The L Word’s season premiere airs on Sunday, January 7th on Showtime, and this season also features a special guest star… Cybill Shepherd. Shepherd, known for her roles in Moonlighting and Cybill, appears in at least two episodes this season as Phyllis, Bette’s boss, who comes out as a lesbian after many years in a conventional marriage.

Her two episodes air January 14th titles “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and the following week on January 21st with “Lassoed”.

In Livin’ La Vida Loca, Alice hooks up with the “web-famous” seductress Papi (Janina Gavankar); a gay writer (Heather Matarazzo) gets Jennifer to open up in an interview; and Bette’s new dean (Cybill Shepherd) confides in her. Also, the new head of the studio orders Tina to do some of his dirty work; Max has a date with the boss’s daughter.

In Lassoed, Tina hosts “a mixer for [her] gay and straight friends”; Bette’s boss (Cybill Shepherd) invites herself to a “crazy, hot women’s party” at the Planet; Shane offers Helena a job at her shop; Angus is offered a record deal; Shane tries to get Shay enrolled in the local public school; Bette’s teaching assistant is hot for teacher.

And she just did an interview on her new The L Word gig here.

The L Word premieres on Sunday January 7th at 10pm (and repeated at 11pm) on Showtime.

We are now covering this show based on several requests from fans. But I don’t have a good source of spoilers for this show (not only does it not air in Canada but Showtime blocks all access to the show site, their forums etc to non-US residents), so please submit tips to us if you have any, and comment here if you want us to continue spoiler coverage for the L Word.