If you want realism, The L Word, a new series about lesbians in L.A., isn't promising. But, if you want nudity and sex ...
By ANNE GLOVER
Published January 18, 2004
[Photos: Showtime]
Many lesbian viewers may end up thinking things are just different in Los Angeles: There’s no calorie counting when Alice (Leisha Hailey), Tina (Laurel Holloman) and Shane (Katherine Moennig) go out for drinks.
[Times photo: ]
Jennifer Beals, left, and Laurel Holloman play a lesbian couple looking for a sperm donor so they can have a baby to resurrect their relationship.
You'll have to excuse me if I sound a little irritated at Showtime's new series, The L Word, about a group of amazingly attractive lesbians in Los Angeles. After all, my friends and I have been waiting a long time for a show that depicts interesting, witty, fun, sexy gay women. You know, like us.
(Oh now, you didn't really think that Ellen's little series was gay, did you?)
But let's review the gay and lesbian TV history in this century, shall we?
First came Queer As Folk, with its thumping dance soundtrack, a fabulous bar named Babylon, one of the coolest loft apartments ever and a group of gay men (and two gay women) who dress and live very well. Oh, and Sharon Gless (one of many gay icons you'll see) is along for the ride, too.
Next up was Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, with fabulous grooming, eating and decorating tips from even trendier-looking gay guys. And they're making the world a better place. How noble!
And now comes The L Word, where the featured attraction is . . . sperm. And nudity that seems calculated to appeal more to a certain heterosexual male fantasy than to gay women. And maybe just a tad unrealistic portrayal of the very people in the title.
At least that's how it seemed as my gay friends settled in with me to watch the pilot episode, which premieres tonight. As the show's two main lesbian characters, Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), peruse his artwork, their sperm donor is shown behind an opaque screen, making his "contribution" to their effort to have a baby and resurrect their moribund 7-year-old relationship.
But Tina doesn't get pregnant, so most of the rest of the pilot revolves around trying to find a suitable donor - and a happy ending.
Bette, an art curator, and Tina are at the hub of a group of interesting friends whose looks and clothing owe more to Sex and the City than to reality. Shane (Katherine Moennig) is a heartbreaker who is trying to sleep her way through the L.A. lesbian nation. Dana (Erin Daniels) is a closeted professional tennis player who needs help with her gaydar; she just can't figure out who is gay. Alice (Leisha Hailey) is a bisexual magazine writer who comes off as a slightly ditsy and much younger Angie Dickinson (ICON ALERT). Pam Grier also is on board, as Kit, Bette's sister, who's pretty scarce in the first two episodes.
But it's Marina (Karina Lombard), a Sophia Loren-like restaurant owner, who is the catalyst for the other major plot line and the opportunity for much of the female nudity:
A straight couple have moved in next door to Bette and Tina. Jenny (Mia Kirshner) and Tim (Eric Mabius) seem to have a fine relationship, but Marina manages to seduce Jenny.
For all the great sex she seems to get, Jenny looks like the most miserable person on earth. Will she go ahead and marry Tim, or has Marina revealed the real Jenny?
The L Word seems to have something for almost everyone: Straight women get to watch the struggles of Jenny and Tim. Straight men will likely TiVo the show and fast-forward to the good parts (i.e. the nude lesbian love scenes). And gay women will stay tuned to see if Jenny crosses to the other side or to simply follow the exploits of the single characters. (Sorry, gay guys, there's not a single likable - or even cute - gay guy in sight. But you have two shows of your own.)
Still, the endless discussion of sperm could drive everyone away.
And the show almost lost my focus group for good when it looked as if Tina and Bette would together sleep with a guy they had just met in order to get pregnant. As the classic heterosexual male fantasy of having sex with two women loomed, one of my pals yelled out, "If she has sex with him, I'll never watch this again."
But just in time, the writers brought our attention back to the other lesbians, who seem to have a great time talking about sex, even if most of them are not actually having any.
Try as we might to embrace the glamorous women on the screen, my group members had some disconnect from what we were seeing. Things must just be different in L.A. For example:
* Bette and Tina live in a bungalow, but where's the talk of home repair and renovation? And not one trip to Home Depot!
* All those lesbians and not a single pet among them? We would have expected at least 10 cats, several dogs and maybe a turtle or two among a group of that size.
* What is up with those lopsided haircuts, Alice and Shane? It looks as if a mischievous 4-year-old got hold of the scissors.
* There is no talk of football, golf or even that other standby, women's basketball. And for gosh sakes, couldn't they get Martina Navratilova to make a guest appearance as Dana's coach?
* And finally, don't they serve light beer in L.A.? What about all those calories in that wine and those trendy mixed drinks?
As I watched the second episode, I finally recognized some of my friends' traits and foibles - if not their hairstyles and clothing choices - in the characters. So I'm holding out hope that the series will cut back on the baby talk and focus on adult relationships.
And if all else fails, The L Word can break out the ultimate tune-in trick: celebrity guest appearances by long-rumored gay actresses (ICON ALERT).
Review
The L Word airs at 10 tonight on Showtime. The show contains adult language and nudity.
