Here's something that could get me to renew that Showtime subscription: Tracey Ullman has a new sketch comedy show set to debut on the premium channel in March. Five episodes of Tracey Ullman's State of the Union will air after steamy historical drama The Tudors, starting on March 30.

In the new series, Ullman will imitate a bunch of celebrities (including David Beckham, Cameron Diaz and Renee Zellweger) and political figures like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Arianna Huffington. We can also expect some original characters, and it sounds like Tracey will be exploring social issues when she plays a homeless woman without health insurance and a soldier on leave from Iraq. We can probably wager that same-sex marriage will also be a part of State of the Union.

CBS has released an early preview though it's not enough Tracey for my tastes.

Ah, well, leave us wanting more eh? In the meantime, here's a bit of background on Tracey's gay-significant comedy history...

Ullman has quite a history with her gay fans. She was an early innovator in bringing gay characters to sketch comedy. (Though clips of Ullman's sketch comedy are frustratingly difficult to find online.) Looking back at memories of Ullman's awkward teen character, Francesca, what strikes me as notable is how her gay parents aren't a big deal. Sure, social situations were often more awkward for her because she was being raised by two dads, but the focus was on Francesca's awkward maturing and not her gay dads. On her HBO series, Tracey Takes On..., she continued to include gay people as part of the human tapestry.

Recently, though, I've been taking another look at my first impression of Ullman, her 1983 album You Broke My Heart in 17 Places. In hindsight, I realize the album might have been my early primer in gay culture. The album featured Tracey's versions of songs from several gay icons including Kirsty MacColl ("They Don't Know"), Blondie ("(I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence Dear"), Dusty Springfield ("I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten") and Doris Day ("Move Over Darling"). You Broke My Heart in 17 Places was one of my first music purchases and my knowledge of these gay classics start with Tracey's version.