Television series

Queer As Folk

Name: Queer As Folk
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2000
Cast: Gale Harold, Randy C. Harrison, Hal Sparks, Peter Paige, Scott Lowell

Social drama

Queer As Folk is an unapologetic ensemble drama following a tight group of gay and lesbian friends in Pittsburgh as they navigate careers, relationships, identity and community. It's funny and tender by turns, occasionally explicit, never sanitised. Essential viewing that changed what television could show and say about queer life.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a long, messy, character-driven soap about friendship, sex and ambition in a Pittsburgh gay scene, where the talk is sharp and the feelings land hard.

Skip it if you need your drama tight and quick, since with 83 episodes across five seasons it sprawls, and its sex scenes are frank enough to be a dealbreaker.

What it asks of you: Expect an hour per episode and a lot of them, with long stretches of talk, slow scenes of everyday life, and a tone that swings from bawdy to heartbreaking without warning.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The L Word2004

A parallel ensemble centred on lesbian and bisexual women in Los Angeles, with the same blend of humour, sex, melodrama and genuine stakes. Explores desire and identity with equal frankness.

But Some storylines age poorly, and the show sometimes mistakes shock value for depth. Pacing can drag in the middle seasons.

Six Feet Under2001

An HBO ensemble about a family business and the people who work there, balancing dark comedy with real grief and mortality. Same willingness to let characters be messy and contradictory.

But Slower burn than QAF, and the central premise—a funeral home—won't appeal if you need constant forward momentum. Heavy on dread.

Pose2018

A 1980s ballroom drama centred on Black and Latinx queer and trans performers. Celebrates joy and community while never flinching from the AIDS crisis, homophobia and poverty that shaped that world.

But Period setting and costume-heavy aesthetic might feel distant. Some narrative threads don't resolve as neatly as others.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Queer As Folk

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Torch Song Trilogy1988

Both find humour and tragedy in the same moments. Both insist that queer joy and queer suffering are equally real and worth showing without apology.

Harvey Fierstein's autobiographical play about a gay drag queen, his relationships and chosen family, adapted for film. Funny, raw and heartbreaking, with a fiercer register than QAF. A cultural ancestor.

But Shot in 1988, it looks and moves like theatre. The pacing is theatrical too—long speeches rather than quick cuts. Drag aesthetics and camp might feel dated.

Schitt's Creek2015

A family comedy where queerness is treated as completely ordinary and joyful. The writing is generous and funny; character arcs are genuinely satisfying. It earns every sentimental moment.

But Starts broad and somewhat mean-spirited. Takes a full season to find its warmth. If you hate fish-out-of-water premises, the setup will grate.

Looking2014

A quieter, more introspective look at gay men in San Francisco navigating sex, love and friendship in the app-dating age. Understated and often very funny, with real emotional weight.

But HBO cancelled it after two seasons. Deliberately paced and contemplative rather than plot-driven; doesn't have the propulsive energy of QAF.

Heartstopper2022

A British teen romance about two boys in sixth form discovering love. Charming, visually gorgeous, unafraid of sweetness and physical affection. Pure pleasure to watch.

But Tone is much lighter and less sexually explicit. No edge or cynicism; if you want darkness, this won't deliver it.

Orange Is the New Black2013

An ensemble prison drama with LGBTQ characters and storylines woven through the fabric rather than sidelined. Funny, devastating, angry and compassionate in equal measure.

But The sheer cast size means some stories get shortchanged. Netflix's cancellation left the final season rushed. Requires patience early on.

Minx2022

A 1970s comedy about a straight woman launching a feminist sex magazine and the closeted gay man she partners with. Witty, sexy and genuinely touching about desire and acceptance.

But Only got two seasons before cancellation. More comedy than drama; if you want weight and consequence, this is lighter fare.

Dietland2018

A surreal, angry, funny series about a ghostwriter for an advice column, with queer characters and plot threads throughout. Wildly imaginative and genuinely strange.

But Gets increasingly abstract and hard to follow. Cancelled after one season. Tonal shifts can feel jarring rather than purposeful.

Chinatown1974

Both are about people trying to navigate systems designed to crush them. Both understand that loyalty and betrayal are often two sides of the same coin.

A neo-noir about corruption, power and moral compromise in 1970s LA. Not queer content, but the architecture is identical: smart ensemble, shifting alliances, the gradual realisation that nobody's clean.

But Jack Nicholson's performance is excellent but abrasive. The ending is bleak in a way that offers no comfort. Very much a 1974 film—pacing and style will feel strange if you're used to contemporary TV.

Laurence Anyways2012

Both believe that interior life—how you feel about yourself and others—matters more than what happens externally. Both say: transition, coming out, self-discovery—these are profound, not dramatic plot points.

A Canadian film about a trans woman's transition and her relationship with her girlfriend. Long, patient, visually stunning. Treats gender transition with the same messy, tender complexity QAF brings to identity.

But 160 minutes, in French with subtitles. The pacing is slow and deliberate. If you need plot momentum, this will feel like watching paint dry. Some viewers find it self-consciously arty.