While lesbian representation on TV has improved over the years — though we still deserve much more — the early 2000s and 2010s were a tough time for mainstream sapphic visibility in media.
But there was one place where lesbian characters thrived and queer storylines flourished: the web series.
By virtue of being distributed on platforms like YouTube, and free from the constraints of network television and studio influence, web series were able to be more transgressive — focusing on queer characters, lesbian sex, and dating in ways their TV counterparts simply couldn’t (or wouldn’t) at the time.
Are they a little rough around the edges at times? Sure. But there’s a DIY spirit you can’t help but love. And there’s truly something for everyone. Looking for a quirky comedy? An exploration of what it means to be a Black lesbian? Maybe even a lesbian western? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered with a web series that hits the spot.
Here are 25 of the best lesbian web series that time may have forgotten — but that you can still stream right now!
Anyone But Me
Starring Rachael Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent, this critically acclaimed web series ran for three seasons and focused on queer couple Vivian and Aster, struggling with a long-distance relationship after Vivian leaves New York to move to the suburbs.
Where to watch: YouTube
Girl/Girl Scene
This 2010s look at a tight-knit lesbian community in Kentucky, ran for three seasons. Starring Tucky Williams, Katie Stewart, and Roni Jonah, Girl/Girl Scene followed musician Evan and her rotating circle of lovers and friends as they dealt with love, sex, friendship, and heartbreak.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Producing Juliet
If you loved Anyone But Me, you’re in luck because Producing Juliet also stars Rachael Hip-Flores, alongside Alisha Spielmann, is made by the same creator. There are two full seasons of this emotional and dramatic look at the complicated relationships within the New York theater scene, where playwright Juliet is being pulled between her professional ambitions and romantic life.
Where to watch: YouTube
LA Web Series
Among all of the queer dramas the 2010s had to offer, there was LA Web Series, a comedic and satirical look into the lives of five women as they navigated lesbian dating, work, and the drama within their queer Los Angeles community. It starred Mandahla Rose, Emily Goss, and Lindsey Middleton, and although it only ran for one season, it’s well worth a watch.
Where to watch: YouTube
Starting From... Now!
While many web series only ran for a season or two, the Australian drama Starting From… Now! has six full seasons for you to dive into. Starring Sarah de Possesse, Rosie Lourde, Lauren Orrell, and Bianca Bradey, the inner-city Sydney-based show weaves together the lives of four lesbians as their friendships and romantic relationships grow increasingly complicated.
Where to watch: YouTube
3Way
Need a break from relationship and identity drama? Check out 3Way starring Maeve Quinlan, Jill Bennett, Cathy Shim, and Maile Flanagan as three lesbian roommates trying to make their unconventional living situation work — two exes and a new partner living together — while navigating careers and love.
Where to watch: YouTube
Dyke Central
Set in Oakland, California, the one-season-long Dyke Central followed two butch best friends played by Giovannie Espiritu and Flor de Maria Chahua as they dealt with friendship, gentrification, and identity.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Easy Abby
Lisa Cordileone and Karin Anglin starred in Easy Abby for two seasons from 2013 to 2015. The show follows commitment-phobic Abby as she deals with her anxiety while trying to open herself up to romance in Chicago’s lesbian dating scene.
Where to watch: YouTube
Studville TV
This drama starring Domz, Touch, Jelly, and ChaCha, centers around four masculine-presenting Black lesbians living in Atlanta and trying to find love and friendship while dealing with the stereotypes and challenged both inside and outside of the queer community.
Where to watch: the pilot is on YouTube
Girltrash!
This crime-comedy web series is a prequel to the cult fave movie Girltrash: All Night Long, and follows a group of queer women played by Michelle Lombardo, Lisa Rieffel, and Gabrielle Christian, as they get tangled up in frequently dangerous and hilarious situations while navigating the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles.
Where to watch: YouTube
Out With Dad
This heartfelt Canadian drama ran for five seasons and starred Kate Conway and Will Conlon. Out With Dad is a easy-to-watch comedy about a teenage girl who is first coming to terms with her sexuality while trying to get through high school with the support of her single father.
