“The L Word: Generation Q” showrunner, executive producer, director and writer Marja-Lewis Ryan has inked an exclusive overall development deal with Showtime, Variety has learned.
Gary Levine, president of entertainment with Jana Winograde at the premium cable outfit, praised “the energy, the perspective and the fun” Ryan brings to “The L Word: Generation Q,” calling her Showtime’s Shohei Ohtani — “a gifted two-way player who is both an exceptional writer and an inventive director.”
For her part, Ryan enthused about having a home for her work at Showtime. “Their support of my vision for ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ as been absolutely extraordinary,” she said. “I so look forward to developing my own projects as well as shepherding new, progressive creatives into the Showtime flock as we work together to diversify the kinds of stories that get told.”
Ryan has written, directed and produced the plays “Dysnomia,” “One in the Chamber,” “A Good Family,” “Bugaboo” and “The Silent One.” She made her feature directorial debut with the 2018 SXSW Gamechanger Award-nominated movie “6 Balloons,” starring Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco.
Executive producing “The L Word: Generation Q” alongside Ryan are series creator Ilene Chaiken, Kristen Campo, Allyce Ozarski, Maisha Closson and original series stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey. Additionally, Ryan is currently in-production on an untitled dance series alongside executive producers Sandra Bullock, John Legend and Akiva Goldsman, and she is also writing a remake of the 1984 Tom Hanks film “Splash,” starring Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell.
The second season of “The L Word: Generation Q” will debut on Friday, Aug. 6 on Showtime’s streaming subscribers before its on-air premiere that Sunday at 10 p.m. ET. Each new episode will drop subsequently on Fridays to stream via on-demand.
Season 2 will follow the intermingled lives of Bette Porter (Beals), Shane McCutcheon (Moennig), Alice Pieszecki (Hailey), Dani Nùñez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Sarah Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas), Gigi Ghorbani (Sepideh Moafi) and Angelia Porter-Kennard (Jordan Hull) in Los Angeles. The first five episodes of Season 2 will air Sunday nights, with the final five episodes of the season airing Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET up until its Oct. 11 season finale.