First TV Show to Feature a Single Professional Woman

That Girl, which premiered in 1966, holds the distinction of being the first American sitcom to center entirely on an unmarried, professionally ambitious woman living independently. Marlo Thomas didn't just star in the show — she formed her own production company to maintain creative control over every script. The series ran for five seasons and earned Thomas a Golden Globe and four Emmy nominations. There's far more to this groundbreaking story than you'd expect.

Key Takeaways

• *That Girl* (1966) starred Marlo Thomas as Ann Marie, a single aspiring actress navigating independent professional life without marriage as her goal.
• Thomas formed Daisy Productions to maintain direct creative control, ensuring the show authentically reflected her feminist vision throughout its run.
• The series ran five seasons and 136 episodes, earning Thomas a Golden Globe and four Emmy nominations for her groundbreaking performance.
• Networks and advertisers were initially skeptical, as an independent professional woman didn't fit the conventional mold they felt comfortable backing.
• *That Girl* directly inspired future female-led shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and reshaped television's portrayal of women entirely.

What Set Ann Marie Apart From Every Female Character on TV

What made her equally compelling was her unconventional perspective. She didn't approach life with calculated caution. She thought differently, acted spontaneously, and embraced creativity over conformity.

You could see it in small moments — like attempting to bowl with her feet — that revealed a woman who refused to fit neatly into societal expectations.

Ann Marie didn't just break rules. She made you question why those rules existed in the first place. Unlike other female characters of the era, she sent no message that she should settle down and marry.

She was an aspiring actress who pursued her dream while continuing to fully live her life, never allowing her ambition to define her entire existence.

How Marlo Thomas Fought to Get That Girl Made

Through collaborative development, the concept took shape:

1. Scherick read the feminist text and backed the project's cultural relevance
2. Writers Persky and Denoff, veterans of The Dick Van Dyke Show, built the pilot around Thomas's vision
3. Thomas formed Daisy Productions, giving her direct script oversight before table-readings

She didn't just star in the show — she drove every creative decision behind it. The series ran for five complete seasons, producing a total of 136 episodes.

Her groundbreaking performance earned her a Golden Globe and four Emmy nominations, cementing her influence on millions of women who were inspired to take charge of their own lives.

What the Network Feared About a Show Built Around One Single Woman

Beyond viewer skepticism, there were real advertiser concerns too. Without a marriage plot or family dynamic, networks doubted sponsors would see broad commercial appeal.

An independent professional woman didn't fit the conventional mold advertisers felt comfortable backing. Despite all that resistance, Thomas pushed through the hesitation, and That Girl went on to run five successful seasons. Shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show had similarly broken barriers by centering an independent working woman, proving audiences were ready for new kinds of female-led storytelling.

Trailblazers in early television had already begun shifting perceptions of women on screen, such as Lucille Ball, who became the first woman to run a production studio after buying out her husband's interest in Desilu Productions.

Why Ann Marie Never Got Her Happy Ending

For a show that spent five seasons building Ann Marie's heartfelt relationship with Donald Hollinger, the ending felt like a betrayal of everything viewers had watched develop.

The disconnect between character goals and finale stemmed from Marlo Thomas's personal beliefs overriding Ann Marie's established desires. The challenges of showcasing single women created a narrative tension that ultimately undermined the character.

The finale failed on three levels:

1. Ann Marie consistently wanted marriage, yet the ending denied her that goal
2. Thomas's activism episodes felt "strident to the point of unpleasantness"
3. The final storyline contradicted five seasons of carefully built character development

The result was a "slightly bitter aftertaste" — a conclusion that prioritized Thomas's personal philosophy over authentic storytelling, leaving viewers questioning what Ann Marie actually stood for. The network had pushed for the series to end with a wedding between Ann and Donald, but Thomas refused, believing it sent the wrong message about women's happiness.

How That Girl Changed the Way Television Wrote Women

Marlo Thomas didn't just create a character — she restructured what television could say about women.

You can trace nearly every ambitious, self-directed female lead back to Ann Marie's first bold steps in New York City. Television's portrayal of women has since evolved from stereotypical roles into complex, multidimensional characters capable of achieving anything beyond the domestic sphere.

Thomas was inspired by The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan's 1963 book that challenged traditional expectations placed on women in American society.