Queer As Folk Set For a Modern Day Reboot

Queer As Folk Set For a Modern Day Reboot

If there was one TV show that really pushed the boundaries in the late 90’s, it would have to have been Queer As Folk.

Created by Russel T Davies, who most recently served up what was arguably the best television drama of quite some time in It’s A Sin, the original Queer As Folk UK series ran for two seasons, and the American version for five glorious years and seasons, ending in 2005.

Now, it appears 16 years later, and with Davies once again at the helm as executive producer, a new Queer As Folk reboot will be returning to our screens once more via American streaming service Peacock. This time written and directed by the Pulitzer Prize winning Stephen Dunn; it is said this latest rendition will follow a ‘diverse group of friends in New Orleans whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy’.

The project has been several years in the making, originally in development with Bravo back in 2018, it then moved NBCU streamer in 2019, but finally has been given a straight-to-series order.

“It is a surreal honour to adapt the notoriously ground-breaking series by Russell T. Davies,” Dunn said in a press release.

“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 …”

Lisa Katz, president, scripted content, NBC Universal Television and Streaming, added in a statement: “Queer as Folk was more than just a show, it was a ground-breaking and necessary voice for so many people. Stephen’s new version for Peacock arrives at yet another pivotal moment in our culture.”

Just how relevant this new version will be remains to be seen, as Dunn quite rightly mentions. The first two series were indeed provocative, but only because of the time in which they debuted.

With society having moved forward in leaps and bounds in the more than a decade since, one can’t help but look back on both and wonder where the hell is the diversity? But, with this latest series set in the New Orleans, there is promise that this latest incarnation will feature more Queers Of Colour, transgender characters, and more than just two token lesbians.

Beatrice Springborn, President of UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group and one of the parties responsible for bringing this acclaimed series back to life, said “Queer as Folk is a transformative show, that in its past iterations, was a pioneer in representation of the LGBTQ community and we’re excited to continue that legacy.

“Stephen Dunn brings an energy and modern lens to the series through characters we’ve fallen in love with. We can’t wait to bring it to Peacock for viewers to enjoy this visionary and vibrant show.”

No air date for the series has yet been announced.

 

 

 

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