“It sparked something within me”: the top LGBTQ television shows of all time – from Drag Race to Will & Grace
This week commemorates the 25th year of a generation discreetly watching Channel 4 with the volume lowered, hoping to avoid detection.
In February 1999, Russell T Davies’ Queer As Folk premiered. The show, which portrayed the lives of three homosexual friends in Manchester, was a daring portrayal of the gay community in Britain. It offered a unique and uplifting perspective on the experience of being gay.
“I distinctly recall wondering: ‘Does Canal Street actually exist?'” recalls Owain Wyn Evans, a DJ for BBC Radio 2. “At the time, living in Ammanford, south Wales, I had no role models or points of reference available, making it feel like a world away.”
The show has been hailed as a significant moment for representation of the LGBTQ+ community, but it was not the sole example. In this piece, well-known LGBTQ+ individuals such as Joe Lycett, Juno Dawson, and Alice Oseman discuss the TV shows that impacted them.
The Naked Civil Servant
The 1975 TV movie, starring John Hurt, delved into the life of raconteur Quentin Crisp and his determination to embrace his flamboyantly unapologetic identity as a gay man in England during the 1930s and 1940s. Hurt’s performance was highly praised, especially when genuine and compassionate depictions of LGBTQ+ individuals were uncommon in television. The Rev Richard Coles reflects, “I watched it with people who were able to witness a sympathetic portrayal of an openly gay man for the first time.”
Joe Lycett says: “John Hurt’s film depictions of Quentin Crisp are so wonderfully tender towards the iconic queer oddball. Crisp was fascinating to me – openly experimental with gender norms and sexuality at a time when it was incredibly dangerous to be so. Plus, witty, lyrical and very funny.”
The Naked Civil Servant is on Prime Video
The L Word
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This US drama, which debuted in 2004, was groundbreaking in the way it chronicled the lives of lesbian and bisexual women living in West Hollywood. Previously, lesbian and bisexual women had usually been single characters in shows full of heterosexual characters.
Suzi Ruffell, a comedian, states that she believes 90% of millennial lesbians eagerly watched The L Word, just like she did. The show was a significant portrayal of happy, successful gay women on television, without their sexuality being used as a joke or a plot device for a straight character. It covered various topics such as parenthood, relationships, infidelity, friendships, illness, mortality, romance, professional life, divorce, coming out, discrimination, and sexuality – including many explicit scenes.
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The television series, The L Word, can be found on Prime Video.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
With Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role, Buffy was subversive and feminist and, frankly, in a league of its own when it landed in 1997. But it was also radical in showing the romantic relationship between Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson). If only their storyline didn’t have such a sad ending.
Comedian Rosie Jones reflects, “It was truly beautiful to witness a queer female relationship blossom on TV. The representation of lesbian witches was something to adore. However, I am still haunted by Tara’s death.”
Disney+ has the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer available.
Will & Grace
The television show, premiered in 1998, played a instrumental role in introducing LGBTQ+ culture to the mainstream heterosexual audience. According to Adam Kay, the creator of This Is Going to Hurt, the show featured two openly gay characters who were already leading their lives, just one year after Ellen DeGeneres faced backlash for coming out.
Although the title of the show suggests a focus on the characters of Will (played by Eric McCormack) and Grace (played by Debra Messing), it truly was a collaborative effort, featuring Jack (played by Sean Hayes) with his multitude of ever-changing occupations, and the boldly vocal Karen (played by Megan Mullally) as well.
According to Kay, Jack was a significant improvement compared to previous camp innuendo machines. He was a gay man who was sexually active and had a great sense of humor. This made him enjoyable to be around and using humor to associate something can often help promote acceptance.
Will & Grace is on Now
Goodness Gracious Me
During the airing of Queer As Folk on Channel 4, Asifa Lahore, a drag queen, was also viewing Goodness Gracious Me on the BBC. This 1998 sketch show featured Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, and Nina Wadia and delved into British Asian culture, satirizing common stereotypes.
