Citing “a ratings explosion in season 3″, Showtime announced today that it has ordered a fourth season of The L Word, the lesbian drama created by Ilene Chaiken.

“The L Word is without a doubt is one of Showtime’s true signature series,” said Showtime President Robert Greenblatt in a press release announcing the news.

The network has ordered 12 new episodes for the fourth season, set to begin production this summer and premiere on Showtime in 2007.

When the first season of The L Word debuted in 2004, it initially attracted close to a million viewers. In the second season, the ratings dropped to around half a million.

The third season debuted on January 8, 2005, and while Showtime has not released ratings information, Greenblatt indicated in his statement today that ratings were up sharply.

“Not only is the show — and the title — part of the pop culture,” said Greenblatt, “but we’ve seen a ratings explosion in season three, the likes of which we would never have predicted. Clearly something has caught fire, and we want the fourth season in production as soon as possible.”

Showtime elaborated further on the show’s impact on pop culture, saying in the press release that “Since its debut in January 2004, The L Word has become one of the rare television series to transcend the medium to become part of American popular culture, spawning dedicated fan websites and blogs, along with ancillary products such as The L Word-branded perfume, jewelry and books.”

No information has been announced yet about which cast members will be returning for the fourth season.

Source: AfterEllen.com