''The L Word'' is a

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

that aired on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

and

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

women who live in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The premise originated with

Ilene Chaiken Ilene Chaiken (born June 30, 1957) is an American television producer, director, writer, and founder of Little Chicken Productions. Chaiken is best known as being a co-creator, writer and executive producer on the television series ''The L Word' ...

, Michele Abbot and Kathy Greenberg; Chaiken is credited as the primary creator of the series and also served as its executive producer. ''The L Word'' featured television's first ensemble cast of lesbian and bisexual female characters, and its portrayal of lesbianism was groundbreaking at the time. One of the series' pioneering hallmarks was its explicit depiction of lesbian sex from the

female gaze The female gaze is a feminist theory term referring to the gaze of the female spectator, character or director of an artistic work, but more than the gender it is an issue of representing women as subjects having agency. As such all genders can cre ...

, at a time when lesbian sex was "virtually invisible elsewhere on television." It was also the first television series written and directed by predominantly

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

women. ''The L Word'' franchise led to the spin-off

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

The Real L Word ''The Real L Word'' is an American reality television series aired on the cable station Showtime, where it premiered on June 20, 2010. The show was created by executive producer Ilene Chaiken and Magical Elves Productions, following the succes ...

'' (2010–2012) as well as the

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

'' L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin'' (2014), both of which aired on Showtime. A sequel television series, '' The L Word: Generation Q'', debuted in December 2019.

Production

''The L Word'' was co-created by

, Michele Abbot, and Kathy Greenberg; Chaiken served as the primary creator and executive director of the series, as well as a writer and director.Amy Cavanaugh
"An interview with Ilene Chaiken"
, ''

Washington Blade The ''Washington Blade'' is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area. The ''Blade'' is the oldest LGBT newspaper in the United States and third largest by circulation, behind the ''Philadelphi ...

'', 2009-03-09.

Steve Golin Steven Aaron Golin (March 6, 1955 – April 21, 2019) was an American film and television producer and the founder and CEO of Anonymous Content LLP, a multimedia development, production and talent management company and co-founder and CEO of Pr ...

and Larry Kennar served as additional executive producers, while

Guinevere Turner Guinevere Jane Turner is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. She has written such films as ''American Psycho'' and '' The Notorious Bettie Page'' and played the lead role of the dominatrix Tanya Cheex in '' Preaching to the Per ...

, Susan Miller,

Cherien Dabis Cherien Dabis (born 1976) ( ar, شيرين دعيبس) is an American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. She was named one of ''Variety'' magazine's ''10 Directors to Watch'' in 2009, and in 2022 was nominated for the Outstanding Dir ...

, and

Rose Troche Rose Troche (born 1964) is an American film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. Early life and education Troche was born to Puerto Rican parents and grew up on the north side of Chicago. In an interview she stated, "M ...

were among the series' writers. The series premiered on

on January 18, 2004 and ran for a total of six seasons, airing its finale on March 8, 2009. ''The L Word'' was filmed in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

at Coast Mountain Films Studio, as well as on location in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California.

Series overview

Cast and characters

Mia Kirshner, Daniela Sea, and Anne Ramsay at L6

Title

Contemporary use of the phrase "the L word" as an alias for ''lesbian'' dates to at least the 1981 play ''My Blue Heaven'' by

Jane Chambers Jane Chambers (March 27, 1937 – February 15, 1983) was an American playwright. She was a "pioneer in writing theatrical works with openly lesbian characters". Chambers was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but grew up in Orlando, Florida, where ...

, in which a character stammers out: "You're really...? The L-word? Lord God, I never met one before." The original code-name for ''The L Word'' was ''Earthlings'', a rarely used slang term for lesbians.

"The Chart"

"The Chart", an undirected labeled graph in which nodes represent individuals and lines represent affairs or hookups, is a recurring plot element throughout the series.Elizabeth Jensen
"‘The L Word’ Spins Off Its Chart"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 2006-12-18. Originally, ''The L Word'' was to be based around a gay woman,

Kit Porter This list of ''The L Word'' characters is sorted by last name (where possible), and includes both major and minor characters from the American drama ''The L Word''. A * Felicity Adams: Lesbian, portrayed by Latarsha Rose. ''Generation Q'' ** Ex- ...

