2 Wives 2 Mums: tello - lesbian Netflix!

With our 'two week wait' part of our IVF hopefully to be in our not too distant future, we have been looking into ways of keeping ourselves entertained. Lauren will be off work for the whole two weeks, and so we are looking for ways to chill out…and not go crazy!!

We were interested to be contacted by lesbian media site One More Lesbian, regarding their new web series hub, tello.
Here's what they have to say about what we describe as 'lesbian Netflix'!

What is Tello?

tello is a subscription web-series site dedicating to producing quality lesbian series.

Every series on our site is made by, for, and about lesbians and lesbian-friendly allies.

Every show on tello has lesbian lead characters, story lines, and at least one lesbian producer.

our mission is to support the creation of lesbian entertainment and encourage lesbian creators who ideas often aren't welcomed in mainstream media.

We know there is an audience out there ready and waiting for thoughtful, original, lesbian focused series - and we want to make you happy.

tello films produces and distributes innovative, high-quality web series with a lesbian focus.
We believe in telling authentic stories about people whose lives are often ignored or marginalised.
We value the sense of community and belonging that our stories create.
We believe that authentic stories cross all borders.
We believe that the web offers opportunities, and demands that we tell stories in new ways
We value the artists, storytellers and crews who make content for tello.
We value our subscribers.

Why lesbian stories?

Because frankly, there just aren't enough of them. Sure, sometimes lesbians are thrown in as side characters, or show up on 'very special episodes' of your favourite shows, but lesbians and lesbian specific issues are rarely at the centre of mainstream television, movies, or web series.
And when they are, frankly…theyr're watered down.
We are tired of seeing ourselves as side characters who might kiss or brush fingertips during sweeps week.
At tello, we create great new web content that is intelligent but fun, timely, but classic, and tasteful yet sexy, a whirlwind of classic ideas from a lesbian perspective, brave and challenging content with a lesbian twist.

Who founded tello?

Tello founder and CEO Christin Baker founded tellofilms out of passion to provide modern and relevant lesbian-focused stories for the under-served lesbian community. With 15 amazing, original tello-produced projects under her belt and just as many in various levels of pre and post-production, Christin is determined to provide the lesbian community with the quality entertainment that they deserve and the stories that they crave. This enterprising and hands-on producer is a storyteller at heart, brimming with timely and engrossing ideas, and she’s determined to bring together the right team to bring each one to life. She also loves sharing tips for audience growth, digital entrepreneurship, and more as a speaker.

Our view

We found tello extremely easy to use. Very much like Netflix, we logged on to the tello website via onemorelesbian.com, then you are presented with a wide range of lesbian based series - there are currently 18 - we are having so much fun working our way through them, but are making sure we save some to provide distraction during our two week wait!

Thinking about the ways we have see gay women represented in television - Coronation St and Pretty Little Liars spring to mind - representation has very slowly increased over the past ten years, but they are usually written from a heterosexual perspective, and often as side characters.

We remember watching 'lesbian films' together as teenagers, both just before we met, and in the early stages of our relationship - Bound, Lost & Delirious, If These Walls Could Talk 2, and our personal fave, Better Than Chocolate, anyone?! As well as a little more well known But I'm A Cheerleader, and BBC Sarah Water's adaptation series Tipping The Velvet and Fingersmith. As teenagers, apart from the odd side characters (Buffy, Friends, Bad Girls), these films were welcome proof that we weren't alone, and provided a place for girls 'like us' to experience life and love, as well as providing us with a feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Therefore we think lesbian centric entertainment would be very much welcomed by the lesbian community.

No, the series on tello are not as 'polished' and 'professional' as Netflix, but they do offer a refreshing, unique collection of series' that provide lesbian actors and producers an excellent platform for work which would likely be ignored elsewhere, as well as giving viewers who are tired of not seeing their own selves, sexuality, lives, and relationships reflected in entertainment and media, the chance to do so. So whether it's documentary I Kissed A Girl - a sweet collection of first kiss stories, or cop series Nikki & Nora, check it out!