LGBT social media networks were recently buzzing with news that , the lesbian drama that ran for six series between 2004-09, is in the works at .
A tweet from one of the original stars, , posted on July 11 2017: “It’s on. Think more rebel yell than reboot”, generated much excitement – as did postings confirming the news from other cast members and the series original showrunner, . Diva, the magazine for lesbians : “This is not a drill. Repeat this is not a drill”.
Fans and cultural commentators have asked what the new series would be like. How would it ? How would it address key cultural shifts such as the parallel rise in gender fluid identities and increased trans visibility and the with their feet under the table at the White House?
The series regulars Beals, Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey who are reported to be taking roles as executive producers along with , who was the creative force behind the series.
The L Word presented a series of representational firsts that other television series such as and have built on. It followed shows such as Will & Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Queer as Folk, which paved the way for gay representation on our screens, but these all focused on gay male experiences.
The L Word was the first mainstream series to place lesbians centre stage – it was the first to feature a lesbian couple who conceive a child through insemination and it was the first to attempt a broadly sympathetic portrayal of transgender experience in a sustained way. The series drew large audiences, critical acclaim and academic attention in the form of two . It also won a number of and nominations for outstanding drama series.
Positive role models
So, what was The L Word and why was it so important for lesbian communities? The show followed the lives, loves and daily dramas of a group of lesbians living in West Hollywood. The protagonists were stylish, sexy and successful women who worked and worked out. The L Word clique were members of the “acceptable-privileged” – all were in one way or another working in the creative or entertainment and leisure industries. As such they offered new representational models for lesbians across the world who were starved of positive or attractive images. We eagerly devoured these untold stories that resonated with our lives or our fantasy lives.
The characters were flawed and human, but they were also gorgeous, warm and funny. This was a show, in the paraphrased , about community, acceptance, women, the power of friendship and a chosen family. It was also about desire and love and audiences were treated to highly erotic scenes made by a never before seen outside of male-orientated porn. Criticisms of the show for pandering to missed the points that the sex scenes were framed from a female point-of-view, and that lesbians have a right to our own visual erotica through the medium of quality drama.
No tokenism
The characters did include men and straight women, but they were peripheral, reversing the tradition of the token lesbians who had previously appeared in mainstream television shows such as Friends. Like Orange is the New Black – although in a very different setting – the series begins with a heterosexual hook, the arrival of Jenny (Mia Kirshner) to live with her boyfriend Tim (Eric Mabius). But Jenny is soon integrated into the lesbian crowd and at the centre of many romantic trysts – and her sympathetic, attractive boyfriend is dispensed with after the first series. The world of L Word disavows the old flawed cliche that lesbians are anti-men – they are just not that interested in them.
The characters are all wealthy or at least access privileged lifestyles. They – and, vicariously, we – enjoy the spoils and spaces of their wealth: desirable homes, trendy cafes, quality restaurants, art galleries, designer clothes and cars, and time for affairs and intrigues. In short, the world of The L Word is one of privilege and it has been criticised for ignoring economic realities faced by off-screen lesbians and for the .
Source: Showtime
