A Queer as Folk reboot is on the way at Peacock over 20 years after the original show aired. The British TV series was a cultural touchstone of the late '90s and early 2000s due to its depiction of three gay men living in Manchester. Created by Russell T. Davies, who's also behind the recent miniseries It's A Sin, Queer as Folk starred Aidan Gillen, Craig Kelly, and Charlie Hunnam. Consisting of just 10 episodes, it was nonetheless an important step in TV's portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community.
Queer as Folk inspired a U.S. series of the same name that ran from 2000-2005. It addressed many of the same themes as the U.K. version but was set in Pittsburgh. Considering the success of both shows, it didn't come as much of a surprise when Bravo began developing a reimagining of the British series in 2018. At the time, the Queer as Folk reboot was said to be "a modern take" focused on "a group of club-going friends who find support in the gay community following a tragedy." Davies was involved as an executive producer, with Stephen Dunn (Closet Monster) writing, directing, and executive producing.
Variety reports the Queer as Folk reboot is now heading to Peacock, with the streamer ordering it straight to series. Davies and Dunn are taking on the same roles that were previously announced, with the reboot now revealed to be set in New Orleans. Dunn issued a statement expressing his excitement about the series order, highlighting how different the world looks now compared to 20 years ago:
It is a surreal honor to adapt the notoriously groundbreaking series by Russell T. Davies. When the show originally aired, the idea of unapologetic queer stories on TV was so provocative that I felt I could only watch ‘Queer as Folk’ in secret. But so much has changed in the last 20 years and how wonderful would it be if the next generation didn’t have to watch ‘Queer as Folk’ alone in their dank basements with the sound muted, but with their family and friends and the volume cranked all the way to the max…
Peacock seems like a great home for the Queer as Folk reboot. In an effort to stand out in the increasingly crowded streaming market, the platform has established itself as the go-to place for updated takes on older shows. It's released revivals of both Saved by the Bell and Punky Brewster, with the former already renewed for season 2. In July 2020, Peacock also debuted Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, a movie follow up to the USA Network series and 2017 film Psych: The Movie. It's clear from the news about Queer as Folk that the streamer has no plans to change its strategy of focusing on familiar properties.
Of course, it's worth noting the Queer as Folk reboot is a slightly different beast. Though the Saved by the Bell revival primarily focuses on a new class of students at Bayside High, it also features some of the original cast in supporting roles. Peacock's version of Queer as Folk will instead be an entirely new story and likely won't feature appearances by characters from the original British or U.S. series. This will help the show stand out, and as Dunn says, hopefully bring in a new generation of viewers.
Source: Variety