Many of us consume television every day but rarely think of the genuine impact TV has on us for the better. We spoke to women on the shows that changed their lives in the happiest of ways.
With streaming platforms galore, terrestrial channel dramas, documentaries and comedies just one click away, it’s safe to say that TV shows fill many of our evenings, weekends and spare moments.
While we watch, stream and lose ourselves in the made-up worlds of our favourite shows, many of us are influenced in major real-life ways also. The Sex And The City effect in fashion is undeniable, for example, and the same goes for shows like Gossip Girl and, more recently, Insecure’s relatable representation for Black women worldwide.
When you come across a great series, its impact on us as viewers can be a profound one. It could have you rethinking your career, relationships, friendships or, on a smaller-scale, your everyday habits.
What happens when a show has such an impact on someone’s life, you may ask. Well, we spoke to women about the TV shows that changed their lives for the better and we guarantee you’ll be smiling as you scroll through.
Love Life
Patricia, 24, London
“HBO’s Love Life was recommended to me by someone I’m speaking to, and I really enjoyed it because of the way it portrays relationships and dating.
“I don’t have much dating experience and seeing the way Darby and Marcus from seasons one and two respectively learn so much about themselves, their values and what they expect from a partner through their various relationships, encouraged me to be more intentional and proactive with dating, regardless of whether I want something casual, serious or whether it ends positively or negatively.
“I liked that not everyone Darby and Marcus met was their soulmate but were still valuable experiences for them – it showed me that I can have great moments with people for a season. But, good or bad, I won’t know unless I put myself out there.
“I was also struck by one of the characters from season one, Sara, who had an alcohol and drug problem.
“It’s not something I’ve personally struggled with but watching her storyline made me conscious of my drinking – when I choose to drink and how much. I’ve thought about doing it for a while, but this year, I made the decision to really cut down on my drinking.
“I’m not going cold turkey but I’ve noticed a great difference and feel a lot better for it. I think binge-drinking culture in the UK is normalised but I had to also consider how problematic that can be for me too – it can lead to drunk texting, hangxiety and low moods.”
Best Leftovers Ever!
Ray, 25, London
“The show that really changed my perception on things was the Netflix series Best Leftovers Ever! I’ve always been conscious of food waste and trying to make the best use of what I buy, but no one wants to eat a one-pan mishmash of all the veg you forgot to use.
“I discovered this show during the course of the pandemic and it gave me tangible ways to respond to those food waste concerns creatively.
“Now I can make all these weird and wonderful things I probably never would have tried before. I’m also saving money by making use of ingredients I already have and I’m even managing to do a tiny part for the environment.”
Girlfriends
Melissa Cummings-Quarry, 34, Hertfordshire
“Before we had Insecure, there was Girlfriends. Joan, Maya, Lyn and Toni. Four women who defined and inspired a generation of Black girls everywhere.
“When it comes to Antoinette ‘Toni’ Childs-Garrett – well, the girls that get it, get it and the girls that don’t probably won’t ever ‘get’ what it means to be the first-born child in an immigrant family – feeling the pressures of having to do the ‘right’ thing and seeing Toni on your screen.
“She represented a host of possibilities. She was successful, cute and confident – with the shoes and bag to match. She showed me what it meant to truly own your shit and be yourself authentically. Toni didn’t bow to pressure, she had boundaries, she knew exactly what she wanted and she knew how to get it.
“Yes, she was audacious, materialistic and selfish at times but she was honest and didn’t fall into the trap of feeling compelled to play nice or be likeable in order to achieve success.
“Toni showed me that I hold the cards, I determine my own destiny and I can carve out the life I want for myself and my career – author of Grown and co-founder of Black Girls Book Club – be it as a wife, mother, sister, friend and all while wearing six-inch heels.”
After Life
Catherine, 42, Oxford
“After Life has totally changed my life – I found it such a brilliant, compelling but tough watch – and made me reflect on my relationship with my husband and kids.
“We’re a really close family and I feel very lucky that regardless of loving each other, we really like each other.
“The series made me realise last year (especially during the pandemic) how busy life is and how little time is left for spending time together and doing stuff, experiencing new things.