, and "The Chart" was tattooed on her back. The idea for the chart was formed in the L word's writers room. The creators of the show were discussing their own mutual friends and who had had romantic entanglements with whom. This led to them creating a beta version of what the chart comes to be on a piece of paper. The writers eventually decide to incorporate this chart into the show. In season 4, Alice launches The Chart as a

social networking service A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, act ...

. Concurrently, a real-world parallel project OurChart.com was created.Pete Cashmore
"OurChart.com – The L-Word Launching Lesbian Social Network"
''

Mashable Mashable is a digital media platform, news website and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005. History Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2005. Early iterations of the site were a ...

'', 2006-12-18. The website, which allowed registered members to create their own profiles and hosted several blogs on the show, operated from the beginning of season four until the end of season six, after which the site was discontinued and redirected to Showtime's official website.Ilene Chaiken
"A New Year A New OurChart"
(.)

Plot

Season 1

The first season of ''The L Word'' premiered on January 18, 2004 and ended on April 11, 2004. The season introduces

Bette Porter Bette Porter is a fictional character on the Showtime television network series ''The L Word'' and its sequel '' The L Word: Generation Q'', played by Jennifer Beals. Fictional character biography Before ''The L Word'' Bette is introduced as ...

and Tina Kennard, a couple in a seven-year relationship attempting to have a child;

Marina Ferrer This list of ''The L Word'' characters is sorted by last name (where possible), and includes both major and minor characters from the American drama ''The L Word''. A * Felicity Adams: Lesbian, portrayed by Latarsha Rose. ''Generation Q'' ** Ex ...

, owner of the local cafe The Planet;

Jenny Schecter Jennifer "Jenny" Diane Schecter is a fictional character from the American Showtime television drama series ''The L Word'', played by Mia Kirshner. Jenny debuted on-screen during the pilot episode and remained until the series' final episode. Je ...

, who has recently moved to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend Tim Haspell;

Shane McCutcheon Shane McCutcheon is a fictional lesbian character from the American Showtime television drama series ''The L Word'', and the sequel series ''L Word: Generation Q'' played by Katherine Moennig. Character development in The L Word Shane was orig ...

, an androgynous, highly sexual hairstylist;

Alice Pieszecki Alice Elisabeth Pieszecki is a fictional bisexual character on the Showtime television network series ''The L Word'', and the sequel series ''L Word: Generation Q'', shown nationally in the United States. She is played by American actress Leis ...

, a bisexual journalist who maintains The Chart;

Dana Fairbanks This list of ''The L Word'' characters is sorted by last name (where possible), and includes both major and minor characters from the American drama ''The L Word''. A * Felicity Adams: Lesbian, portrayed by Latarsha Rose. ''Generation Q'' ** Ex ...

, a

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...

professional tennis player; and

, Bette's straight half-sister.

Season 2

The second season of ''The L Word'' premiered on February 20, 2005 and ended on May 15, 2005. The season introduces Carmen de la Pica Morales, a DJ who becomes part of a

love triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...

with Shane and Jenny; Helena Peabody, a wealthy art patron who becomes a rival to Bette and love interest to Tina (while she and Bette are separated). Major storylines in the season include Tina's pregnancy following a second insemination, culminating in Tina and Bette's reconciliation at the end of the season; the introduction of Mark Wayland, a documentary filmmaker who moves in with Shane and Jenny and Kit's acquisition of The Planet following Marina's departure from Los Angeles; Shane and Jenny becoming the unknowing subjects of Mark's documentary after he places hidden cameras in their home; a developing relationship between Alice and Dana; and insights into Jenny's past as an abused child.

Season 3

The third season of ''The L Word'' premiered on January 8, 2006 and ended on March 26, 2006. The season introduces Max Sweeney, a working-class trans man initially introduced presenting as a butch; and Angus Partridge, a male nanny who becomes Kit's lover. The season is set six months after the birth of Tina and Bette's daughter Angelica. Major storylines include Bette and Tina's relationship deteriorating once again, which leads Tina to start a fake relationship with a man in order to win a possible custody battle with Bette; Max coming out as a

trans man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that incl ...

