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Queer As Folk (USA)

I can't believe that people used to watch this dreck! It absolutely doesn't hold up, eighteen years later.

Showtime is re-airing episodes in June (I guess for Pride month), and I started watching it for the first time. Ugh.

Oh, the cliches! And the horrible dialogue!

I remember my older brother (who is also gay) used to regard QAF as "gay canon," and he did everything to imitate and emulate those guys.

Looking back, all I can say is that the Brian Kinney character is repulsive. I would HATE to have someone like that in my life who is arrogant, inconsiderate, egotistical, and has no regard for other peoples' feelings, but always seems to think that he can skate by on his good looks. In other words - PUNCH AND DELETE.

Michael was whiny, and Justin was annoying. The other two guys were gay cliche fillers, sort of like Ted Allen and Tom Filicia on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

The whole thing is nearly unwatchable, some 18 years after its debut.

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by Anonymousreply 274October 29, 2020 1:59 PM

I don’t know that I’d call it unwatchable, but ....

That said, no one at the time were screaming for Emmy nominations. It is a soap (a prime time soap, but still a soap). I’ve seen far worse. It was fine.

by Anonymousreply 1June 5, 2018 1:21 AM

There were gay characters. That was the appeal.

by Anonymousreply 2June 5, 2018 1:24 AM

Wasn't Hal Sparks homophobic or something?

I remember at the time reading on Datalounge, that he had made some not so kind remarks about gay people, or he was being super defensive about being called "gay," or something like that.

by Anonymousreply 3June 5, 2018 1:31 AM

With each new episode, I'm hating the Brian character more and more.

Like I seriously want someone to knock him out.

by Anonymousreply 4June 5, 2018 1:31 AM

Yes, it was terrible then and it is terrible now. The fact that some people on here thought it was better than Looking is beyond comprehension. For as slow or "misrepresented" as Looking was, it was far better than QAF. That goes for the UK version, which everyone said was superior to the US one.

by Anonymousreply 5June 5, 2018 1:37 AM

[quote]That said, no one at the time were screaming for Emmy nominations. It is a soap (a prime time soap, but still a soap)

Yep. It isn't like anyone ever thought it was highbrow fare.

But it was revolutionary at the time. Gay male main characters, having sex, lots of sex. Nothing like that had ever aired on American television.

by Anonymousreply 6June 5, 2018 1:37 AM

I watched the show faithfully because it was the only gay-focused show on television, but I agree with you, Brian was indeed repulsive. I never could understand the (rather obsessive) adoration he and his portrayer got here on DL.

by Anonymousreply 7June 5, 2018 1:37 AM

It was wildly uneven. It had some good storylines and a few good moments, but overall it wasn't a very good show. And Brian was a douchebag character. Why anyone would be around him was beyond me. He wasn't even hot.

by Anonymousreply 8June 5, 2018 1:40 AM

[quote]I remember at the time reading on Datalounge, that he had made some not so kind remarks about gay people, or he was being super defensive about being called "gay," or something like that.

People got mad because Hal Sparks talked about how didn't enjoy the gay sex scenes, said kissing a guy was like kissing a dog.

by Anonymousreply 9June 5, 2018 1:42 AM

Preferred Six Feet Under...

by Anonymousreply 10June 5, 2018 1:44 AM

This was an absolutely horrid show. Even on its first airing I thought it was one of the worst things ever on television.

by Anonymousreply 11June 5, 2018 1:45 AM

I watched all 60 episodes on my Toshiba laptop 5 years ago. I'll never watch QAF ever again. As a gay drama it was exactly as you'd expect. It was a relaxing 3 days. Apart from when my then partner tried to bust the laptop over my head for not giving him head.

by Anonymousreply 12June 5, 2018 1:50 AM

I bought season 5 on dvd. It is in the category of so bad it is good. There were some good actors. I really thought Hal Sparks was a homo because he played it so well. The Justin and Brian characters were beyond annoying. It was just pure sensation. No substance. Although considering how many of the characters were toxic pieces of shit, like most of the posters on DL, I guess that reflects reality. Plus, as if there would be a club like Babylon in such a shit hole town.

by Anonymousreply 13June 5, 2018 1:52 AM

Same reason black people Watch Tyler Perry movies. When you are underrepresented in the media, sometimes any representation is appreciated and watched

by Anonymousreply 14June 5, 2018 1:52 AM

The two lesbians worked ny nerves. Especially that sanctimonious Melanie.

What a cunt.

by Anonymousreply 15June 5, 2018 1:53 AM

Sharon Gless was the best thing about the show.

She really gave it some heart, which was lacking in QAF.

by Anonymousreply 16June 5, 2018 1:55 AM

[quote] People got mad because Hal Sparks talked about how didn't enjoy the gay sex scenes, said kissing a guy was like kissing a dog

Okay, that's BAD.

Can you just imagine the backlash that he'd be getting today, what with Facebook, Twitter, etc.?

He would probably have been gone after Season 1.

by Anonymousreply 17June 5, 2018 1:56 AM

What's interesting is that this show couldn't be made today, because it centers around club culture, which is pretty much non-existent in 2018

by Anonymousreply 18June 5, 2018 1:56 AM

Brian was such a prick.

by Anonymousreply 19June 5, 2018 1:57 AM

I give Sparks a pass for those comments. He’s ultra progressive and a total ally to the gay community. I’d rather focus my anger on those trying to do us real harm than the unenlightened comments an actor made 20 years ago.

by Anonymousreply 20June 5, 2018 1:58 AM

I watched the UK one on VHS tapes I think I found on eBay. I liked it a lot. From the first episode, the US one felt like an inferior shot-by-shot remake.

by Anonymousreply 21June 5, 2018 1:59 AM

I've only watched seasons 2 and 3. I quite enjoyed the storyline where Debbie slowly came to terms with Michael dating HIV+ Ben. I agree though that most of it was pretty cringeworthy. Hal Sparks in particular was woefully miscast.

by Anonymousreply 22June 5, 2018 1:59 AM

Was Hal Sparks supposed to be a twink when it first aired?

That's funny, because both he and Gale would have been 31 when it first aired, which is hardly a twink.

When he met David the chiropractor, he actually referred to him as "old." How ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 23June 5, 2018 2:01 AM

I liked Emmett a lot, he added a certain charm to the show. And Justin's mom. Hated the Ted character, so ugly and no personality or charisma at all, how he even got cast is beyond me. Some of the writing was simply absurd but like many have already said, there wasn't much else at the time.

by Anonymousreply 24June 5, 2018 2:11 AM

Hal Sparks and Gale Harold's characters were childhood friends. Michael and Brian were both 29 when the show started.

by Anonymousreply 25June 5, 2018 2:14 AM

The lesbians were insufferable.

by Anonymousreply 26June 5, 2018 2:14 AM

It was Melrose Place for gay people, nothing more. People got way too over-invested in it. I just enjoyed it for the gay soap opera that it was.

by Anonymousreply 27June 5, 2018 2:15 AM

You're overthinking it. It was a fluffy soap with gay sex.

by Anonymousreply 28June 5, 2018 2:17 AM

Queer As Folk would be a shitstorm of outrage today, with the entire main cast being CIS WHITE MALES.

by Anonymousreply 29June 5, 2018 2:19 AM

Yeah, I also recently started re-watching QAF and it does not really stand the test of time. Sadly, in some ways. As R18 said, it centered so much on club culture which has gone downhill in 15 short years.

