The l word airing

The L Word
Genre	Drama
Created by	Ilene Chaiken Michele Abbot Kathy Greenberg
Starring	Jennifer Beals Mia Kirshner Pam Grier Laurel Holloman Katherine Moennig Leisha Hailey Erin Daniels Karina Lombard Eric Mabius Sarah Shahi Rachel Shelley Eric Lively Daniel Sea Dallas Roberts Janina Gavankar Rose Rollins Marlee Matlin
Opening theme	«The L Word» performed by Betty (seasons 2–6)
Composer	Elizabeth Ziff
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	70 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ilene Chaiken Rose Lam Steve Golin Larry Kennar
Producers	Rose Lam Kim Steer Elizabeth Ziff Angela Robinson Elizabeth Hunter A.M. Homes
Production locations	Vancouver, British Columbia Los Angeles, California
Running time	50 minutes
Production companies	Anonymous Content Dufferin Gate Productions Coast Mountain Films Posse Showtime Networks
Release
Original network	Showtime
Original release	January 18, 2004 – March 8, 2009
Related
The L Word: Generation Q

The L Word is a television drama that aired on Showtime in the US from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California.^[1][2] The premise originated with Ilene Chaiken, 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,^[3][4] and its portrayal of lesbianism was groundbreaking at the time.^[2][5][6][7] One of the series’ pioneering hallmarks was its explicit depiction of lesbian sex from the female gaze,^[8] at a time when lesbian sex was «virtually invisible elsewhere on television.»^[9] It was also the first television series written and directed by predominantly queer women.^[10]

The L Word franchise led to the spin-off reality show The Real L Word (2010–2012) as well as the documentary film 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, and a spin-off, The L Word: New York, is in development.

Production[edit]

The L Word was co-created by Ilene Chaiken, Michele Abbot, and Kathy Greenberg; Chaiken served as the primary creator and executive director of the series, as well as a writer and director.^[11] Steve Golin and Larry Kennar served as additional executive producers, while Guinevere Turner, Susan Miller, Cherien Dabis, and Rose Troche were among the series’ writers.

The series premiered on Showtime 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, British Columbia at Coast Mountain Films Studio, as well as on location in Los Angeles, California.

Series overview[edit]

Cast and characters[edit]

Actor/Actress	Character	Appearances
Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6
Jennifer Beals	Bette Porter	Main
Mia Kirshner	Jenny Schecter	Main
Pam Grier	Kit Porter	Main
Laurel Holloman	Tina Kennard	Main
Katherine Moennig	Shane McCutcheon	Main
Leisha Hailey	Alice Pieszecki	Main
Erin Daniels	Dana Fairbanks	Main	Guest
Karina Lombard	Marina Ferrer	Main		Guest		Guest
Eric Mabius	Tim Haspel	Main	Guest		Guest
Sarah Shahi	Carmen de la Pica Morales		Main		Guest
Rachel Shelley	Helena Peabody		Main
Eric Lively	Mark Wayland		Main
Daniel Sea	Max Sweeney		Main
Dallas Roberts	Angus Partridge		Main		Guest
Janina Gavankar	Eva «Papi» Torres		Main		Guest
Rose Rollins	Tasha Williams		Main
Marlee Matlin	Jodi Lerner		Main

Title[edit]

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, in which a character stammers out: «You’re really…? The L-word? Lord God, I never met one before.»^[12]

The original code-name for The L Word was Earthlings, a rarely used slang term for lesbians.^[13]

«The Chart»[edit]

«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.^[14] Originally, The L Word was to be based around a gay woman, Kit Porter, 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. Concurrently, a real-world parallel project OurChart.com was created.^[15] 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.^[16]

Plot[edit]

Season 1[edit]

The first season of The L Word premiered on January 18, 2004 and ended on April 11, 2004. The season introduces Bette Porter and Tina Kennard, a couple in a seven-year relationship attempting to have a child; Marina Ferrer, owner of the local cafe The Planet; Jenny Schecter, who has recently moved to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend Tim Haspell; Shane McCutcheon, an androgynous, highly sexual hairstylist; Alice Pieszecki, a bisexual journalist who maintains The Chart; Dana Fairbanks, a closeted professional tennis player; and Kit Porter, Bette’s straight half-sister.

Season 2[edit]

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 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;^[17] 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[edit]

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.^[18]

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; Dana’s diagnosis with and ultimate death from breast cancer;^[19] 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 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.^[20][21]

Season 4[edit]

The L Word was renewed for a fourth season on February 2, 2006,^[22] and began filming on May 29, 2006.^[23] The season aired from January 7, 2007 to March 25, 2007,^[24] and introduces Jodi Lerner, a love interest for Bette;^[25] Phyllis Kroll, Bette’s closeted new boss at California Art College;^[26] Paige Sobel, a love interest for Shane;^[27] Tasha Williams, a former Captain in the Army National Guard and love interest for Alice; and Papi, who has slept with the most women on The Chart.^[26] Karina Lombard reprises her role for two episodes.^[28]

Major storylines in the season include the adaptation of Lez Girls, an article written by Jenny for The New Yorker, into a film; Bette taking a job as a dean at California Art College; and Tasha’s struggle to reconcile her military service with her sexuality under don’t ask, don’t tell.

Season 5[edit]

The L Word was renewed for a fifth season on March 8, 2007, and began filming in summer 2007.^[29] 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. ^[30] Adele Channing 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.^[31]

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 from the military.

Season 6[edit]

The sixth and final season of The L Word aired from January 18, 2009 to March 8, 2009.^[32] 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.^[33]

The season is a whodunit 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[edit]

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.^[34][35]

Generation Q[edit]

On July 11, 2017, it was announced a sequel series was in the works with Showtime.^[36] Marja-Lewis Ryan has been selected to serve as executive producer and showrunner.^[36][37][38] On January 31, 2019, Entertainment Weekly 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.^[39] Other sources, such as TVLine,^[40] 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.^[41]

[edit]

The Farm[edit]

In July 2008, Showtime CEO Matthew Blank announced that the network would shoot a pilot 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, the series was slated to star Famke Janssen, Melissa Leo, Laurie Metcalf, and Leisha Hailey, the lattermost of whom would reprise her role as Alice Pieszecki. The pilot was shot in December 2008.^[42] In April 2009, Showtime declined to pick up The Farm for a full series order.^[43]

The Real L Word[edit]

The Real L Word, a reality television series produced by Chaiken, aired on Showtime from June 20, 2010 to September 6, 2012. The series, initially set in Los Angeles and later in Brooklyn, New York City, followed a group of real-life gay women.^[44]

L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin[edit]

L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin, a documentary directed by Lauren Lazin and produced by Chaiken, premiered on Showtime on August 8, 2014.^[45] The documentary, which follows a group of LGBT women in rural Mississippi, won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary in 2015.^[46]

Music[edit]

EZgirl served as The L Word’s music composer, while Natasha Duprey served as music supervisor. A total of five soundtracks were produced.

All three of Leisha Hailey’s bands were referenced in the series: a song by The Murmurs 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 wrote and performed the 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[edit]

The show’s first season was «broadcast to critical acclaim and instant popularity»; as an article from The New York Times pointed out:^[47]

Before The L Word, female gay characters barely existed in television. Interested viewers had to search and second-guess, playing parlor games to suss out a character’s sexuality. Cagney and Lacey? Jo on Facts of Life? Xena and Gabrielle? Showtime’s decision in January 2004 to air The L Word, which follows the lives of a group of fashionable Los Angeles gays, was akin to ending a drought with a monsoon. Women who had rarely seen themselves on the small screen were suddenly able to watch gay characters not only living complex, exciting lives, but also making love in restaurant bathrooms and in swimming pools. There was no tentative audience courtship. Instead there was sex, raw and unbridled in that my-goodness way that only cable allows.

