23.02 / 22:05
tv
Entertainment
censorship
Queer as Folk
U.k.
25 years ago, ‘Queer As Folk’ debuted with a provocative (& problematic) premiere
Queer As Folk premiered on the British network Channel 4, fearlessly breaking down barriers for LGBTQ+ representation on television.Created by prolific TV producer Russell T Davies (It’s A Sin, Doctor Who), Queer As Folk—which inspired an equally influential American version the following year—dared to depict modern gay life in all its messy glory, specifically following the interconnected lives of three men living in and around Manchester’s historic gay village.Sure, Ellen Degeneres had already come out via her eponymous sitcom, and Will & Grace was in the middle of its groundbreaking first season, but Davies’ series was something else entirely. Up until that point, LGBTQ+ characters were often kept on the sidelines, or introduced for a “very special episode” to teach a lesson or bring about some shocking twist in a gambit to spike viewership.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.But Queer As Folk was a show for us, by us, unafraid of what “mainstream” audiences might think.
21.02 / 18:41
