Both iconic series showed us lesbians like we’d never seen them before
BY ABISHA COOME, IMAGES BY SHOWTIME AND BBC
Recently, I was chatting with my (lesbian) friends about The L Word (duh, it’s practically mandatory in the Lesbian Rule Book to talk about it at least once a week), and I drew a comparison to another iconic lesbian TV show, Lip Service. To my surprise — and horror — many of my friends had never seen or even heard of it! Naturally, my next move was to make a TikTok about my outrage and see how many others in the queer community were missing out on this iconic Scottish sapphic drama. The reaction blew me away: over 370,000 views and over a thousand comments, most of which from Lip Service fans who hadn’t been reminded of the epic Glasgow-based show in over a decade, and the rest from those who had never heard of it but now urgently needed to know where they could watch it.
In the TikTok, I started by stating the obvious: the vast majority of queer women, especially millennials, have seen The L Word and regard it as our “Bible”. While some viewers had somehow missed both shows, others debated which iconic series was better. Comments included: “I am still so sad they didn’t make more episodes [of Lip Service]. It was better than The L Word!”, “Omg I totally forgot about Lip Service!!!! I was obsessed!! Wow, you just blew my mind, need a re-run,” and “Loved The L Word but didn’t like Lip Service as much… didn’t seem to have as much depth.” Others reminisced about their favourite characters and who they used to crush on, often comparing Frankie (Lip Service) to Shane (The L Word).
@abishaofficial 🔊 Attention: 🏳️🌈❗️Pride Month Homework ❗️🏳️🌈 #wlw #thelword #lesbian #pridemonth #pride #lesbiansoftiktok #lipservice ♬ original sound – ABISHA
For context, if you’re among the clueless few, The L Word shot to US channel Showtime in 2004 and quickly secured the title for the most iconic lesbian TV show ever to grace our screens. Bringing us the lesbian friendship group of dreams, complex yet relatable storylines, a LOT of eroticism, and topics that were way ahead of their time. The show tackled themes such as racial discrimination, which was explored through the character Bette Porter, trans issues through the storyline of Moira who went on to become Max, and one that stood out to me was the journey of Bette and Tina struggling to get pregnant as a lesbian interracial couple. Alongside all of this, there was also a constant ever-present reminder of mental health and the relatable nuances of navigating life as a person in your 20s/30s.
Lip Service then followed in the footsteps of The L Word and shot to British Channel BBC Three in late 2010. With similarly relatable and emotional themes such as addiction, family trauma which was prevalent through Frankie’s storyline, heartbreak, and Tess trying to catch a break as a struggling actor, it was definitely another win for the lesbians.
Unfortunately, Lip Service only spanned two seasons, ending in 2012, which devastated many fans. Some other comments on my video included: “REAAAAAL!!! I wish they made more seasons”, “Man I want more Lip Service. Sooogood” and “I wish they would have made more episodes, but I watched the series at least three times”.
So, although it seems like The L Word may be a little more well-known, Lip Service definitely built its own solid fanbase among those who did watch it. And perhaps viewers enjoyed the contrast of the glitz and glam of Los Angeles vs the grit of Glasgow. It also seems as though us queers are ready to immediately jump on and watch almost anything with lesbians in it. Personally, I feel that there is a shortage of queer and sapphic representation in film and television lately. Despite seeing a rise in inclusivity in mainstream television with shows such as Killing Eve (with Jodie Comer becoming THE queer icon of the decade), Sex Education and Heartstopper portraying queer characters more casually, am I alone in feeling like we need to bring back the fundamentally lesbian shows with characters who are in their 30s+? Maybe, as a millennial, I am feeling a lack of lesbian TV shows catered to an (ever so slightly) older audience and less towards Gen Z and Gen X. So if anyone reading this wants to bring this back… I volunteer to be cast, just saying!
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