Showtime Sets Premiere Date for 'L Word,' Diablo Cody Comedy

By Daniel Fienberg, Zap2It.com | October 1, 2008

Toni Collette, 'The United States of Tara'

The last season of 'The L Word' launches on Jan. 18

Showtime has set a Sunday, Jan. 18 premiere date for a trio of shows, calling it a "fab female triple-header."

The premium cable network announced Wednesday (Oct. 1) that the final season of "The L Word" will be paired with a comedy block of "United States of Tara" and the second season of "Secret Diary of a Call Girl."

Sunday nights will lead off with the sixth season of "The L Word" at 9 p.m. ET. Core cast members Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Katherine Moennig, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Rachel Shelley, Daniela Sea and Pam Grier will return for the eight-episode closing run.

Showtime previously announced that series creator Ilene Chaiken is writing a pilot presentation for a spinoff built around Hailey's Alice character.

At 10 p.m., Showtime will premiere the half-hour comedy "United States of Tara," which stars Toni Collette as a suburban wife and mother who struggles with dissociative identity disorder. John Corbett co-stars in the series, which was created by Oscar-winning scribe Diablo Cody ("Juno") and features some guy named Steven Spielberg ("E.T.") among its executive producers.

Closing the night at 10:30 p.m., Billie Piper will return for another season of candid escorting confessions on "Secret Diary of a Call Girl."