RATING: TV14 - LD
SHOWTIME ADVISORIES: Adult Language, Adult Content
Stereo / CCAP
17 m

In the Life is a gay and lesbian newsmagazine aired on 130 PBS (public television) stations in the United States. This month's host is Laura Linney.

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[Host Laura Linney stands against a backdrop photo of the cast of "The L Word".]

Laura Linney (show host): Over the past few years, Showtime Networks has introduced two shows that not only feature queer characters but are also set in queer cultures, and one of those shows, "The L Word" is also the first commercial television show to develop major lesbian characters at all. So tonight, "In the Life" goes behind-the-scenes for the new season of "The L Word".

[Shot of the thelwordonline.com website. Another shot of several people casually gathered around a table in a production meeting. Photo of Ilene on set, talking on her cell phone.]

Ilene Chaiken (Executive Producer, "The L Word"): I sat down with a couple of executives and I said, "I know this is kind of a crazy idea but I just think we should do a lesbian ensemble drama." (chuckling) And they kind of looked at me and concurred that it was a crazy idea.

[Photos of Leisha Hailey, posing for the camera in a black shirt. Shot of the cover of "The Advocate" featuring Leisha on the cover.]

Leisha Hailey (Alice Pieszecki, "The L Word"): I didn't have any representation of somebody gay on TV so I would go into this sort of fantasy world when I watched television. For instance, "Facts of Life." I really thought that Jo and Blair, like, had something special going on. (laughs) It just goes to show that when you're left with nothing you have to sort of make due.

[Shot of "The Advocate" cover. The caption reads: "How a little lesbian drama exploded into TV's hottest new phenomenon".]

Ilene Chaiken: I have some recollection of them saying, "I don't think we could ever sell this to the suits upstairs."

[Shot of the people gathered around the table in a meeting again. Shot of the cover of "Curve" magazine, featuring Bette, Jenny and Kit on the cover. Quick shot of the article inside, and a photo of Bette and Tina standing together. Shot of someone writing on a copy of a script. Photo of the cast taken on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Photo of the cast at a premiere party.]

Ilene Chaiken: All in the course of a season everything that was supposed to happen, happened. They ordered my script, we went forward, we cast the show, um, which was really challenging.

[Shot of a magazine article, zeroing in on a photo of Shane.]

Katherine Moennig (Shane McCutcheon, "The L Word"): All these actors have agreed to play these gay characters and I don't know why that's such a taboo because a lot of people do it. But with regards to women, again, there hasn't been a show where every female character is gay.

[Photo from the pilot, showing Bette, Alice, Dana and Harrison at Bette and Tina's insemination party. Photos of Alice and Dana, then Tina, Bette, Dana, Alice and Shane at The Planet.]

Erin Daniels (Dana Fairbanks, "The L Word"): I think the straight world is starting to come out of its closet and say, "Okay, here's the deal. These are my friends. These are my brothers, my sisters, my parents. These are people that I care about and I want to see my world reflected in my entertainment," and it hasn't been.

[Shot of the "The L Word" Season 1 opening credits.]

Ilene Chaiken: I went to Showtime as opposed to a network because I wanted to be free to tell these stories as I felt they needed to be told. I wanted to be frank, especially about sex and sexuality, because that's really the theme of the show.

[Scene from Season 1, "Let's Do It". Kit and Tina stand in Tina's livingroom. Kit: "C'mon, help me out here, you know I mean it." Tina: "Bette..."]

Pam Grier (Kit Porter, "The L Word"): One of my best friends, they didn't know what was wrong with her. (makes quote signs with fingers) "Wrong". She was normal. She was gay.

[Continuation of scene: Kit, dejected, sighs and walks past Tina.]

Pam Grier: We couldn't be friends because I was black and she was white. I got a note from her later on saying she was sorry that we didn't get to have a friendship while we were growing up as little girls.

[Continuation of scene: Kit opens the door and leaves.]

Pam Grier: The gay and lesbian world really kept my career and what I had done in the past totally out in the open.

[Images of movie posters from Pam's movie career are shown: "Coffy," "Foxy Brown," and "Sheba, Baby"]

Pam Grier: They were so supportive because they believe art doesn't retire and go away.

[Scene from Season 1, "Lawfully". Melvin, Bette and Tina are at dinner. Melvin: "I don't understand." Tina: "I'm pregnant." Melvin: "And you're happy about that?" Tina: "Of course." Bette: "Daddy!"]

