What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! December 8 - 14, 2019 BY BREANNA HENRY TV Media S howtime has always been up for taking a risk. A drug-dealing subur- ban mom and an awk- wardly heroic serial killer were widely considered too objec- tionable for audiences in 2005, yet "Weeds" and "Dexter" both skyrocketed to phenom status (along with their casts and cre- ators) when Showtime took a chance on them. More recent series such as "Shameless" and "Ray Donovan" have continued the trend. Major networks have de- clined to even glance at many of the series Showtime has green- lit, and over the years, the net- work's open-mindedness and forward-thinking have turned those shows into mainstream cultural sensations. On Sunday, Dec. 8, Showtime is taking a new kind of chance. For the first time ever, the network is reviv- ing one of its own unexpected hits, as "The L Word: Genera- tion Q" brings the 2004 original series "The L Word" into the modern era. Fans of the old show will be ecstatic to see the return of original cast mem- bers, and new fans will appreci- ate the rise of brand-new break- out stars. "The L Word" was an hour- long drama featuring an ensem- ble cast of women. The series followed a diverse group of 20-somethings as they went about their daily lives in West Hollywood trying to navigate their many (often disastrous) relationships. Showtime has never been one to shy away from sexuality in its programs, and "The L Word" was no ex- ception; what was different about the show was that all of the main characters, and most other characters, were part of the LGBTQ community. The women of "The L Word" were a varied bunch — some were open and proud, some were curious, questioning or closeted, and the series showed audiences that gay women were not all cut from the same cloth, and that they definitely didn't all look like Ellen DeGeneres (though many would be pleased as punch if they did). The fic- tional characters of "The L Jacqueline Toboni stars in "The L Word: Generation Q" A new chapter continued on page T10 TV FEATURE