OUT OF THE BOX
There’s a new wave of queer TV – and we’re here for it
In Queer History Month, the BBC have made a little bit of their own history by making a show where the lead character is gay – but that’s not primarily what the show’s about. Phew! Wasn’t hard, was it? We got there in the end, babes – only took 80 years. Yep, in This Is Going To Hurt, main man Adam (played by Ben Whishaw) struggles as an overworked, traumatised “twats and brats”nhs doctor. And yes, his relationship with his partner does come to fore – especially as his waspish mother is unimpressed – but it’s just a part of his life.
To be fair, you could argue that ITV got there first with last year’s crime drama The Long Call, starring Fleabag’s Ben Aldridge. Detective shows are wildly popular, and we’ve already seen every conceivable character set-up, including ( just off the top of our head) opera-loving, author, alcoholic, psychic, serial killer, gambler, pensioner, gardener, heavily pregnant, OCD sufferer, drug addict, 12th century monk, and a man with one leg. Finally, Vera creator Anne Cleeves did something no one had dared do: she made one gay. Ground-breaking. No, it really was. Finally, sexuality was considered something that might not put off an audience. And they weren’t wrong.
No longer taboo
Channel 4’s smash It’s A Sin not only topped “Best of 2021” lists, it broke records on its streaming platform [All4], once again showing that queer stories can find a far broader audience than some seem to believe, and no doubt causing some TV commissioners to think long and hard about why they turned the show down. It’s A Sin, Euphoria, White Lotus, Killing Eve, Feel Good, Yellowjackets, Schitt’s Creek, Gentleman Jack, Star Trek Discovery, Derry Girls, Veneno, Big Mouth, Work In Progress, Sex Education, Elite, Young Royals, The Other Two, Pose, And Just Like That … – these aren’t just shows that feature queer characters in main roles. They are must-see binge-worthy TV for everyone, not just the LGBTQ+ community.
When telly’s a bit queer, it’s a little bit freer, a bit cheekier. If art is to represent life accurately, it needs to tell stories from a variety
‘When telly is queer, it’s freer’
of viewpoints. When we look at American sitcom Friends now, it seems crazy that a group of 20-something New Yorkers could be so white and straight. No one wants to make that mistake today. Although, to give Friends its due, the show did feature the first lesbian wedding on TV, and thankfully, 26 years later, that story (which was banned in some territories) seems tame.
Popular pioneers
So, why are we enjoying such diverse and inclusive content right now? You can just about pin the shift on two people. The first is Ryan Murphy, whose influence can’t be overstated. He scores hit after hit, weaving queerness into the fabric of virtually everything he creates. Shows like Nip/tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, Ratched, Halston, Hollywood and Pose achieved their success because of his irreverently queer sensibility, not in spite of it. The other is mother-tucking legend Rupaul Andre Charles. Rupaul’s Drag Race is so popular that it currently exists in ten different formats, (US, Allstars, UK, UK vs The World, Spain, Italy, France, Australia, Canada and Thailand). That’s a lot of queer people to fall in love with, root for, and follow on socials. In between the looks and lip syncs, contestants invite us into their lives and, after 20 seasons, we can still be shocked by the prejudice, rejection and violence faced by the majority of them. The show is brilliant fun, but it also reminds us that we’ve got a long way to go.
LGBTQ+ inclusion does not make people turn off in droves, and excluding queer people seems utterly backwards now, doesn’t it? Some shows may have only recently got their act together – looking at you Strictly – but once you’ve made that decision to move forward, it’s a bit cringe to look back, like rewatching your first Tiktok challenge. So, where next? Well, a good start might be for Love Island and other dating shows to wake up and realise that seeing people who’re LGBTQ+ as “logistical difficulties” is more than a bit ick. This year, they have said they’re accepting applications from non-binary contestants. Well, that’s a lovely start, but is a pansexual season too much to ask for? ■