Sarah Shahi (Carmen de la Pica Morales, "The L Word"): We haven't really come that far when you think about it. You know what I mean? At least I feel, you know? As a society in terms of just accepting homosexuality I feel that we've gotten better, you know, as a nation but, have we really, when there's still discriminatory things that happen every day?

[Scene from Season 1, "Pilot". Alice, Marina, Tina and Dana are sitting at The Planet. Alice: "You are just so gay." Tina: "So gay." Dana: "I know. I know."]

Erin Daniels: I thought that I understood gay issues and I thought I - (as if to shrug it off) ah! I was totally in tune! I had no clue. And I, you know, and I realize now that it's sort of like the minute you start to learn about something, you realize how little you know.

Rachel Shelley (Helena Peabody, "The L Word"): I think in America it's probably really important especially with the state of things as they are now becoming more and more conservative as you watch the way the politics is going, I mean who knows what's gonna... what the situation is gonna be by the time this airs. Um... but yeah, I think it's very important here, and I think it's necessary, this kind of drama is definitely necessary.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Cameras encircle Pam Grier as she stands near a table at The Planet.]

Pam Grier: With it comes an audience who may not have a good comprehension of the gay and lesbian world. Which is what I want, what I would love to have for them to come and learn.

[Behind-the-scenes clip continued. Director: "And, action!" Kit brings a cup of coffee to her father Melvin, seated at a table. Kit: "Here you go, daddy."]

Rachel Shelley: As a straight woman to play a gay character, it's very interesting how other people react to you.

[Scene from filming of Season 2. Helena and Tina are strolling along a sidewalk at a gay pride parade. People are cheering and waving rainbow flags as the parade passes on the street. Helena: "I have a secret." Tina: "What?" Helena: "I've never actually attended a pride parade before."]

Rachel Shelley: A lot of my male friends think it's the most exciting thing ever. Which is kind of odd and I'm a bit disappointed in them, I have to say, because they all find it like (gasps in mimicked excitement) "Really? You're gonna get together with other women and we're gonna be able to watch it on TV?" And it's like... that's obviously what "The L Word" is up against.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Rachel and Laurel standing under an umbrella on the sidewalk at the pride parade.]

[Shot of the cover of "The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love". Shot of a magazine article by Chastity Bono, the caption reading "The two stars of "Two Girls In Love" find romance on the big screen an eye-opening experience". Photo in the article of Laurel, co-star Nicole Ari Parker, and director/writer Maria Maggenti, on the set of the film.]

Laurel Holloman (Tina Kennard, "The L Word"): I always consider myself bisexual; from the minute I was sixteen, I said that in interviews. I said it to "The Advocate". I've made a commitment. (shrugs and smiles) It's to a man. If you wanna call me heterosexual, fine. I don't really call myself anything now but "married". (laughs)

[Scene from Season 1, "Let's Do It". Tina, Alice, Shane and Bette are discussing Lara in the restroom at the country club. Tina: "Yeah, but you guys, she's got 9 in the lez column and she only has 7 in the straight." Alice: "Yeah, but the margin of error is plus or minus 5 percentage points."]

Laurel Holloman: Are we to say that I shouldn't play Tina because I'm married? But what if I was the only one in the room that nailed it? Didn't I win that part?

[Scene from Season 1, "Pilot". Marina, Alice, Dana and Tina are sitting at The Planet when Shane walks in. Dana: "There's always Shane." Shane: "Guys!" Alice: "Heeeey!"]

Laurel Holloman: You know, someone like Mia or Kate or anyone else. What if they don't wanna ever comment on their sexuality? Or what if they change their mind?

Kate Moennig: It's when something kind of invades your personal space. You come out and you need to do these things, you're promoting a show, you're promoting a job that you did to get people interested and invested in it and to promote it. And of course, you know, there's - people want to know who you are in real life but of course... there's an element of respect when it comes to that because... I don't bring my personal life on that screen.

[Continuation of above scene. Shane: "No, no, no, look, it's cool. I totally dig your need to make a living. I'm meeting a client anyway."]

Laurel Holloman: I get it as a political argument. I get it. I get that it might be frustrating to some people in the community but it just goes right back to, "Can't we just celebrate the show? Shouldn't we just celebrate the show?"

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Quick shot of camera operators and cameras on a set. Cut to shots of a club. It's dark, lights are flashing, the dance floor is packed, dance music is playing. Clip of Rachel having her makeup done between takes. Shot of Rachel and Laurel on the sidewalk at the pride parade scene; they wave to Sarah Shahi and some extras on a float.]

