead in “Deception” in 2013. Unfortunately, the NBC show only lasted for one season and ended on a cliffhanger. Good played a maid’s daughter, detective Joanna Locasto. The heiress daughter of a wealthy family is murdered and she returns home to solve the mystery behind her once close friend’s demise.

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Source: Fox

Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow”

It’s nice to see a sister in a FANTASY drama! Beharie stars as co-lead of this haunted drama. She plays Lt. Abbie Mills who investigates the Headless Horseman. The show features many black characters — led by Beharie. The series became quite popular and is set for season two in the fall of 2014 on Fox.

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WENN

Halle Berry – “Extant”

Famous A-list actress Berry is set to star on her own TV drama — continuing a growing trend of network TV adding black women in leading roles to their lineup and popular black actresses at that. This fantasy drama will focus on Berry playing an astronaut named Molly who was in space alone and then came home to her husband and son. But her time in space somehow caused some history-changing events. Sounds like it’ll be action and Sci-Fi packed! The show will premiere on CBS in July.

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WENN

Viola Davis – “How to Get Away with Murder”

But Halle Berry isn’t the only A-lister joining network TV. ABC is developing another TV drama with a black female lead. And the network turned to two-time Academy Award nominee Davis to star in the mystery drama produced by Shonda Rhimes. She’ll play Annalise DeWitt, a law professor and criminal defense attorney who with her law students get wrapped up in a murder plot that’ll change the university and their lives.

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FayesVision/WENN.com

Woodard – “State of Affairs”

If you thought Berry and Davis TV headlines were great, Woodard is another acclaimed black actress making her way to TV. She’ll play the President of the United States Roberta Payton in the NBC political drama described as “‘Scandal’ meets ‘The West Wing.'”

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Source: BET

Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane”

But American network TV isn’t the only area black women are making their presence known. There’s also cable! And black actresses have been doing their thing as of late on cable too! Union included. She stars as Mary Jane Paul, a successful black woman who is searching for love and hasn’t always made the right decisions in obtaining it. “Being Mary Jane” definitely has a popular following. It went from being a TV movie to TV series with a second season on the way. Union has done fine after not getting the role of Olivia Pope.

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Source: DirectTV

Thandie Newton – “Rogue”

Cops are popular among black actresses to play. Bada** cops, that is! Newton plays Grace, an undercover detective who’s tormented with the possibility her own actions might have led to her son’s murder. The show is set to premiere its second season on May 28, 2014 on DirecTV’s Audience Network.

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Source: HBO

Jennifer Beal – “The L Word”

The show focused on a group of lesbians living in LA and was the lesbian equivalent to “Queer as Folk.” Beal played Bette Porter on Showtime series. The half-black Ivy-league lesbian was quite promiscuous — having countless affairs with other women (even if she was in a relationship). She became one of the most popular and highly ranked lesbian characters on TV ever!

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Source: ABC

Sherri Saum – “The Fosters”

Speaking of lesbians, Saum plays Lena Adams, vice president of a charter school and mother of five kids on this family drama about a lesbian married couple — raising their five soon-to-be six children, facing issues kids and the family deal with. The show is quite groundbreaking for authentically portraying a LGBT couple raising a multi-ethic family on ABC Family. Jennifer Lopez is the executive producer.

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Source: Lifetime

Lorraine Toussaint – “Any Day Now”

Toussaint played Rene Jackson, best friend of M.E. O’Brien (Annie Potts) who grew up together in Birmingham, Alabama. Their lives went in two directions — with Jackson becoming an attorney in DC. She decided to return home after her father dies. Interestingly enough her and co-lead Potts play Saum and co-lead Teri Polo’s mothers on “The Fosters.”

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Source: Showtime

Nicole Ari Parker – “Soul Food”

Parker had quite a significant role as Teri Joseph on TV version of “Soul Food” on Showtime. Within the family drama, Parker managed to add even more depth to Teri’s character from the movie — getting it on with younger Damon (Boris Kodjoe), having anxiety attacks, to getting married and adopting a son. Parker wasn’t the only female lead on the show though. She shares that title with her TV sisters played by Malinda Williams (Bird) and Vanessa A. Williams (Maxine).

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Source: TNT

Regina King – “Southland”

King played the female lead on the series that technically was a network show on NBC from April 9 – May 21, 2009, but then moved over to TNT. Although the show was on network TV before “Scandal” premiered, don’t worry Washington leads her season alone and is still considered to end the 40 year drought. But King was still a lead on her show too and even directed some episodes of the TNT drama. She played detective Lydia Adams on the police drama focused on officers part of LAPD. The show ended in May 2013 after five seasons.

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Source: TNT

Jada Pinkett Smith – “HawthoRNe”

Regina King wasn’t the only black leading lady on TNT. Smith also had a show built around her. She played Christina Hawthorne, the Chief Nursing Officer of Richmond Trinity Hospital. The series focused on Hawthorne advocating for her patients and staff, which sometimes threatened her job. She was the last black actress before Washington to lead her own series. The only difference, Pinkett Smith was on cable. The medical drama lasted for three season from June 2009 to August 2011.

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Notable Black Leading Ladies on TV Dramas Past, Present and Future