Showtime Green Lights Real-Life L Word
September 1, 2009
Recently, in the GLAAD Network Responsibility Index, we noted that Showtime would have a significant void to fill in their programming following the cancellation of The L Word. This morning, Variety reported that Showtime will be filling the L Word gap with…a reality twist on The L Word.
Ilene Chaiken, creator of "The L Word" and "The Real L Word: Los Angeles"
Related Posts:Showtime is reviving “The L Word” — but this time as a reality series.
Pay cabler has greenlit nine episodes of “The Real L Word: Los Angeles,” from “L Word” creator Ilene Chaiken and reality producers Magical Elves (“Top Chef”).
Show will follow six lesbians in Los Angeles as they go about their lives — a lesbian answer to Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise. Project is dependent on casting, the net said; if all goes as planned, “The Real L Word” would debut sometime next year.
“The L Word,” which ran for six seasons on Showtime, wrapped up earlier this year. Series, which starred Jennifer Beals, Mia Kirshner and Laurel Holloman, among others, centered on a fictional group of women, both gay and straight, in Los Angeles.
“Even though we concluded our sixth season of ‘The L Word’ on Showtime this past March, I believe we are not nearly finished telling our ‘L Word’ stories,” Chaiken said. “Showtime has yet again come forward to continue with us this mission to entertain and enlighten and bring more ‘L’ to the world.”
Chaiken, who exec produced “L Word,” will also EP “The Real L Word,” along with Magical Elves’ Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.
“We love to tell authentic stories about complex characters and feel like this is an area that has yet to be explored in reality television,” Lipsitz said.
“Real L Word” is the latest in a string of series orders for Showtime, which last week greenlit the Laura Linney starrer “The C Word.” Cabler also has “Oliver Stone’s Secret History of America” on tap.
“The Real L Word” is the second spinoff for Chaiken. The exec producer was behind the scripted spinoff “The Farm,” which starred “The L Word’s” Leisha Hailey. That project wasn’t picked up to series, however.
Added Cutforth: “We’re ready to take on the challenge of living up to the groundbreaking drama of the original ‘L-Word’.”
Network Responsibility Index Continues to be Covered on TV and Blogs
August 4, 2009
Since the release of GLAAD’s third annual Network Responsibility Index (NRI) last week, the blogosphere has been abuzz with responses to the report. CBS and SyFy have promised big changes and Chelsea Handler comedically pointed out a few things she thinks we missed.
Video courtesy of E! Online:
We at GLAAD always appreciate Chelsea’s humor. A strong and hilarious ally to the gay community, she hosted the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco earlier this year, so despite what some blogs would have you believe, there is no feud between GLAAD and Chelsea Handler. We thank her for bringing attention to the NRI on her Chelsea Lately!
The NRI analyzes programming on the five broadcast networks, the eight highest rated non-children’s/news/sports cable networks plus HBO and Showtime which, as subscription networks, do not receive as many viewers but are considered to be among the major cable networks.
Paul James as gay frat boy Calvin Owens on ABC Family's Greek
E! was not among those networks this year. However, because ratings change from year to year, the ten cable networks counted this year are not necessarily the ten that will be counted in next year’s NRI. Case in point: the second annual NRI counted Spike, which was replaced this year by Sci Fi (now SyFy). This may change again in next year’s report. Several cable networks that did not crack our top ten but air significant LGBT content, such as ABC Family, Bravo and BBC America, were included in the “Additional Cable Overview” found in the rear of the NRI.
Bloggers also wondered why daytime television was not included in the report. There is little question that the daytime TV landscape for LGBT characters is better today than it has ever been. We commend the writers of daily dramas such as As the World Turns, The Young & The Restless, Guiding Light and One Life to Live for seamlessly incorporating LGBT characters into their stories. However, tracking 6,113.5 hours of primetime network and cable television is a big task.
While right now we do not have the staff capacity to include daytime in the NRI, we do monitor storylines and recognize outstanding representations in the Daily Drama category at the GLAAD Media Awards.
Related Posts:GLAAD Releases Third Annual Network Responsibility Index
July 27, 2009
Today, GLAAD released its third annual Network Responsibility Index, a report that maps the quantity, quality and diversity of images of LGBT people on television. HBO ranked highest among all networks, while ABC led broadcast networks for the third year in a row.
"True Blood's" Lafayette helped make HBO the leader in LGBT representation among all networks evaluated
GLAAD reviewed all primetime programming — 4,901 hours — for inclusion of LGBT characters or issues on the five major networks (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC) from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. GLAAD also examined all original primetime programming — 1,212.5 hours — on 10 highly-rated cable networks (A&E, FX, HBO, Lifetime, MTV, Showtime, Sci Fi, TBS, TNT, and USA). Each hour was reviewed for on-screen LGBT representations. Based on the quantity, overall quality and diversity of these representations, a grade was assigned by GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Program to each network: Excellent, Good, Adequate, or Failing.
The full, detailed report can be downloaded here: http://www.glaad.org/nri2009
HBO received a Good rating and scored the highest rating of the 15 networks evaluated with LGBT characters on shows including True Blood, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Entourage that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the LGBT community. Of HBO’s 14 original series, 10 included LGBT content and 42 percent of the network’s total programming hours included LGBT representation. However, representation of the lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities was minimal.