Could never really warm up to whiny Michael and Justin was almost always insufferably smug and annoying. The Brian caricature was so completely unrealistic that it amuses me how angry the fraus were at the show's finale.

by Anonymousreply 30June 5, 2018 2:19 AM

Melanie was awful.

by Anonymousreply 31June 5, 2018 2:22 AM

I always fast-forwarded the scenes with the lesbians.

by Anonymousreply 32June 5, 2018 2:25 AM

Brian and Justin were not as good looking as they tried to portray. Ted was not as ugly.

by Anonymousreply 33June 5, 2018 2:27 AM

[quote] Hal Sparks and Gale Harold's characters were childhood friends. Michael and Brian were both 29 when the show started

They were both born in 1969, which would have made them 31 in the year 2000.

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by Anonymousreply 34June 5, 2018 2:30 AM

The UK version was soooooo much better and only 7 or so episodes in two seasons. This being said, and I'm repeating what others have said before: It was LITERALLY the only "gay" show on TV, at the time. Sure the acting, plotting, character development, sets...all were sub par, but so are most soaps. But there was nudity, and men making out...I liked when they aired "Gay Duck" after the show. Do any of those actors have careers now? Other then Sharon Gless? ( Randy Harrison does theater, one of 'the boyfriends" is on a commercial, and one of the girls was on Dante's Cove 100 years ago...)

by Anonymousreply 35June 5, 2018 2:32 AM

Gosh, I thought it was a fun diversion.

by Anonymousreply 36June 5, 2018 2:34 AM

This TV show did not change the world or decipher the secrets of alchemy. FAIL.

by Anonymousreply 37June 5, 2018 2:37 AM

I always hated this show and never got the appeal. Shallow, poorly written, melodramatic. Awful.

by Anonymousreply 38June 5, 2018 2:39 AM

[quote]I always hated this show and never got the appeal

...

[quote]There were gay characters. That was the appeal.

by Anonymousreply 39June 5, 2018 2:41 AM

I forced myself (literally) to watch the first season, but I finally gave up. I wanted so desperately to see gay characters and plotlines, but I eventually had to face the fact that it just wasn't good TV. I couldn't get invested in the characters, and ended up not caring what happened to any of them. I went back to watching good movies with good acting and great dialogue, and never looked back.

by Anonymousreply 40June 5, 2018 2:50 AM

I always thought Hal Sparks really was gay.

by Anonymousreply 41June 5, 2018 2:51 AM

I think I made it up to season 3? I think it was 3. I just sorta checked out. Not sure why. I'd been enjoying it well enough. It's a decent show. Emmett was my favorite. I thought he was a sweetheart.

by Anonymousreply 42June 5, 2018 2:51 AM

lol, yeah the lesbian scenes were the worst.

As a young gay, I spilled a lot of seed to that violinist that Justin hooked up with.

by Anonymousreply 43June 5, 2018 2:53 AM

Of all the cities in the US, what made them set the show in Pittsburgh?

by Anonymousreply 44June 5, 2018 2:53 AM

I don't care what you say, I wanted Brian Kenney inside me quite deeply and thought he was HAF.

by Anonymousreply 45June 5, 2018 2:55 AM

I hated Michael. He used to make the stupidest, goofiest faces. I wanted to smack his face until the skin was destroyed like shredded meat.

by Anonymousreply 46June 5, 2018 3:01 AM

They wanted an "industrial working-class" type city like Manchester where the original version was set, and somebody picked Pittsburgh to be similar r44.

They didn't seem to think through that while Manchester has a large vibrant gay scene, Pittsburgh didn't have much of one so it made zero sense. The best similarity to Manchester would have been Chicago imo.

by Anonymousreply 47June 5, 2018 3:05 AM

The show has held up well, remaining one of the best portrayals ever of gay life.

by Anonymousreply 48June 5, 2018 3:05 AM

rofl R48.

good one.

by Anonymousreply 49June 5, 2018 3:06 AM

What's with Hal Sparks and the double earrings?

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by Anonymousreply 50June 5, 2018 3:28 AM

Gale Harold still looks good for his age...

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by Anonymousreply 51June 5, 2018 3:31 AM

Were people enjoying Rosie as the plucky Loretta Pye?

by Anonymousreply 52June 5, 2018 4:14 AM

The execution of it could have been much better, but the concept was a good one. A group of gay men, living their lives as the people they were with no excuses and no apologies. A rather bold premise for its time.

by Anonymousreply 53June 5, 2018 4:19 AM

[quote] A group of gay men, living their lives as the people they were with no excuses and no apologies. A rather bold premise for its time.

Meh.

Broken Hearts Club did it first.

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by Anonymousreply 54June 5, 2018 4:28 AM

So are Gale Harold and Hal Sparks both still single?

Pushing 50, and no mention of significant others on either of their wiki pages.

by Anonymousreply 55June 5, 2018 4:28 AM

I can't believe that Randy Harrison is 40.

Time really does fly by.

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by Anonymousreply 56June 5, 2018 4:42 AM

[quote]Do any of those actors have careers now? Other then Sharon Gless? ( Randy Harrison does theater, one of 'the boyfriends" is on a commercial, and one of the girls was on Dante's Cove 100 years ago...)

Robert Gant, who played Michael's AIDS-y boyfriend, went on to star in this sendoff of 1950s classroom films, [italic]Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer.[/italic] Other than that, he seems to have dropped off the planet.

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by Anonymousreply 57June 5, 2018 5:06 AM

Would it be safe to say that QAF pretty much destroyed all of the main actors' television/film careers?

by Anonymousreply 58June 5, 2018 5:09 AM

it's all we had; I actually liked it.

I thought Harold, Page, and Gless were all Emmy-worthy.

by Anonymousreply 59June 5, 2018 5:10 AM

I loved it and watched it faithfully even though it was crap. My favorite storyline was Emmett and Drew.

by Anonymousreply 60June 5, 2018 5:17 AM

I thought I was the only one who couldn't stand the show or the characters. They all seemed obnoxious in their own way and I could not understand why (or how) they befriended eachother. I remember the writing tried so hard to be mature but ironically just gave the characters more excuses not to grow. Infact, in the short time that I watched I don't think any of the characters had development. Can someone who watched to the end verify if any of them changed?

by Anonymousreply 61June 5, 2018 5:23 AM

it was a FANTASY; my name is Michael and I read a LOT of comic books and had way too many collectibles, and when Michael hooks up with his HOT chiropractor, Dr. David (Chris Potter is so my type) I thought this is the fantasy, for me, it not others.

But like I said this was all we had; there are dozens of dramas featuring straight couples; and if Brothers & Sisters wasn't for you, then you could check out some other family drama.

by Anonymousreply 62June 5, 2018 5:24 AM

Everything about this tv show is cheap. Very cheap.

by Anonymousreply 63June 5, 2018 5:30 AM

It may not "hold up" but even with all the cartoonish exaggerations, it's a good time capsule of big-city gay life at the turn of the century.