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One of the most memorable skits to me was when a British Indian man reveals his homosexuality to his Indian parents and introduces them to his white British boyfriend. The punchline is that his parents are more worried about him dating outside of their culture rather than his sexuality.
Lahore explains that the portrayal of this sketch is still significant to the south Asian community as a moment in queer pop culture. It represents genuine representation and acceptance long before queer culture became widely recognized.
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Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
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In 1990, a coming-of-age story that won a Bafta was released. It is based on a semi-autobiographical novel written by Jeanette Winterson and centers around a young girl named Jess (played by Charlotte Coleman) who rejects her Pentecostal upbringing after discovering she is a lesbian.
Jane Hill, the BBC newsreader, mentioned that she watched the program during her time in university. She had never seen representation of lesbians on TV prior to this, which was groundbreaking in itself.
“Despite my regretful longing, it took me several years to come to terms with my homosexuality. However, there is no denying that witnessing a young woman on screen courageously discover her true self and defy societal norms made a lasting impact on me.”
After three decades, there is still a lack of representation for gay and bisexual women on British television. What led to the cancellation of Lip Service after its first season? Even though there has been progress for LGBTQ+ representation, there is still a lot of work to be done for women’s representation.
The television series “Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit” can be found on Prime Video.
Keeping Up Appearances
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In the 1990s, Keeping Up Appearances was a delightfully camp show due to its smugness, sense of entitlement, and the character Hyacinth Bucket (played by Patricia Routledge) always correcting others to pronounce her surname, which is Bouquet.
“I couldn’t help but notice the allusions to her son and his ‘friend’ Tarquin as I was growing up,” reveals William Hanson, co-host of the podcast Help I Sexted My Boss. “Hyacinth’s lack of awareness or perhaps naivety regarding Sheridan’s lifestyle was a source of solace for me.”
“However, Hyacinth’s strict adherence to doing things correctly resonated with me and offered the potential for my own determination to make the mundane more thrilling to manifest into something meaningful in the future.”
The British television show, Keeping Up Appearances, is currently available for streaming on BBC iPlayer.
It’s a Sin
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Russell T Davies’s successful show in 2021 was not the initial production to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic (preceded by The Normal Heart, An Early Frost, and Angels in America), but this five-part series was exceptional in its focus on the tragically ended lives and the heroic individuals who provided support.
Deborah Gold, the CEO of the National Aids Trust, acknowledges the significant impact of “It’s a Sin” on the HIV community’s history. The show successfully brings these stories to the mainstream and does so in a genuine and resonant manner, striking a chord with viewers.
What was the reason for its strong connection? According to Christopher Sweeney, host of the Homo Sapiens podcast, it was due to Russell T Davies’ writing and his ability to portray compassion and love, two elements that were lacking at that time. Sweeney still reflects on it regularly.
The show titled “It’s a Sin” is currently airing on Channel 4.
The soaps
The moment Colin and Guido shared a kiss in the show EastEnders is unforgettable. Similarly, the passionate kisses between Todd and Nick, as well as Todd and Karl in Coronation Street, have left a lasting impact on viewers. Additionally, the kiss between Beth and Margaret in Brookside was a defining moment in the show. And who can forget the drawn-out will-they-won’t-they storyline between John Paul and Craig in Hollyoaks, which seemed to stretch on for ages.
Soap operas have been at the forefront of portraying LGBTQ+ lives in a subtle and detailed manner, often ahead of comedy and drama genres. This trend continues as Hollyoaks has included trans character Sally St Claire (played by Annie Wallace) for several years and Emmerdale’s Liv Flaherty (played by Isobel Steele) has had storylines focused on her exploration of asexuality.
Patrick Walters, the executive producer of Heartstopper, a TV series, explains that since soaps are meant for family viewing before the watershed and focus on average people, the representation of queer love in such a setting holds great significance. He believes that it helps in normalizing and creating excitement around LGBTQ+ relationships.
