Amazon.co.uk Review
Four years after the American version of Queer as Folk made gay men the focus, it was time for a little turnabout with The L Word (bad title, great show). Centering around a tight-knit group of lesbians in Los Angeles, this drama was far removed from its working-class male counterpart in both style and content. While the men of QAF enjoyed a fabulous if melodramatic life on the middle-class streets of Pittsburgh, the women of The L Word lived it up in sunny California, with gorgeous houses, glamorous careers, and sexy wardrobes. Ironically, though, The L Word adhered more to the everyday drama of ensemble shows like thirtysomething than the soap opera antics of QAF, and the results were surprisingly heartfelt and effective, appropriately stylish but never over the top. There was plenty of room for titillation, but creator Ilene Chaiken fashioned from the start a show centered on characters and not just sex, aiming for the heart rather than... well, other places.
The L Word focused primarily on committed couple Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), a former power-career duo who've decided to have a baby; however, artificial insemination and the changing dynamics of their relationship throw their previously happy existence off-kilter. Within their orbit are spunky journalist Alice (Leisha Hailey), sultry hairdresser Shane (Katherine Moenning), closeted pro tennis player Dana (Erin Daniels), and espresso bar owner Marina (Karina Lombard) who, in the show's most polarising storyline, bedded the seemingly straight Jenny (Mia Kirschner) and shook up her heterosexual world. Jenny's "am-I-straight-or-not?" kvetching frustrated both her fiancé (Eric Mabius) and many viewers, who were alternately irritated and intrigued by her inability to decide one way or the other. But Jenny's weakness was part of The L Word's strength: in exploring many sides of many issues, both domestic and political, it never came up with an easy answer for any of them, making the show all that more fascinating--and compulsively watchable. --Mark Englehart
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2008-01-10
I thought this was great, well shot, good story lines, and such a great cliff hanger at the end. Quite controversial, but that's what's so great about it, it's not trying to teach anything, it just gives you all the facts of how people live and how differently people think and feel about situations. Very good!
Great!!.......2007-09-08
I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who knew I had enjoyed 'Sex and the City' and '30 Something'. There are similarities with both series' (and probably many American TV dramas) since you follow the lives, loves and relationships of a group of people, who in this case just happen to be lesbians.
The stories of love, loss, disappointment, joy and pain are universal. The characters are appealing and you will find yourself drawn in and (gay or straight) you will be able to identify with many of their experiences.
There are quite a few 'sex' scenes in the series which are nicely shot and (as a straight woman) I thought were inoffensive (although I would suggest if you have a problem with the concept of lesbianism, then this series would probably not be for you).
The series lacks the 'edginess' of the British 'Queer as Folk', but is as good as any of the best American series' in my opinion. I cerftainly enjoyed it and will be getting the other seasons shortly as I want to find out what happens to these characters!!
I,m not a lesbian but.............2007-08-01
Loved this series obviously its not real life(such a pity!!)but witty ,sensual ,maddening and sad in equal measures.Some episodes are duff but most are great and especialy love Alice and her episodes with the lesbi-man.It makes a real change from the glossy sci-fi/adventure man series so prevalent at the moment.24 it aint but so much better for it.Heres one man who enjoyed it not for lesbian fantasies but for depictions of real problems and real relationships with a twist(and of course the gorgeous Leisha Hayley)You could do worse than buy this and educate yourself about the world while being thoroughly entertained.
Disappointed.......2007-05-15
I was looking forward to viewing this series, but was disappointed to find it - in my view - the most cynical piece of television making I have come accross ever. It felt as if the producers finding that 'regular' sex no longer sells advertising, were trying to come up with something more titilating. As you would expect in a soapie, the characters are one dimensional and the story line almost non-existant. The series is situation- rather than character- driven. And the situations are pretty uniformly sex-related. The overriding feeling that I was left with was one of pornography dressed up as something else. I have no problem with pornography, but in the same way as I disapprove of hate speech dressed up at freedom of expression - so I dislike pornography dressed up as cutting edge TV. Most of the lesbians I spoke to found the portrayals horribly shallow, and embarassingly promiscuous. All that graphic sex is probably more suited to a batchelor party, I think, than anything else. Pity.
