The
L.A. Law kiss between attorneys C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe)
and Abby Perkins (Michele Green) was historic not only because
it was the first time lesbians kissed on TV, but because neither
character died, killed anyone, or was ostracized afterward.
Although NBC received some flak from the Christian Right about
the episode, negative responses were relatively mild, and the
show thus set the stage for years of sweeps lesbianism to come.
Prior
to 1991, most gay and lesbian characters on network television
were psychopaths, killers, or sexual predators. Positive gay
characters began to appear in the 1970s and 1980s, but most
of them were men and the programs often dealt with the AIDS
crisis. Even ABC’s critically acclaimed thirtysomething,
which aired from 1987-1991, forced its gay character to undergo
the ordeal of being diagnosed with HIV. thirtysomething
faced significant negative backlash for airing an episode in
which two gay men were shown in bed together--ABC reportedly
lost up to $1 million in advertising for the episode, and decided
to not air the episode again in repeats.
So
when L.A. Law decided to show the episode
“He’s a Crowd” on February 7, 1991, it did
face the specter of significant loss in revenue. But the series,
which aired from 1986-1992, had a history of controversial storylines,
and producers were accustomed to angry mail. In the past it
had aired storylines about flatulence during sex, extramarital
affairs, and several episodes about gay or transgender issues.
The show was also one of television’s most awarded; it
won 15 Emmys during its six seasons, including Outstanding Drama
Series in 1989, 1990, and 1991.
But
by the time the show reached its fifth season in 1990-91, most
critics felt that L.A. Law had jumped the shark. Ratings
had fallen from its highpoint in seasons two and three, and
several of the main cast members were planning to leave the
show. In order to reinvigorate the series, producers introduced
a new character in the fall of 1990: C.J. Lamb, a funky, sexy
attorney played by outspoken left-wing British actress Amanda
Donohoe.
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