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Myatt credits creator and executive producer Thomas Lynch with the show's solid foundation. “This is his creation, even though it's not his story. He's an Irish-Catholic guy who married his high school sweetheart and raised four boys. This idea came to him when one of his son's friends came over to the house after just having come out to his family. A little light bulb went on for Tommy and he thought, ‘That's the show.'”

Myatt adds, “He's been really great about fighting for us and asserting that this is a normal family, this is a story that can happen, and it's a story that is happening in homes all across America. And it has nothing to do with how you think you've raised your children.”

Lynch's impeccable reputation for producing quality programming has not made him or South of Nowhere easy targets for the types of conservative groups that typically go after gay-inclusive shows (such as the recently cancelled Book of Daniel). The complexity and multiplicity of storylines in the first season hasn't hurt either.

According to Myatt, “We've been really good about telling one story and not being a voice for a particular community. So viewers can see that the parents are concerned, that the parents are Catholic. Every voice is being heard and reckoned with on the show and I have to give Tommy Lynch a lot of credit for that too.”

South of Nowhere is a family drama with a talented ensemble cast and multiple storylines, but it is the blossoming teen romance between the female leads that has caught the attention of viewers of all ages. In a relatively short period of time, the “Spashley” (Spencer + Ashley) phenomenon has exploded on the internet, with multiple fan fiction sites and enough fan-created videos on YouTube.com to launch a new music television network.

All of this is based on only one season of the show, the majority of which depicted the two characters as officially being “just friends.” Despite the exchange of innuendo and longing looks, Spencer's uncertainty about her sexuality kept Ashley (and Spashley fans) waiting for real romance until the final episodes of season.

With their eventual kiss has come all sorts of hopes and expectations of a fan base that spans all ages. Many of those fans make a point of telling cast members just how much the show has meant to them. Gabrielle Christian tells AfterEllen.com, “It's not just teens, its people in their 30s and 40's saying ‘I wish that a show like this had come out when I was a teen because it would have helped me.' And there are 12 and 13 year olds who write letters saying how the show has helped them. They watch the show with their parents and it helps them come out to the them.”

The significance of a show like South of Nowhere being renewed for a second season is highlighted by the lack of any leading lesbian characters (and only a handful in supporting roles) on network television this fall. So how will the show capitalize on the opportunity for a sophomore outing?

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