I hope tomorrow's gays don't have to create their own families because their birth ones rejected them.

The baby would be graduating from high school this year, and living in such a different world.

by Anonymousreply 64June 5, 2018 5:36 AM

Eh, I liked it in its time. Not sure how I'd think of it now. And to the poster above, the fun little cartoon was "Queer Duck," not "Gay Duck."

by Anonymousreply 65June 5, 2018 5:38 AM

It was a nighttime melodrama...with gay people, nudity and topical issues. It was a guilty pleasure. No award winning but not meaningless. Relax and enjoy your pride and a bit of nostalgia...the 90s and early 2000s were quite hopeful

by Anonymousreply 66June 5, 2018 5:48 AM

I think some feel it's very cool to trash the show, but it is what it is; I actually liked it an awful lot.

Many felt out and proud Emmett would be the last one to try conversion therapy, but I thought the writing and the acting was very good.

by Anonymousreply 67June 5, 2018 5:48 AM

I agree. Completely unwatchable. I have never been able to finish an episode.

by Anonymousreply 68June 5, 2018 5:49 AM

Hal Sparks was on a kids show called Lab Rats on Nickelodeon I think lol

by Anonymousreply 69June 5, 2018 5:51 AM

Hal Sparks appears to be a pain in the ass as a person as well as in that awful character, but he didn't say kissing a man was like kissing a dog. That was David the chiropractor (never even knew the name of the actor, but it was him, anyway).

Sparks was jeered a lot by the fangirls because every single time he was interviewed (for years) he talked about how he was straight, even when the questioning had nothing to do with it; but he didn't get any more offensive than that, if I recall correctly.

by Anonymousreply 70June 5, 2018 6:13 AM

I believe Gant appears periodically on Y&R.

The guy who played Emmett Peter Paige creates and produces TV shows like The Fosters.

It was filmed in Toronto and gave a lot of work to Canadian actors.

by Anonymousreply 71June 5, 2018 6:20 AM

Gant is one of the gay dads in 13 Reasons Why and also Supergirl's bio dad in CW's Supergirl.

by Anonymousreply 72June 5, 2018 6:36 AM

I like Showtime's Queer As Folk. It's like The Boys in the Band with slightly more redeeming characters. Yeah the stories were ridiculous but it was just mindless, fluff entertainment, but it kind of felt "from gays for gays", something you rarely got back then where the gay stuff was usually to appeal to the straigtht mainstream.

by Anonymousreply 73June 5, 2018 6:41 AM

R56 And, no better looking.

by Anonymousreply 74June 5, 2018 6:48 AM

I loved QAF. The British one was much better but US QAF grew on me and it was a fun show to watch. Both Brian and Stuart were great in their own way. Michael and Justin were at times insufferable while their British counterparts were better characters.

by Anonymousreply 75June 5, 2018 10:55 AM

[quote] The guy who played Emmett Peter Paige creates and produces TV shows like The Fosters

I didn't know that. I really liked The Fosters, especially because of the gay content.

If QAF ever gets a re-boot, they should let Peter Paige do it.

by Anonymousreply 76June 5, 2018 3:55 PM

Today on Showtime is the Emmett "gay conversion therapy" episode, as well as the Michael breaks up with David episode.

Before I watch it, why did Michael break up with David, and why did Emmett seek conversion therapy?

Also, why did Justin run away to NYC?

I was just reading the previews, but didn't watch the show yet.

by Anonymousreply 77June 5, 2018 8:50 PM

I once went out with one of the stars -- he told me he was a bottom only and not into monogamy. Bye girl.

by Anonymousreply 78June 5, 2018 9:11 PM

Oh c'mon R78... spill the beans.

You can't just drop a nugget like that, and then walk away!

How about you just say yea or nay? I say it's Randy Harrison.

by Anonymousreply 79June 5, 2018 9:21 PM

I was in my mid-20’s when this show launched and it was a huge deal- especially if you lived in a big city. The promotion around the show was super exciting. I remember a giant billboard in the heart of downtown Chicago- not even Boystown. This was in River North. It felt very exciting. The actual show itself? Big sigh. Pretty awful. The characters were pretty awful across the board. Sharon Gless chewed the scenery like no one’s business and her character’s over the top, ribald expressions of acceptance toward her son’s homosexuality set my teeth on edge. It wasn’t even hot or sexy. I didn’t believe this group of friends would actually enjoy each other. The 2 things they did right was the music in season 1 (great slice of early 00’s gay life) and the scene at Justin’s prom when Brian surprises him and they dance to Save the Last Dance by The Drifters. That was a sweet moment that got me.

by Anonymousreply 80June 5, 2018 9:22 PM

I also think it's Randy, r79.

by Anonymousreply 81June 5, 2018 9:51 PM

I thought it was Randy Harrison too but I was friends with 1 of his ex-boyfriends and he told me Randy was versatile. Which actually surprised me because I thought he was a total bottom.

by Anonymousreply 82June 5, 2018 10:09 PM

Well, there aren't many choices, only Peter Paige or Robert Gant.

by Anonymousreply 83June 5, 2018 10:14 PM

The show wasn't just for gay people. A lot of straight people watched it too, to get their first look at authentic portrayals of gay people's personal lives and their ups and downs.

by Anonymousreply 84June 5, 2018 10:14 PM

So, r78 is just going to leave us hanging on who it was? Eh.

Maybe it was Gale Harold. He's bi. Although I can't see him being a bottom.

by Anonymousreply 85June 6, 2018 2:41 AM

R44 and R47: My understanding is Manchester is the San Francisco of the UK, in terms of the THE GEHY at least, some even call it Gaychester. So why they just didn't do San Fran I'll never know, that's the most parallel city. But yeah, Chicago would've worked or even Toronto, where they filmed it. But Pittsburgh? In the early 2000s? Sure, Jan.

by Anonymousreply 86June 6, 2018 2:55 AM

I watched/enjoyed it all and just thought it reminded me of my white, cis, privileged life. Sort of like Sex in the City. A bunch of friends going thru life together. I thought the story lines were ridiculous but my friends all had ridiculous story lines (to a certain extent). Am I lucky that my life was similar to that TV show? Or just shallow and oblivious that others had a different experience? I was pleased that there was finally a show that at least reflected something similar to my life. Was there really a need for a deeper dive if it I found it entertaining?

by Anonymousreply 87June 6, 2018 3:02 AM

[quote]I was pleased that there was finally a show that at least reflected something similar to my life.

Exactly.

by Anonymousreply 88June 6, 2018 3:04 AM

Nobody could understand why it was set in Pittsburgh, you used to hear that all the time when the show was originally on. I remember Chicago and Boston being the two cities most people thought would've been a better fit.

Of course, the show was so obviously shot in Toronto they should've just set it in Toronto.

by Anonymousreply 89June 6, 2018 3:32 AM

A Canadian setting would have turned off a lot of American viewers.

by Anonymousreply 90June 6, 2018 3:34 AM

I miss it

by Anonymousreply 91June 6, 2018 3:35 AM

I used to watch this when it was on television. I loved it at the time because no other gay programs existed like this. I can appreciate how people make fun of it now but it was important then.

