This is something of a golden age for reboots of existing properties, and one of the most recent examples of this phenomenon is Queer as Folk, the third iteration of the series of this title. As with the previous two, it focuses on a group of LGBTQ+ friends, following their lives and loves as they contend with the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy.
Though it is in many ways a unique series, it also shares several things in common with both the other shows of the same title as well as the numerous other LGBTQ+ dramas and comedies that have aired over the years.
It’s A Sin (2021)
Streaming On HBO
One of the most notable aspects of Queer as Folk is its emphasis on the way that the community gathers together to support one another in the aftermath of violence. A similar dynamic is at work in It’s a Sin, which focuses on the beginnings of the AIDS crisis in the UK and the way it impacts a group of young friends.
It’s a powerful series, grounded in dynamic performances from its central cast. What’s more, it’s also a series that has a powerful message, one that reminds the viewer of just how devastating this disease was for gay men.
Heartstopper (2022-present)
Streaming On Netflix
Heartstopper has quickly become one of the best and most popular series on Netflix. It’s easy to see why, as it focuses on two queer teen boys who slowly fall for one another. Though they each have to contend with their demons, it is ultimately a show about the power of first love to conquer almost everything else.
With its focus on the young LGBTQ+ experience, it has a great deal in common with Queer as Folk, though it is a bit gentler in its approach to the material.
Queer As Folk (2000-2005)
Streaming On Showtime
In many ways, Queer as Folk is one of the most important LGBTQ+ series. It was one of the first to focus exclusively on the queer experience in the US, and it is especially notable for its frank depiction of sex between men.
However, though it was often a very titillating show, it also wasn’t afraid to address the more serious issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, including hate crimes, AIDS, and parental rejection. It is, thus, necessary viewing to understand the legacy with which the new series is in conversation.
Love, Victor (2020-present)
Streaming On Hulu
Love, Victor is one of the best series streaming on Hulu. At first glance, it seems little more than a traditional teen drama, as the title character contends with the perils of coming out and with the everyday dramas of high school life. However, like Queer as Folk, it isn’t afraid to address some of the more serious issues facing today’s queer youth.
In particular, it focuses on such issues as alcoholism, parental struggles, and mental illness. However, it never loses sight of the fact that its characters are young people that the viewer is supposed to care about and cheer for.
Looking (2014-2016)
Streaming On HBO Max
Though it only lasted for a few seasons, Looking was nevertheless an extraordinary series that demonstrated the various types of stories that television could tell about gay men and, in that respect, it has much to offer fans of Queer as Folk.
Focusing on three friends in San Francisco who have to contend with the vagaries of everyday life, it had a slow, slice-of-life dramatic storytelling that immersed the viewer in these characters’ lives. Though they could at times be frustrating in their behavior, this is precisely what made them feel like real individuals rather than simple caricatures and thus it was easy to get invested in their lives.
Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
Streaming On Netflix
There are few feel-good series as highly-regarded as Schitt’s Creek, which focuses on the wealthy Rose family once they lose their money and take up residence in the town of the title. Though much of the humor stems from the fish-out-of-water scenario, what will make it appeal to fans of Queer as Folk is the powerful romance between David and Patrick.
It is one of the most sensitive and heartfelt expressions of same-sex love on television, and it’s clear how much each of them loves one another and how much they each bring to the relationship.
Somebody Somewhere (2022-present)
Streaming On HBO Max
Somebody Somewhere has quickly established itself as one of the best series on HBO Max. Though it focuses on a woman, Sam, who has to contend with both her grief at her sister’s death as well as various other aspects of small-town life.
While the grief aspect will be sure to make it appeal to fans of Queer as Folk, it is also a notable series for the way that it shows how LGBTQ+ people manage to make a life for themselves, even in the unlikeliest of places.
Sex Education (2019-present)
Streaming On Netflix
Sex Education is another excellent series streaming on Netflix. Though it is, at times, a raunchy teen sex comedy, at others it is a thoughtful exploration of human sexuality and relationships. It has much to offer those who enjoy the series Queer as Folk, particularly in its depiction of its LGBTQ+ characters.
What is especially notable about the series is the extent to which it is not only willing to talk about the particularities of sex but also to break from many established stereotypes.
Pose (2018-2021)
Streaming On Hulu
In many ways, Queer is Folk is about the power of community, about how even those who are oppressed can draw together in times of distress and tragedy. This is also true of Pose, one of the best series to have been produced by Ryan Murphy.
It focuses in particular on the drag ball culture of the 1980s and 1990s, and how the various trans women and gay men found in that subculture a shelter from both the outside world and the AIDS crisis. It is a series full of powerful performances.
Will & Grace (1998-2020)
Streaming On Hulu
Will & Grace is arguably one of the most influential pieces of LGBTQ+ television. Through the genre of the sitcom, it introduced many Americans to gay people and their interests, particularly through its two gay characters, Will and Jack, as well as their female friends Grace and Karen.
Though it never lost sight of the fact that it was, above all, a comedy, it was also quite a subversive series. For these reasons, it is sure to appeal to fans of the new Queer as Folk.