"The L Word"

-created by michele abbott, ilene chaiken, kathy greenberg
2004-2009
Females creating a show starring females whose characters revolve around men...not...one...bit. Non-heterosexuality is the driving impetus, and not in a shy way (see show title). At least one openly gay female director every season...
WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?
Seasons 2-6, actually.
One wonders what sort of backstage "deal with the devil" was made between season 1 and 2, and whether it happened over abbott and greenberg's protests (if they had any involvement beyond season 1, IMDB is mum).
Season 1 gave us layered, non-stereotypical lesbians being real humyn beings. After that...i think the proper word is "sex&thecityized". Cliche-driven, achingly stupid...i'm being unfairly hard, though. Condemnation is a reflection of emotional investment, and season 1 prompted no small love. The show also never embraced the full evil of sex&thecityization. But if you want it in a nutshell, listen to the opening credits song that arrived in season 2 - the most cloying, facile slice of aural vomit in television history.
It all got so disappointing that i stopped watching during season 3, and only came back much later. Would i have returned without the happy nudity regularly on display? Not likely.
The show's initial success hinged on one thing - caring what happened to these people. With the replacement leads...not really. And in two cases, i even stopped caring about the originals.
REGULARS
Bette (jennifer beals - FLASHDANCE, THE BRIDE) is an artfully-achieved character you probably wouldn't like in real life (emotionally closed off, hyper-controlling), but objectivity allows us to root for her. Tina (laurel holloman - ANGEL, BOOGIE NIGHTS), bette's love who defects to the straight world for a season or two) is ultimately the emotional heart of the show. Jenny (mia kirshner - EXOTICA, DRACULA: THE SERIES) starts out brilliantly as the ingenue who abandons the straight world (and so would you)...but devolves into a manipulative, deceitful cunt of susan lucci scope. Nothing works in that, above all the notion that the others would put up with it. Shane (katherine moennig - RAY DONOVAN, THE LINCOLN LAWYER), a womynizing commitment-phobe (in many ways, the most sane of the bunch), is the character you care about most...until a stunningly ill-conceived affair with jenny. Which leaves the title of most-cared-about character to alice (leisha hailey - THE SNOWFLAKE CRUSADE, BOSCH), a blogger turned show host with a heart of gold, just searching for love. Pam grier (FOXY BROWN, JACKIE BROWN) is the token-but-beloved straight who lends mainstream credibility. Dana (erin daniels - BOOMTOWN, SWINGTOWN), a closeted tennis pro who dies of cancer, is seamless and sensational. You'll cry that she's gone, but applaud the realism. Marina (karina lombard - WIDE SARGASSO SEA, KULL THE CONQUEROR) provided season 1 steam, but wasn't a great loss, as she didn't connect with the others much.
REPLACEMENT REGULARS
Helena (rachel shelley - DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY), a spoiled snob of an heiress who is humbled and semi-redeemed, is the second part of the show's non-credibility spiral. Would the group realistically accept bette, helena, and diva-era jenny? Probably, probably not, and no way in hell. Carmen (sarah shahi - ALIAS, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION) is sensational as shane's most scintillating lover. Max (daniela sea - SHORTBUS, THE CASSEROLE CLUB), a trans man with an impressive character arc, gets a bit lost in the late-season semi-mediocrity. Tasha (rose rollins - BOSCH, GIRLTRASH: ALL NIGHT LONG) is a street-savvy soldier dishonorably discharged during "don't ask, don't tell". She's part of the show's most compelling romance, with alice (but even that has a cringeworthy end, as the show sets up a possible three-way union which would have shown the world that lesbians can be smarter than straights...but it fizzles out in the same old possessive/jealous bullshit).
RECURRING NON-REGULARS
Big names weren't shy about wanting to be a part of this, and it never came off as contrived - marlee matlin, cybill shepherd, wallace shawn, rosanna arquette, jane lynch, anne ramsay, holland taylor, elizabeth berkley, camryn manheim, ossie davis, lolita davidovich, alan cumming, kelly lynch, kelly mcgillis, julian sands, margot kidder, gloria steinem, eve ensler, russell simmons, shawn colvin, billy jean king, fred schneider, garry marshall, nancy wilson, ann wilson, sandra bernhard, charles dutton, michael hogan, anne archer, eric roberts, anabella sciorra, bruce davison, and lucy lawless comprise one of the most impressive guest star lists ever. Lauren lee smith (LIE WITH ME, MUTANT X), kristanna loken (TERMINATOR 3, BLOODRAYNE), kate french (SOUTH OF NOWHERE, GIRLTRASH: ALL NIGHT LONG), and janina gavankar (TRUE BLOOD, WHO'S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF?) all made the screen pop, too.
Kudos for what the show tried (and sometimes succeeded) doing - showing lesbians as flesh and blood people, often hopelessly self-destructive messes just like anyone else. Fearless, groundbreaking, sexy as hell, and a joy when it worked? Yes. And they did it without overly vilifying the straight world! Watch the first season. Beyond that, you've been warned.