Q&A: 'L Word' creator talks final season

[thelword]

By Neil Wilkes

After five years on the air, quirky lesbian drama The L Word is coming to a close. What's in store for the girls in their farewell season? Will Paris Hilton be making a surprise cameo? And is the show really ending for good? Show creator Ilene Chaiken tells us more.

When you launched the show, what were your aspirations?
"I didn't for a moment let myself think about how long it could run for. I tried to avoid those kinds of fantasies, I have a little superstition about them. I believed that if I did my job well, this would be a show that would reach a large audience - not just a gay audience - and could engage people for a long time."

Was it hard getting the show picked up in the first place?
"Yes and no. When I first pitched it to Showtime back in 2000, I knew they were going to turn me down. The mid-level executives I pitched it to didn't even take it to their bosses. They said 'this is great, but it's just never going to happen'. A year later, everything had changed and I went back again to Showtime and I knew they were going to say yes. I knew that it was time and they were the right place. It was as easy as that."

What changed in that year?
"Many things changed in the course of a year. I think culture is progressive but every once in a while we find ourselves in a moment where the progress is discernible. We had a lot of shows on TV portraying gay stories. There was Queer As Folk on Showtime, which was a big success, Will & Grace and Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. It was the first time in my memory that there had been gay characters represented numerically on television. But there were still no lesbians and I thought it was a pretty easy call that there should be."

The show has gathered quite a vocal fanbase. Do you pay attention to what the fans are saying on the web forums?
"Yes, I pay a great deal of attention to it. In the beginning I said - and was given a very hard time for saying - 'I don't listen, I write what I want to write'. But another way the world has changed since I started doing the show is that the internet has become a big part of our lives. Anybody who writes a TV show would be a fool not to interact with her audience. Our audience is particularly passionate and engaging, so I talk to them and I listen to them. I can't always do what they want to do, but there's an effect of hearing their voices and then deciding what stories to tell. "

What sort of storylines do they respond well to and want to see more of?
"The things they say they want are joy, love and happiness, and I believe they do want more of that. The things they say they hate are drama, melodrama and conflict, but I know they wouldn't come [to the show] if they weren't there."

Why is the show coming to an end?
"Firstly I don't consider the show is coming to an end. The L Word will live on in many ways, and some of them not just metaphorical. Exactly how remains to be seen, but people should sit tight and stand by and see what's happening next. The weekly TV series is coming to an end for the time being, because it's time to take a breather. On premium cable, most shows that do well decide that it's time to stop after usually five years. We've done good work and want to go out while we're doing good work, and not get tired and worn out."

Do you have the final season mapped out in full?
"We have it not only mapped out, but we've delivered stories, I've assigned scripts and most of it is in the works."

Could you give us any teasers or hints on what's to come?
"Teasers and hints? No! Other than we're going to continue telling the stories we've been telling, and that every bit of drama we've [pursued], we're going to continue and pay off. The only major comment that I'd want to make is that all of our major characters are returning - we're deeply and obligingly in their lives - but we'll see a lot of highs and lows for each of them."

Is there any truth in the rumours that Paris Hilton will make a guest appearance?
"That's simply a rumour. Paris Hilton came to our premiere party and I'm delighted that she's a fan of our show, but it was a rumour. She's not in our final season."

Do you know what the final scene of the show is?
"I haven't written it yet. It may change when I do, but yes, I do know what it is."

Do you think fans will be satisfied with the ending or will it leave them wanting more?
"I hope both. I hope they feel as if we've honoured them, the show they've come to love and the characters they've really invested in. I certainly hope that it leaves them wanting more. I'm not intending to wrap everything up with a neat little bow!"

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