Long dismissed as ciphers, sycophants and Stepford Wives, a more careful assessment of how women were portrayed on primetime television during the 1950s through the 1980s, actually reveals the exact opposite. From smart, savvy wives and resilient mothers (including the much-maligned June Cleaver and Donna Reed) to talented working women (long before the debut of Mary Tyler Moore) to crimebusters and even criminals, American women on television were a diverse, empowered, individualistic, and capable lot, highly worthy of emulation and appreciation.