I remember having a crush on Hal Sparks when he was on Talk Soup so I was so happy he did a gay show. I was really disappointed when I found out he wasn’t actually gay because I thought he was before QAF was made.

Now he looks like a trans Man. He seems like he’s going through midlife crisis.

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by Anonymousreply 92June 6, 2018 4:16 AM

I believe they specifically chose Pittsburgh to point out that gays are everywhere and having their little gayborhoods.

by Anonymousreply 93June 6, 2018 4:46 AM

I always assumed they chose Pittsburgh because it’s an industrial working class city like Manchester.

by Anonymousreply 94June 6, 2018 4:55 AM

I was a fan of the show back in the day, but the spontaneous anal sex with no lube was unrealistic. At least to me.

by Anonymousreply 95June 6, 2018 5:05 AM

R80 - that's so funny - I remember the same billboard on the brown line between Chicago and Merch Mart also. In fact, that's one of my strongest memories of the early part of that show - that they actually bought a billboard in that area for a gay show.

It just really struck me - somebody else remembered the exact same thing and felt the same way. Thanks DL!

by Anonymousreply 96June 6, 2018 5:15 AM

[quote]I believe Gant appears periodically on Y&R.

The word around here was that Gant was the partner of NBC's chairman Robert Greenblatt but I've never seen proof of it.

[quote]Before I watch it, why did Michael break up with David, and why did Emmett seek conversion therapy?

Emmet had an HIV scare and that brought him to conversion. David was going to move to Portland and Michael didn't want to go. I'm basing this all on Wikipedia and not memory, though.

by Anonymousreply 97June 6, 2018 5:25 AM

Except for Gless, none of the actors from QAF seem to work anymore.

by Anonymousreply 98June 6, 2018 5:36 AM

It's not like any of the male actors had big careers before this show. I hope they saved their money.

by Anonymousreply 99June 6, 2018 5:59 AM

I watched the first episode of the British one recently because I've heard for so long how much better it was and I've been meaning to check it out. I've only seen the one, but It sucked so hard I will never watch the second!

by Anonymousreply 100June 6, 2018 6:28 AM

[quote] David was going to move to Portland and Michael didn't want to go. I'm basing this all on Wikipedia and not memory, though.

Michael did leave with David (end of season one), but came back (first episode of season two) because he was miserable there (no friends, no job, etc.) and his relationship with David went sour and they broke up.

by Anonymousreply 101June 6, 2018 10:51 AM

Robert Gant is in the latest episode of The Fosters.

by Anonymousreply 102June 6, 2018 10:53 AM

[quote]A lot of straight people watched it too, to get their first look at [bold]authentic portrayals of gay people's personal lives [/bold]and their ups and downs.

Wow. Really? A soap opera presents ”authentic portrayals?”

Some of you really obsessed over this show to an unhealthy degree.

by Anonymousreply 103June 6, 2018 11:53 AM

Without straight fraus I doubt Queer as Folk would have lasted as long as it did. Early in the second season I was at an event at the Pailey Center for Media, L.A festival which featured a panel discussion of the actors and creators of the show (Robert Gant was on stage as well) and afterwards shown an episode which aired a few days later. The venue was packed with frau types. It was this event that made me realize that fraus, women in general, are bigger allies than I thought.

by Anonymousreply 104June 6, 2018 12:11 PM

I hated this show. It was like the worst of every gay stereotype, including bad writing (probably hiring writers based on attractiveness rather than skill), the characters were one-dimensional. The original UK version was so much more real and just HUMAN.

by Anonymousreply 105June 6, 2018 12:24 PM

I liked it enough to watch every episode, but I’ve never watched it again. Brian Kinney was the perfect physical embodiment of my type. That was its appeal. I hated how he treated Sunshine. The rest of the characters were a snore except for Deb and Vic.

by Anonymousreply 106June 6, 2018 1:01 PM

I was underwhelmed by it when it first came on because the whole overall series seemed so overheated. I think I gave up some time during the 2nd season.

Thinking back on it, this is one of the few things about it I remember . . .

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by Anonymousreply 107June 6, 2018 1:11 PM

R104, I was there too and remember that Gale Harold acted like an ass and would barely talk.

by Anonymousreply 108June 6, 2018 1:47 PM

R106 I was always hoping Deb would one day snap & smother Uncle Vic with a pillow.

by Anonymousreply 109June 6, 2018 1:47 PM

How many of you know that teenybopper twink Charley Hunnam was on the British QAF?

by Anonymousreply 110June 6, 2018 1:51 PM

[quote] I was there too and remember that Gale Harold acted like an ass and would barely talk.

Still remember his very Brian Kinney line delivery of his "Like I won the lottery!" answer (to the question how it felt when he found out he was cast on the show) that made some of the guys on stage squirm. Loved Peter Page for hamming it up on stage and cracking jokes to lighten up the mood that seemed tense whenever the focus was on Gale.

by Anonymousreply 111June 6, 2018 1:56 PM

I think Gale Harold is just uncomfortable in the limelight, which is kind of weird if you want to be an actor. I enjoyed it but you had to think of it as a fantasy, a soap opera as others have said. I thought the acting got better over time, especially Gale Harold and Randy Harrison, who had some cringe-worthy moments at the beginning. I didn't like the ending either.

by Anonymousreply 112June 6, 2018 2:14 PM

Randy Harrison is currently playing Prior in the Berkeley Rep's production of Angels in America.

by Anonymousreply 113June 6, 2018 2:23 PM

R94: Right, but Manchester also has a HUGE gay population and is known for it. That's what they fucked up on in the transition. Chicago would have fit the bill nicely or even Philadelphia. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter, it was nearly 2 decades ago. I have the first 2 seasons on DVD, and haven't watched them in a decade at least. I've never seen beyond the end of season 2 lol.

by Anonymousreply 114June 6, 2018 3:04 PM

I know it won't make a difference to those that didn't like the show, but when I first started watching on Netflix something seemed off.

Turns out they had replaced the music. It was an important part of QAF and it's not the same without it.

by Anonymousreply 115June 6, 2018 3:11 PM

I wonder if the look of Pittsburgh matched more the actual film location (Toronto, Canada)? I imagine some gays would have had a hissy fit if the show had dared to misrepresent the actual gay venues and gay nightlife of, say, Chicago?

by Anonymousreply 116June 6, 2018 3:14 PM

R115: So it's another situation like Daria, where Viacom is too fucking cheap to preserve a show as it should be. Typical.

by Anonymousreply 117June 6, 2018 3:20 PM

Yeah, the first time Showtime reran the entire series a few years ago, they stripped out all of the original music due to rights issues and replaced it with generic sound-alike crap. In particular this ruined the prom scene with Brian and Justin.

by Anonymousreply 118June 6, 2018 3:29 PM

I’m a frau and was mesmerized when I first saw it because I had never seen so much gay sex. Then I continued watching because I got caught up in the soap aspect. It was one of the most erratic shows I’ve ever seen, combining some very good acting with awful acting. A lot of the actors were inexperienced and needed consistent direction and writing, which they did not get. And good directors would have reined in Gless’s hamminess. I agree that Brian was repulsive and the lesbians were cringeworthy. Someone burned a CD for me of the Season 1 music and it was one of my favorite music CDs for years.

by Anonymousreply 119June 6, 2018 3:49 PM

[quote] A Canadian setting would have turned off a lot of American viewers.