; Dana's diagnosis with and ultimate death from breast cancer; and Shane and Carmen's engagement and wedding, which ends when Shane abandons Carmen at the altar. Helena is integrated into the primary group of characters as a friend rather than a rival; she acquires a movie studio, where she is entangled in a sexual harassment lawsuit that leads her mother to cut her off financially. In the lead-up to the third season, the

fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...

website FanLib.com launched a contest where individuals could submit a piece of ''L Word'' fanfiction, with the winner's story incorporated into a scene in third-season episode.

Season 4

''The L Word'' was renewed for a fourth season on February 2, 2006, and began filming on May 29, 2006. The season aired from January 7, 2007 to March 25, 2007, and introduces Jodi Lerner, a love interest for Bette;

Phyllis Kroll This list of ''The L Word'' characters is sorted by last name (where possible), and includes both major and minor characters from the American drama ''The L Word''. A * Felicity Adams: Lesbian, portrayed by Latarsha Rose. ''Generation Q'' ** Ex ...

, Bette's closeted new boss at California Art College; Paige Sobel, a love interest for Shane; Tasha Williams, a former

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

and love interest for Alice; and Papi, who has slept with the most women on The Chart.

Karina Lombard Karina Lombard is a Tahitian-born American actress. She appeared as Isabel Two in ''Legends of the Fall'', as chief Nonhelema in ''Timeless'', and as Marina Ferrer in the first season of ''The L Word''. She has also appeared in the films '' Wid ...

reprises her role for two episodes. Major storylines in the season include the adaptation of ''Lez Girls'', an article written by Jenny for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', into a film; Bette taking a job as a

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

at California Art College; and Tasha's struggle to reconcile her military service with her sexuality under

don't ask, don't tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on Decemb ...

Season 5

''The L Word'' was renewed for a fifth season on March 8, 2007, and began filming in summer 2007. The season aired from January 6, 2008 to March 23, 2008 and introduces Nikki Stevens, a closeted gay actress who portrays the lead role in ''Lez Girls.''

Adele Channing This list of ''The L Word'' characters is sorted by last name (where possible), and includes both major and minor characters from the American drama ''The L Word''. A * Felicity Adams: Lesbian, portrayed by Latarsha Rose. ''Generation Q'' ** Ex- ...

is also introduced, potentially by chance meeting Jenny at the Planet, and soon becoming her personal assistant. Papi and Angus were written out of the series. Major storylines in the season include Bette and Tina reconciling their relationship, Jenny being ousted from the production of ''Lez Girls'', and Tasha's

dishonorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

from the military.

Season 6

The sixth and final season of ''The L Word'' aired from January 18, 2009 to March 8, 2009. The season introduces Kelly Wentworth, Bette's college roommate, who attempts to open a gallery with her; Jamie Chen, a social worker who becomes involved in a love triangle with Alice and Tasha; and Marybeth Duffy and Sean Holden, detectives with the

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

. The season is a

whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...

storyline focused on the murder of Jenny. The events of the season are depicted as a flashback leading up to the night of the crime, with each episode focused around what could have potentially motivated each character to have killed Jenny. The series concludes without revealing the identity of her murderer.

Interrogation tapes

Following the series finale of ''The L Word'', Showtime released a series of seven short videos depicting Bette, Alice, Tina, Nikki Shane being questioned by the police over Jenny's murder. The episodes were posted weekly on Showtime's website. Showtime additionally released an interview with ''L Word'' series creator Ilene Chaiken, released in two weekly installments. In the interview, Chaiken stated that Alice went to jail for Jenny's murder, but was not necessarily guilty of the crime.. Originally aired Dec. 18, 2008.

''Generation Q''

On July 11, 2017, it was announced a sequel series was in the works with Showtime.

Marja-Lewis Ryan Marja-Lewis Ryan (born March 19, 1985) is an American writer, director, producer, and actress. She is best known for writing, co-starring, and co-producing the LGBT drama film, ''The Four-Faced Liar'', which won multiple awards, including Outsta ...

has been selected to serve as executive producer and

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

. On January 31, 2019, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' reported Showtime had picked up the sequel series for a premiere later in the year, in which Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, and Leisha Hailey would reprise their roles. Other sources, such as ''

TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...

'', call the eight-episode order a revival, so the nature of the follow-up is unclear. The new series, titled '' The L Word: Generation Q'', premiered in the fall of 2019.