Co-creator and executive producer Ilene Chaiken had some issues with the reaction:^[47]

I do want to move people on some deep level. But I won’t take on the mantle of social responsibility. That’s not compatible with entertainment. I rail against the idea that pop television is a political medium. I am political in my life. But I am making serialized melodrama. I’m not a cultural missionary.

While the show was seen as fulfilling gay characters’ «obvious and modest representational need»^[48] 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»,^[49] the show was criticized for various scenes which served to «reify heteronormativity».^[50] 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».^[51]

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 fantasia» 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» and repeatedly remind the viewer of the «limits and tortures of monogamy» while «never align[ing] itself with the traditionalist ambitions [for same-sex marriage] of a large faction of the gay rights movement».^[52] The decision to make the final season into a murder mystery which was ultimately left unresolved was also met with negative response.^[53]

The series currently holds a 57% «Rotten» rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[54]

Cultural impact and legacy[edit]

The L Word broke new ground as the first television series to feature an ensemble cast made up of lesbian and bisexual female characters.^[3][4] Similarly, it was also the first television series to be written and directed predominantly by queer women.^[10] The series has been lauded for revolutionizing the depiction of queer women on television,^[2][5][6][7] 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.^[10] One of the pioneering hallmarks of the series was its graphic lesbian sex scenes from the female gaze,^[8] at a time when lesbian sex was «virtually invisible elsewhere on television.»^[9][55]

Several shows have referenced The L Word, including South of Nowhere’s first season episode «Girls Guide to Dating»; According to Jim; the medical drama House; the first season finale of Weeds, Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show (July 24, 2006); Chappelle’s Show: The «Lost Episodes»; The Sopranos episode «Live Free or Die»; the US version of The Office; Gilmore Girls fourth season episode «Scene in a Mall»; The Big Gay Sketch Show; The Simpsons episode «You Kent Always Say What You Want»; and Family Guy episode «Brian Sings and Swings». Also, movies such as Puccini for Beginners, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and I Can’t Think Straight have made mention of The L Word as to reference lesbians but considers the term is sometimes used as slander.

Awards and honors[edit]

In 2004, Laurel Holloman won a Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. The show was also for a Satellite Award for Best Television Series – Drama in the same year. In the second season, Ossie Davis received a posthumous Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in recognition of his portrayal of Bette and Kit Porter’s father, Melvin. The show received multiple nominations for GLAAD Media Awards, and both Pam Grier and Jennifer Beals were repeatedly nominated for NAACP Image Awards.

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 Word’s companion website was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use of Commercial Advertising on Personal Computers.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Showtime, United States

—

Used to air
Sundays 9 p.m. — 10 p.m. EDT (UTC-0400).

Find out more about The L Word on
TVRage / TVmaze .

This is a list of all episodes from the series The L Word which aired from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. With the exception of the pilot episode, all episode titles begin with the letter L. A total of 70 episodes aired over six seasons.

Contents

• 1 Series overview
• 2 Episodes
  • 2.1 Season 1 (2004)
  • 2.2 Season 2 (2005)
  • 2.3 Season 3 (2006)
  • 2.4 Season 4 (2007)
  • 2.5 Season 5 (2008)
  • 2.6 Season 6 (2009)
• 3 External links

Series overviewEdit

EpisodesEdit

Season 1 (2004)Edit

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	«Pilot»	Rose Troche	Story by : Ilene Chaiken and Kathy Greenberg & Michele Abbott Teleplay by : Ilene Chaiken	January 18, 2004
2	2	«Let’s Do It»	Rose Troche	Susan Miller	January 25, 2004
3	3	«Longing»	Lynne Stopkewich	Angela Robinson	February 1, 2004
4	4	«Lies, Lies, Lies»	Clement Virgo	Josh Senter	February 8, 2004
5	5	«Lawfully»	Dan Minahan	Rose Troche	February 15, 2004
6	6	«Losing It»	Clement Virgo	Guinevere Turner	February 22, 2004
7	7	«L’Ennui»	Tony Goldwyn	Ilene Chaiken	February 29, 2004
8	8	«Listen Up»	Kari Skogland	Mark Zakarin	March 7, 2004
9	9	«Luck, Next Time»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	March 14, 2004
10	10	«Liberally»	Mary Harron	Ilene Chaiken	March 21, 2004
11	11	«Looking Back»	Rose Troche	Guinevere Turner	March 28, 2004
12	12	«Locked Up»	Lynne Stopkewich	Ilene Chaiken	April 4, 2004
13	13	«Limb from Limb»	Tony Goldwyn	Ilene Chaiken	April 11, 2004

Season 2 (2005)Edit

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
14	1	«Life, Loss, Leaving»	Dan Minahan	Ilene Chaiken	February 20, 2005
15	2	«Lap Dance»	Lynne Stopkewich	Ilene Chaiken	February 27, 2005
16	3	«Loneliest Number»	Rose Troche	Lara Spotts	March 6, 2005
17	4	«Lynch Pin»	Lisa Cholodenko	Ilene Chaiken	March 13, 2005
18	5	«Labyrinth»	Burr Steers	Rose Troche	March 20, 2005
19	6	«Lagrimas de Oro»	Jeremy Podeswa	Guinevere Turner	March 27, 2005
20	7	«Luminous»	Ernest Dickerson	Ilene Chaiken	April 3, 2005
21	8	«Loyal»	Alison Maclean	A. M. Homes	April 10, 2005
22	9	«Late, Later, Latent»	Tony Goldwyn	David Stenn	April 17, 2005
23	10	«Land Ahoy»	Tricia Brock	Ilene Chaiken	April 24, 2005
24	11	«Loud and Proud»	Rose Troche	Elizabeth Hunter	May 1, 2005
25	12	«L’Chaim»	John Curran	Ilene Chaiken	May 8, 2005
26	13	«Lacuna»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	May 15, 2005

Season 3 (2006)Edit

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
27	1	«Labia Majora»	Rose Troche	Ilene Chaiken	January 8, 2006
28	2	«Lost Weekend»	Bille Eltringham	A. M. Homes	January 15, 2006
29	3	«Lobsters»	Bronwen Hughes	Ilene Chaiken	January 22, 2006
30	4	«Light My Fire»	Lynne Stopkewich	Cherien Dabis	January 29, 2006
31	5	«Lifeline»	Kimberly Peirce	Ilene Chaiken	February 5, 2006
32	6	«Lifesize»	Tricia Brock	Adam Rapp	February 12, 2006
33	7	«Lone Star»	Frank Pierson	[Elizabeth Ziff	February 19, 2006
34	8	«Latecomer»	Angela Robinson	Ilene Chaiken	February 26, 2006
35	9	«Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way»	Moises Kaufman	Ilene Chaiken	March 5, 2006
36	10	«Losing the Light»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	March 12, 2006
37	11	«Last Dance»	Allison Anders	Ilene Chaiken	March 19, 2006
38	12	«Left Hand of the Goddess»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 26, 2006

Season 4 (2007)Edit

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
39	1	«Legend in the Making»	Bronwen Hughes	Ilene Chaiken	January 7, 2007
40	2	«Livin’ La Vida Loca»	Marleen Gorris	Alexandra Kondracke	January 14, 2007
41	3	«Lassoed»	Tricia Brock	Ilene Chaiken	January 21, 2007
42	4	«Layup»	Jessica Sharzer	Elizabeth Ziff	January 28, 2007
43	5	«Lez Girls»	John Stockwell	Ilene Chaiken	February 4, 2007
44	6	«Luck Be a Lady»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 11, 2007
45	7	«Lesson Number One»	Moises Kaufman	Ariel Schrag	February 18, 2007
46	8	«Lexington & Concord»	Jamie Babbit	Ilene Chaiken	February 25, 2007
47	9	«Lacy Lilting Lyrics»	Bronwen Hughes	Cherien Dabis	March 4, 2007
48	10	«Little Boy Blue»	Karyn Kusama	Elizabeth Ziff	March 11, 2007
49	11	«Literary License To Kill»	John Stockwell	Ilene Chaiken	March 18, 2007
50	12	«Long Time Coming»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 25, 2007

