‘The L Word: Generation Q’ Showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan Inks Overall Deal With Showtime

Denise Petski
·2 min read

Multi-hyphenate Marja-Lewis Ryan, showrunner, executive producer, director and writer on The L Word: Generation Q, is expanding her relationship with Showtime. Ryan has signed an overall deal under which she will develop television projects exclusively for the premium television network.

“Marja is our Shohei Ohtani … a gifted two-way player who is both an exceptional writer and an inventive director,” said Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, Inc. “I love the energy, the perspective and the fun she brings to The L Word: Generation Q, and I look forward to the upcoming season of that series and other inspired creations from her.”

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Based on the groundbreaking drama series The L Word, season two of The L Word: Generation Q will continue to follow the intermingled lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig), Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey), Dani Nùñez (Arienne Mandi), Micah Lee (Leo Sheng), Sarah Finley (Jacqueline Toboni), Sophie Suarez (Rosanny Zayas), Gigi Ghorbani (Sepideh Moafi), and Angelica Porter-Kennard (Jordan Hull) as they experience love, heartbreak, setbacks and success in L.A.

Season two, which premieres Friday, August 6, is executive produced by Ryan along with series creator Ilene Chaiken, Kristen Campo, Allyce Ozarski, Maisha Closson, and original series stars Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey.

Ryan started off as a Los Angeles-based playwright. Her numerous stage credits include writing, directing and producing the world premieres of her plays Dysnomia, One in the Chamber, A Good Family and Bugaboo and The Silent One. She also directed the L.A. premiere and Off-Broadway production of David Mamet’s The Anarchist. She made her feature directorial debut with 6 Balloons, starring Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco, which premiered at SXSW and for which she was nominated for the 2018 SXSW Gamechanger Award. Upcoming, Ryan is producing an untitled dance series alongside executive producers Sandra Bullock, John Legend and Akiva Goldsman, and she is writing a remake of the iconic 1984 film Splash, set to star Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell. Ryan is repped by UTA, Kaplan/Perrone and attorney Tara Kole.

“I’m so thrilled to have a home at Showtime,” said Ryan. “Their support of my vision for the The L Word: Generation Q has been absolutely extraordinary. 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.”

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