I actually think the opposite is true.

More closeted fundie freaks and curiosity seekers would have tuned in, because they could have said, "hey at least it's not in Amurika. Those bleedin' heart Canadian liberulz are weirdos anyway!"

[quote] I remember having a crush on Hal Sparks... Now he looks like a trans Man. He seems like he’s going through midlife crisis.

R92, that picture is fascinating.

I read on his wiki page that he's a FREEMASON, and in the picture you linked, he's wearing a free mason necklace!!!

How weird. I wonder what's up with that? I never imagined Hal as being a cultist, but you never know.

Actors are quite a strange lot.

by Anonymousreply 120June 6, 2018 10:04 PM

Yes, it's a shame they changed the music. They've been showing it at night on Showtime and the replacement of the original songs bothers me because I know the songs that originally played during the scenes. You don't realize how much the music in a show impacts the scenes until it's changed to something else. In this case the original songs were so much better.

by Anonymousreply 121June 6, 2018 10:22 PM

I think that on this current run (or re-run, I should say) on Showtime, they are airing the original music, which is great.

Showtime is airing four episodes per day, and they're up to season two, where Michael and Brian reconcile, after their big fight at Michael's birthday party where Brian outed Michael to his co-worker.

by Anonymousreply 122June 6, 2018 10:26 PM

So many fucking boring Canadian actors in smaller roles and very little eye candy, to boot. It should have been set in Chicago but shot in NYC like The Good Wife was.

by Anonymousreply 123June 7, 2018 12:39 AM

Why didn't Michael and Brian ever get together?

They had so much chemistry with each other.

by Anonymousreply 124June 7, 2018 1:31 AM

Because they hated eachother.

by Anonymousreply 125June 7, 2018 3:53 AM

The actors or the characters, R125?

Do tell.

by Anonymousreply 126June 7, 2018 3:56 AM

Robert Gant was born Robert Gonzalez!

He's part Cuban and Spanish. That's cool.

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by Anonymousreply 127June 7, 2018 3:57 AM

Do you all realize that the baby that played Gus would already be 18 years old??

by Anonymousreply 128June 7, 2018 4:00 AM

The scene where Robert Gant is fucking Hal Sparks- hot as hell.

by Anonymousreply 129June 7, 2018 6:10 AM

r128 the baby Gus would have died in Ted's meth lab explosion (his next business venture).

by Anonymousreply 130June 7, 2018 9:11 AM

I think the episode where I mainly gave up was the "Faerie Camp" one. So many bad tropes stuffed into one. Filler episode. Bad writing.

Little known fact: The series producers and writers went on to create the Heathers Reboot!

by Anonymousreply 131June 7, 2018 9:20 AM

Love when the football player/ underwear model story line was added.

by Anonymousreply 132June 7, 2018 11:56 AM

I never found Robert Gant attractive. His body yes, his face, no.

by Anonymousreply 133June 7, 2018 1:47 PM

I loved the show though it could be over the top. Robert Gant was the hottest cast member, IMO. My only critique was the lack of racial diversity. The Justin/Ethan storyline was my 2nd favorite after the Michael meeting and falling for Ben episodes. I watch the reruns every Pride month on Showtime.

by Anonymousreply 134June 7, 2018 2:16 PM

Loved Ethan

by Anonymousreply 135June 7, 2018 2:30 PM

r126 Hal and Gale apparently hated each other. Don't really know the reasons behind their feud but Hal was badmouthing Gale and even Randy in interviews.

by Anonymousreply 136June 7, 2018 5:29 PM

I've always respected Gale Harold that he didn't care if people thought he was gay or not, didn't even want to talk about his sexuality when he started the show, and he never said anything the least bit homophobic in interviews that I saw.

by Anonymousreply 137June 7, 2018 5:54 PM

R128 Your math skills are incredible, Miss Cuntessa.

by Anonymousreply 138June 7, 2018 6:25 PM

I think the internet killed club culture. I hope it returns but by the time I'll be too old to enjoy it.

by Anonymousreply 139June 7, 2018 6:39 PM

I always love hearing about behind the scenes drama, R136.

Where'd that info. come from? I can't imagine it was in the mainstream. Any links or stories?

I find it amazing, because honestly Gale and Hal seem SO friendly with each other on the show. They must be the best actors in the world, if they really hate each other.

by Anonymousreply 140June 7, 2018 7:34 PM

I think Hal resented that he wasn't the big star and the show's fans were crazy about Brian and Justin. I remember, supposedly, Peter Page called Hal a backstabber for re-negotiating his salary with the producers on his own instead of sticking to a promise of teaming up with the other cast members (like the cast of Friends did) and presenting an united front. My guess, at least. But instead of more money the episodes got cut meaning less work for the same money (and it's not like the cast members were in big demand otherwise).

by Anonymousreply 141June 7, 2018 7:34 PM

I like his stand up. Much of it is funny.

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by Anonymousreply 142June 7, 2018 7:57 PM

Like r141 what I remember is that Hal resented the popularity of Brian and Justin. Whether half-jokingly or not Hal said he wanted to play the role because Greg Kinnear was nominated for playing a gay character. He wanted acclaim but Brian and Justin stole the attention. IIRC Hal wanted the show to continue but Randy nor Gale wanted to stay on so it was cancelled which irked Hal because he felt the show was more than those two characters.

by Anonymousreply 143June 7, 2018 8:35 PM

r140, I vaguely remember that Hal called Gale unprofessional because he was very vocal about his dissatisfaction with his storyline or something. There's also this interview:

"Wow. So now that the 'Sex in the City' movie has paved the way for a $100 million opening, when can we expect the 'Queer as Folk' movie? No way will there ever be a 'Queer as Folk' movie.

Really? Why not? Because a couple of the cast members I know for sure wouldn’t do it and I’m certain that the executive producers Ron and Dan wouldn’t want to work with them either.

Bad blood? Uh, yeah.

Gimme the dirt! What happened? My feeling always was, an an actor - and especially as one of the straight actors on the show, that, to a degree, it was my job to do my lines the way they were written and mind my fucking business because our executive producers and many of our writers were gay and were creating these scripts and lines to tell their stories. What, I’m gonna come in and say, 'well I don’t think my character would do that'?. It’s like, seriously? Fuck off. Let's just say there was a little bit of, um, pushback with some of the other actors on the show.

The gay ones or the straight ones? Um, one of each, actually. There ended up being a lot of negativity in kind of just trying to get loving storylines done and it was a tall order.

That sucks. Yeah. I’m still in contact with many of the people from the show like Bobby Gant, who played my character’s boyfriend, and Harris, who played my son. Both of those guys put a lot of themselves into that show and worked really friggin’ hard and I have a really low tolerance, personally, for anybody who would interrupt that process of people trying to do good work just because of ego and bullshit.

So those two people, and I’m sure the people out there in Queer as Folkland have some idea who I’m talking about, I wouldn’t work with them again in any capacity."

I can't believe that I actually searched for this link...

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by Anonymousreply 144June 7, 2018 9:20 PM

Wow, that was excellent, R144!