Season 5 (2008)Edit

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
51	1	«LGB Tease»	Angela Robinson	Ilene Chaiken	January 6, 2008
52	2	«Look Out, Here They Come!»	Jamie Babbit	Cherien Dabis	January 13, 2008
53	3	«Lady of the Lake»	Tricia Brock	Ilene Chaiken	January 20, 2008
54	4	«Let’s Get This Party Started»	John Stockwell	Elizabeth Ziff	January 27, 2008
55	5	«Lookin’ At You, Kid»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 3, 2008
56	6	«Lights! Camera! Action!»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	February 10, 2008
57	7	«Lesbians Gone Wild»	Angela Robinson	Elizabeth Ziff	February 17, 2008
58	8	«Lay Down the Law»	Leslie Libman	Alexandra Kondracke	February 24, 2008
59	9	«Liquid Heat»	Rose Troche	Ilene Chaiken	March 2, 2008
60	10	«Lifecycle»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	March 9, 2008
61	11	«Lunar Cycle»	Bob Aschmann	Ilene Chaiken	March 16, 2008
62	12	«Loyal and True»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 23, 2008

Season 6 (2009)Edit

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
63	1	«Long Night’s Journey Into Day»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	January 18, 2009
64	2	«Least Likely»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	January 25, 2009
65	3	«LMFAO»	Angela Robinson	Alexandra Kondracke	February 1, 2009
66	4	«Leaving Los Angeles»	Rose Troche	Ilene Chaiken	February 8, 2009
67	5	«Litmus Test»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 15, 2009
68	6	«Lactose Intolerant»	John Stockwell	Elizabeth Ziff	February 22, 2009
69	7	«Last Couple Standing»	Rose Troche	Ilene Chaiken	March 1, 2009
70	8	«Last Word»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 8, 2009

External linksEdit

• The L Word at IMDb

The L Word consists of 70 episodes over six seasons that aired from 2004 to 2009. The list below provides the sequential order of the episodes.

Series overview[]

Season	Episodes	Originally aired
First aired	Last aired
	1	13	January 18, 2004	April 11, 2004
	2	13	February 20, 2005	May 15, 2005
	3	12	January 8, 2006	March 26, 2006
	4	12	January 7, 2007	March 25, 2007
	5	12	January 6, 2008	March 23, 2008
	6	8	January 18, 2009	March 8, 2009

Season 1[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«Pilot»	Ilene Chaiken	Rose Troche	January 18, 2004
Bette Porter and Tina Kennard have been a couple for seven years and want to start a family. Their next-door neighbor, Tim Haspel, is about to form a couple when his girlfriend, talented young writer Jenny Schecter, moves in. Soon, mixing with Bette and Tina’s circle of lesbian friends, Jenny learns that her mid-west university may not have prepared her for what she will learn about life, lust and love in Los Angeles.
2		«Let’s Do It»	Susan Miller	Rose Troche	January 25, 2004
Bette and Tina wait eagerly to see if Tina will get pregnant. Tim, unaware of her encounter with Jenny, invites Marina to a dinner party, outraging Bette and, once more, Kit tries to make amends.
3		«Longing»	Angela Robinson	Lynne Stopkewich	February 1, 2004
Bette engages in a battle of wills with the chairman of the gallery board and takes a desperate step; Jenny struggles with her feelings for Marina; Alice tries to regain her self-respect and Dana finally gets a date.
4		«Lies, Lies, Lies»	Joshua Senter	Clement Virgo	February 8, 2004
Bette greets Tina’s pregnancy with apparent delight despite her work problems; Jenny’s relationship with Marina endangers her life with Tim; Dana’s insecurity continues and Alice’s mother problems escalate.
5		«Lawfully»	Rose Troche	Daniel Minahan	February 15, 2004
Tim catches Jenny with Marina and he and Jenny marry in haste; he is distrustful and she is desperate. When Bette announces Tina’s pregnancy to her father, his reaction dismays her. Hurt that he avoided her, Kit offers little comfort.
6		«Losing It»	Guinevere Turner	Clement Virgo	February 22, 2004
A rising artist in New York tests Bette’s commitment while the sperm donor’s girlfriend discovers a lonely Tina and starts harassing her. Tim returns home alone and Jenny gets a ride from two disaffected teenagers.
7		«L’Ennui»	Ilene Chaiken	Tony Goldwyn	February 29, 2004
Relationships can be painful. Tim rejects Jenny. Marina doesn’t but has another lover. Bette struggles with her fears about parenthood while Dana runs from her fears and from Lara. Kit is stung when her son doesn’t show up for their meeting.
8		«Listen Up»	Mark Zakarin	Kari Skogland	March 7, 2004
Identities, sexual and other, are in question as Jenny tries to explain her situation to her one-time roommate, Dana comes out to her right-wing parents, and Bette begins to consider her own self-image.
9		«Luck, Next Time»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	March 14, 2004
Bette faces serious personal and professional problems. Dana starts to find herself while fame — with complications — finds Shane. Alice just finds complications. Jenny is in turmoil and Kit is rehearsing for Slim Daddy’s video.
10		«Liberally»	Ilene Chaiken	Mary Harron	March 21, 2004
An unexpected opportunity eases Tina’s grief while Bette defends the gallery against a right-wing attack. Shane’s relationship with her patrons gets complicated. Marina and Francesca fight and Jenny tries to help Tim.
11		«Looking Back»	Guinevere Turner	Rose Troche	March 28, 2004
Bette prepares for the gallery’s new show and hires Candace, an attractive female contractor, to handle the set-up. Tina, Jenny, Shane, Alice and Dana share an eventful trip to Palm Springs.
12		«Locked Up»	Ilene Chaiken	Lynne Stopkewich	April 4, 2004
A near-riot at the gallery lands Bette and her friends in jail, putting Bette in dangerous proximity to Candace. Shane’s relationships grow more convoluted; Kit meets Ivan, a drag king; Marina contemplates life without Francesca and Tim and Jenny discuss divorce.
13		«Limb from Limb»	Ilene Chaiken	Tony Goldwyn	April 11, 2004
Tina finds out about Candace; Marina dates Robin and phones Jenny; Shane’s patrons turn on her and Dana loses a friend and gains a fiancée while Kit tries to make sense of Ivan’s attention and her reaction to them.

