Queer as Folk

Showtime took the British eight-parter and stretched it into five seasons, adding a lesbian couple, a proper political spine and a great deal more sex. It is soap opera — the melodrama in later seasons is considerable — and it ran long enough to cover coming out, HIV, marriage, parenting and a bombing.

Its real significance is scale. This was a weekly American drama with an entirely queer ensemble at a time when most shows were rationing one gay character per network, and for a generation watching it on illicit DVDs it was the first sustained look at a life that included them.

Brash humor and genuine emotion make up this original series revolving around the lives, loves, ambitions, careers and friendships of a group of gay men and women living on Liberty Avenue in contemporary Pittsburgh, PA. The show offers an unapologetic look at modern, urban gay and lesbian lives while addressing the most critical health and political issues affecting the community. Sometimes racy, sometimes sensitive and always straight to the heart.

Synopsis and poster via TMDB.