Eurotrash
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“Hello, my friends from Britain! In 1993, a late-night show called Channel 4, hosted by Jean Paul Gaultier and Antoine de Caunes, with narration by Maria McEarlane, intentionally embraced lowbrow humor. It was a lively, often crude tribute to European eccentricities, featuring plenty of nudity, innuendos, unusual animal performances, and the well-known duo, Pipi and Popo.”
According to DJ and drag queen Jodie Harsh, the show was incredibly campy, provocative, and disrespectful, boldly testing the boundaries for what was acceptable on television. With its vibrant, cartoon-like set and Lolo Ferrari sporting a pink bikini surrounded by scantily clad men covered in oil, the show stirred an intense feeling inside of her.
“Prime Video now offers Eurotrash for streaming.”
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Orange Is the New Black
In the early 2010s, Netflix introduced a new and groundbreaking approach by launching a show that could be viewed globally. This was a concept that we have become accustomed to, but was deemed revolutionary at the time. Among the shows that played a leading role in this transformation was Orange Is the New Black, a comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan in 2013, which was set in a female correctional facility.
Natasha Devon, a broadcaster and advocate for mental health, praised the representation of diverse queer women in this portrayal. She also added that while watching, it was the first time she saw women genuinely attracted to each other, without the performance being for the male gaze.
The show “Orange Is the New Black” can be found on the streaming platform Netflix.
The reality shows
From the beginning, Big Brother has promoted diversity which has contributed to its popularity. In 2001, a gay man named Brian Dowling won season two, and in 2004, a transgender woman named Nadia Almada won season five. The most recent season’s finale only featured queer individuals.
The eurovision contest is not available.
The Eurovision Song Contest has a long-standing connection with the LGBTQ+ community, with renowned victors such as Dana International in 1998, Conchita Wurst in 2014, and Duncan Laurence in 2019. The Eurovision competition is currently not accessible.
There is also the popular competition of drag queens known as Drag Race, hosted by RuPaul, which began in 2009 on a lesser known US channel, Logo. It has since become a worldwide phenomenon, with versions in countries such as Thailand, Chile, Belgium, Sweden, and the UK.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race tapped into the renaissance of drag in grassroots queer clubs and put it on a global stage,” says Alex Needham, the Guardian’s arts editor. “The UK version is an astonishing and very endearing collision of NYC ballroom culture and British camp. There’s been no programme in the past five years that has been so consistently hilarious, joyful and unapologetic.”
Euphoria
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In 2019, Sam Levinson’s bold and challenging TV show on HBO surpasses the level of controversy depicted in the British show Skins focused on teenagers.
According to Juno Dawson, who is both the author and screenwriter, she saw herself on TV for the first time through the portrayal of Jules. While there may be a discussion about the way director Sam Levinson chose to film her, Jules is a representation of a complex, flawed, and imperfect trans character.
In the past, trans characters were often depicted as either victims or perfect beings in media, with shows like Pose having numerous trans characters who were portrayed as wise and otherworldly, serving as learning experiences for cisgender characters.
“In the episode she co-wrote, Hunter Schafer had the chance to delve into her personal understanding of gender in a unique way that I have not seen before.”
“Euphoria is currently available.”
Ackley Bridge
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Ackley Bridge, Channel 4’s response to Waterloo Road, made its debut in 2017. The show, set in Yorkshire during the early evening, focused on the coming together of two schools – one with mostly white students and the other with a predominantly Asian population. The series delved into various weighty topics such as mental health, race, and religion.
According to Nadia Whittome, a Labour MP, Nas Paracha was the sole queer Asian female character depicted on television during that period. Whittome found it particularly uplifting to see such representation and to witness the character being embraced and supported by their family.
The TV show “Ackley Bridge” airs on Channel 4.
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A humorous and dramatic show about growing up, featuring captivating characters and a shocking and extremely gory cliffhanger? Naturally, Netflix decided to cancel it after just one season! However, this 2020 series, adapted from Charles Forsman’s graphic novel and starring Sophia Lillis as Sydney, is still fondly thought of. The short-lived show followed Sydney as she came to terms with her telekinetic abilities while simultaneously dealing with a chaotic life.