Season 2[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«Life, Loss, Leaving»	Ilene Chaiken	Daniel Minahan	February 20, 2005
The second season opens with Tina rebuffing Bette’s attempts at reconciliation while Jenny prepares for an emotional farewell with Tim.
2		«Lap Dance»	Ilene Chaiken	Lynne Stopkewich	February 27, 2005
Tina hires a famous lawyer to represent her in the split with Bette; Jenny has a serious heart-to-heart with Robin; Kit’s purchase of The Planet is finalized.
3		«Loneliest Number»	Lara Spotts	Rose Troche	March 6, 2005
Kit preps The Planet for its grand reopening while Jenny meets her new roommate — Shane’s love interest. Bette’s emotional tailspin continues.
4		«Lynch Pin»	Ilene Chaiken	Lisa Cholodenko	March 13, 2005
Jenny and Shane search for a new roommate while Kit becomes attracted to a motivational self-help guru and Bette loses a major source of arts funding — to Tina.
5		«Labyrinth»	Rose Troche	Burr Steers	March 20, 2005
Jenny and Shane’s new roommate launches a new video project: taping them; Bette and Tina’s brief reunion is marred when Bette gets some bad professional news.
6		«Lagrimas de Oro»	Guinevere Turner	Jeremy Podeswa	March 27, 2005
Tina moves out and considers her attraction to Helena; Alice gives Dana an ultimatum but Tonya has a shock in store; Jenny and Carmen bond over a lost puppy.
7		«Luminous»	Ilene Chaiken	Ernest R. Dickerson	April 3, 2005
Alice and Dana tentatively begin dating, while Tina comes between Helena and her ex, Bette rejoins the singles scene, and Shane dulls her pain over Jenny and Carmen.
8		«Loyal»	A.M. Homes	Alison Maclean	April 10, 2005
Bette and Tina agree to forge a new relationship; Jenny loses a chance to ghost-write a macho TV star’s autobiography because she’s gay; Shane goes to church.
9		«Late, Later, Latent»	David Stenn	Tony Goldwyn	April 17, 2005
Alice’s sex-toy request freaks out Dana; Jenny learns the truth about TV star Burr — and about Carmen’s feelings for Shane; Bette and Tina have a brief encounter.
10		«Land Ahoy»	Ilene Chaiken	Tricia Brock	April 24, 2005
A lesbian cruise in the Caribbean proves eventful for Dana, Alice, Shane, Jenny and Carmen; Bette and Kit struggle to connect with their aging father Melvin (the late Ossie Davis) during a visit.
11		«Loud & Proud»	Elizabeth Hunter	Rose Troche	May 1, 2005
Against the backdrop of a gay-pride parade, shocking secrets are revealed about Dana’s brother and Jenny’s past; Bette and Kit deal with their rapidly deteriorating father.
12		«L’Chaim»	Ilene Chaiken	John Curran	May 8, 2005
Bette moves her father into her home for his final days; Alice struggles with her jealousy over Dana’s dinner with an ex and Jenny flirts with danger while confronting a repressed memory.
13		«Lacuna»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	May 15, 2005
Melvin’s memorial service is attended by a surprise guest; Bette is fired by Franklin, then coaches Tina through what turns out to be an unexpectedly difficult labor and delivery; Jenny is in trouble and asks for help.

Season 3[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«Labia Majora»	Ilene Chaiken	Rose Troche	January 8, 2006
The third season opens with Bette and Tina trying to rekindle their sexual groove after having a child; road rage grabs hold of Alice as she chases after Dana through the streets of Los Angeles; Helena purchases a movie studio; Jenny leaves the mid-west and heads back out to LA.
2		«Lost Weekend»	A.M. Homes	Bille Eltringham	January 15, 2006
Billie Blaikie, a flamboyant party promoter sets up shop at The Planet; Alice refuses to let Helena throw out the life-size cut out of Dana; Jenny wants to be more than just friends with Moira; and Bette feels her life is out of her control.
3		«Lobsters»	Ilene Chaiken	Bronwen Hughes	January 22, 2006
Shane sets up at Venice Beach’s coolest new skate shop WAX; Jenny brings Moira home to LA and introduces her to the girls; Kit finds a friend in Angus, Bette and Tina’s nanny; Alice continues her descent into a black hole over losing Dana; Bette refuses to curtail her spending habits; and Tina goes to work for Helena.
4		«Light My Fire»	Cherien Dabis	Lynne Stopkewich	January 29, 2006
Jenny freaks out after Moira disappears all night; Bette takes on Capitol Hill; Carmen spins for Russell Simmons; Billie Jean King interviews Dana at a tennis match; Kit wonders if she’s made the right choice with Billie as The Planet’s new charge des affaires; and Helena falls for a documentary filmmaker.
5		«Lifeline»	Cherien Dabis	Kimberly Peirce	February 5, 2006
Dana gets the results of her biopsy and hears the «c word;» Alice meets Uta, a lesbian vampire at «Bisexual Speed-Dating;» Bette accidentally discovers something disturbing in Tina’s online chat room; ex-flame Cherie drops into WAX and Shane’s chair; Jenny gets word that a publisher is interested in her work and tries to be supportive with Moira’s transition to Max.
6		«Lifesize»	Adam Rapp	Tricia Brock	February 12, 2006
Tina continues to struggle with her sexual feelings for men; Kit gives in to Angus; the girls rush to the hospital to be by Dana’s side; New York comes calling to Jenny; Moira finds there’s a shortcut to getting male hormones.
7		«Lone Star»	Elizabeth Ziff	Frank Pierson	February 19, 2006
Jenny injects hormones into Moira; Dana undergoes chemo therapy and lashes out at Lara; Shane and Carmen get matching tattoos; Alice frantically searches for the Dana cutout; B52s hit the stage at The Planet; Kit fires Billie; and Tina takes another step towards Josh.
8		«Latecomer»	Ilene Chaiken	Angela Robinson	February 26, 2006
Moira informs everyone she is to be called Max; Kit gets a helping hand from Nona Hendryx; Helena takes Dana and the girls to a basketball game; Jenny gets busy trying to throw Max a benefit party; Tina moves out of Bette’s bed; and Dana gets a new look.
9		«Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way»	Ilene Chaiken	Moisés Kaufman	March 5, 2006
Dana meets Dr. Susan Love and looks like she’s on the road to recovery; Carmen comes out to her family; Helena gets slapped with a law suit; Jenny goes to an F to M transsexual support group to deal with Max; Bette keeps struggling to find inner peace.
10		«Losing the Light»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	March 12, 2006
Alice keeps vigil at Dana’s bedside while she takes a turn for the worse; Carmen drops the unexpected on Shane; Bette’s attempts at inner peace don’t come easily; Lara calls from France looking for Dana; Jenny meets up with her ex-husband Tim and introduces him to Max; Peggy Peabody flies in to save Helena and the company; Tina settles in with Henry.
11		«Last Dance»	Ilene Chaiken	Allison Anders	March 19, 2006
Alice steals some of Dana’s ashes; Bette thinks about fighting for sole custody of baby Angelica; Lara arrives home too late; and, Max finally lands a job where Moira got turned down.
12		«Left Hand of the Goddess»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 26, 2006
The girls plan for Shane and Carmen’s wedding while still grieving the loss of Dana. Shane goes to Oregon to meet her estranged father. Kit finds out she’s pregnant. Bette continues to consider sole custody of Angelica, with Joyce Wischnia acting as attorney-at-large. Jenny realizes that Max’s quest to fit in is not what she wants.

Season 4[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«Legend in the Making»	Ilene Chaiken	Bronwen Hughes	January 7, 2007
Bette kidnaps baby Angelica until a custody agreement can be brokered with Tina; Shane jilts Carmen at the altar and spirals out of control; Jenny is reunited with Marina; Helena’s mother cuts her off.
2		«Livin’ La Vida Loca»	Alexandra Kondracke	Marleen Gorris	January 14, 2007
Bette adjusts to her new job in academia for a formidable new boss (Cybill Shepherd); Jenny’s book receives a scathing review; Tina must fire Helena from the studio, leaving her nowhere to go but accept a roommate offer from Alice.
3		«Lassoed»	Ilene Chaiken	Tricia Brock	January 21, 2007
Bette embarks on an ill-advised affair with a teaching assistant, and her boss Phyllis comes out; Jenny tries to dig up dirt on the journalist that panned her book; Tina throws a party; Shane gets Helena a job at WAX.
4		«Layup»	Elizabeth Ziff	Jessica Sharzer	January 28, 2007
Bette deals with an artist (Marlee Matlin) whose work is politically incendiary, and fears the potential for disaster in the relationship between Phyllis and Alice; Tina is rejected by her friends at a basketball game and joins the opposing team.
5		«Lez Girls»	Ilene Chaiken	John Stockwell	February 4, 2007
The tryst between Bette and her TA threatens her new career; Alice breaks up with Phyllis after meeting her husband; Tina discovers Angus with her au pair Hazel; Jenny publishes a short story in «The New Yorker» that infuriates Alice.
6		«Luck Be a Lady»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 11, 2007
Bette enjoys a new romance even as she clashes with Tina over the baby’s preschool and weathers the emotional fallout of Alice’s split with Phyllis; Helena, Shane and Alice learn how to play poker.
7		«Lesson Number One»	Ariel Schrag	Moisés Kaufman	February 18, 2007
Jenny’s short story about her friends sparks interest from Hollywood; Helena struggles to pay back her poker debt; Alice’s new girlfriend Tasha experiences flashbacks to the war in Iraq; Bette and her new girlfriend console Phyllis.
8		«Lexington and Concord»	Ilene Chaiken	Jamie Babbit	February 25, 2007
Jenny’s revenge on her critic backfires in front of her agents; Alice and Tasha disagree over the war in Iraq but find common ground romantically; Tina meets Bette’s new girlfriend Jodi; Kit unloads publicly on the cheating Angus.
9		«Lacy Lilting Lyrics»	Cherien Dabis	Bronwen Hughes	March 4, 2007
Tina and Jenny have creative differences over the development of their movie; Alice and her friends console Phyllis’s heartbroken husband; Bette and Jodi’s relationship might go to the next level if Bette can curb her Type-A personality.
10		«Little Boy Blue»	Elizabeth Ziff	Karyn Kusama	March 11, 2007
Kit binge-drinks while Angus tries to apologize for his infidelity; Alice finds investors in her blog, but with strings attached that involve Jenny, who finds the perfect director for her movie; Bette’s control issues make an ugly appearance.
11		«Literary License to Kill»	Ilene Chaiken	John Stockwell	March 18, 2007
Jenny’s serialized short stories hit home for Bette, who faces losing Jodi to an art center on the east coast; Iraq flashbacks haunt Alice’s girlfriend Tasha, who is ordered by a commanding officer to hide her sexuality.
12		«Long Time Coming»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 25, 2007
Tina returns to lesbian life while Bette seeks her advice on wooing Jodi back; Shane’s relationship with single-mom Paige becomes serious; Tasha must return to Iraq; Phyllis pursues a divorce; Jenny may get fired from her own movie.

