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:

L hath no fury...

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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

Shane (Katherine Moennig) is sometimes seen wearing a t-shirt with the word "GUSH". Leisha Hailey (Alice Pieszecki) is/was in a band called Gush.

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Quotes

Dana: [apologizing to Lara] Can I please try again? I really want to try again. Can I?
Lara Perkins: One thing.
Dana: [holding back tears] Anything.
Lara Perkins: You have to start taking at least take some steps towards being out.
Dana: I will.
Lara Perkins: Because you're going to be miserable being in the closet.
Dana: I know.
Lara Perkins: And you are really, really gay.
Dana: [almost laughing] I know.
Lara Perkins: And it's one of the things I like so much about you. If you hide that, you're hiding the best part.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Brockmire: Player to Be Named Later (2019)

User Reviews

I Love "The L Word".

I was excited to learn of the new Lesbian drama to come out last January as a new Showtime original series. Already being a big fan of QAF I was interested in seeing a show focused primarily on gay women instead of gay men. I believe Showtime made a good choice bringing "The L Word" to its viewers because it now balances out for both gay and lesbian individuals. Although I watched QAF I always felt I had not a lot to relate to. Mel and Lindsey are two great characters but the show does not focus a lot on them. "The L Word' fills that void. Each character brings new life to the show and the actresses and actors who play them are all very talented and intriguing. With each episode you find yourself more and more captivated and developed into the characters and their lives. It is sometimes frustrating having to wait a whole week just to find out what will happen next. This is without a doubt my Favorite show and I am so happy to finally have something to watch and be able to identify with to some degree. My life is really nothing like what is presented in the show, but it is fiction. It is not meant to be like real life. That would be too boring. The show touches base with many serious issues facing gays and lesbians today in our country and at the same time makes you laugh. These women are HOT and SEXY and Alice(Leisha Haley) brings just the right amount of humor to the show. All of the actresses bring such an energy across the screen. They work well together and you can tell they all have fun making each scene. This applies more to Leisha Haley, Kate Moening and Erin Daniels (Alice, Shane and Dana) Every scene which involves the three of them is sure to have you laughing. Bette and Tina (Jennifer Beals)(Laurel Hollowman)do a great job bring their characters to life and it is their characters, I feel, which make the show interesting. Through the season you see their relationship grow and change. Every week I had to watch and see what was going on with them. Jenny and Marina (Mia Kirshner)(Karina Lombard)display the thrill and and fear of two women coming together. I enjoyed watching these two because it reminded me of my own coming out story, watching Jenny go through all of the emotions. Through the first season you see Jenny grow and develop more than any other character. This is a great show and I believe many people can relate.