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AfterEllen Huddle: Who should be Ellen’s leading lady?

Earlier this week, we heard the (potentially) most awesome televisual news ever: Ellen DeGeneres and Liz Feldman are developing a lesbian-centric sitcom for NBC. The road to actually getting a show picked up by a network is long and treacherous and very few development deals actually make it to the air, but we are hoping like we’ve never hoped before that this dynamic duo’s tag-team will see the small screen, and soon. So in the spirit of optimism, we asked our writers to weigh on who should play the leading lesbian lady on Ellen’s show, the premise of which, in case you missed it, is:

The untitled project, written/exec produced by openly gay comedy scribe Liz Feldman (2 Broke Girls), centers on a lesbian and her straight male best friend who get pregnant just as he meets and marries the love of his life.
Here’s who we’re thinking about for the lead:

Dara Nai: Since they don’t say how old the lead is, it’s hard to say. To cover all the bases like a good lesbian softball team, here are my picks. If the character is in her 40s, the obvious choice is Ellen’s hot and funny wife, Portia de Rossi. She’s got the face, the credits and the comedic timing to carry a new show. If the character’s in her 30s, she should be played by Merritt Wever because Merritt Wever makes every show she’s in ten times better. I would totally buy her as a lesbian with a lesbro best friend who’s all kinds of awkward. And finally, if the character is a 20-something, it’s got to be played by Kate McKinnon. Because hilarious.

Lucy Hallowell: Samira Wiley, because Poussey is the best part of..well…everything. But also: I want Ali Leibert because Betty McRae may be gone but her perfect face and flawless swagger don’t have to be!

Bridget McManus: Since Glee is ending next season my pick is Naya Rivera. And because Jessica Lange will only do one more season of American Horror Story she could sign on to play either Rivera’s lesbian mom or her older lover.

Heather Hogan: I’m going to go with Lizzy Caplan and/or Aubrey Plaza depending on the fates of Masters of Sex and Parks and Recreation. Both of them would fit perfectly into that sardonic, deadpan Liz Feldman thing, and they’re both so hysterical and look so good in plaid.

Ali Davis: There’s so much queer lady talent out there. I’d love to see a fresh face get a shot. Like Becky Drysdale. Or Lauren Flans. Or Celeste Pechous of “Cougar Lesbians.” The wacky neighbor, however, should be played by retiring Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. And she should have to watch and participate in ladykissing scenes until she cracks and admits that she likes kissing ladies even more than the impending Rapture.

Kim Hoffman: I would really enjoy seeing Leisha Hailey back on the tube. We’d be giggling for days over her one-liners.

Erika Kimpel: Ooo OOO, KATE MCKINNON. I mean, in my personal opinion, she’s already the leading lady of SNL and did you see her Jane Lynch impression? Give her her own show, immediately.

Dorothy Snarker: I love the idea of Leisha or Ali or Portia. But I’m going to left field it and say Michelle Krusiec (of Saving Face lesbian fame). Because she was cute and funny and cute some more. And also because I’d love to see more Asian-American women on TV. There hasn’t been a lesbian-led comedy on TV since Ellen some 16 years ago. But there hasn’t been an Asian-American led comedy on TV since All American Girl 18 years ago. Man, that show was bad. Poor Margaret Cho.

p.s. I realize Mindy Kaling is South Asian and also love that show. Seriously, it’s gotten better since the first few episodes.

Karman Kregloe: How about out actress Jasika Nicole? She’s terrific on Fringe and Scandal, and it would be great to see more proof that, contrary to what one might hear from Hollywood fearmongers, being out is NOT bad for an actor’s career!

Valerie Anne: Olivia Wilde. She’s already pregnant, so they wouldn’t have to worry about fake baby bumps. And we already know she’s good at kissing girls. Like, really good.

Who do you think should play Ellen’s leading lady?

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