Thanks for the research.

I'm guessing that it has to be Gale Harold and Randy Harrison that Hal Sparks is talking about.

I'd have to say that I'm "team Hal" on this one.

by Anonymousreply 145June 7, 2018 9:50 PM

He is barely hiding that he is talking about Gale Harold and Randy Harrison being diva-ish about what the writers gave them.

by Anonymousreply 146June 7, 2018 9:53 PM

Gale Harold sounds like a real prick.

No wonder he couldn't find work after QAF.

by Anonymousreply 147June 7, 2018 9:55 PM

Randy did this radio interview once and at around the 25:24 mark he mentioned about the time he had his first threesome. The other two in the threesome were Gale & Peter. I was friends with Peter and I told him about the interview. He was over one night and we listened to it. He told me the threesome was him, Gale and Randy. Well, he said Gale & Randy had been sleeping together since Season 1 but it was the first time the three of them had gotten together.

by Anonymousreply 148June 7, 2018 10:24 PM

r148 here. Forgot the link to the interview. Here it is.

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by Anonymousreply 149June 7, 2018 10:25 PM

Well, I used to watch it for the sex scenes. One of the hottest being Emmett and Drew's.

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by Anonymousreply 150June 7, 2018 11:32 PM

[quote] Randy did this radio interview once and at around the 25:24 mark he mentioned about the time he had his first threesome. The other two in the threesome were Gale & Peter

Wait, what?

I thought that Gale had always maintained that he was straight.

by Anonymousreply 151June 8, 2018 12:20 AM

He's actually bi, r151.

by Anonymousreply 152June 8, 2018 1:09 AM

R103, never thought it was authentic or real; for me, it was fun.

I didn't take it too seriously; it was just amazing that we finally had a show that featured gay characters having sex, living their lives.

If I thought about it too much I wouldn't get why most of these people were friends with each other, but it was what it was.

I still enjoy season one enormously thanks to Dr. David; the rest was okay. The characters were mostly likable and I thought Gale was pretty good, especially.

by Anonymousreply 153June 8, 2018 2:24 AM

I thought that the scene at the baths was really gross. I was surprised at how graphic it was on the episode where Brian caught Dr. David.

Not erotic at all. But that's just me, and I'm a bit of a prude.

by Anonymousreply 154June 8, 2018 2:31 AM

How can the scenes in Babylon's backroom and the baths be gross? They were glorified soft porn shoots with hot guys as extras. The reality, even back then, was quite grim with barely any hot guys present and just ugly trolls trolling for dick. The show glorified Gay nightlife and gay friendship where the others put up with someone like Brian for this long.

by Anonymousreply 155June 8, 2018 7:12 AM

R148 is a Tumblr Frau Troll

They used to infest the old Gale Harold threads, pushing the narrative that "Gale is bi and he and Randy were sleeping together because the sex scenes were too real" -- if you want to get psychological, it was likely a way for them to extend the show or make it real.

IIRC, they even had a whole timeline for when all this happened, similar to the Larrys (the guys who want the 1D guys to be gay.)

At least it's a different direction than the usual frau-infested DL actor threads (e.g. Lee Pace) where we're saying "no he's gay" and the fraus are arguing that he's straight.

by Anonymousreply 156June 8, 2018 9:53 AM

Also, as for Harold, he was on Desperate Housewives for a few years after Queer As Folk and had a role in Deadwood on HBO too.

After that he seemed to have completely dropped off the radar. IMDB shows a bunch of small indie film roles so he is still working.

by Anonymousreply 157June 8, 2018 9:56 AM

He had a small role in SyFy's Defiance as well.

by Anonymousreply 158June 8, 2018 10:18 AM

R148 so the couple gale/randy was real

by Anonymousreply 159June 8, 2018 12:51 PM

Oh well. the fraus have taken over.

If you ever bothered to delve into the insanity of the old Gale Harold threads, it was all people like R148 and R159 speculating that "Gandy" (you can't make this shit up) was real and using Google translate to put out their theories as to why and others who would believe any crap they read on DL. Along with the usual stalking of any Harold friends or relatives.

While OP seems to be a gay man discovering the show for the first time, he's re-opened a doorway to Crazyland that had seemingly been shut for while.

I guess that's what the "Ignore" button is for.

by Anonymousreply 160June 8, 2018 1:42 PM

I think that Dean Armstrong (Blake) was actually the hottest guy on the show.

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by Anonymousreply 161June 8, 2018 4:12 PM

Dean Armstrong still looks great at 45.

Is he gay? His wiki page doesn't mention anything.

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by Anonymousreply 162June 8, 2018 4:17 PM
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by Anonymousreply 163June 8, 2018 4:45 PM

Oh god, let's not get into the "L" word. Better writing than QAF but I hated all the characters, especially the "WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE A DUMP ON MY CHEST!" lead.

by Anonymousreply 164June 8, 2018 4:54 PM

Poor R160 is triggered. Poor dear! Have some tea, turn on Y & R, and I'll bring you some muffins around 2, after your nap, ok, dear?

by Anonymousreply 165June 8, 2018 5:00 PM

Special pride issue of EW. New interviews and pictures of the entire cast.

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by Anonymousreply 166June 8, 2018 5:41 PM

[quote] Gless, 75, says of wanting to play Michael’s outlandish mom, Debbie. “I felt so confident that I picked up the phone and called [then Showtime programming president] Jerry Offsay. I said, ‘I’d like to do the mother.’ He said, ‘You know, I like the idea, Sharon. I think you’ll bring a little class to the project.’ I said,[bold] ‘Jerry, class is not what I had in mind.'”[/bold]

Sharon Gless is the best!

by Anonymousreply 167June 8, 2018 5:55 PM

Did Sharon win any awards for that role?

I was never sure what to make of Deb, but I suspect Kat Turner may have been just a bit better in that role.

by Anonymousreply 168June 8, 2018 5:58 PM

r168 less cartoonish, certainly.

by Anonymousreply 169June 8, 2018 5:59 PM

Has the 'Creative Professional Troll shown up yet? The one who identifies with Brian Kinney and only wants to talk to other tiresome queens such as that?

by Anonymousreply 170June 8, 2018 10:00 PM

Um, I'm a GUY, r156. And what I said about the threesome with Gale, Randy and Peter is 100% true. Believe it or not it's up to you but I don't care 1 way or the other. I know the truth.

by Anonymousreply 171June 8, 2018 10:31 PM

The British original is 100 times better.

by Anonymousreply 172June 8, 2018 10:33 PM

Duck OP. I couldn't even watch the British version.

by Anonymousreply 173June 8, 2018 11:37 PM

The British original's second season was worse than whatever the Showtime version came up with. The first season is great but I watched the final episodes of the second season only once. Utter shite (as the Brits would say).

by Anonymousreply 174June 9, 2018 10:05 AM

I watched the Prom episode (and the following two episodes) on Friday, and thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever.

Not so much that Justin got beaten up, but the follow up. I just didn't think it was realistic. "He doesn't want to be touched." Bullshit. You'd think he would WANT to be touched by loved ones, after that horrific beating.

