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"The L Word" Will Return for a Sixth and Final Season

On Monday, Showtime announced that it has renewed The L Word for an eight-episode sixth and final season, to air in early 2009. This makes The L Word the longest-running scripted television series focused on LGBT characters; Showtime's Queer as Folk aired for only five seasons.

"I am thrilled that Showtime has given us this final opportunity to conclude this journey we have all taken together," said series creator Ilene Chaiken.

Showtime's President of Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, praised The L Word as "a groundbreaking series that well surpassed its niche as a gay show."

"The L Word has been such an important franchise for Showtime," said Showtime's CEO, Matthew Blank.  "We look forward to an outstanding finale season next year and know this show will live on in many, many ways."

Chaiken indicated that the show's fans will be given the opportunity to participate in guiding the series to its conclusion, although details on how that will occur have not yet been released. Last year, FanLib and The L Word sponsored a contest in which fans competed to write a scene for the show. The winning scene, written by Molly Fisher, was later incorporated into Episode 5.3, "Lady of the Lake."

Over its five seasons to date, The L Word has made a significant and hopefully lasting impact on mainstream views of lesbians, particularly in combating stereotypes of lesbians as ugly and unnaturally masculine.

While some of its story lines — particularly those about transgender people and bisexual women — have been problematic, overall The L Word has done more good than harm. In particular, it has brought lesbian relationships into the mainstream, thus taking some of the stigma out of lesbianism, and it has given lesbian/bi viewers a show to call their own.

Given the continuing lack of lesbian and bisexual characters on broadcast scripted television, cable remains the primary place to find lesbian/bi characters on TV. The L Word has been the leader in representing lesbian/bi sexuality on the small screen in the past five years, and its renewal can only be seen as positive news for lesbian and bisexual viewers.

lifebyosmosis's picture

Bravo!

I was sure that this would the last season! But hooray! Only eight episodes? This one's gonna be short and sweet, hopefully.
Dyke_Girl's picture

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

Thank God!

detective's picture

Hip Hip! Hooray

I'm estatic and sad.  I hope, no, I pray against shoving a whole bunch of political messages and ideals within 8 episodes. 

Let's go out with a bang L Word! With banners, streamers, confetti, healthy relationships, stable characters,  cancer free, love, peace, happiness, and multilple orgasms! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

billieblaikie's picture

i totally agree with you.

i totally agree with you. way too late, but whatever.

branded_eternity's picture

Yay! Exciting!

I love hearing that shows (especially my faves) are back for another season! Sad to hear it's the last but I'm excited to see what happens! :] \

 It would be cool if they extended it to 12 episodes like previous seasons.

 

 

hippie07's picture

Bittersweet News

Wow!! I've loved Season 5 - maybe because I'm a huge Tina+Bette fan :-) I'm not ready for the show to be over anytime soon, but I'm glad there's at least going to be another season. Even so, this is a bit of a sad realization ... the end is so near.
kimmie331's picture

Woo Hoo..!

I am soooo excited to hear this, but why would they shorten the last season..? That doesn't really make sense...but, I guess I will take what I can get...I hope there will be more shows like this, and I also hope that this will not be the end for Jennifer Beals, Laurel H., Kate Moennig, Leisha, or Mia...they are amazing women, and I love watching them...
AmoLaPoesia's picture

Yessss!!!

I was afraid that this would be the last season...I'm so happy that they're continuing for one last season.
jv_m22's picture

YES!!!

A special congrats go out to Ilene and the cast and crew of the L Word. This sixth season of the L Word proves to be a historical milestone. Although, I am saddened this will be a short, last season, I am looking forward to seeing how it all ends!!! Bette and Tina forever!!!

Zen Warrior's picture

Awsome!

Awsome, I'm glad that they're coming back for a season. =D Sadly, they're not going to be around much longer. Oh, well...It was an awsome show while it lasted. C'=

-Currently: Searching for myself...

kmfrancis's picture

Happy Endings!

I believe in happy endings for all.  (Can anyone recognize a line from Lesbian Nation in that?  Does anyone else remember Lesbian Nation?) 

What I requesst:

Tina and Bette together, with Bette being faithful and grateful, and picking up the dry cleaning; 

Alice:  happy, maybe with Tasha, but through an unexplained miracle, with Dana (or with me);

Shane:  who the hell knows, but wise and true to herself, being bad and tattooed and unrepentent (and, again, maybe with me);

Helena:  off somewhere on an island, never to be heard from again. 

Jenny:  as much as I love her diva performance, I don't really care.  Sorry, Mia.  

Kit:  hot, happy and more than a stereotype.   And not pointing a gun at anyone.

Jodi:  outstandingly successful, never forgiving Bette.   Living well is the best revenge.

Ending of the series: the same way it began.  With the best friends, sitting around having coffee at the planet.   

A sixth season is an unexpected gift.

 "If I can't dance - I don't want to be part of your revolution."

Zen Warrior's picture

If only....

Heh, if only The L Word could possibly end happily. xD That'd be amazing, though I'dhave to disagree with Helena. D= I want her to appear!

