The L Word 

Follows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of gay women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.

Creators:

Michele Abbott, Ilene Chaiken, Kathy Greenberg

Stars:

Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 5 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jennifer Beals	...	Bette Porter 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Leisha Hailey	...	Alice Pieszecki 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Laurel Holloman	...	Tina Kennard 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Mia Kirshner	...	Jenny Schecter 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Katherine Moennig	...	Shane McCutcheon 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Pam Grier	...	Kit Porter 70 episodes, 2004-2009
Rachel Shelley	...	Helena Peabody 54 episodes, 2005-2009
Daniela Sea	...	Max Sweeney / ... 44 episodes, 2006-2009
Erin Daniels	...	Dana Fairbanks 39 episodes, 2004-2007
Marlee Matlin	...	Jodi Lerner 29 episodes, 2007-2009

Storyline

'The L Word' follows the lives and loves of a group of lesbian friends living in Los Angeles. The main character, Jenny, is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, who moves to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend Tim and begin a professional writing career. Jenny's life is turned upside down when she attends a party hosted by Tim's next-door neighbors, Bette and Tina, a lesbian couple who are about to take the step into parenthood after being together for seven years. A brief encounter at the party with Marina, the owner of the local coffeehouse, suddenly has Jenny thrust into a whole new world that makes her question her own sexual orientation. Other friends of Bette and Tina include Dana, a professional tennis player who is shy but eager to meet the right woman; Alice, a magazine writer who has a brief relationship with a self-identified "lesbian" man; and Shane, a hairstylist who can't stick to just one woman, and Kit, Bette's half sister who struggles with alcoholism.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian | lesbian couple | african american lesbian | lesbian mother | black lesbian | 

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Taglines:

Same sex. Different city.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

Showtime [United States]

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Earthlings

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anonymous Content, Dufferin Gate Productions, Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The photograph of a man's face hanging on the wall in the art gallery during the show's opening montage sequence is that of Vito Russo.

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Quotes

Alice: Cold in the streets, hot in the sheets

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Connections

Referenced in Hart of Dixie: Kablang (2014)

User Reviews

Gay or Straight...you've gotta see this

The L Word is one of the most original shows I've ever seen. It's the only real lesbian show ever made. It's breaks down stereotypes, and shows you that not all lesbians are butch. It deals with real issues that lesbians have, but at the same time maintains its humor (some of the one liners are hilarious). It's not trying to be perfect or overly explicit (although the sex scenes are nowhere near self-conscious). The women on the show are all gorgeous and very talented. The acting is the most solid part of the show. Some of the characters show so much emotion with so little dialogue (like my personal favorite, Marina, played by Karina Lomabrd). The show has no limitations. Pretty much every boundary was crossed by the end of the first episode, and that's a good thing. This is by far my favorite show, and if you haven't seen it you really should. Gay or straight, you'll love it.

My only complaint is that Karina isn't coming back for season 2. Hopefully she'll be back for future seasons.