Related media

''The Farm''

In July 2008, Showtime CEO Matthew Blank announced that the network would shoot a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for ''The Farm'', an ''L Word'' spin-off series based on a pitch from ''L Word'' series creator Ilene Chaiken. Set in a

women's prison This article discusses the incarceration of women in correctional facilities. As of 2013 across the world, 625,000 women and children were being held in penal institutions, and the female prison population was increasing in all continents.

, the series was slated to star

Famke Janssen Famke Beumer Janssen (; born ) is a Dutch actress. She played Xenia Onatopp in ''GoldenEye'' (1995), Jean Grey / Phoenix in the ''X-Men'' film series (2000–2014), and Lenore Mills in the ''Taken'' film trilogy (2008–2014). In 2008, she ...

Melissa Leo Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Critics' Choice A ...

Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career sp ...

, and Leisha Hailey, the lattermost of whom would reprise her role as Alice Pieszecki. The pilot was shot in December 2008. In April 2009, Showtime declined to pick up ''The Farm'' for a full series order.

''The Real L Word''

'', a

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series produced by Chaiken, aired on Showtime from June 20, 2010 to September 6, 2012. The series, initially set in

and later in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, followed a group of real-life gay women.

''L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin''

''L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin'', a documentary directed by

Lauren Lazin Lauren Lazin is an American filmmaker whose documentaries have been nominated for the Emmys multiple times. She directed and produced the 2005 Oscar-nominated documentary film '' Tupac: Resurrection''. Career Film work Lazin's first feature film ...

and produced by Chaiken, premiered on Showtime on August 8, 2014. The documentary, which follows a group of LGBT women in rural

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, won the

GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...

for Outstanding Documentary in 2015.

Music

EZgirl served as ''The L Words music composer, while Natasha Duprey served as music supervisor. A total of five soundtracks were produced. All three of

Leisha Hailey Leisha Hailey (born July 11, 1971) is an American actress and musician known for playing Alice Pieszecki in the Showtime Networks series ''The L Word'' and '' The L Word: Generation Q''. Hailey first came to the public's attention as a musician ...

's bands were referenced in the series: a song by

The Murmurs The Murmurs were an American alternative pop music duo composed of singer-songwriters Leisha Hailey and Heather Grody. Some time after the duo went their separate ways, Hailey became one half of Uh Huh Her and Grody became a founding member of ...

was used in the first season, Shane wears a shirt for Gush in the second season. Songs by Uh Huh Her were featured in the show's fifth and sixth seasons; Tasha is seen wearing an Uh Huh Her t-shirt during the sixth season. The band

Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...

wrote and performed th
theme song
which is first introduced in season two. Betty makes numerous appearances in the show, and their music is featured throughout the series from season two

Reception

The show's first season was "broadcast to critical acclaim and instant popularity"; as an article from ''

'' pointed out: Co-creator and executive producer

had some issues with the reaction: While the show was seen as fulfilling gay characters' "obvious and modest representational need" or even the "ferocious desire not only to be seen in some literal sense... but to be seen with all the blood and angst and magic that you possess", the show was criticized for various scenes which served to "reify

heteronormativity Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal mode of sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that sexual and marital relations are most ...

". The show was also praised for its nuanced consideration (in the first season) of how and in what ways gay women should stand up to the religious right, with the "Provocations" art show storyline being "a fictionalized version of what happened when Cincinnati's Contemporary Art Center booked a controversial exhibition of Mapplethorpe photographs in 1990". As the series progressed, however, reviews became far more negative. By the time the sixth and final season began, ''The New York Times'' called the show a " Sapphic ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

" that has "shown little interest in variegating portrayals of gay experience. Instead it has seemed to work almost single-mindedly to counter the notion of "

lesbian bed death Lesbian bed death is the concept that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple the longer the relationship lasts, and generally experience less sexual intimacy as a consequence. It may also be defined ...

