Please can someone tell me of a really good series that has a strong female lead?

[Lighthousekeeping]

And not some self absorbed whining woman. I'm looking at you Carrie Bradshaw and you Hannah from Girls and, especially you bloody Meredith Grey.

[GoingToBedfordshire]

It's still being made, but Up The Women on BBC4 sounds like it will be great.

[Greenshootsandleeves]

new tricks

[BertieBotts]

Fringe is brilliant - you must watch it.

[LuisGarcia]

BSG. Yes, really

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

The Killing
Buffy
The Bridge

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

30 Rock

[mrsruffallo]

prime suspect or the closer

[runawaysimba]

Veronica Mars. Fab strong girl detective. She's my lady crush.

[Lighthousekeeping]

What's Fringe?

[BertieBotts]

It's amazing.

First series is similar to X-files but less boring, with a mad scientist and just generally brilliant character development. It's hard to say much more about it if you want to avoid spoilers - there's a pretty big part of the general plot which doesn't come in until very near the end of season 1, although arguably it doesn't really spoil the story.

It's just fantastic - the characters are likeable and well-developed, the relationships between them are interesting, all of the actors are amazing and deserve several awards (especially in later series) and it manages to be funny, warm, thought provoking and occasionally tense/adrenaline/scary too.

I sold it to my friend by saying - look - do you want to watch a series which has a kick-ass female lead, a genuinely mad scientist, an ex-con man who has a good heart and a sense of morality, a man-in-charge with nerves of steel with one expression which is perfect in every single situation, a proper New York cop and a sassy young black assistant who is much much more than filler?

[MartyrStewart]

The Hour

[TanteRose]

yy to The Good Wife, Getting On and Six Feet Under

also

Weeds (suburban, middle-class American mum of 2 turns to drug dealing after her husband dies - it is dark and funny!)

The United States of Tara (Toni Collette is brilliant, with the rather lovely John Corbett (Aiden in SATC)

[OutragedFromLeeds]

Another for The Good Wife. Loads of great female characters.

[KatieMiddleton]

Yy The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Getting On, The Hour and The Closer.

[crabb]

Star Trek Voyager.

[ChinngisKhan]

Torchwood

[MsMoppet]

That is easy - Ashes to Ashes is awesome with two great female characters.

Also The Bridge - the story and female lead stay with you as its utterly engaging.

[Yamyoid]

Heroes? I loved that series and Claire is a particularly strong character.
Another vote for The Killing and Scott and Bailey.
Good suggestions on this thread, must watch some.

[DaffodilsAhoy]

Another vote for The Good Wife.
Excellent series.

[TheRealFellatio]

Damages. With knobs on. The two main characters are women, both very strong characters. The men all get supporting roles. It's hugely exciting and full of skullduggery.

And I would agree that Six Feet Under has very strong female characters as well.

[TheRealFellatio]

Although they are not the 'leads' as such - I'm not sure there is really a lead, but if I had to pick one I'd say it was Nate.

[Bossybritches22]

Scott &Bailey fan here too.

3 strong female leads. New series about to start.

[TheKnackeredChef]

Bones.

[crabb]

Ooh, some more - The West Wing. CJ rocks! And Silk, with Maxine Peake as Martha Costello, QC.

[tribpot]

Rizzoli & Isles, and basically everything everyone has said.