Where to watch: YouTube
Carmilla
Based on the 19th-century gothic vampire novella of the same name, Carmilla follows college student Laura, who is investigating her roommate’s disappearance when she discovers that her new roommate might be a vampire. Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis, this stylish supernatural web series ran for three seasons.
Where to watch: YouTube
Her Story
This drama may have only run for one season, but in that short time, it managed to rack up an Emmy nod. Starring Jen Richards, Laura Zak, and Pose’s Angelica Ross, Her Story centers on two trans women who are dating in Los Angeles while trying to navigate a queer world that is still learning to accept them.
Where to watch: YouTube
Kiss Her I’m Famous
This mockumentary-style comedy stars Tracy Ryerson and Ilea Matthews as two besties who try to go viral by faking a celebrity sex tape, but things get real when their ruse spins out of their control.
Where to watch: YouTube
Cowgirl Up
In case you didn’t know: you absolutely need a lesbian western comedy in your life. Marnie Alton, Mandy Musgrave, and Bridget McManus star in this playful series about two rival teams of queer women who face off in wild west-themed camp competition, and plenty of flirtatious fun ensues!
Where to watch: YouTube
I Hate Tommy Finch
What started as a two-woman stage play was turned into a web series starring Lindsay Hicks and Jessica Kings that ran for one season back in 2012. I Hate Tommy Finch follows two lifelong BFFs as their friendship evolves from childhood to adulthood and they start to realize they may be more than just friends.
Where to watch: Tello
B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye
B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye was a noir-style comedy that ran for three seasons and starred Lindy Zucker and Dana Puddicombe as a bumbling private eye and her best friend Georgia, who solved mysteries while the romantic tension built up around them.
Where to watch: YouTube
Gal Pals
Quickly comedy Gal Pals follows Bee and Olivia, played by Sarah Gabriella and Briana Temple, who are navigating L.A.’s queer dating scene while being forced to live together despite being very different after they both go through breakups.
Where to watch: YouTube
The Newtown Girls
This Australian series, starring Rosina Rowe and Debra Ades, follows a newly single lesbian as she starts dating again in Sidney’s queer Newtown district with the help of her chaotic best friend Alex.
Where to watch: YouTube
Nikki & Nora: The N&N Files
Starring Liz Vassey and Christina Cox, Nikki & Nora is a rebooted web series that follows two gay private eyes who are also romantic partners as they solve crimes in a post-Katrina New Orleans.
Where to watch: Tello
F to the 7th
This lesbian-centric dark comedy stars Ingrid Jungermann and features guest stars like Ashlie Atkinson and actress-turned-director Gaby Hoffmann. F to 7th ran for two seasons in the 2010s and followed forty-something lesbian Ingrid as she awkwardly stumbled through Brooklyn’s queer scene, navigating middle age while trying to figure out her sexual identity.
Where to watch: YouTube
#Hashtag: The Series
This two-season-long millennial drama starred Caitlin Bergh and Laura Zak as queer women navigating their love lives and friendship through the lens of tweets, likes, and hashtags in the age of social media.
Where to watch: Tello
Venice: The Series
Straight soap operas abound, but queer ones are hard to come by. Enter Venice: The Series, a dramatic soap-opera style show that ran for more than seven seasons and focused on interview designer Gina as she struggles with her complicated family dynamics while trying to rekindle her relationship with her ex.
Where to watch: YouTube
Twenty
If you love shows that break the fourth wall, then the dramedy Twenty, starring Lily Richards, Taylor Bennett, and Aisha Anzari, is for you. It follows a 20-something queer woman living in L.A. and juggling dating, roommates, and self-discovery.
Where to watch: YouTube
The Fortnight
Starring Courtney Rackley and Jessica Gardner, this show only ran for one season because it told a two-week-long intimate story in daily installments. The Fortnight tells the story of a woman visiting from out of town who falls for a local, and they have to navigate their new relationship that they know has an expiration date.
Where to watch: YouTube