It’s been more than 20 years since Queer as Folk premiered, first as a British series, then as a steamy and groundbreaking cable soap in the United States.
“In queer years, that was a millennium ago!” original creator Russell T. Davies said in a statement today alongside a sneak peek at the upcoming reboot, which will debut on Peacock June 9.
The much-hyped new iteration of Queer as Folk, created by director Stephen Dunn, has already promised a diverse array of characters that’s more reflective of its title. And the cast is thankfully stacked with queer actors in queer roles, including Devin Way, Fin Argus, Jesse James Keitel, CG, Johnny Sibilly, Megan Stalter, and Ryan O’Connell. Guest stars announced so far include LGBTQ+ icons Kim Cattrall and Juliette Lewis.
From the looks of the first preview images, the New Orleans-set series promises plenty of mood lighting, nightlife, sex, and interpersonal drama. After all, what would Queer as Folk be without Babylon, the mega club where tea is spilled, wild oats are sewn, and glitter might as well be oxygen? A brief teaser suggests the hedonist mecca is right where it should be.
The creative team has been tight-lipped about plot details so far, but they say the series aims to reflect the experiences of its target audience. “If there's one person who is able to see Queer as Folk and feel less alone, or who now feels more supported and seen, our job is done,” Dunn said in a statement. “Above all else, the series is about people who live vibrant, vital, unapologetically queer lives.”
Executive producer and writer Jaclyn Moore spoke directly to the series’ depiction of trans characters, who were all but absent in the original. “As a trans woman, I’m excited to take steps to move past telling stories that seem to just be arguing for our basic humanity,” Moore said.
“All too often I feel as though queer and trans representation in art is limited to extremes,” she went on. “We are either shown as saintly heroes bravely surviving a bigoted society or two-dimensional queer-coded villains that feel airdropped in from some previous era.”
According to Moore, the new Queer as Folk aims to depict “queer characters who live in the messy middle” between those poles.
As renowned fans of both inclusivity and mess, we are very pleased to hear this. Davies is particularly excited that the reboot of his original creation will be reflective of its significantly evolved cultural context.
“As a community, we’ve radicalized, explored, opened up, and found new worlds with new enemies and new allies,” he said, promising that the new series is “more diverse, more wild, more free, more angry — everything a queer show should be.”
We’ll be lining up at Babylon when the series premieres on Peacock June 9.
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