Season 5[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«LGB Tease»	Ilene Chaiken	Angela Robinson	January 6, 2008
The fifth season opens with Shane derailing plans to move in with Paige, then suffering the consequences, while Jenny returns from a Mexican vacation with a billionaire movie financier in tow, and Phyllis has sudden doubts about the exclusivity of her romance with Joyce.
2		«Look Out, Here They Come!»	Cherien Dabis	Jamie Babbit	January 13, 2008
Tina’s obvious, lingering affection for Bette affects her dating prospects; Shane’s last-minute gig styling hair at a wedding results in a comic series of erotic encounters; Tasha reveals her reason for not shipping out to Iraq: she’s being investigated for «homosexual conduct.»
3		«Lady of the Lake»	Ilene Chaiken	Tricia Brock	January 20, 2008
Shane swears off sex and reaps the health benefits with new energy and focus; Tina’s dating woes finally improve; Max ponders a mutual same-sex attraction to Jodi’s interpreter; The Planet is burglarized and Kit attacked after hours.
4		«Let’s Get This Party Started»	Elizabeth Ziff	John Stockwell	January 27, 2008
Bette’s jealousy over Tina’s new girlfriend is the probable cause of a surprising moment; Jenny is courted for the lead in her movie by the latest Bond girl; the gang attends the opening of a new lesbian club competing with The Planet.
5		«Lookin’ at You, Kid»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 3, 2008
Jenny throws a bash to introduce her friends to the actresses playing them in «Lez Girls,» provoking both delight and distress; Bette and Tina try to deal with what is obviously a rekindled spark; Alice angrily outs a secretly gay sports star after he utters a homophobic slur, sparking a media firestorm.
6		«Lights! Camera! Action!»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	February 10, 2008
The production of «Lez Girls» finally begins and director Jenny deals with all the usual headaches of filmmaking — including a recalcitrant star and lover, Niki; Bette and Tina struggle with their rekindled feelings; the owners of SheBar take their war against the gang to the next level.
7		«Lesbians Gone Wild»	Elizabeth Ziff	Angela Robinson	February 17, 2008
Tasha meets Colonel Gillian Davis, the hard-assed military attorney who will be prosecuting her «Don’t Ask Don’t Tell» case. Back on the Lez Girls set, Bette and Tina steal a passionate moment behind-the-scenes while conniving Adele convinces Niki Stevens to ditch work for «Lesbian Turkish Oil Wrestling» at rival club, SheBar.
8		«Lay Down the Law»	Alexandra Kondracke	Leslie Libman	February 24, 2008
Niki Stevens’ star in Hollywood is rising with the premiere of her big action flick. So when the gossip rags catch wind that Niki might be a real lez girl, her agents are panicked. Meanwhile, Shane’s dealing with girl troubles of her own, hung up on straight girl Molly. Jodi offers to play wingman and throws a dinner party so that Shane can invite her crush. To Bette’s alarm, Jodi also invites Tina who brings her current love interest Sam, the Lez Girls DP.
9		«Liquid Heat»	Ilene Chaiken	Rose Troche	March 2, 2008
Amidst a scorching heat wave in Los Angeles, Jenny finds her own temperature rising on the set of Lez Girls. After a quick dip in the pool, Jodi does her best to cool things off with Bette but is quickly turned away as Bette would rather brave the heat with Tina than with Jodi. Shane convinces Jenny to accompany her to a mafia-inspired sit down hosted by the women of SheBar, Dawn Denbo and her lover Cindi.
10		«Lifecycle»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	March 9, 2008
As the girls prepare to set off on the Subaru Pink Ride, Tina spots Niki Stevens embarking on more than just a bike ride with Jenny. Shane is confronted by her new admirer, or shall we say ‘stalker’ Molly. A sympathetic Tina pedals through the topic of Jodi and Bette.
11		«Lunar Cycle»	Ilene Chaiken	Bob Aschmann	March 16, 2008
Adele shocks the producers of Lez Girls as she gathers everyone together to reveal a steamy sex tape between the film’s director and leading lady. With the film’s reputation at stake, she informs everyone of her blackmailing agenda. Breaking up is tough to do as Jodi returns to Bette for answers. Back at The Planet, the girls are outraged when SheBar owners Dawn Denbo and her lover Cindi announce their newest purchase.
12		«Loyal and True»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 23, 2008
Shane and Molly share a passionate morning before meeting Molly’s mother, Phyllis and Joyce for breakfast. Helena Peabody returns to Los Angeles to visit her mother in the hospital and is gifted with her family’s wealth once again. Once hearing of Kit’s loss of The Planet while she was away, Helena brings a mighty tempting proposition to SheBar owner Cindi, which is hard to resist. Lez Girls is finally finished as everyone arrives in all the glitz and glamour to the film’s celebration wrap party.

Season 6[]

