Queer As Folkis undoubtedly one of themost influential LGBTQIA+ showsof all time. It paved the way not only for the gay TV staples likeEastsiders,Looking,Pose, andIt’s a Sin, but also all the modern-dayqueer-inclusive dramas such asRiverdale,Elite,Sex Education, andEuphoria, to name a few. Despite being over 20 years old now, it still holds up well and could offer a binge-worthy viewing experience to fans of the above-mentioned, who aren’t yet familiar with it. Or it can be re-watched in preparation for the upcoming reboot. The British version is available on Channel 4, and the American-Canadian one can be streamed on its parent channel, Showtime, and Hulu.
The new show is in the hands of a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer Stephen Dunn, whose first film,Closet Monster, a fantasy drama about internalized homophobia, won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. He explained his excitement about the opportunity to adapt a show that was a significant source of inspiration during his younger years withVariety:
“When the show originally aired, the idea of unapologetic queer stories on TV was so provocative that I felt I could only watch Queer as Folk in secret. But so much has changed in the last 20 years and how wonderful would it be if the next generation didn’t have to watch Queer as Folk alone in their dank basements with the sound muted, but with their family and friends and the volume cranked all the way to the max.”
Here’s what we know about the reboot so far!
According to the official plot summary, the show takes place in New Orleans and “centers on a group of club-going friends who find support in the gay community following a tragedy.” We’re yet to hear more details about the storyline, but Jesse James Keitel, who’s starring in the reboot, has already revealed that we will get a fresh take and not a carbon copy of the two previous shows. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, they stated:
“It feels organic. These friend groups, this looks like my friend group. It doesn’t feel like manufactured Hollywood. It just feels correct. And the chemistry between the cast is like nothing that’s been seen on TV. It’s just magic. We’ve known each other for a few weeks, and I feel like I’ve known them for a lifetime.”
They have described the project as “unapologetically explicitly queer,” and we’re here for it!
The first announced series regular was aforementioned Jesse James Keitel, best known for the ABC crime seriesBig Sky, with which they became the first non-binary actor playing a major role in an American prime-time show. Their character is “a trans, semi-reformed party girl who is struggling to grow up.” The other main cast members are Devin Way as “a charming and sometimes chaotic commitment-phobe,” Fin Argus as “cocky high schooler whose confidence belies his lack of real-world experience,” Candace Grace as “a non-binary professor navigating the rocky transition from punk to parenthood’ and Johnny Sibilly as ‘a successful lawyer who is not as put together as he seems,” according toDeadline.
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There will also be thrilling guest appearances, includingSex and The City’sbeloved star Kim Cattrallin the recurring role of “a martini-soaked, high-society Southern debutant with trailer park roots.” Joining her will be Ryan O’Connell, known for his semi-autobiographical Netflix comedySpecial, playing “a pop culture nerd with cerebral palsy who is more than ready for some independence,” andEuphoria’sLukas Gage as a personal trainer. We’ll see other big industry names like Juliette Lewis and Ed Begley Jr. The diverse and talented lineup also brings us Armand Fields, Benito Skinner, Megan Stalter, Eric Graise, Olli Haaskivi, Sachin Bhatt, Chris Renfro, and more.
Premiere Date
The series will have eight episodes, with the first one set to air on May 27 on the NBCUniversal owned American streaming service, Peacock TV. A French adaptation was also announced to be in works by Telfrance’s production label Aux Singuliers in 2019, honoring the original’s twentieth anniversary.
What It’s Based On
The original series was created by the Welsh screenwriting powerhouse Russell T Davies, also known for another noteworthy project of his creative career,Doctor Who, which premiered in 1999. During its two seasons, the original followed a group of working-class gay friends in Manchester. It featured an abundance of explicit male-on-male scenes right from the very start, transcending all the hetero-normative soap opera tropes. Unsurprisingly, it stirred up an unprecedented amount of controversy. Conservative opponents called for censorship, while the gay audience criticized it for its concerning omission of the AIDS epidemic. To the surprise of many, the main character of gay Casanova called Stuart was played by a straight man. It earned Aidan Gillen, whom you may know as Littlefinger fromGame of Thrones, a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.
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The American-Canadian version came out only several months after the British show’s finale. Although it started as a loose remake with different character names, it soon formed its own unique storylines. It had become a commercial success spanning five seasons and an impressive total of 83 episodes. Although set in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, it was shot in Ontario and Toronto in Canada. It pushed the boundaries of American television with its daring depiction of homosexual sensuality and, to this date, is regarded as a milestone for queer representation in the mainstream.