"Grey's Anatomy's" Callie and Arizona helped keep ABC tops among broadcast networks
ABC and The CW ranked first and second among the five broadcast networks, just as they have every year since GLAAD began tracking for the Network Responsibility Index. However, the rankings among the remaining broadcast network shifted with CBS dropping to last place and Fox rising to third.
The 14th Annual GLAAD Where We Are On TV report on diversity will be issued in September. This analysis will examine LGBT inclusion as well as the gender and race/ethnicity of all scripted characters scheduled to appear during the upcoming season. With brand-new LGBT-inclusive shows such as Glee and Modern Family, we are optimistic that the 2009-2010 television season could see some marked improvement among the major networks. Continue checking glaad.org and glaadblog.org for the latest on the Network Responsibility Index and Where We Are on TV, as well as further news on the coming TV season.
Related Posts:Be Part of a Showtime Docu-Series!
April 8, 2009
Regular readers of glaadBLOG know we’ve been excited about Way Out since we first read about it last December. This unique documentary series, slated to air on Showtime, will follow a person’s coming-out process to a family member, friend or co-worker, with the cameras capturing the reaction from both ends.
Though the producers had initially limited the casting opportunity to those living in the Los Angeles area, they are now expanding their search nationwide, to tell the stories of those living in the heartland as well as on the coasts.
According to press materials, “The show will offer subjects a forum in which to show what life in the closet is like, to explain why they’ve chosen to come out now and to accompany them during this transformational event. The producers will treat the people profiled and their loved ones with the utmost care, dignity and respect and will provide a support system of counselors and therapists throughout the process.”
If you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and willing to share your experience with America, please email casting@wayoutdocumentary.com.
For complete details, visit the show’s official site.
Casting Opportunity: Be in a New Showtime Doc Series!
January 9, 2009
As we first reported back in December, premium cable network Showtime is developing a reality series documenting gay people coming out to friends and family. The team is gearing up to shoot the pilot, and they are looking for great interview subjects who live in the LA area.
Here’s the casting info, direct from the production staff:
We’re looking for people who have already made the decision to come out to important people in their lives and are willing to share that journey with us. Our production team, led by the Executive Producer of A&E’s Intervention, is sensitive to the delicate nature of this subject matter and we will treat you and your loved ones with the utmost care, dignity and respect. We want to give you a forum in which to show what life in the closet* is like, to explain why you’ve chosen to come out now and to accompany you during this transformational event. (*You can be out in many areas of your life, but have felt compelled to keep your sexuality hidden from the people you now want to tell.)
**We are looking for men and women of all races and religions, from all types of communities (rural small towns, suburban areas, urban centers, etc.) who are over the age of 18 and within a 150-mile radius of Los Angeles, CA.
**If interested please email Adam Drucker AS SOON AS POSSIBLE at DocuSeriesCasting@gmail.com and include your Name, Age, Phone #, Location, Occupation, a JPEG of yourself and a brief description of your life and path to come to terms with your sexuality.
PLEASE KNOW THAT WE WILL KEEP ALL EMAIL INQUIRIES CONFIDENTIAL.
PLEASE SPECIFY:
ANY TIMES WE SHOULD NOT CALL
IF IT IS OKAY TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT IN YOUR VOICE MAIL
HOW YOU WOULD LIKE US TO IDENTIFY OURSELVES IF SOMEONE ELSE ANSWERS THE PHONE
(Also, please understand that due to time constraints we might not be able to respond to all inquiries and we apologize in advance if we are unable to reply to yours.)
Showtime Shows Us the Way Out
December 11, 2008
As part of its burgeoning unscripted programming slate, premium cable network Showtime is developing a reality series documenting gay people coming out to friends and family. In each episode, Way Out will feature a closeted individual who will discuss his or her orientation in a group setting.
“It’s a show that has universal appeal because everybody can relate to having part of their lives hidden,” executive producer Bryn Freedman tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The show is all about getting to know the person — why they have been reluctant to come out, what it looks like to be living a lie and what it is like when people are trying to set you up with dates.”
Though still in the pilot stage, Showtime is apparently committed to the project and excited about the series.
We are too! So set a premiere date already so we can set our TiVos!
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a gay superhero!
November 13, 2008
According to Variety, a new series about a gay superhero is being developed by Showtime and comicbook maven Stan Lee. The hour-long series will be based upon the book Hero, written by Perry Moore. 
And for any of you that know and love the book but worry about Moore’s vision being lost, don’t fear — they’ve already brought him onboard to write the show and serve as one of the exec producers.
Go Ask Alice About Her L Word Spinoff
September 4, 2008
Apparently being in a rock band with a cool single and cute video just isn’t enough.
Leisha Hailey is getting a spinoff.
Hailey has played the lovable bisexual chatty girl Alice in Showtime’s The L Word since 2004. When the series comes to a close early next year, Alice may just live on, if network execs like what they see.
Showrunner Ilene Chaiken is writing and directing the spinoff pilot, set to shoot in December. At that point, we’ll know whether we get to see more of Alice’s antics — and cute dresses.
