lucyliu

TV Guide is reporting that Lucy Liu has decided to return to television. She'll star in the pilot for Cashmere Mafia, a new ABC comedy from Sex and the City creator Darren Star.

Liu became famous in the 1990s for playing 'Ling Woo' in Ally McBeal, and recently appeared as a guest star on Ugly Betty, but has primarily stuck to movies. In particular, she seems to snag lots of roles where she kicks some ass (Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels). Maybe she's tired of all the stunts and Kung Fu?

Her role in Cashmere Mafia is definitely a departure from those action flicks. The series follows four career women in the world of dating and family in New York City.

The preview for this weeks Blade teased a kiss between Krista (Jill Wagner) and Chase (Jessica Gower). In celebration of that possibility, I thought now would be a good time to touch on other girl-girl kisses in our television history. Sometimes they are to make a statement. Sometimes they are a ploy to grab ratings. And every once in a while, it's just a natural part of the story. Here are the five that come to mind first for me.

Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Sharon (Mariel Hemingway) - Roseanne
This was an important moment in television. At the time, there was no L-Word, and two girls kissing was still a very controversial thing. Roseanne has her faults, to be sure, but standing up to the network to get this episode on the air is something to be proud of.

Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Ling (Lucy Liu) - Ally McBeal
This one strikes me as somewhat the opposite of the Roseanne kiss. There was much less statement, and much more ratings grabbing sensationalism in this lip-lock. In that regard, it worked very well. Of course, the gang over at Ally McBeal had plenty of practice. Along with Ling, Ally also kissed Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith) and Elaine (Jane Krokowski). But if I have to pick one, it's Ling every time. And yes, I was an Ally McBeal fan.