Who Run The L

So I guess we should talk about this new “The L Word” reboot showrunner news. As we already knew, The Chaiken will executive produce but would not have time to return as showrunner. So a search ensued and the lesbian powers that be picked filmmaker and actress Marja-Lewis Ryan. If you’ve ever seen the indie film “The Four-Faced Liar” (and, given every gay woman’s proclivity toward watching every lesbian movie ever – even the very, very, cough, “Bar Girls,” cough, bad ones – you probably have) you will know her work. Her IMDB page is a little sparse since her 2010 film debut. But that is about to change with big things besides her TLW gig coming up. She wrote and directed a movie with “Broad City” star Abbi Jacobson and that other Franco Dave Franco called “6 Balloons” coming to Netflix soon. And she has been tapped to write the screenplay for the gender-swapped “Splash” remake starring Channing Tatum as a merman.

So what can we expect from her revival of “The L Word?” Hard to say. I recall liking “The Four-Faced Liar” well enough. Though, to be perfectly honest, I can’t remember it all that well. My only concern is that her body of work so far has not been, shall we say, diverse. Like all her stars have been white. Like very, extremely white.



Considering diversity, and or its lack thereof, has been one of the continued dings on “The L Word” it’s an interesting choice. To be honest I would have loved to see Angela Robinson take the helm. Or maybe they could have stolen Dee Rees away from film.

Still Ryan said in a statement that she was, “beyond excited for the opportunity to usher in the next generation of diverse queer people. I couldn’t imagine a better time to make this show.”

So that’s encouraging. Thoughts, feelings? And, for real, do you remember “The Four-Faced Liar” better that I do?