" and repeatedly remind the viewer of the "limits and tortures of monogamy" while "never align ngitself with the traditionalist ambitions or_same-sex_marriage.html" ;"title="same-sex_marriage.html" ;"title="or same-sex marriage">or same-sex marriage">same-sex_marriage.html" ;"title="or same-sex marriage">or same-sex marriageof a large faction of the gay rights movement". The decision to make the final season into a murder mystery which was ultimately left unresolved was also met with negative response. The series currently holds a 57% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cultural impact and legacy

''The L Word'' broke new ground as the first television series to feature an ensemble cast made up of lesbian and bisexual female characters. Similarly, it was also the first television series to be written and directed predominantly by queer women. The series has been lauded for revolutionizing the depiction of queer women on television, particularly for its portrayal of a queer community at a time when lesbian representation was often relegated to a single lesbian character amid an otherwise heterosexual cast. One of the pioneering hallmarks of the series was its graphic lesbian sex scenes from the

, at a time when lesbian sex was "virtually invisible elsewhere on television." Several shows have referenced ''The L Word'', including ''South of Nowheres first season episode "Girls Guide to Dating"; ''According to Jim''; the medical drama ''House (TV series), House''; the first season finale of ''Weeds (TV series), Weeds'', Jon Stewart's ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...

'' (July 24, 2006); '' Chappelle's Show: The "Lost Episodes"''; ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'' episode "

Live Free or Die "Live Free or Die" is the official motto of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, adopted by the state in 1945. It is possibly the best-known of all state mottos, partly because it conveys an assertive independence historically found in American po ...

"; the US version of ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...

''; ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...

'' fourth season episode "Scene in a Mall"; ''

The Big Gay Sketch Show ''The Big Gay Sketch Show'' is an LGBT-themed sketch comedy program that debuted on Logo on April 24, 2007. The series is produced by Rosie O'Donnell and directed by Amanda Bearse. The program was originally titled ''The Big Gay Show'' but was ...

''; ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episode "

You Kent Always Say What You Want "You Kent Always Say What You Want" is the twenty-second episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2007, as part of the one- ...

"; and ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'' episode "

Brian Sings and Swings "Brian Sings and Swings" is the 19th episode of the fourth season and the 69th episode of '' Family Guy''. The episode was first broadcast on January 8, 2006. Brian meets Frank Sinatra Jr. and begins to perform on stage with him, and they are shor ...

". Also, movies such as '' Puccini for Beginners'' and ''

I Can't Think Straight ''I Can't Think Straight'' is a 2008 British romantic drama film directed by Shamim Sarif. Based on Sarif's 2008 novel of the same name, the film tells the story of a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent, Tala, who is preparing for an e ...

'' have made mention of ''The L Word'' as to reference lesbians but considers the term is sometimes used as slander.

Awards and honors

In 2004,

Laurel Holloman Laurel Lisa Holloman is an American Painting, painter and actress. She is best known for playing Tina Kennard in ''The L Word''. Early life Holloman is the youngest child in her family. She has two older brothers. She graduated from Saint Mary ...

won a

Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama is one of the annual Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment j ...

. The show was also for a

Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama The Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama is an annual award given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both do ...

in the same year. In the second season,

Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...

received a posthumous

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in recognition of his portrayal of Bette and

's father, Melvin. The show received multiple nominations for

GLAAD Media Awards The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their live ...

, and both

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distin ...

and

Jennifer Beals Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and former teen model. She made her film debut in ''My Bodyguard'' (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her role in ''Flashdance'' (1983), for which she won NAACP Image Awa ...

were repeatedly nominated for

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

. In 2006, ''The L Word'' won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series. It was consequently honored with a Special Recognition Award in 2009 from the same organization. In 2008, ''The L Words companion website was honored at the 59th Annual

Technology & Engineering Emmy Award The Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards, or Technology and Engineering Emmys, are one of two sets of Emmy Awards that are presented for outstanding achievement in engineering development in the television industry. The Technology and Engineer ...

s for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use of Commercial Advertising on Personal Computers.

References

External links

*
The L Word: Generation Q
official site * {{DEFAULTSORT:L Word 2004 American television series debuts 2004 Canadian television series debuts 2009 American television series endings 2009 Canadian television series endings 2000s American black television series 2000s American LGBT-related drama television series 2000s American romance television series 2000s Canadian drama television series 2000s Canadian LGBT-related drama television series 2000s romantic drama television series American black television series American romantic drama television series Bisexuality-related television series English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows LGBT culture in Los Angeles Serial drama television series Transgender-related television shows Television shows set in Los Angeles Television series by MGM Television Showcase (Canadian TV channel) original programming Showtime (TV network) original programming Television shows filmed in Vancouver