#	Image	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Airdate
1		«Long Night’s Journey Into Day»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	January 18, 2009
Last season’s spontaneous steamy moment between Shane and Nikki leads Jenny to confess the identity of her true love and complicates the group’s future dynamics. On the sixth and final season of THE L WORD®, careers evolve, relationships are tested and friendships end in murder. It begins with Jenny found dead! As a result, everyone’s lives are turned upside down leaving all the friends despondent but also suspects — who did it and how did it happen? Flashbacks of the months leading up to the murder will be the only way to put the pieces together to learn why.
2		«Least Likely»	Rose Troche	Rose Troche	January 25, 2009
Bette and Tina talk about expanding their family and beginning a new life but the plan could be ruined when Bette bumps into an old friend with dangerous potential; Alice and Tasha ponder their compatibility as they seek counseling; an old flame appears sending Helena reeling; and Max is faced with an extraordinary situation.
3		«LMFAO»	Alexandra Kondracke	Angela Robinson	February 1, 2009
The negative of «Lez Girls» goes missing; Shane’s guilt from her intimate moment with Niki leads to her incessant apologizing to Jenny; Alice’s feelings are hurt when Jenny denounces her desire to write a screenplay; Phyllis lets Bette in on a suppressed secret; and it’s opening night at Kit and Helena’s new club, HIT!
4		«Leaving Los Angeles»	Ilene Chaiken	Rose Troche	February 8, 2009
Shane and Jenny are still melting over each other; Bette and Tina go to Nevada to meet a potential birth mother; Max is trying to deal with being pregnant; Alice and Tasha play matchmaker; and Kelly Wentworth may have what Bette needs.
5		«Litmus Test»	Angela Robinson	Angela Robinson	February 15, 2009
Jenny writes another script that sells; Bette and Kelly go into business; Alice and Tasha have a third-person crush in their relationship; the girls plot a sting operation to test Dylan; and, Jenny encroaches more on Shane.
6		«Lactose Intolerant»	Elizabeth Ziff	John Stockwell	February 22, 2009
Jenny throws a baby shower for Max; Bette and Tina hit a roadblock in the adoption process; Bette goes solo to her gallery’s opening night celebration leading Kelly to go in for the kill; Shane is feeling boxed in by Jenny; and Alice starts to feel like three is a crowd.
7		«Last Couple Standing»	Ilene Chaiken	Rose Troche	March 1, 2009
The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center dance marathon is on; someone is moving to the Big Apple; rumors fly fast around the dance floor that Alice and Tasha may be in couple trouble and the HIT!’s new MC makes a shocking revelation to Kit.
8		«Last Word»	Ilene Chaiken	Ilene Chaiken	March 8, 2009
In the final episode of the series, what starts out as a celebration of friendship quickly ends in a web of betrayal and deceit; the girls find themselves being investigated about Jenny’s untimely death by Sergeant Duffy.

Showtime Original

2014 • 6 Seasons • Drama, LGBTQIA+

Entire Series Available

The jaw-dropping, heart-stopping drama series that turned «L» into legend.

About The Series

Mia Kirshner, Jennifer Beals, Pam Grier, Laurel Holloman, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey and Katherine Moennig star in this intimate drama series about a group of lesbian friends struggling with romance and careers in Los Angeles.

SeriesMoviesSportsDocumentariesComedy

Американско-канадский телесериал

Слово L
Создано	Илен Чайкен. Мишель Эббот. Кэти Гринберг
В ролях	Дженнифер Билс. Эрин Дэниелс. Лейша Хейли. Лорел Холломан. Марли Мэтлин. Эрик Лайвли. Эрик Мабиус. Роуз Роллинз. Кэтрин Менниг. Пэм Гриер. Миа Киршнер. Даниэла Си. Кейт Френч. Рэйчел Шелли. Карина Ломбард. Лорен Ли Смит. Элизабет Кинер. Кристанна Локен. Александра Хедисон. Сара Шахи. и Даллас Робертс
Вступительная тема	«Слово L» в исполнении Бетти (сезоны 2-6)
Композитор (ы)	Элизабет Зифф
Страна происхождения	США. Канада
Язык (и) оригинала	Английский
№ сезонов	6
№ серий	70 (список серий )
Производство
Место (а) производства	Ванкувер, Британская Колумбия. Лос-Анджелес, Калифорния
Продолжительность	50 минут
Продюсерская компания	Анонимный контент. Dufferin Gate Productions. Coast Mountain Films. Posse. Showtime Networks. MGM Television
Выпуск
Исходная сеть	Showtime
Исходный выпуск	18 января 2004 г. (2004-01-18) -. 8 марта 2009 г. (2009-03-08)
Внешние ссылки
Веб-сайт

L Word — это американско-канадское совместное производство телевидение драма, которая транслировалась на Showtime с 18 января 2004 года по 8 марта 2009 года. В сериале рассказывается ансамбль друзей, которые живут в Западном Голливуде, Калифорния ; в нем приняли участие первые актеры американского телевидения, изображавшие гомосексуалистов, бисексуалов и трансгендеров. Предпосылка исходила от Илен Чайкен, Мишель Эббот и Кэти Гринберг; Чайкен считается основным создателем сериала, а также его исполнительным продюсером. Заглавную песню сериала исполнила группа Betty.

Продолжение серии, The L Word: Generation Q, дебютировало в декабре 2019 года.

Содержание

• 1 Производство
• 2 Обзор серии
  • 2.1 Актеры и персонажи
  • 2.2 Название
  • 2.3 «График»
• 3 Сюжет
  • 3.1 Сезон 1
  • 3.2 Сезон 2
  • 3.3 Сезон 3
  • 3.4 Сезон 4
  • 3.5 Сезон 5
  • 3.6 Сезон 6
    • 3.6.1 Записи допросов
  • 3.7 Поколение Q
• 4 Связанные медиа
  • 4.1 Ферма
  • 4.2 Настоящее слово L
  • 4.3 L Слово Миссисипи: ненависть к греху
• 5 Музыка
• 6 Прием и наследие
  • 6.1 Прием критиков
  • 6.2 Наследие
  • 6.3 Награды и награды
• 7 Ссылки
• 8 Внешние ссылки

Производство

L Word был создан совместно Илен Чайкен, Мишель Эббот и Кэти Гринберг; Чайкен был основным создателем и исполнительным директором сериала, а также сценаристом и режиссером. Стив Голин и был дополнительными исполнительными продюсерами, а Гвиневра Тернер, Сьюзан Миллер, Шериен Дабис и Роуз Трош были среди авторов сериала.

Премьера сериала состоялась 18 января 2004 года на Showtime и длилась в общей сложности шесть сезонов, а финал был показан 8 марта 2009 года. Фильм L Word был снят в Ванкувере., Британская Колумбия в студии Coast Mountain Films, а также в Лос-Анджелесе, Калифорния. MGM Worldwide Television распространяет сериал на международном уровне, и он синдицируется Logo TV и Netflix.

Обзор серии

Актеры и персонажи

( Слева направо) Миа Киршнер, Даниэла Си и Энн Рамзи на L6, фан-конвенция «The L Word» в 2009 году

Актер / актриса	Персонаж	Появления
Сезон 1	Сезон 2	Сезон 3	Сезон 4	Сезон 5	Сезон 6
Дженнифер Билз	Бетт Портер	Главная
Миа Киршнер	Дженни Шектер	Главная
Пэм Гриер	Кит Портер	Главная
Лорел Холломан	Тина Кеннард	Главная
Кэтрин Моенниг	Шейн МакКатчеон	Главный
Лейша Хейли	Элис Пиешеки	Главный
Эрин Дэниелс	Дана Фэрбенкс	Главный	Гость
Карина Ломбард	Марина Феррер	Главный		Гость		Гость
Эрик Мабиус		Главный	Гость		Гость
Сара Шахи	Кармен де ла Пика Моралес		Главный		Гость
Рэйчел Шелли	Хелена Пибоди		Май n
Эрик Лайвли			Главный
Даниэла Си	Мойра / Макс Суини		Главный
Даллас Робертс			Главный		Гость
Янина Гаванкар			Главный		Гость
Роуз Роллинз	Таша Уильямс		Главная
Марли Мэтлин	Джоди Лернер		Главная

Заголовок

Современное использование фразы «слово на букву L» в качестве псевдонима для лесбиянок датируется, по крайней мере, пьесой Джейн Чемберс в 1981 году, в которой персонаж заикается: «Ты правда…? L-слово? Господи Боже, я никогда не встречал никого раньше ».

Первоначальным кодовым названием The L Word было Earthlings, редко используемый жаргонный термин для лесбиянок.

« The Chart »

«Диаграмма», неориентированный помеченный граф, в котором узлы представляют людей, а линии — дела или связи, является повторяющимся элементом сюжета на протяжении всей серии. Первоначально «Слово L» должно было быть основано на геях. женщина Кит Портер, и на ее спине была вытатуирована «Диаграмма».

В четвертом сезоне Алиса запускает «Диаграмму» как социальную сеть. Был создан параллельный реальный проект OurChart.com. Веб-сайт, который позволял зарегистрированным участникам создавать свои собственные профили и размещал несколько блогов о шоу, работал с начала четвертого до конца шестого сезона, после чего сайт был прекращено и перенаправлено на официальный сайт Showtime.

