These Female-Led Comedies Are Must-Sees

I'll never forget where I was when I found out... after three tepidly rated seasons, FOX has officially cancelled The Mindy Project. Some of us are praying night and day that there's truth behind Entertainment Weekly's rumor that the show will finding a second life on Hulu; others are just trying to cope. Of course, our grief is not unfounded: The Mindy Project was important for a few reasons. Not only was it a sitcom to feature a woman of color as the star, head writer, and executive producer, but it was also a legitimately charming show that took on controversial topics with insightful candor. Female-led comedies are already so rare in Hollywood, but this was truly a gem. It particularly found its footing in this year's third season, and Season 4 seemed like it would be the best yet. But now... nothing.

It's been a mixed year for fans of comedies written by or starring women. Thank the deity for shows like Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer, but in the past six months alone we've had Parks and Rec, Garfunkel and Oates, and now The Mindy Project ripped away from us. Even Hot In Cleveland is no more! It begs the question: what are we supposed to watch now? The Big Bang Theory? I just won't do it, OK? You can't make me!

Are there new lady-centric comedies on the horizon for the fall schedule? Are there hidden gems already in existence we just aren't hearing enough about? To help you through this time of crisis, here are some of the best upcoming shows and currently available Netflix options starring or written by women:

NEW AND UPCOMING

Grace and Frankie

Reuniting 9-to-5's Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin (who portray Grace and Frankie, respectively), this Netflix sitcom premiered its entire first season in May. Brought to us by Friends creator Marta Kauffmann, it's notable as much for the nostalgia of Tomlin and Fonda reuniting as much as it for featuring two women of a certain age in starring roles.

Getting On

This brilliantly dry HBO dramedy is set in a female geriatric ward and stars Laurie Metcalf, Niecy Nash, and Alex Borstein (who you would probably remember as Aunt Jackie from Roseanne, Deputy Raineesha Williams on Reno 911!, and Mrs. Swan on MadTV, respectively). All three women, who are usually known for playing broad comedy, bring a heightened sense of realism and immediacy to the show. Its humor comes as much from the tense relationship between doctors and nurses as it does the absurd bureaucracy of the American healthcare system. The third and final season begins in November.

Scream Queens

If there's one thing Ryan Murphy knows how to do, it's write a female-centric show. Just look at the last two seasons of American Horror Story! His new horror comedy starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts is shaping up to be just as focused on women as AHS always manages to be. It's set to premiere in September 2015.

OLDER STUFF YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special!

If what you miss about The Mindy Project are Mindy's weird neuroses and unashamed feminist rage, then boy do I have a comic for you! Uber-zany and very funny Maria Bamford performs an entire stand-up set in her parents living room. The set is nuanced, hilarious, and the setting brings the entire experience to a delightfully oddball level of funny.

Garfunkel and Oates

Centered around the professional and personal lives of a folk comedy duo, the entire first season is currently available on Netflix. If you haven't seen this gem, I strongly urge you to do so — if only so that you, too, can be enraged over its cancellation.

Enlightened

Laura Dern is unnervingly brilliant in this show. Another HBO dramedy, this Mike White production was a brilliant meditation on addiction, trauma, and political action before it was unceremoniously axed in 2013.

TRIED AND TRUE

Inside Amy Schumer

When you just need something to keep rid of the Mindy Project withdrawal jitters, watch a rerun of Inside Amy Schumer, or watch new episodes of the third season, airing now. It'll get you through the night.

Image: Fox