With June Pride Month, there is plenty of LGBTQIA+ programming to talk about, including two sensational reboots, a gay rom-com, and the end of Australia’s queerest show.
The original Queer as Folk (2000), written by a pre-Dr Who Russell T. Davies, led to an American remake (2005) and both opened with a sex scene considered shocking for its time. It’s hard to top that today (to coin a phrase), given the explicit nature of shows like Euphoria (Binge) and Sex Education (Netflix), but that’s not to say QAF doesn’t push the boundaries.
Queer as Folk
Instead of trying to be more hardcore, the new Queer as Folk (Stan) gets busy with more diverse characters, more authentic casting (with openly gay and trans actors) and disabilities in the mix, including Ryan O’Connell (cerebral palsy) Eric Raise (bilateral amputee) and Nye DiMarco (deaf).
Kim Cattrall and Ed Begley Jr play one scene-stealing set of parents, while Juliette Lewis plays the role she always plays these days, which is that of a wild child hippie mom.
Queer As Folk is shaping up to be as thrilling a reboot as Wentworth was when it re-imagined Prisoner. The characters and story beats are familiar, but this is its own beast. Huge thumbs up.
The Boys
Anyone looking for outrageous sex scenes should check out The Boys (Amazon Prime). Within the first five minutes of season three, gay superhero Termite (Brett Geddes) shrinks himself down to explore the inside of his partner’s penis, and what happens next has to be seen to be believed.
The Kids in the Hall (Amazon Prime) was a 1988 Canadian sketch comedy that didn’t make it to Australia. Now, after a 20-year break, the entire cast, including Dave Foley and Mark McKinney, is back along with SNL executive producer Lorne Michael.
The Kids in the Hall
I was living in Canada when this first aired, and even back then, Scott Thompson was pushing the envelope with queer humour. This is a really funny show and it’s great to see the Kids back at their best.
Fire Island (next Friday on Disney+) is a new rom-com inspired by Pride and Prejudice, but now done through the lens of a predominantly Asian-American cast. Written by Joel Kim Booster, who also plays the lead Elizabeth Bennett type character, this is sexy and sweet viewing.
Fire Island
With Tim Dormer back on Big Brother (Seven), The Graceland Happiness Project (Amazon Prime) should remind fans about the trip he once took fellow contestant Ben Zabel on in 2014. Two gay friends travel to Elvis’ mansion to improve their mental health, and the results are entertaining.
And with Neighbours wrapping up filming (10 Peach), double episodes start next Monday to bring us up to date with UK viewers. Neighbours, which has recently introduced new queer characters like non-binary Asher (Kathleen Ebbs) and Christian lesbian Kiri (Gemma Bird Matheson), will leave the airways on August 1 as the most sexually diverse drama in the history of Australian TV.
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