The L Word is an American-Canadian co-production television drama series that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. 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 follows a group of lesbian and bisexual women as they navigate romance and careers in Los Angeles, California. A sequel series, The L Word: Generation Q, debuted on Showtime on December 8, 2019.
Premise[]
This groundbreaking Showtime series features intertwined stories about the lives and loves of a group of lesbians and bisexual women in Los Angeles. The characters date, get into committed relationships, consider having families, hook up, break up, question their sexuality, stay in the closet, come out or sleep around -- sometimes all of the above.
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 |
Cast[]
- Main article: The L Word/Character appearances
Main cast[]
Actor | Character | Appearances | Total number of episodes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | |||
Jennifer Beals | Bette Porter | Main | 70 | |||||
Leisha Hailey | Alice Pieszecki | Main | 70 | |||||
Laurel Holloman | Tina Kennard | Main | 70 | |||||
Mia Kirshner | Jenny Schecter | Main | 70 | |||||
Katherine Moennig | Shane McCutcheon | Main | 70 | |||||
Pam Grier | Kit Porter | Main | 70 | |||||
Rachel Shelley | Helena Peabody | Main | 46 | |||||
Daniel Sea | Max Sweeney | Main | 41 | |||||
Erin Daniels | Dana Fairbanks | Main | Guest | 38 | ||||
Marlee Matlin | Jodi Lerner | Main | 29 | |||||
Rose Rollins | Tasha Williams | Main | 28 | |||||
Sarah Shahi | Carmen de la Pica Morales | Main | Guest | 25 | ||||
Dallas Roberts | Angus Partridge | Main | Guest | 24 | ||||
Karina Lombard | Marina Ferrer | Main | Guest | Guest | 16 | |||
Eric Mabius | Tim Haspel | Main | Guest | Guest | 16 | |||
Janina Gavankar | Eva "Papi" Torres | Main | Guest | 12 | ||||
Eric Lively | Mark Wayland | Main | 10 |
Major recurring cast[]
Actor | Character | Appearances | Total number of episodes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | |||
Preston Cook | James | Appears | Appears | 24 | ||||
Olivia Windbiel | Angelica Porter-Kennard | Appears | 24 | |||||
Lauren Lee Smith | Lara Perkins | Appears | 20 | |||||
Cybill Shepherd | Phyllis Kroll | Appears | 18 | |||||
Jon Wolfe Nelson | Tom Mater | Appears | 17 | |||||
Jane Lynch | Joyce Wischnia | Appears | 15 | |||||
Kate French | Niki Stevens | Appears | 15 | |||||
Alexandra Hedison | Dylan Moreland | Appears | Appears | 14 | ||||
Brian Markinson | Aaron Kornbluth | Appears | 13 | |||||
Malaya Rivera Drew | Adele Channing | Appears | 12 | |||||
Aidan Jarrar | Shay McCutcheon | Appears | 11 | |||||
Meredith McGeachie | Tonya | Appears | 10 | |||||
Kristanna Loken | Paige Sobel | Appears | 10 | |||||
Michael Tomlinson | Franklin Phillips | Appears | 9 | |||||
Holland Taylor | Peggy Peabody | Appears | Appears | 9 | ||||
Clementine Ford | Molly Kroll | Appears | 9 | |||||
Steven Eckholdt | Henry Young | Appears | 8 | |||||
Daryl Shuttleworth | Dan Foxworthy | Appears | Appears | 7 | ||||
Alicia Leigh Willis | Cindi Annabelle Tucker | Appears | 7 | |||||
Elizabeth Keener | Dawn Denbo | Appears | 7 | |||||
Kwesi Ameyaw | Randy Jackson | Appears | Appears | 6 | ||||
Kelly Lynch | Ivan Aycock | Appears | Appears | 6 | ||||
Alan Cumming | Billie Blaikie | Appears | 6 | |||||
Danielle Kremeniuk | Sam Makavejev | Appears | 6 | |||||
Roger Cross | Sunset Boulevard | Appears | 6 | |||||
Mei Melançon | Jamie Chen | Appears | 6 | |||||
Anne Ramsay | Robin | Appears | 5 | |||||
Ion Overman | Candace Jewell | Appears | 5 | |||||
Rosanna Arquette | Cherie Jaffe | Appears | Appears | 5 | ||||
Sandra Bernhard | Charlotte Birch | Appears | 5 | |||||
Sandrine Holt | Catherine Rothberg | Appears | 5 | |||||
Guinevere Turner | Gabby Deveaux | Appears | Appears | 4 | ||||
Ossie Davis | Melvin Porter | Appears | 4 | |||||
Lolita Davidovich | Francesca Wolff | Appears | 4 | |||||
Heather Matarazzo | Stacy Merkin | Appears | 4 | |||||
Elizabeth Berkley | Kelly Wentworth | Appears | 4 | |||||
Anne Archer | Lenore Pieszecki | Appears | 3 | |||||
Eric Roberts | Gabriel McCutcheon | Appears | 3 |
Production[]
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 executive producer, writer, and director.
The series was primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, with some exterior shots filmed in Los Angeles, California.
The L Word: Generation Q[]
- Main article: Generation Q
A sequel series titled The L Word: Generation Q began airing on Showtime in December 2019. The original characters of Bette, Shane and Alice returned alongside a new cast.