Lip Service is a British television serial drama portraying the lives of a group of lesbian women in Glasgow, Scotland. Production on the series, which stars Laura Fraser, Ruta Gedmintas and Fiona Button, began in summer 2009 in Glasgow. The show debuted on BBC Three on 12 October 2010.Laura Fraser, Ruta Gedmintas and Fiona Button have been cast as the three female lead roles in Lip Service, a bold new drama for BBC Three about the sex lives and love affairs of twenty-something lesbians living in contemporary Glasgow.
The six-part series, which was filmed in Glasgow in October, was written and created by Harriet Braun.
Harriet says of the series: "Based on my own experiences and those of my friends, I wanted to write a sexy, funny and irreverent drama that reflects what it is to be a young gay woman living in Britain today.
"I loved The L Word but it's high time we saw some contemporary British lesbians, with all the bad weather, trips to the pub and repressed emotions that go with that. It will be as funny as it is pathos filled, because in my experience that's how life is."
Ruta Gedmintas plays Frankie, an irreverent and provocative photographer who avoids commitment at all turns; Laura Fraser plays Cat – Frankie's former lover, who may not be as immune to Frankie's charms as she professes to be; and Fiona Button plays Tess – Cat's best friend and flatmate who has an uncanny knack of attracting all the wrong sorts of women.
As well as the three lead roles, major supporting roles in Lip Service include Roxanne McKee as Lou, Emun Elliott as Jay, Heather Peace as Sam, James Anthony Pearson as Ed and Tom Mannion as Frankie's uncle Cameron, amongst others.
Here are the characters:
Character profile: Frankie
A spirited photographer who's emotionally off-the-rails, Frankie attracts trouble at every turn. She comes across as fearless and irreverent but strip away the bravado and she's the most vulnerable of the group. Occasionally bisexual, Frankie generally only uses men for sex but falls in love with women. Intimacy is a problem for Frankie. She bailed on her relationship with Cat before giving it a chance, escaping to New York. For Frankie, casual sex offers an opportunity to run away from herself when rest of her life is in freefall. Frankie's home life is difficult. Her parents died when she was a child and she was raised by her Aunt Carol and bullish Uncle Cameron who's always treated her like an outsider. When Aunt Carol dies, Frankie returns home but her return isn't welcomed by everyone.
Actor info
Ruta Gedmintas previously played Elizabeth Blount in BBC Two historical drama The Tudors.
Read Ruta's Lip Service blog
Character profile: Cat
A self-assured architect, Cat is a driven control freak with a tendency to fret and analyse everything and anything, rarely leaping before she looks. A loyal friend and loving sister to Ed, Cat is able to be very open with those closest to her but is often cagey and secretive in relationships, finding it hard to really open up. Cat's first big love was the exciting - but wild - Frankie. Teenage best friends, they fell in love in their twenties but then Frankie bailed out and took off to the States.
Actor info
Laura Fraser was brought up in Glasgow. She recently played lead roles in the movies Cuckoo and The Boys Are Back.
Character profile: Tess
Struggling actress Tess is Cat's best friend and flatmate who has an uncanny knack of falling for all the wrong sorts of women. Terribly sardonic, Tess' vulnerable side is buried under self-deprecating comments, sarcasm and anger. In contrast to her organised and tidy flatmate Cat, Tess is scandalously messy and lives a chaotic life. Sometimes lacking confidence, Tess is a sucker for women who treat her badly. Although she might rant to her friends when a girlfriend treats her badly, Tess generally ignores their advice, letting lovers off the hook whenever they feed her a sob story.
Actor info
Fiona Button studied at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Her most notable role to date is that of Lucy Bedford in the Palace.
Character profile: Ed
A gentle bloke and true friend, Ed is very close to his sister, Cat. A would-be novelist, Ed pays the rent with temping work, often working alongside Tess in times of need. Ed's love life is a disaster and he puts his lack of success with women down to not being macho enough. Ed has a secret and long-standing crush on Tess but she is completely oblivious to his adoration, seeing him merely as a good friend and confidante.
Actor info
James Antony Pearson was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, studied Mathematics at Edinburgh University and now lives in Glasgow. He is best known for his role as Bernard Sumner in Anton Corbijn's film, Control.
Character profile: Jay
Jay has been friends with Cat since their days at university and they now work together at a city centre architect's firm. A key part of the group, Jay is particularly close to Frankie. A self-confessed womaniser, Jay has been faithful to his current girlfriend Becky for quite some time - by his standards at least. But, unfortunately for Becky, her love doesn't diminish his never-ending desire for affirmation through sex.
Actor info
Emun Elliot was rasied in Edinburgh. He started a degree in English Literature and French at Aberdeen University before dropping out to train at the Royal Scottish Academy of music and Drama. He recently played the lead role of Dr Christian King in Paradox.
Character profile: Sam
A detective sergeant with the police, Sam is Cat's first date since her break-up with Frankie. Sam is stable, funny, cynical and insightful. She rarely hides her feelings, preferring things out in the open - Sam can be disarmingly honest and expects the same level of honesty back. She doesn't like to play games in her relationships. Although she can be very understanding she has a lot of self-respect and won't be messed around.
Actor info
Heather Peace was born in Bradford. She has appeared in Ultimate Force, London's Burning and The Chase.
Character profile: Lou
Stunningly attractive and charming when she wants to be, daytime TV presenter Lou Foster has quickly worked her way up the media ladder. On a superficial level she has an amazing ability to charm and knows how to flatter, but her mood can change in an instant and she can be hugely selfish and unreasonable. Although Lou likes the attention she gets from men, she has always secretly fancied women. Lou doesn't like the idea of being viewed as a lesbian, but she is desperate to sleep with a woman and her relationship with Tess brings out the best and worst in her.
Actor info
Roxanne McKee was born in Worthing. She studied Social Policy & Political Studies at the University of London before going on to win the role of Louise Summers in Hollyoaks.
- taken from Wikipedia and www.celeb-square.com
While waiting for the second season of the Real L Word, I came across Lip service. It is a British lesbian themed series that started 2 months ago. I'm glad I get to watch a British-made series since I'm fascinated with the way they talk, I find it sweet and soothing. The series just ended since the first season only have 6 episodes, there is no news yet if they are going to have a second one.
Here's the trailer:
