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RUSSELL T Davies has penned a hard-hitting new drama telling the human story behind the headlines of the 1980s Aids crisis.

The writer and producer is no stranger to controversy after creating Queer As Folk and Cucumber.

He claims The Boys has taken years to complete.

Russell said: “I lived through those times and it’s taken me decades to build up to this. As time marches on, there’s a danger the story will be forgotten. So it’s an honour to write this for the ones we lost and the ones who survived.”

The five-part drama for Channel 4 follows the story of three boys, Ritchie, Roscoe and Colin living in the 1980s. The lads are strangers at first – having all left home at 18 and headed for London – but their lives become entwined as they walk straight into what was once described as “the gay plague”.

Together they endure the horror of the crisis – which started off as a rumour and was largely ignored at first – before it turned into a nightmare for those affected.

C4 commissioning editor Lee Mason said: “Nearly 20 years after the glorious Queer As Folk left an indelible mark on British TV and changed the pop culture landscape forever, I am thrilled Russell is back on Channel 4 with The Boys.

“It feels just as landmark, just as uncompromising and just as heartfelt.”