And the real kicker, was when his mother said to Brian, "I want you to take my son." Then Brian replied, "I don't understand what you're saying. You want me to fuck him?" And she says, "If that's what it takes."

What???? This woman just learned her son was gay, and now she's telling his much older lover to fuck him???

Arrrrghhhh! Such stupid writing! This is where the show jumped the shark for me.

Note to people who write for gay shows: BE REALISTIC!!! Don't insert your little fantasies, or whatever. It just makes the writing seem lame.

by Anonymousreply 175June 9, 2018 9:21 PM

Or to put it another way R175, if you were 30 and one of your 30 year old friends told you that he was going to show up at his high school aged boyfriend's senior prom, how would you react?

by Anonymousreply 176June 9, 2018 11:17 PM

R168 no . Not even nominated for a globe. If you can’t get nominated by the HFPA who give out the globes, there’s a problem. (And they are usually more lenient when it comes to lower brow entertainment). Gless is a good actress but she needed to dial it back a notch or two. The use of fuck or shit every other word got tedious.

by Anonymousreply 177June 9, 2018 11:36 PM

Why did Brian miss Mel and Lindsey's wedding?

I missed the first half of the episode, but I noticed that he didn't attend the wedding, and then the ending scene showed him at some sort of white party.

What happened?

by Anonymousreply 178June 14, 2018 12:50 AM

He went to the White Party in Miami I believe it was. Justin was supposed to go with him but then he decided to attend Melanie's & Lindsay's wedding instead.

by Anonymousreply 179June 14, 2018 3:38 AM

I don't disagree with a lot of the criticisms but I loved the show; what can I say? Yes, it was far from perfect and certain scenarios made no sense, but I didn't care.

All kinds of TV shows have unrealistic developments, premises.

by Anonymousreply 180June 14, 2018 5:06 AM

R175, the writing in season two was horrible. the only season I really loved was season one.

by Anonymousreply 181June 14, 2018 5:07 AM

[quote] He went to the White Party in Miami

But why did he go to the White Party, instead of the wedding?

You'd think he'd want to be at the wedding.

by Anonymousreply 182June 14, 2018 5:11 AM

no; Brian had no desire to attend a ceremony about commitment (especially muncher commitment) when he wanted to live the single life.

The director did a nice bit at the end when I think Lindsay (?) threw the bouquet and cut to Brian a t the white party catching a bouquet.

I would have given Emmy or GG noms to Gless, Harold and maybe Paige.

by Anonymousreply 183June 14, 2018 5:28 AM

R175 I remember that scene and it was so cringeworthy. The straight women on the show were all weird hags who would talk about how hot it was to imagine their sons and coworkers having sex.

I watched the show again about a year ago and I found myself siding with Justin's parents Season 1. He was 16 and going to gay clubs to meet 30+ year old men to do drugs and have public sex. The show made them out to be raging homophobes for telling him he can't do that. What the hell? What parent wouldn't be upset?!

by Anonymousreply 184June 14, 2018 7:44 AM

I just saw the reunion videos and Hal Sparks looks like a lesbian tennis instructor. The earrings are horrible, he got chunky and jowly, the shoe polish black hair dye is worse than if he'd just go grey- and the vaseline lens only makes it all even more terrible.

by Anonymousreply 185June 14, 2018 8:10 AM

I was in college when this was released. I had seen and liked the UK original and I had read an essay called “The Uses of the Erotic: Erotic as Power” by Audre Lorde in a film and media studies class. I realized that Queer as Folk was an important development in onscreen depictions of gay men, having followed Will and Grace-type depictions in which gay men were presented as innocuous and largely sexual only by virtue of innuendo, with the implication being that decent straight people should accept gay people, but that decent gay people should conceal their sexuality and fill a court jester type of role. The only sexualized portrayals of gay men until this show were in (usually even poorer quality) gay movies made specifically for a gay subculture and never seen by straight people. So I wrote my English honors thesis on the uses of the erotic to empower LGBT people through fully humanizing them. When the US version of this show came out I thought it was greatly inferior to the original in every way and not a very entertaining show, but still an important show societally, and I still feel that way. It’s one of those glass ceiling buster-type cultural events whose quality is secondary to its premise in certain regards. To be great, any kind of entertainment production has to be great entertainment as well as provocative and envelope pushing, but there is still value in a subpar execution of an idea whose time has come. “Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone” likewise had amateurish production values and performances and awkward dialogue, but they’ve both remained influential and appreciated for their cultural significance. This show is less philosophically exploratative but its one big idea—showing gay human beings as fully realized human beings—did help people “get it.” It was quickly followed by The L Word and Oz and other series that showed same-sex sex as a component of gay people’s lives, rather than pushing that unsightly taboo out of the frame as always had been done before.

by Anonymousreply 186June 14, 2018 9:47 AM

[quote]if you were 30 and one of your 30 year old friends told you that he was going to show up at his high school aged boyfriend's senior prom, how would you react?

Seriously. I am 31 if one of my friends was doing something like this they would no longer be my friend.

by Anonymousreply 187June 15, 2018 12:34 PM

I thought it was romantic.

by Anonymousreply 188June 15, 2018 5:11 PM

I loathed the surly twink hustler who Michael and Ben adopted in the last season. It seemed like every scene he was in ended with him angrily storming out, even when he didn't have any dialogue.

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by Anonymousreply 189June 15, 2018 9:29 PM

the surly hustler was gay, then he was straight; he wanted to date a girl in h.s. and the girl's parents were so progressive in being okay with Hunter having two gay dads.

Then they found out Hunter was HIV + and they had a problem with him. Duh! They didn't want their teenage daughter having sex with Hunter!

by Anonymousreply 190June 16, 2018 4:41 AM

the one story I didn't get was Justin taking Daphne's virginity and then making fun of her inexperience to Linz and Mel.

(She's going to need more practice, he said)

Hey, Justin! Maybe she woulda been better at it if she were with a straight guy who was into her!

by Anonymousreply 191June 16, 2018 4:44 AM

This is going to piss off a lot of old grandpas on this board but if you think Queer as Folk was bad, try watching The Boys in the Band. Talk about pathetic, shallow, self involved unlikable stereotypes!

by Anonymousreply 192June 16, 2018 5:17 AM

Even back when it first aired, they had a disclaimer that this did not represent the gay community. It was a drama based on a small group of friends who's life revolved around a club.

So its what you would expect, a good looking (debatable) guy guy who is totally shallow and self involved. A blond twink in love with a top no matter how bad he is treated. Mikey, the regular guy with a very pro gay mom and two side kicks. One with just slightly gay mannerisms and one that hated himself for not being as good looking as he wanted to be. Those people all existed and still do exist in any gay bar thats still around.

The hardest part to buy was being in Pittsburgh and having a huge gay club the likes you would only see in L.A. They should have just sucked it up and set it up in a big city. But I guess that would have cost a lot more since they filmed it all in Canada.

by Anonymousreply 193June 16, 2018 5:28 AM

Hall Sparks actually rebranded himself as a comedian years ago. He still looks good for his age.

