The L Word’s Ilene Chaiken and Jennifer Beals Created Run-A-Muck to Produce Queer Films and TV Shows

Photo by Mychal Watts/WireImage

The L Word‘s Ilene Chaiken and Jennifer Beals are reuniting to form a “cross-platform queer media brand.” The company is called Run-A-Muck, and it will produce film, TV, and live events with the intention of connecting queer artists and creators with their target audience. And while they have some things planned already, they aren’t sharing any details yet.

Chaiken and Beals will be joined in this endeavor by WME’s director of impact and inclusion Caroline Joyner (who is also Abbott Elementary writer and friend of Autostraddle Brittani Nichol’s partner), and “business executive and entrepreneur” Jenn Smira.

When I first read this news, I found it a little strange that one of the two headlining names for this queer project was notoriously straight lady Jennifer Beals. But she has been a fierce advocate for the community, and I’m all for using straight money and starpower to fund queer projects. In the end, her portrayal of Bette Porter was so iconic that it does make sense. Clearly Chaiken and Beals work well together, since Beals has signed on for or shown up for many Chaiken projects since The L Word began in 2004, including but not limited to The L Word: Generation Q.

Chaiken has teased an upcoming “major business partner” announcement, and is hoping to involve brands in the future as well.

I have no idea what Run-A-Muck will look like or what kind of content it will produce, but I know I’m looking forward to seeing it unfold. Maybe this will be our chance for TV shows with queer main characters to stand a chance of being renewed for a second season.

More glands, sweetbreads, and variety meats for you

+ Last week’s High Potential had a queer sub-plot (that sadly didn’t involve bisexual ex-Batwoman Javicia Leslie)

+ And last week’s Doctor Odyssey featured sweet lesbian wives in peril (that sadly didn’t involve presumedly straight Phillipa Soo)

+ Jennifer Hudson gave Kathryn Hahn a plaque for being the “First Woman To Show Butt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe” (which was her idea!) as she deserves

+ Critical Role animated series The Legend of Vox Machina got renewed for a fourth season

+ Check out this trailer for a new SZA & Keke Palmer buddy comedy called One of Them Days

+ Angelina Jolie’s kids have started working behind the scenes on some of her movies

+ Somebody Somewhere is back for its third and final season

+ Chappell Roan continues to stand up for herself, this time against disrespectful paparazzi

+ Amber Benson reflects on being one half of the iconic queer couple, Tara and Willow; “with Buffy, I felt like I was part of something important and that what we were doing was not just a television show”

+ The gays seem to be loving Lady Gaga’s new single, “Disease”

+ Singer Sade returned to music with a song for her trans son Izaak

+ And just for funsies, here are some queer buff babes

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!