-Currently: Searching for myself...

carolinagrrrl's picture

Hopefully...

... the last season will show some old regulars (*cough* Carmen *cough*) to come back and bring much-needed closure to their story lines.

 

http://legallyout.blogspot.com

skyrive's picture

CARMEN, we need!

AMEN to that! bring back Carmen, for GOOD! and wth was that abt Shane saying that she was nv in love before, in season 5 episode 10's scene at the campfire. i am enraged!!

 

faith keeps it a little possible.

kmfrancis's picture

One brilliant idea.

Jodie Foster as a special guest.  She could be Shane's true love.   

"If I can't dance - I don't want to be part of your revolution."

Tara21's picture

good

So I hope the ladies of WGN will review the 6th season, too.

Are they?

Woolf20's picture

great news

I didn't enjoy the last two season very much but neverthesless these are great news.

______________

check out Sarah Bettens at                                          www.myspace.com/sarahbettens         

mildcatastrophe's picture

.

I'm gonna miss it, because it's so much fun, even if it's not as good as it once was. I think it's good that it's ending next year; that way it won't be dragged out for longer than it should be. Six seasons sounds like a pretty much perfect number.

Like others have said, I just hope that we're going to hear a lot from the cast members once the show is over. It'd be torture to see them not getting many roles after I've loved them for so many years on this show.

Que9's picture

fabulous! and for the love

fabulous! and for the love of god. bring carmen back. then i would die happy.
Keesha1's picture

Congrats to Ilene Chaiken and the Cast and Crew

It is great news to hear of a Season 6 ! My request is to have Ti and Bette back together forever with Angelica as a family !!

 I will be very sad when it all ends....will miss Jennifer Beals/Laurel Holloman chemistry, will miss Leisha, Kate !

 Congrats to all of you !

nikkif99uk's picture

Yeah I hope they bring back

Yeah I hope they bring back some of the old cast, at least for cameo's like Carmen, Marina, maybe even Papi. Or the ghost of Dana again lol
Tristen's picture

I HOPE THIS MEANS MORE .. Were Getting Nowhere Vlogs

I love the fact this show has been renewed.   If, for no other reason then to get more WGN Vlogs by the Terrible 3.  I WISH ... they would put Jill Bennett in the final season of the of The L Word.  How great would that be !!!!

Tristen

CaliSky3's picture

The L Word over? :(

Well I'm glad that it is coming back for at least one last season, but that's the end of the show? :( How sad, because like most vivid watchers they feel like actual friends, real family. It'll be sad to see it go, but I do thank the L Word, the cast, the writers for all the hard work and great characters. It was an awesome, new ride... There will not be a show like it again -- I'm sure. -Rachel
northern_dreamer's picture

the last one

i have loved the L word since discovering the 1st season and watching it in my dorm, at night, with my headphones on. the show has had such an impact on people from everywhere and i think it is a testiment to the show and its creators that it will be able to establish this record milestone of a 6th season. however crazy the past 5 seasons have been, the last one is sure to be bittersweet.

Jennaleighdq's picture

you know this means they

you know this means they have to make a movie after the 6th season ends.

 Here's hoping...  :) 

 

this is the sound of settling

gemmahartmann's picture

Not wanting to sound like an

Not wanting to sound like an ungrateful swine but why does it have to end at all????
IAskForNames's picture

I'm super sad =( you will

I'm super sad =(

you will be missed, i wonder what show is going to take its place? but it was good while it lasted.
jscp25's picture

Dammit.

I'm more upset that there will be no more L Word reenactments on the Getting Nowhere vlog.

:/

paradisesofar's picture

awwww

i am upset at the fact that there will be only 1 more season...

but at least there is ONE more season to look forward too...
Maybe another lesbian show will come along....Something will fill my thursday nights...

slesmf3's picture

nooooo. :(

i'm so depressed.

this show has become like..my family.

it's "friends" and "the oc" all over again!

oh gosh.

onebigholiday328's picture

thank heavens...

I don't think I could handle saying good-bye to the L Word and South of Nowhere in the same year. 

bbkf101's picture

yay & nay

sixth season - GREAT!!! but final??? NOOOO!!!

btw, Jenny rocks!!!

Lara Jean's picture

I'm going to miss the recaps most, I think.

Seasons 3 and 4 weren't all that enjoyable for me, but season 5 has picked up just enough for me to like the show again, and to enjoy the characters (except for the sketchy, evil Alice we were stuck with for a few episodes).

I'm going to miss the L-Word, but I think this is the perfect way to wind down--before it is all so contrived and meta that the amusement disappears and the actresses have little left to work with. I'm looking forward to seeing where the final episodes take us all, hopefully we'll end on a high note!

 

 

"There's nothing like looking at your own history in the faces of your friends." -Ani d.

nikkif99uk's picture

maybe there should be some

maybe there should be some sort of spin-off anyone have any ideas? The Adventures of Shane lol. Hmm would love to hear people's idea's for spin-off's

I also vote for Jill Bennett getting a role in the final season. She would be hot.

