WLW TV Recommendations for Everyone Sick of the BYG Trope
So, I know that most of us are tired of the representation we get and of wlw characters getting constantly killed off. I wanted to write a post about all the shows that don’t fall into this trap - I have included three shows that do at some point kill off a wlw, however this is either because - in the case of the first two - almost all of the main characters are wlw and the deaths aren’t particularly offensive, or - in the last one - the death is irrelevant, doesn’t have to be watched + and doesn’t have to affect the story (…I’ll explain later, it’ll be in my second post). This post will focus on wlw-centric shows, and then I’ll be making future posts on shows with one or more main wlw character, and then shows with side wlw characters.
Shows which feature majority wlw characters and/or explore primarily wlw themes.
Drama. Banana is the counterpart to C4′s Cucumber (a drama about a group of gay men living in Manchester) - it consists of 8 25-minute episodes, each focusing on a different character, all of whom are LGBT+. Three focus on mlm, four on wlw, and one on a straight trans woman. All of them vary in tone and offer very different topics. Most of the characters also appear in Cucumber as side characters or guest stars, and vice versa. How good is the representation? Much more racially diverse than most of the shows on this list (unfortunately) with around half of the episodes focusing at least partly on POC. Some sensitive portrayals of living with mental illness and taking care of someone with a disability. Could use more bi/pan characters - as far as I know none of the primary characters are bi/pan, though there is a main bi guy in Cucumber who appears as a side character in Banana. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? If you live in the UK, it’s available on 4OD. It’s also pretty easy to find links online.
Comedy. Faking It starts off with a potentially offensive premise - in a hilariously liberal high school in Texas, two best friends are mistaken for a couple and decide to keep up the facade once they realise it’ll gain them popularity. However, by the end of the pilot, one of the girls has realised she has feelings for her best friend and from there on out the show becomes about her getting to grips with her identity, and the relationship between the two girls. The first season is the best, and unfortunately after that its original premise starts to get somewhat watered down as it tries to be an ensemble show - however that ensemble features a gay guy and an intersex girl, and side characters include a number of gay and bi girls, gay guys, a trans guy, and a bi guy (there’s also an asexual who pops up for about two seconds). Both Karma and Amy, our love interests slash best friends, are confirmed by the writers to be wlw, but unfortunately the show was cancelled before one of them could come to terms with her sexuality. How good is the representation? There’s a lot of representation but it’s not always handled in the best way! A number of characters express overt biphobia and aren’t always called out on it - bizarrely, considering Karma + Amy are both portrayed to be bi/pan. Mostly white cast. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? Super easy to find links online!
Drama. Lip Service follows a group of WLW living in Scotland. It’s basically the less offensive, British version of The L Word. I don’t see it mentioned much and yet it’s one of the gayest shows out there so you should definitely give it a go! There is a character death in S2 and it’s unfortunately when the character is feeling happy about a love interest, but I’m giving it a pass since literally all of the main characters are wlw. How good is the representation? As you can see, the show is overwhelmingly white. There is also very little bi rep - all of the main WLW are lesbians apart from one whom I’m not sure whether is gay or bi, and only one bi love interest. The characters are also all cis. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? Easy to find links online.
Drama. South of Nowhere follows a relatively conservative family who move to LA, but its primary narrative is the romantic relationship between their teenage daughter Spencer, and the new girl she meets, Ashley. It’s soapy and often over-the-top, but the relationship between the two girls is well-done. It’s also one of the only shows where the WLW couple get a very overtly happy ending. How good is the representation? Throughout the first two seasons there’s a well-done narrative about police brutality against black people and the alienation of being a black kid in a white family (Spencer’s brother, Clay, is adopted) but they unfortunately end that narrative pretty badly. The portrayal of Ashley’s sexuality isn’t great in that, after seeing all 3 seasons, she seems to be pretty clearly bisexual and yet very often refers to herself as gay - however, this is a mid-00s show so I’ll forgive them. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? Easy to find links online.
Comedy. Sugar Rush takes place in Brighton and follows 15-year-old ‘queer virgin’ Kim, as she navigates coming to terms with her lesbian identity, her infatuation with her straight best friend, and her eccentric family. It’s super fun and light and basically the diary-style teen comedy young wlw need (you’ll enjoy it if you’re older, too!) How good is the representation? The cast is largely white (sensing a theme here), and Kim definitely displays some biphobia (I can’t remember whether she gets over that or not) as well as making some immoral decisions (afaik these are portrayed as such though). Overall it’s pretty good for something released in 2004. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? It can be a tricky one to find but I’ve personally had good luck with DailyMotion. DVDs are available.
Drama. The most classic of all WLW shows, The L Word follows a group of WLW living in LA and generally having a lot of sex and getting into a lot of drama. It has a lot of issues but if you still feel able to watch is a lot of fun and super addictive. How good is the representation? The first 2 seasons are great in terms of bi rep, but bizarrely and unfortunately the show becomes super biphobic as it goes on. It can also unfortunately be very transphobic (this will be expanded upon in the triggers section). Again, very white. Two wlw characters are killed off but I’m giving it a pass because everyone’s a wlw. Status: Completed. Where can I watch it? Should be easy to find links anywhere online! DVDs are available.
Dramedy. Transparent follows a Jewish LA family after the father comes out as a trans woman - three of the five main characters (pictured above) are WLW, and the focus of the show is on how all of these characters relate to their own genders and sexualities and how that affects their relationships with another. It’s a beautiful, poignant slice-of-life show. How good is the representation? The main trans woman is played by a cis man, which is a con, but all of the trans female side characters are played by trans women. The bisexual wlw never says the word bisexual, and I personally feel they could’ve gone into more depth regarding one character’s realisation of her sexual identity - however, this is really a cut above the rest. Frustratingly, also mostly white. There’s a potentially very triggering scene regarding a trans woman character - as a cis woman I’m not sure I can say whether it’s offensive or not, but I’ll explain more in the triggers section. Status: Still Airing. Where can I watch it? On Amazon Prime, otherwise, it’s easy to find links online.
Comedy. You Me Her explores the polyamorous relationship between two bi/pan women and one straight man. I’ve yet to see it but I hear that it’s well done and a sensitive portrayal of bi/pansexuality and polyamory. Status: Still Airing. Where can I watch it? Easy to find links online.
Please let me know if you need help finding the shows, and if you watch them and enjoy them! Trigger warnings are below the read more (will contain spoilers).
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