real life!.......2007-04-22
At last a series that doesn't just fit the imagination of the average straight mans ideals of what lesbian relationships and indeed womens non sexual relationships are all about!Groundbreaking !!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Series 1 - Four years after the American version of Queer as Folk made gay men the focus, it was time for a little turnabout with The L Word (bad title, great show). Centering around a tight-knit group of lesbians in Los Angeles, this drama was far removed from its working-class male counterpart in both style and content. While the men of QAF enjoyed a fabulous if melodramatic life on the middle-class streets of Pittsburgh, the women of The L Word lived it up in sunny California, with gorgeous houses, glamorous careers, and sexy wardrobes. Ironically, though, The L Word adhered more to the everyday drama of ensemble shows like thirtysomething than the soap opera antics of QAF, and the results were surprisingly heartfelt and effective, appropriately stylish but never over the top. There was plenty of room for titillation, but creator Ilene Chaiken fashioned from the start a show centered on characters and not just sex, aiming for the heart rather than... well, other places. The L Word focused primarily on committed couple Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), a former power-career duo who've decided to have a baby; however, artificial insemination and the changing dynamics of their relationship throw their previously happy existence off-kilter. Within their orbit are spunky journalist Alice (Leisha Hailey), sultry hairdresser Shane (Katherine Moenning), closeted pro tennis player Dana (Erin Daniels), and espresso bar owner Marina (Karina Lombard) who, in the show's most polarising storyline, bedded the seemingly straight Jenny (Mia Kirschner) and shook up her heterosexual world. Jenny's "am-I-straight-or-not?" kvetching frustrated both her fiancé (Eric Mabius) and many viewers, who were alternately irritated and intrigued by her inability to decide one way or the other. But Jenny's weakness was part of The L Word's strength: in exploring many sides of many issues, both domestic and political, it never came up with an easy answer for any of them, making the show all that more fascinating--and compulsively watchable. --Mark Englehart
Series 2 - Once a series has broken new ground, where does it go from there? Series Two offers more of the same smart, funny writing and fully realised characters, with some notable guest stars and experiments in narrative and music. This season, Jenny (Mia Kirshner) fully embraces her sexuality as her ex-husband/roomie (Eric Mabius) departs and voyeuristic documentary filmmaker Mark (Eric Lively) and woman-chaser Shane (Katherine Moennig) move in. Shane and Jenny struggle good-heartedly over the affections of new character Carmen (Sarah Shahi), who isn't given much to do plot-wise apart from occasionally spinning records and serving as one corner of the love triangle. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) start the season on the rocks due to Bette's infidelity; the introduction of the one-dimensionally nasty Helena Peabody (Rachel Shelley) causes further friction between Bette and Tina while playing havoc with Bette's curatorial career. Meanwhile, Dana (Erin Daniels) and Alice (Leisha Hailey) go from being best friends to being a whole lot more, providing some of the most touching scenes of the season. Kit (Pam Grier) takes on The Planet, the seeming center of LA's lesbian universe, converting it into a nightclub where, conveniently, guest-starring bands can play. Strong points of the season include Bette and Kit confronting the death of their father (the superb Ossie Davis) and Shane's new job as a gopher for a high-powered Hollywood producer (the equally superb Camryn Manheim). Less strong are the distracting, neo-expressionistic passages meant to be glimpses into Jenny's creative mind and the interminable use of the series' theme song--re-interpreted in a number of genres--to the point of distraction. Mark's voyeurism, which crosses all sorts of boundaries as he installs hidden cameras around the house, is a brilliant way to challenge male viewers who may tune in just to TiVo their way to the sex scenes. That said, the arc of that particular story grows increasingly far-fetched as Mark somehow avoids criminal prosecution and instead endures the horrible fate of having Jenny refuse his offer of coffee and a muffin. Despite its flaws, The L Word is a show that deserves to be cheered on, not for its politics, but for the skillful way it conveys complex human entanglements with sensitivity. --Ryan Boudinot
Series 3 - The third season of The L Word is all about transitions. The season opens with Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey) coping with her between-seasons break-up with Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels), who is herself headed for an even heavier series of transitions. Kit Porter (Pam Grier) both falls in love with a younger man and discovers she is going through menopause. Shane (Katherine Moennig), who spent much of the first two seasons of the show hopping from bed to bed, finds herself more or less committed and the second season's resident villain, Helena Peabody (Rachel Shelley), becomes embroiled in a sexual harassment case that leaves her ultimately looking like the victim. As with previous seasons, The L Word gets all hot and bothered with various seductions filmed to sometimes jarring music on the soundtrack, but it's the day-to-day foibles and celebrations of Los Angeles's lesbian community that keep the show interesting. Newcomer Moira/Max (Daniela Sea) begins the process of gender reassignment, making for some curious situations with potential employers. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) begin to drift apart when Tina lands a big movie studio job and starts feeling attracted to men, leading to a custody battle over their baby daughter. Where The L Word starts getting preachy and obvious is in the opening flashback sequences. When these vignettes refer to current characters of the show, they make sense; when they depict situations meant to underline how queer identity has evolved over the years, they seem politically overloaded. The L Word works intelligently through its characters' concerns without having to resort to such direct appeals for tolerance. Its strength isn't in making lesbian culture appear more mainstream, but in making us care and identify with these women's struggles, regardless of our sexual orientation. --Ryan Boudinot
UK DVD:
- The Namesake [2006]
- The Net - Complete First Series
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie [1969] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Road Home [1999]
- The Tudors : Complete BBC Series 1 - Limited Edition 'Headless' Sleeve (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk)
- The Waltons - Series 1 - Complete
- The Waltons - Series 4 - Complete
- The Whistleblowers - Series 1 [2007]
- This Life +10 (BBC) [2006]
- This Life: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2
UK DVD List
UK DVD
All Drama
|
Drama
|
Categories
|
DVD
|
Video
The L Word
![FingerSmith : The Complete BBC Series [2005]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0009AMA8G.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
FingerSmith : The Complete BBC Series [2005]
![The L Word: The Complete Third Season [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000GTJSO4.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
The L Word: The Complete Third Season [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Tipping the Velvet : The Complete BBC Series [2002]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00007DL9J.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Tipping the Velvet : The Complete BBC Series [2002]
![Imagine Me And You [2006]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000IHZ4HO.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Imagine Me And You [2006]
![The L Word - Series 1-3 - Complete [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Yz8Of4KEL.jpg)
![Saving Face [2005]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000BH2TP6.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The L Word: Season One [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21G037RDEJL.jpg)
![The L Word: Season Two [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0009QTRVI.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Loving Annabelle [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000J4QWIG.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Platinum Comedy Series: D.L. Hughley [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21BRW5tYjzL.jpg)
![D.L. Hughley: Unapologetic [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000T5MP7C.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Platinum Comedy Series: D.L. Hughley [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/313CAGK60GL.jpg)