“It’s a cliché to say live life for today but it’s true – there are so many things we’d love to do, so why not spend our money on experiences, not things.
“So, inspired by After Life, we’re going to do all those things we never get around to – and part of that includes a foodie trip to the US this Easter. We all love food and want to take the kids wherever we can to enjoy different world cuisines.”
Gilmore Girls
Billie, 27, London
“The character of Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls validated the need to distance myself from my mum and I feel so much better for it.
“I think the way that Lorelai chose to distance herself from her family when she was young was very powerful. As an adult, she never apologised for her choice and she knows that it was what made her who she was.
“She would never have been happy doing what her family wanted, so choosing herself at such a young age has always been impressive to me and showed me that some people need space from their parents in order to come back to them.”
Changing Rooms
Danielle, mid-30s, Staffordshire
“I used to love Changing Rooms as a kid, and as I’ve grown up, it definitely inspired me to give things a go around the house and upcycle furniture. So much so, that I now upcycle furniture for a living.”
“The show captured my imagination when they created something ‘new’ from an old or forgotten item but it also gave me the confidence to ask: ‘Well, what’s the worst that could happen’.
“There’s something really satisfying about being able to take a piece of furniture that someone’s going to throw out and turn it into something beautiful again.”
Sex Education
Alice, 24, currently living in Durban
“Sex Education was a major catalyst in my decision to explore my bisexuality at 24 years old and led to me dating a woman for the first time last year.
“I had a recurring thought that became louder during season two, which was: ‘Holy shit, what would my sexuality be if I’d had this kind of support and safety in high school?’
“The more I watched Sex Education, the more I thought about it.
“I started to acknowledge old crushes on girls or women for what they were: crushes (and not random or inexplicable obsessions that were definitely not crushes – which I’d dubbed them as).
“Watching Sex Education made me feel brave enough to curiously interrogate my sexuality – the power of queer representation, I guess.”
Pose
Eva, 42, Essex
“The show that changed my recent adult life was Pose, which helped no end with my social anxieties. It taught me about cultivating confidence, showing up when you don’t feel it, and how crucial self-belief is when it’s often the hardest thing to find.
“Discovering Pose was cosmic timing. Approaching 40, and about to be published for the first time, though I was confident in my writing, I felt the ‘me’ behind the words didn’t match up. Public speaking, and the judgement of others, terrified me. But then this show. I was dazzled by the 80s NYC glamour, the strong, magnificent characters. As the show says: ‘Confidence is key. Take it from Mother Elektra Wintour – embrace who you truly are.’
“Life is hard. Not everyone will accept or like you. But, if you love yourself, who really gives one, anyway? Even when I don’t truly feel it, I get up, show up, live, werk, pose – and find I can do it after all, thanks to the Pose mindset.”
The L Word and Lip Service
Maedbh Pierce, 23, currently living in Berlin
“Two significant shows that influenced my life for the better are the original The L Word and Lip Service. The L Word circles the lives of a group of LA lesbians while Lip Service is similar but UK-based.
“Sadly, Lip Service only ran for two seasons. Being based in Scotland, I felt closer to these characters and somewhat reassured that perhaps I don’t have to travel to the ends of the earth to find another queer person.The L Word, on the other hand, is still going strong.
“The representation on these shows was pretty binary, leaning towards lesbianism alone rather than inclusive queerness.
“They came recommended to me by a woman I met online when I was still closeted, ridden by seemingly insurmountable internalised homophobia. At a strange time in my life, these shows’ representation of queer women as just simply – well, dramatically – living their lives, loving, and feeling joy, pain, the whole spectrum of emotion, restored my hope that there was a community out there for me.
“The characters in these shows are a big part of why I chose to move to Berlin, a city whose reputation as the queer capital of Europe encouraged me wholly.
“They motivated me to chase the joy I found in them in my own life and, following their lead, I found my way to my community.
“Though it took time, with the guiding hand of these shows, I realised my power and queerness was in me all along, that it was never anyone else’s to bequeath upon me.”
Image: BBC
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