Rachel Shelley: I've done scenes before with men, actors, and... they push it and they know they're pushing it. The director will call "cut" and they will continue doing what they're doing and it's like "You know we've cut now, you can unhand me." You're not gonna get that with um... on set... working with other women.

[Behind-the-scenes clip in the club. People are dancing on the floor as dance music plays.]

Sarah Shahi: When it comes to the sex part of it all, you just kinda gotta - as the straight girl, you gotta ask questions and... thank god I work with open minded people that have no problems expressing, like (leans forward) "Well, a woman's clitoris..." You know what I mean? And you just go for it!

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Erin Daniels stands on a float with a few extras at the pride parade scene. Erin Daniels: "Yes! We get to tell the truth on PBS!" Everybody laughs.]

Leisha Hailey: The funniest thing to me is that, um... a lot of straight girls come up to me and they sort of whisper to me that they like the show. They're like, (whispering) "I really like the show" and they're like sitting next to their boyfriend. (laughs) Like they're not allowed or something.

[Photo of the famous "Same sex. Different city." banner. Publicity shot of the cast sitting at cafe tables with drinks.]

Laurel Holloman: I think we had some criticism earlier for, like, oh, we're too lipstick, just too polished, just too glammy. I mean I'm from New York so I mean I had tons of friends in New York, gay and straight that would be like (waves hand) "Pffft! You guys just started way too polished." (laughs)

Erin Daniels: I do get a lot of flack sometimes, with "Well, you know you're not representing this person, you're not representing that person" and, um, it's true. But we are representing this particular group of people.

[Behind-the-scenes shots of cast and crew at The Planet.]

Pam Grier: If I saw the big picture of the weight, the burden that we have, I think I wouldn't leave my house. I'd live in the barn (laughs) and just stay in there and let my hair grow nappy.

Leisha Hailey: Obviously I understand that there's political things behind it but... sometimes you have to jus step away and step outside of the box.

Erin Daniels: I don't think the cast of "Friends" is necessarily representative of Manhattan. But it's kind of hard to represent an entire city in one sitcom, let alone an entire community of people on one show. Being the first of its kind, um, there is so much pressure to get it right and there are always going to be people who think we don't get it right but we get it right for this group.

[Season 1 photos, Alice, Shane, Marina and Dana at The Planet; Alice and Dana sitting on a chair.]

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Shot of the cameras and production crew on location; it's raining.]

Ilene Chaiken: The big difference for us this season is that we're better filmmakers. The actors have really deepened their characters.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Alice is driving a car; Dana is in the passenger seat and Shane is in the backseat. Shane: (laughs) "It's great, now the two of you can be together!" Shane smiles; Alice and Dana do not.]

Erin Daniels: We hang out with each other all the time. And we talk about our scenes and we talk about the scripts and we talk about our characters and we talk about how to make things better or you know, uh... how to make it more real.

[Continuation of the above scene. Shane is no longer in the backseat. Alice and Dana look at each other. Director: "And cut."]

[Behind-the-scenes clip. On the set of the pride parade scene. Director Rose Troche talks to Rachel and Laurel.]

Ilene Chaiken: The writers know their material better. We worked with great filmmakers and our crew have honed their systems for getting the work done.

[Continuation of above. Rose Troche: "So are you ready to rumble?" Laurel: "Yeah." Rose: "Let's shoot it!"]

Leisha Hailey: It's not like working on another cop show or something. It just, it has so much meaning behind it.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Leisha and Kate are laughing with others.]

Leisha Hailey: And I am so proud to be a part of something like that.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Alice and Dana are at a carnival together. Alice clutches a stuffed animal.]

Erin Daniels: It's funny, doing what I'm doing now, being on this show and being sort of this kind of role model, is better than anything I probably expected to get out of my career.

Ilene Chaiken: Television is the venue in which we get to talk about our lives at large and we get to keep on saying it because our stories don't end. Television is the perfect medium for that.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. Leisha, Erin and Kate, surrounded by crew.]

Pam Grier: Everything we do in life should be on television. And should be analyzed: how well we're doing, where it was, where it is and where it's going.

Laurel Holloman: It's a beginning. It's a celebration, I think, of... this show is here. It's about time. And what I hope is that we just keep on telling great stories.

[Behind-the-scenes clip. On the set of the pride parade scene. Various extras stand around, cast and crew wait in the rain as they begin filming.]

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