“Alice Oseman, the creator of Heartstopper, states that I Am Not Okay With This might be her favorite teenage show to date. The series is subtle, simplistic, and expertly portrays its themes and characters, making it a poignant and emotional viewing experience. Its untimely cancellation will always be a source of sadness for me.”
“Is she endowed with unmanageable abilities beyond human limits? Or is it a symbolic representation of the intense emotions of distress, uncertainy, and embarrassment that come with the realization of one’s queerness? Why not embrace both possibilities?”
The show “I Am Not Okay With This” can be found on Netflix.
Broad City
In 2014, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Wexler created a bizarre sitcom about two best friends in New York City. The show became popular online and certain scenes have become popular memes, such as Illana comically rushing down a hallway and responding with sarcasm when asked how her day went.
Jack Rooke, the creator and writer of Big Boys, expresses that the main characters are both openly LGBTQ+ and their journey to self-discovery is portrayed in a positive, understated and non-judgmental manner. He also notes that the characters are avid cannabis users, making it the perfect setting for a queer stoner comedy, and credits the actors for making it come to life.
Broad City is on Paramount+
Absolutely Fabulous
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Joanna Lumley’s character, Patsy, becomes upset when her real age is publicly revealed by a newspaper. Meanwhile, Jennifer Saunders’ character, Edina, is trying to hold on to her youth and feel superior despite working in a shop. The two friends’ chaotic relationship is set in the world of London fashion and was first introduced to viewers in 1992. Though ridiculous, their friendship is also uplifting.
“Its inclusion of homosexual themes was groundbreaking and not contrived,” stated Scott Mills, a DJ for BBC Radio 2. “The references were natural and nonchalant, which is how they should always be portrayed in media, but unfortunately were not in many other programs during that era.”
Absolutely Fabulous is on ITVX Premium
Glee
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Ryan Murphy’s pop-culture-obsessed series about a singing club in Ohio was subversive and constantly upbeat. While the legacy of the show is complicated by the deaths of several actors, it is undeniable that Glee was a huge step forward in queer representation in mainstream TV.
“I’ve never felt so visible on television before, and it gave me hope as an openly queer person,” states Jamie Windust, a contributing editor for Gay Times. They were particularly drawn to the characters and their struggles with unrequited love, bullying, and coming out, especially Kurt played by Chris Colfer. Seeing themselves represented in a young queer/non-binary child on TV was a first for them.
Glee is on Disney+
Schitt’s Creek
Canadian sitcom, developed by Eugene and Dan Levy, revolving around a previously affluent family who falls on hard times, gained widespread popularity following its release on Netflix in 2017. The portrayal of David, a pansexual character, and his romance with Patrick received high praise.
“I definitely related to him a bit too much,” comedian Daniel Foxx expresses. “This high-maintenance character, wearing designer hoodies and having a refined preference in soaps, is completely out of place in the small, rural town he is in. However, the longer you watch, you realize that it has been several episodes without anyone mentioning or judging his sexuality. It’s just a world where it’s not a concern at all.”
The residents of Schitt’s Creek embrace and support him for his true self. As their romance blossoms, they are not labeled as a “gay couple”, but simply as a couple, with the entire small town cheering for them. This heartwarming dynamic melted my icy heart.
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The show Schitt’s Creek can be found on the streaming platform Netflix.
Looking
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Looking, the HBO show about three gay friends in San Francisco, premiered in 2014 before All of Us Strangers. Unfortunately, the show was cut short after only 18 episodes and a movie-length finale.
But it has aged like a fine wine. It feels remarkably human and captures beautifully the little things – such as when Patrick (Jonathan Groff) and Richie (Raúl Castillo) catch each other’s eyes on the subway for the first time. Or the heartbreaking way Kevin (Russell Tovey) rubs Patrick’s ears when he knows he is seeing him for the last time.
After facing discrimination due to my sexuality for many years, I finally watched Looking and discovered that I am entitled to experience the joys and hardships of romantic love like anyone else. I became aware that there is a whole world waiting for me to explore.
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Source: theguardian.com
