Ilene Chaiken Has No Regrets -- Except Killing Dana

The Farm, Chaiken’s Leisha Hailey–L
Word spin-off, has been taking up much of her
time.

“It’s a very different show to TheL Word,” says Chaiken. Actresses Famke
Janssen, Melissa Leo (who played Winnie Mann on The
L Word), and Laurie Metcalfe (Roseanne)
are also rumored to be on board.

And what about an
L Word movie?

“I would
love to do an L Word movie,” she
says. “My cast would love to do an L Word
movie. We have no formal plans, but when I have a moment to
take a breather, I certainly will think about what the
climate is for actually doing one.”

Chaiken is also
working on “a couple” separate film projects
as a writer and director, and she has plans for a new
Internet venture. Ourchart.com, the social network for
lesbians that she cofounded, is on ice -- editorially
speaking, at least. (Users can still network through
the site, but there haven’t been any blog posts on
the home page since November). Chaiken’s new venture
“may or may not be separate to
Ourchart.com,” she says. Whatever the future of
OurChart, she promises to find a place online for the
OurChart users who were L Word fans -- no doubt music
to the ears of those wondering where they’ll be
able to pontificate on Tibette (Tina and Bette) and
express their continuing fury over Dana’s death.

“If I
could do it all again, that’s the one and only thing
I’d do differently,” says Chaiken of
killing off the L Word’s Dana character,
a move that resulted in a minor revolt among the
show’s fans. “I think if maybe I had known how
people would react to that and how long the anger and
despair would last, I might have reconsidered it ...
”