Beyond that, the shows that do depict lesbian characters often mishandle the depiction — which is an accusation that has been leveled against shows like Supergirl and Gotham.
However, outside of Orange is the New Black, lesbian representation has generally lagged behind other forms of diversification in pop culture.
When you put all of that together, Ilene Chaiken’s comments to EW make it clear that there’s enough room for The L Word to come back to the small screen.
When the series ended its five-year run back in 2009, the consensus was that its success with audiences would lead to a significant increase in the number of shows positively focusing on the lesbian experience.