The L Word: Generation Q has been cancelled after 3 seasons – but there’s a big twist
The L Word: Generation Q has been cancelled after 3 seasons (Showtime)
It’s another sad day for sapphics everywhere, as The L Word: Generation Q has joined the ever-growing list of cancelled queer shows.
The sequel to Showtime’s hit noughties show The L Word ran for just three seasons, with the latest season ending mere weeks ago.
Generation Q featured original cast members reprising their iconic roles, including Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter-Kennard, Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki, and Kate Moennig as Shane McCutcheon.
Special guests were never in short supply either, with Fletcher, Margaret Cho and Kehlani making appearances, while Daniel Sea briefly returned as trans character Max Sweeney.
It’s not all bad news though, as a New York City-set reboot of the groundbreaking 2004 series is in development at Showtime.
According to Deadline, original series’ creator Ilene Chaiken is working on a remake, which currently has the working title The L Word: New York.
It’s nearly twenty years since The L Word first premiered in 2004, becoming the first ever TV series with a cast made up almost entirely of lesbian and bisexual women.
It ran for five years, ending in 2009, with the first series of the Generation Q sequel airing in 2019.
Response to the sequel however was mixed, with many fans complaining about the show’s plotlines, shoehorned references to the original series, and problematic stereotypes of bisexual and butch women.
For that reason, not everyone is too upset about its cancellation.
“The only sapphic cancellation we are celebrating lol,” one person shared.
“One of the very few times recently that a queer show fully deserved to be cancelled. That last season was an absolute joke so I’m not remotely surprised,” added another.
Others are feeling a little more conflicted about the end of Generation Q.
“Feeling bittersweet about the announcement,” one fan wrote on social media. “I didn’t particularly care for Generation Q, but The L Word has had such a long standing impact for the LGBTQIA community. It was a mix of poignant & provocative; & it mattered having stories being told that were inclusive & meaningful to watch.”
Another said: “They cancelled the L Word Generation Q??? God damn it nooo I loved the representation of all these different characters!!”
“I just woke up and the l word gen q has been cancelled now, lesbians can’t have anything ever,” another remarked.
Regardless of whether the show was any good or not, it follows a worrying trend of queer-led TV shows getting the chop.
Disney Plus’s Willow, Amazon Prime’s A League of their Own and Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park are just a few of the LGBTQ+ shows cancelled in the last few weeks alone.
A new report by GLAAD has revealed that a quarter of LGBTQ+ characters on TV are set to disappear in the next year, thanks to season cancellations.
For now, fans of the show are focussing on the original reboot, which as of yet is without a filming date.
