In honor of Pride Month, Showtime has made the full first seasons of The L Word, The L Word: Generation Q, and Work in Progress available on YouTube.
From Ilene Chaiken (Empire), The L Word followed a group of female friends living in West Hollywood, California. The series, which ran from 2004 – 2009, is notable for being the first American television ensemble of lesbian characters and helping to break ground in the realm of queer representation. After its run ended in a controversial final season, The L Word spawned a reality series centered around a real-life group of lesbian friends and L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin, a well-received documentary about a group of lesbians in the Bible Belt.
The series also helped birth The L Word: Generation Q, a sequel series taking place a decade after the events of the original’s last season. Three cast members (Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, and Katherine Moennig) returned to bridge the gap between the two series, while new faces included Arienne Mandi (In the Vault), Jacqueline Toboni (Grimm), and Sepideh Moafi (Falling Water). Additionally, the setting for Generation Q changed from the original’s West Hollywood to Silver Lake.
From Abby McEnany (Roomies), Work in Progress tells the story of 45-year-old Abby (McEnany), a self-identified fat, queer dyke with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her world transforms when she enters into a relationship with 22-year-old trans male barista Chris (Theo Germaine).
In addition to McEnany and Germaine, the series stars Karin Anglin (Connect with English), Celeste Pechous (Stranger Than Fiction), and Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live).
You can check out the first episode of each series below. The full seasons of each are found on their respective YouTube accounts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMv8e5UBggk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2MbOefgruw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8E9ufzAQ5E
