Sordid Lives, The Series, To Premier July 23

Jason Dottley, shown above, stars as Ty Williamson in the series.

On "Sordid Lives: The Series," the colorful folk in a certain Texas town are back in action after having won an avid following with the 1996 play and 2000 movie of the same name.

For the 12-episode comedy, creator-writer-director Del Shores has reunited stars from his film including Bonnie Bedelia, Olivia Newton-John, Beth Grant and Leslie Jordan, who are joined by recruits Rue McClanahan and Caroline Rhea.

What results is a riotous saga, larger than life but not far from the truth as it depicts small-town life imbued with the Spirit, cigarette smoke and self-administered Valium; pecan pie, whiskey shots at the local bar and undying love of country music superstar Tammy Wynette. And various sides of the sexual equation.

For instance, Jordan plays Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram, a drag queen fixated on Wynette and locked in a mental ward, where he's subjected to therapy to "de-homosexualize" him.

He's not the only member of the family with issues. His handsome young nephew, Ty (Jason Dottley), has set off for West Hollywood, where he struggles as an actor while trying to accept his homosexuality after being raised, he says, "rigid Southern Baptist."

"Sordid Lives" premieres Wednesday (July 23) at 10 p.m. EDT on cable's Logo network, which targets lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender viewers. But this comedy just might bring in the broader audience it deserves.