Tia's picture

Objection.

Sorry, I like The L Word because it's funny and I like some of the characters, but I have to file an objection here.

Malinda wrote:
This makes The L Word the longest-running scripted television series focused on LGBT characters.

Of course you can debate over the whole "subtext" thingy, but one would have had to be completely blind to not see that Xena and Gabrielle are lovers (making them a same-sex couple; I think that qualifies them as LGBT characters, doesn't it?). And XWP was also running for 6 seasons, but with overall 134 episodes on a weekly basis. So I would advise to be a bit cautious with the above quoted claim.

But if it only qualifies as a "gay" TV-show if there are sex scenes included, well...for some of us this isn't the ultimate criterion. 

Metaxu's picture

:)

In the middle of this season I wasn’t sure if I had wanted another but now, when it’s only two episodes left and it’s still really good, I’m very happy it’s been renewed. Hope it’ll be at least as good as past ten eps were and there’ll be a brilliant ending.

And not only me. Pressure is huuuge.

Phantom's picture

Yippity!

Made a sqeeeal of delight when I saw this news. :D
So great to have them return for a 6th season. ^^ (take that QaF! :P) Although I was kinda silently hoping they'd surpass Buffy in season-count but oh wells...

Wait. This means Paris will get her cameo after all? Oh gods... Hm, but I wouldn't mind if the scenario would play out in a 'certain' way, like:
A scene at the club, Shane scans the crowds for some 'fun'. In view struts Paris. They exchange eye-contact, the blonde starts walking in Shane's direction. Oh but what is this? Carmen enters the picture from the side. Shane reconsiders her priorities. Drama, drama, reconsiliation... The (friggin happy) end! :P

If only they'd pick up the scene...

pussywillow's picture

Ground Control to Major Tom

Well, in the real world the series would end with the mothership landing and explaining that the Pod People had taken over the bodies of our favourite characters since Season Three. Or Dana would wake up and we'd discover it had all been a dream.

But this isn't the real world. I have no idea how it will turn out on Planet Chaiken. I think there's a pretty good chance it'll have something to do with Our Chart Dot Com, incomprehensible story lines, secret ingredients and product placements.

I sense disappointment on the wind. And a thousand blog posts.

Love Pussy xx

browne's picture

Will and Grace?

Didn't Will and Grace run for 8 seasons? I mean it wasn't exclusively focussed on LGBT characters, but it did have two as main characters. Three if you count Karen as bisexual.
chloe121212's picture

HELL YEAH

 *SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR*

... wait does this mean Paris Hilton?

"I don't kiss girls who wear doilies"

 

BrokenWings84's picture

Good news.

But only eight episodes? Ehh, whatever... as long as it gets a good closure.

I can't even think straight...

coco chanel's picture

mmmm

rose rollins and rachel shelly are looking hot!

and can SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME what is going to happened with patricia velasquez' character Begoña? uh? i was soooo excited because i read in several websites that her character was panamanian... =[ did they wrote her out? *hoping not*

klabunda's picture

yayyy

more drama, more loving, more lezzies!

alhtough i have to remark, that theres never been a worse screencap of shane/kate, than the one you chose for this announcement ;)

geordie's picture

Awww!

I should be happy that there's going to be a sixth season, but I'm more focusing on the fact that there won't be a seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, twentieth.... :(

What am I going to do once it finishes?! Do I have to go get a life now?

JHB's picture

I think this show could...

Go on forever. But seriously I will miss it once it goes off the air. It help me open my eyes to alot of things when it came to the lesbian/gay community. Even though my best friend now wife of of 20 years. (let me rephrase this part better(( we been friends  since childhool but together as a couple for 2 1/2 yrs) is and always has been openly gay. But it took me awhile to figure it out on my own about myself. But anyway before I get way off the topic this show help me realize  I was more gay then I knew. Especially the  first season when Jenny who was married and thought she was straight moved next door to bette/tina started having feelings toward them. Or started to question herself. But I kind of related to jenny back then being married and not sure  about sexuality at the time. Anyway I know I will miss the show once it ends for good.
abty888's picture

Sigh...

Well, the show was bound to end somehow. Wish they could do a full 12-episode season though. Why just 8?

I hope they come up with a new show. Sci-fi, action adventure, crime, comedy, etc.

Will miss the cast. Maybe they can do a movie after a few years, like Sex and the City.

 

7Up's picture

yippie

Awesome!
JHB's picture

Wondering....

How come The L word never mentions this site but always makes reference to ourchart or have they brought up afterellen and I just not paid attetnion.
pulukkui's picture

L word

am i the only one who wants carmen back???i think it would be a good thing in season 6 for shane to get forgiveness from her..even though they wont be together again..=(
i want to see sarah shahi saying that goodbye..can the director make the last episode based on her monologue and maybe smth more??=) ok ok i m asking for too much..

 

 

 

 

what you can't have

you can't resist

Que9's picture

bringing carmen back. top of

bringing carmen back. top of my wishlist. please oh please oh please.

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