Небольшая часть The Chart, охватывающая некоторые отношения, установленные на протяжении всей серии. Pink cir значки обозначают основных персонажей, фиолетовые круги обозначают второстепенных и второстепенных персонажей, а серые круги обозначают персонажей, которые только упоминаются и никогда не изображаются.

Сюжет

Сезон 1

Первый сезон сериала Премьера L Word состоялась 18 января 2004 г. и закончилась 11 апреля 2004 г. Сезон представляет Бетт Портер и Тину Кеннард, пару, состоящую в семилетних отношениях и пытающуюся завести ребенка. ; Марина Феррер, владелица местного кафе «Планета»; Дженни Шектер, которая недавно переехала в Лос-Анджелес, чтобы жить со своим парнем; Шейн МакКатчеон, андрогинный, очень сексуальный парикмахер; Элис Пешецки, бисексуальный журналист, ведущий The Chart; Дана Фэрбенкс, закрытая профессиональная теннисистка; и Кит Портер, прямая сводная сестра Бетти.

Сезон 2

Премьера второго сезона The L Word состоялась 20 февраля 2005 г. и закончилась 15 мая 2005 г. Сезон представляет Кармен де ла Пика Моралес, ди-джей, который становится частью любовного треугольника с Шейном и Дженни; Хелена Пибоди, богатая меценатка, которая становится соперницей Бетти и любит Тину (в то время как она и Бетт разлучены).

Основные сюжетные линии в сезоне включают беременность Тины после второго осеменения, кульминацией которой стало примирение Тины и Бетти в конце сезона; знакомство с Марком Вэйландом, режиссером-документалистом, который переезжает к Шейну и Дженни, и Кит приобретает планету после отъезда Марины из Лос-Анджелеса; Шейн и Дженни становятся неизвестными героями документального фильма Марка после того, как он установил скрытые камеры в их доме; развивающиеся отношения между Алисой и Даной; и понимание прошлого Дженни как ребенка, подвергшегося насилию.

Сезон 3

Премьера третьего сезона The L Word состоялась 8 января 2006 г. и закончилась 26 марта 2006 г. Сезон представляет Мойру Суини, работающую- класс бутч ; и Ангус Партридж, няня, которая становится любовницей Кита.

Сезон происходит через шесть месяцев после рождения дочери Тины и Бетт, Анжелики. Основные сюжетные линии включают: отношения Бетт и Тины снова ухудшаются, что приводит к тому, что Тина начинает фальшивые отношения с мужчиной, чтобы выиграть возможную битву за опеку с Бетти; Мойра взяла имя Макс после того, как стала трансгендером ; Диагноз Даны и окончательная смерть от рака груди; и помолвка и свадьба Шейна и Кармен, которая заканчивается, когда Шейн бросает Кармен у алтаря. Хелена интегрирована в основную группу персонажей как друг, а не как соперник; она приобретает киностудию, где оказывается вовлеченной в судебный процесс о сексуальных домогательствах, из-за которого ее мать лишает ее денег.

В преддверии третьего сезона сайт фанфиков FanLib.com запустил конкурс, в котором люди могли подать отрывок фанфиков L Word, а рассказ победителя был включен в сцена в эпизоде ​​третьего сезона.

Сезон 4

2 февраля 2006 г. L Word был продлен на четвертый сезон, а съемки начались 29 мая 2006 г. Сезон транслировался с января С 7 по 25 марта 2007 года и знакомит с Джоди Лернер, любовным увлечением Бетти; Филлис Кролл, новым начальником Бетти в Калифорнийском художественном колледже; Пейдж Собел, любовный интерес для Шейна; Таша Уильямс, бывший капитан в Национальной гвардии и любовный интерес к Алисе; и кто переспал с большинством женщин в чарте. повторяет свою роль в двух эпизодах.

Основные сюжетные линии этого сезона включают в себя адаптацию к фильму Lez Girls, статьи, написанной Дженни для The New Yorker ; Бетт устраивается на работу деканом Калифорнийского художественного колледжа; и борьба Таши за то, чтобы примирить свою военную службу со своей сексуальностью под , не спрашивайте, не говорите.

5-й сезон

8 марта 2007 г. L Word был продлен на пятый сезон. и начали сниматься летом 2007 года. Сезон транслировался с 6 января 2008 года по 23 марта 2008 года и представляет Бетт Портер, новую личную помощницу Дженни, скрытную гей-актрису, которая играет главную роль в фильме «Планета лесбиянок» со своим возлюбленным Бетти Портер Папи и Ангус были исключены из сериала.

Основные сюжетные линии в сезоне включают в себя, как Бетти и Тина примиряют свои отношения, Дженни изгоняют из производства Lez Girls и бесчестно увольнение из военнослужащих.

Сезон 6

Шестой и последний сезон The L Word, который транслировался с 18 января 2009 года по 8 марта 2009 года. Сезон представляет Келли Вентворт, соседку Бетти по комнате в колледже., кто пытается открыть с ней галерею; Джейми Чен, социальный работник, который оказывается вовлеченным в любовный треугольник с Алисой и Ташей; и Мэрибет Даффи и Шон Холден, детективы из полиции Лос-Анджелеса.

. Сезон представляет собой детективный сюжет, посвященный убийству Дженни. События сезона изображены как ретроспективный кадр, ведущий к ночи преступления, где каждый эпизод сосредоточен на том, что могло потенциально побудить каждого персонажа убить Дженни. Сериал заканчивается без раскрытия личности ее убийцы.

Записи допросов

После финала серии The L Word Showtime выпустили серию из семи коротких видеороликов, на которых Бетт, Алиса, Тина и Никки Шейн допрашиваются полицией по поводу убийства Дженни. Эпизоды еженедельно публиковались на сайте Showtime. Showtime также выпустило интервью с создательницей сериала L Word Илин Чайкен, которое выходит двумя еженедельными выпусками. В интервью Чайкен заявил, что Алиса попала в тюрьму за убийство Дженни, но не обязательно виновна в преступлении.

Поколение Q

11 июля 2017 года было объявлено о продолжении серии работал с Showtime. Марджа-Льюис Райан была выбрана исполнительным продюсером и шоураннером. 31 января 2019 года Entertainment Weekly сообщило, что Showtime выбрало серию сиквелов для премьеры позже в этом году, в которой Дженнифер Билс, Кэтрин Менниг и Лейша Хейли вновь сыграют свои роли. Другие источники, такие как TVLine, называют порядок из восьми эпизодов возрождением, поэтому характер последующих действий неясен. Премьера новой серии под названием Слово L: Поколение Q состоится осенью 2019 года.

Связанные СМИ

Ферма

В июле В 2008 году генеральный директор Showtime Мэтью Бланк объявил, что телекомпания будет снимать пилотную серию для «Фермы», сериал L Word , спин-офф, основанный на презентации создательницы серии L Word Илин Чайкен. Действие сериала происходит в женской тюрьме, в главных ролях: Фамке Янссен, Мелисса Лео, Лори Меткалф и Лейша Хейли, последний из которых повторит ее роль Алисы Пешецки. Пилот был снят в декабре 2008 года. В апреле 2009 года Showtime отказался забрать Ферму для заказа полной серии.

Настоящее слово L

Настоящее слово L, реалити-шоу производства Чайкена, транслировавшегося на Showtime с 20 июня 2010 года по 6 сентября 2012 года. Действие сериала первоначально происходило в Лос-Анджелесе, а затем в Бруклине, Нью-Йорк, следил за группой реальных геев.

L Word Миссисипи: Ненавижу грех

L Word Миссисипи: Ненавижу грех, документальный фильм режиссера Лорен Лазин, спродюсированный Чайкеном, премьера которого состоялась на Showtime 8 августа 2014 года. Документальный фильм о группе ЛГБТ-женщин в сельской местности Миссисипи получил премию GLAAD Media. за выдающийся документальный фильм в 2015 году.

