Here at TV Scoop, we have established our first element of what makes a modern day TV show – the anti-hero called Jack. But now we have our leading man, we need to find a woman for him to play off, maybe indulge in some carefully constructed sexual tension with. Yes, here we introduce the second ingredient in our entertainment casserole – the ‘quirky’ woman.

Before I progress, I would like to point out that the name you see at the bottom of this post, confirming the identity of me, the author, isn’t one of those mysterious unisex efforts, nope - the name Katie pretty much guarantees a uterus, plucked eyebrows and an ill-fitting bra (cos apparently 70% of us ladies are wearing one.) I am of the female variety and so when I lay into this most annoying of girly stereotypes, it is not through any bitterness towards my sex, but simply the trite way in which we are often represented onscreen.

Ally McBeal, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Men in Trees, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters – the list goes on of programmes that wheel out the cliché of a woman who’s a bit eccentric, unpredictable and often bloody clumsy. They are direct descendants from the Bridget Jones school of sappy souls that embarrass themselves publicly every five minutes, but are trying hard to be independent, strong and feisty.

They have ‘cute’ idiosyncrasies - whether it be Meredith Grey’s inability to finish a sentence with a word other than whatever, e.g.: “You are not my knight in shining whatever", "I had a near-death whatever” or Ally McBeal hearing songs in her head or hallucinating about a dancing baby. Their faults are dressed up as selling points and their helplessness calls upon the men in their lives to help rescue them. They might act outraged and insist they don’t need any male intervention – but its all nonsense. These women are never happy, thrive on drama and are desperate to please everyone around them.

I had really hoped that after a show like Sex and the City that female characters might evolve past tripping over their own feet and spouting sentimental gibberish. There are the odd pleasant exceptions (Kate Austen in Lost and Chloe O’Brian in 24) but still leading ladies are pigeon-holed as ‘quirky’. No wonder we need the Jack’s to save us.