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Great LezBritain exclusive: New characters, new drama in Season 2 of “Lip Service”

“Great LezBritian” is a fortnightly stroll through the very best of British lesbo-centric entertainment and culture. Plus there will be some jolly good interviews with the top ladies who are waving the flag for gay UK.

We know you’ve missed Lip Service. It’s been difficult for us all. We’ve all been going about our lives like normal lesbians, but inside our heads we’ve had questions. Endless questions. Like, Frankie or DS Murray? Can Tess keep her acting job? Is Sadie still swaggering around the streets of Glasgow dressed as Pocahontas? Will Frankie’s new mum take her to the park? Will Cat ever get that bloody tea stain out of the carpet?

Unfortunately, BBC3 and Kudos have announced that you’ll have to wait until 2012 for these answers to be revealed on your screens.Yes, that is a long time. But let’s focus on the second, more positive part of their announcement; the streets of Glasgow are once again awash with above average beautiful women because series two filming is underway. The show is definitely back.

Here’s what writer and show creator Harriet Braun has to say:

I’m delighted that this second series has given me a chance to develop more compelling stories for our characters as well as mixing things up with some new and intriguing faces.

Note the use of the words “develop” and “compelling” and “intriguing.” We’re excited by these words.

Derek Wax, executive producer, Kudos Film and Television added, “The world and characters Harriet created captured people’s imaginations in a way we could never have anticipated. It is so exciting to be back in Glasgow working with her, our tremendous cast and such an amazing Scottish team on the second series.”

Last year, Lip Service became the most talked about show, with the highest amount of internet traffic ever for a broadcast on BBC3. And let’s not be modest about this, we all know that this is in large part because you Lip Servants logged on and created a delightful online community around the show. You Tweeted, Facebooked, iPlayered, tumbld and blogged and powerful people listened and responded. If we’re honest, you all have far too much time on your hands, but let’s overlook this and just say, well done, one and all.

Once again we will be your eyes and ears for series two, bringing you all of the best chat and gossip from Lip Service towers. Here are the first five important things that we feel you must know about series two right now.

Most of the original cast is back

Let’s do the register shall we? Frankie/ Eleanor? Present. Cat-the-cheater? Present. Lovely little Tess? Present. The Hot Cop? Present. The Artful Dodgeress. Present. Ed-the-fist? Present. Jay-germeister? Present. Lou? Lou? Lou? Hmm no sign of Lou. Condolences to Roxanne Fans.

Heather Peace (DS Sam Murray) tells us that being back on set is like a little family reunion: “It’s been really lovely working with everyone again. As soon as we all got together, it was like we just picked up from where we left off. I’m loving the scripts and exploring a little bit more of Sam. Really, I’ve just got the best job ever.”

Ruta Gedmintas (Frankie) added: “I love being back with the cast and crew again. The storylines this series are great and unexpected. I’ve never reprised a role before…it’s quite fun to play around with a character you already know so well.”

There’s a major new character

Her name is Lexy, but we’re already calling her The Lexinator – for absolutely no reason at all, other than it sounds wicked when you say it really low and slow: The Lex-in-at-or. Try it when you read the next sentence. It seems like The Lexinator will be getting all involved with Frankie/Sam/ Cat. Exactly how, we do not yet know. Other things about Lexy – she’s Australian, a doctor and she looks like this.

This means she’s a delight to the eye, smart and has good access to drugs – which makes us think she and Frankie might get on. An additional fact you may be interested in – actress Anna Skellern is a fully qualified yoga instructor so is probably quite bendy. Probably.

We heart the director

What are two of the very best shows ever to be shown on the British tellybox? If you’ve said The Only Way Is Essex and Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter, then go straight to the mirror and really look at yourself. If you’ve said, This Life (Anna and Miles forever IDST) and Teachers (It’s Egg, but it isn’t) then you would be absolutely right and we’d send a prize if we had the time. The point is that the director of many episodes for both of these wonderful shows was Sallie Aprahamian, and Sallie is in the director’s chair for this series of Lip Service. This is a good thing lesbians. The new series is going to have a lot of s–t-hot wonky camera-work.

The Small Spaces Competition

The Lip Servants take their jobs very seriously. They have early nights, drink a lot of tea and study their scripts until word perfect. They’ve also become friends, cooking for each other and supporting each other emotionally after a long day. But, amongst this loveliness, there is an ugly competition threatening to rip apart the tranquility of the set – its Ruta v. Heather in the #smallspacescompetition.

The rules are, there are no rules. Each actress simply has to curl herself into any small space she can find and Tweet the results for the fans to vote on. At the moment, Ruta is 3-2 in the lead after some shameful cheating by Heather. It should be noted that no one has actually seen Heather or Ruta for a couple of days, so do be careful if you happen across a thimble or a small paper bag because there may be an actress stuck inside.

There are even more new faces

We don’t have confirmed characters for them all yet, but they look bloody lovely don’t they? You’ll recognise Irish actress Sinead Keenan from the brilliant Being Human. There’s nothing we’d like more than for her to morph into her werewolf character at Rubies one night. Someone in charge, please make this happen.

You might also recognise Neve McIntosh from Bodies, plus she played the Silurian sisters in Doctor Who, which means she’s met Matt Smith. Showbiz.

Lastly, there is the lovely Alana Hood, whose presence means that Heather Peace is no longer the only out actress in the Lip Service village. You may have seen the Scottish actress previously on River City and most recently The Field Of Blood.

She told us that she’s having a ball on set so far. “It was pretty surreal on the first day for the read through meeting the entire cast. I’d watched the show last year and it was so funny to suddenly be sitting around a big table with them thinking oh yeah, I’m actually in this show this year. Everyone has been so welcoming and made the new people feel so comfortable. The girls are all really lovely and I think it’s gonna be great fun.”

Raising the lesbro quota is new character Declan Love. He’s described as an “irreverent gay doctor” – but on the work section of his Facebook profile, it probably just says “doctor.” The irreverent Doc is played by Adam Sinclair who was in Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy.

We can Make it Award-winning

Lip Service is eligible to be shortlisted for Best New Drama at the TV Choice awards. It faces stiff competition from the massively popular Downtown Abbey, which means actually winning will be difficult. But, if the show can reach the final shortlist alongside the likes of Downtown, it would make a huge difference for lesbian visibility and push the show into the mainstream consciousness. So Lip Servants, let us vote together, let us vote with passion and let us rejoice in the power of collective achievement when they announce the shortlist and show Shavegate live on ITV before the watershed. You can vote here until Friday 10 June.

You can follow the official Lip Service Twitter account for updates, and keep an eye on the #smallspacescompetition on Twitter at @heatherpeace and @mighty_minto.

“Great LezBritain” authors Sarah, a Londoner, and Lee, a Glaswegian, met in a gay discotheque one bleak mid winter, eight years ago and have been shacked up together ever since. When not watching Tipping The Velvet, they find time to write, run a PR company, DJ at their own club nights and love a bit of jam on toast. Follow them on Twitter at greatlezbritain.

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