Here at wOw, we were recently discussing television shows — particularly, those that had the biggest positive impact on women by highlighting female strength and independence. Curious about the moments in TV we came up with? Read on … and weigh in below with your own picks.

Our Miss Brooks: It could be argued that Eve Arden’s "Our Miss Brooks" paved the way for almost all these other television shows. "Brooks" began on the radio, but broke into television in 1952 and received national praise for celebrating working women — in this case a teacher — rather than using the leading lady for purely comedic purposes. Watch as Arden dreams of Desi Arnez.

The Loretta Young Show: When Academy Award-winning actress Loretta Young broke into television, she did so in a big way as host of her eponymous show, which ran from 1953 until 1961. It was, at the time, the longest-running show hosted by a woman and definitely cleared the way for countless other actresses. Here’s footage of Young reading a letter from one of her viewers, which was an integral part of the show’s early years.

Julia: How could we not include "Julia," the first show to feature an African American woman, played by the incomparable Diahann Carroll, who had complete control of her life. The titular character wasn’t a maid or some other subservient character: She was a widow, a nurse and a mother of two. And, most importantly, a strong woman! Here’s some footage from an episode entitled "The Wheel Deal."

That Girl: That Girl, which ran for five years and starred our girl Marlo Thomas, deserves credit for featuring television’s first single girl living on her own, which no doubt paved the way for our next entry. Before that, however, watch Thomas — aka Anne Marie — charm her way into an audition for a wild drink called "Pop."

The Mary Tyler Moore Show: The first single career woman on television, Mary Richards taught all women that they don’t need a man to be successful – or happy. Moore’s smile and charm lit up television screens from 1970 until 1977. Here’s video from the very first episode’s opening, which shows Moore striking out on her own.

The Avengers: Diana Rigg wasn’t the first woman to play a spy on "The Avengers," but it was her character, Emma Peel, who made the best impression. Not only could Peel hold her own among the big boys, but she did it with style, showing women they could look good while fighting evil. ClassicTV.com insists, "Emma Peel, in her leather boots and miniskirts, is now considered one of the most liberated women on ’60s television.” Here Peel does a little sleuthing.

MASH: Major Margaret J. "Hot Lips" Houlihan, based on a real woman, kept the boys in Korea happy with her blonde hair and sexy demeanor. As the series progressed, however, Hot Lips’s sex appeal waned and the character, played by Loretta Swit, became stronger, steadier and more determined than many of the men at her camp. She was, in a word, fierce. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any clips of Swit on MASH, but we did find one of her with another admirable lady: Miss Piggy.

Taxi: Marilu Henner made waves as Elaine Nardo, a single mother who was working to keep food on the table. While most of television’s blue-collar gals had held waitressing or other “lady” jobs, Henner got down and dirty with the boys of Sunshine Cab Company — and brought loads of laughs in the process. Watch as Nardo runs into an old friend while on the job — awkwardness ensues.