Music

был композитором The L Word, а также руководил музыкой. Всего было выпущено пять саундтреков.

Все три группы Лейши Хейли были упомянуты в сериале: песня The Murmurs была использована в первом сезоне, Шейн носит рубашку для Гуш во втором сезоне. Песни Uh Huh Her были представлены в пятом и шестом сезонах шоу; Таша видна в футболке Uh Huh Her в шестом сезоне.

Прием и наследие

Принятие критиками

Первый сезон шоу был «транслирован к критике и мгновенной популярности»; как указывается в статье из The New York Times :

До «The L Word» женские персонажи-геи почти не появлялись на телевидении. Заинтересованным зрителям приходилось искать и предугадывать, играя в домашние игры, чтобы выяснить сексуальность персонажа. Кэгни и Лейси ? Джо на «Факты жизни «? Зена и Габриель ? Решение Showtime в январе 2004 года выпустить в эфир сериал L Word, рассказывающий о жизни группы модных геев из Лос-Анджелеса, было сродни прекращению засухи сезонным дождем. Женщины, которые редко видели себя на маленьком экране, внезапно получили возможность наблюдать за веселыми персонажами, которые не только живут сложной, захватывающей жизнью, но и занимаются любовью в ванных комнатах ресторанов и в бассейнах. Не было предварительных ухаживаний за аудиторией. Вместо этого был секс, грубый и необузданный, в том виде, в каком только кабельное телевидение позволяет.

Соавтор и исполнительный продюсер Илин Чайкен имела некоторые проблемы с реакцией:

Я действительно хочу перемещать людей на какой-то глубокий уровень. Но я не буду брать на себя мантию социальной ответственности. Это несовместимо с развлечениями. Я выступаю против идеи, что поп-телевидение является политическим средством. Я политик в своей жизни. Но я делаю сериализованную мелодраму. Я не культурный миссионер.

К тому времени, когда начался шестой и последний сезон, отзывы стали гораздо более негативными. New York Times назвала шоу «Sapphic Playboy fantasia », которое «не проявило особого интереса к разнообразному изображению опыта геев. Вместо этого оно, похоже, сработало. почти целенаправленно противодействовать понятию «лесбийская смерть в постели » и постоянно напоминать зрителю об «ограничениях и пытках моногамии», в то же время «никогда не соглашаясь с традиционалистскими амбициями [для однополые браки ] большой фракции движения за права гомосексуалистов «.

Legacy

В отличие от своего сетевого предшественника Queer as Folk, критически хвалили за его новаторский материал, который был одновременно хорошо написан и хорошо исполнен, критики жаловались на разбавленные, нереалистично гламурные персонажи и мелодраму The L Word, а некоторых рецензентов и фанатов оттолкнула музыкальная тема (представленная в второй сезон) и «неуклюжие, неуклюжие диалоги».

В то время как сериал рассматривается как исполнение «очевидных и скромных репрезентаций веселых персонажей». энтузиазм «или даже» свирепое желание не только быть увиденным в каком-то буквальном смысле… но быть увиденным со всей кровью, тревогой и магией, которыми вы обладаете «, сериал критиковали за различные сцены, которые служат» реифицируйте гетеронормативность «. Шоу также получило высокую оценку за то, что в нем подробно рассмотрено (в первом сезоне) то, как и каким образом геи должны противостоять религиозным правым, а сюжет арт-шоу «Провокации» является «вымышленной версией того, что произошло, когда Цинциннати Центр современного искусства заказал спорную выставку фотографий Мэпплторпа в 1990 году «.

Несколько выставок ссылались на The L Word, в том числе эпизод первого сезона South of Nowhere » Girls Guide to Dating «; По словам Джима ; медицинская драма Хаус ; финал первого сезона Weeds, The Daily Show Джона Стюарта (24 июля 2006 г.); Шоу Чаппеля: «Утраченные эпизоды» ; Клан Сопрано эпизод Живи бесплатно или умри ; версия The Office для США; Девочки Гилмор Сцена эпизода четвертого сезона в торговом центре; Шоу скетчей Big Gay ; Симпсоны серия Ты, Кент, всегда говоришь, что хочешь ; и Гриффины эпизод Брайан поет и свингует. Кроме того, такие фильмы, как Пуччини для начинающих и Я не могу думать прямо, упоминают Слово L как ссылку на лесбиянок, но считают, что этот термин иногда используется как клевета.

Награды и награды

В 2004 году Лорел Холломан выиграла премию Satellite за лучшую женскую роль в драматическом сериале. В том же году сериал был удостоен награды Satellite Award за лучший телесериал — драма. Во втором сезоне Осси Дэвис получил посмертную премию Эмми номинацию Лучший приглашенный актер в драматическом сериале в знак признания его роли Бетт и отец Кита Портера, Мелвин. Шоу получило несколько номинаций на GLAAD Media Awards, и оба Пэм Гриер и Дженнифер Билс неоднократно номинировались на NAACP Image Awards.

в 2008 году., Сопутствующий веб-сайт The L Word был удостоен 59-й ежегодной премии Эмми в области технологий и инженерии за выдающиеся достижения в области передовых медиа-технологий за лучшее использование коммерческой рекламы на персональных компьютерах.

Ссылки

Смерть Тины Кеннард

Внешние ссылки

В Викицитатнике есть цитаты, относящиеся к: Слово L

На Викискладе есть медиа относящиеся к The L Word .

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime has opted not to renew The L Word: Generation Q for a fourth season. However, the franchise may continue on the network — The L Word: New York (working title), a reboot of the groundbreaking original series, is in development with the 2004 series’ creator Ilene Chaiken expected to be involved in some capacity, I hear.

The L Word: Generation Q‘s cancellation comes two months after the series’ third season ended its run. No Showtime series has been renewed since the January announcement that the premium cable network will be integrated into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear later this year and renamed as Paramount+ with Showtime.

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There had been a programming slate reevaluation since Chris McCarthy added Showtime to his purview following the exit of longtime CEO David Nevins in October. Let the Right One In and American Gigolo were both canceled after one season. Showtime also opted not to proceed with new series Three Women, which landed at Starz; fellow upcoming seres Ripley moved to Netflix. Freshman comedy I Love That for You is the last remaining current Showtime series whose fate is up in the air. I have heard chatter that there is an internal push to get the well received series renewed.

The L Word appeared to fit into McCarthy’s plan when he first unveiled it at the time of the Yellowjackets December renewal — “to lean into Showtime’s strengths and focus on three key areas that have defined the brand: Complex and subversive antiheroes like Dexter and Yellowjackets, powerful high-stakes worlds like Homeland and Billions, and unconventional cultural takes like The L Word and The Chi – all with an eye towards making the biggest hits possible and building them into hit franchises as we have done very successfully across the company.”

While L Word was no longer mentioned when the plan was detailed by McCarthy a month later, with the upcoming Fellow Travelers listed alongside The Chi, the title is one of Showtime’s best known pieces of IP, and exploring franchises and IP is a primary focus of the network’s new programming strategy.

The L Word New York reboot joins recently announced offshoots of two other signature Showtime series, Billions and Dexter.

A sequel to the original L Word series, created by Chaiken, The L Word: Generation Q follows the intermingled lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey), Shane McCutcheon (Moennig), Dani Nùñez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas), Gigi Ghorbani (Sepideh Moafi), Angie Porter-Kennard (Jordan Hull) and Tess (Clayton) as they experience love, heartbreak, sex, setbacks and success in L.A.

Season 3 of The L Word: Generation Q was executive produced by showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan, along with Chaiken, Kristen Campo, Allyce Ozarski, Melody Derloshon as well as Beals, Moennig, and Hailey.

In addition to the original series, which ran for six seasons, and Generation Q, The L Word franchise also includes reality spinoff series The Real L Word as well as the documentary film L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.