The Queer As Folk reboot has reached an early end. Peacock recently announced that the Russell T. Davies and Stephen Dunn series has been canceled after one season.
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Dunn shared the “disappointing news” of Queer as Folk’s cancellation on Instagram Friday.
The LGBTQ+ drama, which was a reimagining of Davies’ 1999 series of the same name, followed a group of queer friends in New Orleans dealing with the aftermath of a nightclub shooting.
The series starred Devin Way, Fin Argus, Jesse James Keitel, CG, Johnny Sibilly, and Ryan O’Connell.
“It’s a rare gift in these times, and in this country, to be able to make a show as fearless and unapologetic as Queer As Folk. This experience changed our lives forever and we’re so grateful to have found this incredible new family,” he wrote alongside a cast photo. “We know how much it’s meant to the fans and while we’re heartbroken we won’t get to make more episodes, we wanna thank everyone for watching … We’re so grateful for the chance to honor our community and are so proud of this show.”
Like many recent reboots, Queer As Folk made a point of assembling a more diverse cast and exploring more inclusive queer topics than in the past, such as gender fluidity and disability.
Before its release, the show faced some criticism for placing a nightclub shooting at the center of its storyline, which was inspired by the real-life Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando. Dunn told The Hollywood Reporter that there was “only one way” to redo the show, envisioning a Pulse-like event as the series’ catalyst. Queer As Folk’s pilot, which features the shooting, premiered just days before the six-year anniversary of the Pulse tragedy.
Some viewers, particularly those directly affected by the tragedy itself, found that particular plotline too close to home, especially because Peacock did not warn casual viewers about the shooting being depicted in the series trailer.
“Survivors of the story are still alive and walking around and carrying this weight with them every single day,” Orlando community organizer Christopher Cuevas told Them of the storyline. “And to be re-traumatized in the way that we have been without giving them the option to avoid that… is absolutely irresponsible.”
Prior to writing and filming the series, Dunn reached out to Joél Morales, a crisis responder during the Pulse tragedy, and Morales facilitated listening sessions between the show’s producers and a handful of willing survivors.
“Everybody felt like this is a story that needs to be told,” Morales told Them. “What happened at Pulse was real. We shouldn’t shy away from it.”
Folk is the latest in a slew of queer-themed series to face an untimely cancellation after streaming giant Netflix canceled the lesbian vampire series First Kill after only one season. It will join other gone-too-soon series like One Day at a Time and Love, Victor.
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