Culture / TV

Groundbreaking 90s series, ‘Queer as Folk’ is receiving a contemporary reboot set in New Orleans

Queer as Folk reboot

If you have a similar social media algorithm to the team at RUSSH; your feed will also be overflowing with news of some of our favourite 90s classics receiving the reboot treatment. From I Know What You Did Last Summer, to the ultimate rom-com She's All That; we're being served nostalgic reboots left, right and centre. Not that we're complaining, of course. One in particular, has caught our series attention. Russell T. Davies' groundbreaking series, Queer as Folk has been confirmed for a reboot – and there couldn't be a better time.

When the series first aired in 1999, it focused on three gay men played by Aidan Gillen, Craig Kelly, and Charlie Hunnam, living in the English city of Manchester. For the reboot, which is being produced by streaming service Peacock; the eight-episode series will "explore a diverse group of friends in New Orleans whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy."

Creator Stephen Dunn, spoke of the new series in a press release, sharing;  "It is a surreal honour 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 ..."

Queer as Folk was more than just a show, it was a groundbreaking and necessary voice for so many people. Stephen’s new version for Peacock arrives at yet another pivotal moment in our culture,” Lisa Katz, president, scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement.

Despite the hype, there's been no word just yet on when we can expect the series on our screens or who will star in the Queer as Folk reboot. Since the series first aired in the late 90s, there has been significant progress in the representation of queer characters and communities in entertainment. While there's certainly still a long way to go, a Queer as Folk reboot inspires some hope for progress; offering what will hopefully be an honest representation of modern queer culture.

Until then, a reminder of the original masterpiece.

Shouldn't you be on the list?

Sign up to the RUSSH Club for exclusive offers and invitations.

 

Image: Pinterest