Advertisement

‘The L Word’ revival will arrive on Showtime by the end of the year

The cast of the original "The L Word" series included, top row from left: Sarah Shahi, Mia Kirshner, Laurel Holloman, Rachel Shelley and Pam Grier. Bottom row, from left: Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Jennifer Beals and Katherine Moennig.
The cast of the original “The L Word” series included, top row from left: Sarah Shahi, Mia Kirshner, Laurel Holloman, Rachel Shelley and Pam Grier. Bottom row, from left: Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Jennifer Beals and Katherine Moennig.
(ISABEL SNYDER / Associated Press)
Share

A sequel to “The L Word” is coming to Showtime by the end of this year.

The announcement about an eight-episode continuation of the groundbreaking lesbian-centric drama came Thursday during the network’s portion of panels at the Television Critics Assn. press tour.

Stars Jennifer Beales (Bette), Katherine Moennig (Shane) and Leisha Hailey (Alice) — all of whom are executive producers on the revival — will reprise their roles from the original series. The update will also introduce a new ensemble of characters navigating life and love in L.A.

Playwright and screenwriter Marja Lewis-Ryan will serve as the showrunner; she’ll also executive produce alongside original series creator Ilene Chaiken.

Advertisement

“The L Word” originally ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009 and was hailed for its exploration of the lesbian community. News that a sequel was in the works hit last year.

“Marja has brought her unique and contemporary vision to ‘The L World’ and blended it beautifully into the fabric of Ilene’s groundbreaking series,” Gary Levine, Showtime’s president of entertainment, said in a statement.

“This revered show show was both entertaining and impactful when it originally ran on Showtime and we are confident that our new version will do that and more in 2019.”

yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com

Twitter: @villarrealy

Advertisement