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by Anonymousreply 194June 16, 2018 5:38 AM

He looks the worst of them all

by Anonymousreply 195June 16, 2018 6:24 AM

I agree, r195. Did Hal have plastic surgery? It sure looks like it from the new QAF reunion pics in EW Mag. I barely recognized him his face looked so different. Or is it just that he's aged so much since the QAF days?

by Anonymousreply 196June 16, 2018 1:16 PM

Hal looks the most Muppet-y of the original cast now. Randy still looks 10 years younger than his actual age. GH is sporting a graybeard, which makes him look 10 years older.

by Anonymousreply 197June 16, 2018 1:31 PM

I thought it was so unrealisitic that Brian-a good looking masculine guy would drool over that effeminite Justin, who wasn't even good looking. He looked like a monkey. His British counterpart was better looking and not queeny.

by Anonymousreply 198June 16, 2018 1:41 PM

QAF was mediocre at best. People keep saying it was the only gay show back then. How many gay shows are on the air now? NONE. The last gay show was LOOKING.

by Anonymousreply 199June 16, 2018 1:43 PM

I couldn’t stand the Hal Sparks character! Having a hot doctor wanting to marry him, but he doesn’t want him. What kind of a glib is that?

by Anonymousreply 200June 16, 2018 2:08 PM

Sure, the Brian character was the most handsome man in the show, but I would never fall for a guy like that. I would have married the doctor in a heartbeat!

by Anonymousreply 201June 16, 2018 2:17 PM

The Ted Schmidt character was not bad looking . If they wanted to have someone who would actually be constantly rejected they should have hired an actor who weighed 300 pounds.

by Anonymousreply 202June 16, 2018 2:22 PM

Gale's gray beard looks horrible. He looks like an old mountain man who hasn't shaved in years. It truly is amazing how young Randy still looks. Hard to believe he's 40 . Even harder to believe he was only 23 when QAF 1st aired. Time flies.

by Anonymousreply 203June 16, 2018 2:52 PM

It's true r203, if he shaved that ugly beard he'd look 10 years younger. Hal is plastic. Peter Paige looks great.

by Anonymousreply 204June 16, 2018 2:59 PM

Why did they get rid of the doctor character?

by Anonymousreply 205June 16, 2018 3:22 PM

Wouldn't wash his taint properly before sex scenes.

by Anonymousreply 206June 16, 2018 3:24 PM

Lol are you serious, R206?

I know that there was a lot of close naked body contact on this show, so for some reason I'm believing you.

If you're telling the truth, then EW!

by Anonymousreply 207June 19, 2018 3:34 AM

QAF panel discussion.

Sharon Gless looks great!

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by Anonymousreply 208June 19, 2018 3:34 AM

OMFG Sparks looks terrible. Like a fat botoxed lesbian.

by Anonymousreply 209June 19, 2018 3:54 AM

I went to college in a very small, conservative town- our Gay-Straight Alliance didn't really get around to doing anything productive so a lot of our meetings involved sitting around and watching gay-themed shows on DVD- either Will and Grace or QAF. Even then we all admitted it was kind of a ridiculous show but there just weren't that many gay shows around at the time, especially ones with attractive men in gay sex scenes.

by Anonymousreply 210June 19, 2018 3:58 AM

The seating at R208 is very telling.

Harrison and Harold on one end, Paige and (Ted?) in the middle, Sparks and Gless and Gant on the other end.

I guess that the feuding rumors were true.

by Anonymousreply 211June 19, 2018 3:59 AM

It might have been a little cheap, but comforting. It marked the end of a chapter. I think if there was a similar show now... well: never mind.

by Anonymousreply 212June 19, 2018 4:16 AM

As a native Pittsburgher (aka a Yinzer), the first time I noticed was how clean the streets were in the exterior scenes. Obviously not Pittsburgh, our streets are pretty dirty. Definitely Toronto with the clean streets.

If Sharon Gless' character was real, I pictured her living in a place like Swissvale, a blue-collar suburb that borders Pittsburgh on the east.

Pittsburgh is a family-oriented place; gay men, lesbians and even transexuals are family-oriented. Gays and lesbians in Pittsburgh buy and renovate that four-, five- or six-bedroom Victorian, adopt a couple of bi-racial and/or special needs children, get a golden retriever or an Irish setter, join the municipal zoning board, etc

by Anonymousreply 213June 19, 2018 4:25 AM

R213 All the lezbags buy black and retarded gaybies! Fucking sign me up for dat shit.

by Anonymousreply 214June 19, 2018 4:47 AM

I was in my first year of college when the show came on. My friends and I watched it and liked it at the time. I've been watching it this month on Showtime and I don't think it's held up well. Now when I watch it I find it very corny and some things very unrealistic. It's funny how your perspective changes over the years.

by Anonymousreply 215June 19, 2018 10:38 PM

Should we get a reboot of some sort?

by Anonymousreply 216June 20, 2018 4:37 AM

[quote] Should we get a reboot of some sort?

What would it be about? Gay people sitting at their computers, trolling for cock?

There is no gay life anymore. It's boring as fuck out there.

Young gays have nothing distinct going on, because they're all trying so hard to be assimilated gaybros.

There is no gay culture. The people leading the charge for gay equality, have turned us into heteros. Gay marriage, 2.5 kids, everybody has the same "masculine" look, and wants a house in the suburbs.

It's a totally different world from 18 years ago.

by Anonymousreply 217June 20, 2018 4:45 AM

A reboot would be trans, not gay.

by Anonymousreply 218June 20, 2018 4:47 AM

Any hopes for a reboot were killed when the gays shit all over LOOKING, a show that, unlike QAF, will go on to age very well.

by Anonymousreply 219June 20, 2018 5:13 AM

[quote] LOOKING, a show that, unlike QAF, will go on to age very well.

Yeah, it will still be exactly as bland and forgettable in 20 years.

by Anonymousreply 220June 20, 2018 7:56 AM

Loved it

by Anonymousreply 221June 20, 2018 8:06 AM

R200, I agree. David was so hot; he was offering Michael a different life and he didn't go for it.

I also never got what David saw in Michael; he wasn't exactly a twink -- did he have a huge penis?

WHAT did David see in Michael?

by Anonymousreply 222June 20, 2018 5:08 PM

[quote]What would it be about? Gay people sitting at their computers, trolling for cock?

There was already a show about about the modern life of a group of gay men. It was called "Looking".

And yes, the failure of "Looking" means it is going to be hard for any series trying to bitch "a story about the life of gay men" to get greenlight.

by Anonymousreply 223June 20, 2018 5:12 PM

pitch*

by Anonymousreply 224June 20, 2018 5:12 PM

I couldn't stand that guy from LOOKING. The one plays the computer tech guy. Now there's an example of a guy who's considered good looking who has NO sex appeal, like Matt Bomer.

by Anonymousreply 225June 21, 2018 7:00 PM

Ironically, it paved the way for NOAH'S ARC.

by Anonymousreply 226June 21, 2018 9:53 PM

OP It's not meant to hold up, dear. Watch current, fresh junk. Not junk in the trash heap.

I said fresh junk. Eh.

by Anonymousreply 227June 21, 2018 10:06 PM

Dean Armstrong (Blake) should have played the Justin character.

He was much twinkier and much better looking than Randy Harrison.

Dean was probably the best looking guy on the show, next to Robert Gant.

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by Anonymousreply 228June 22, 2018 3:47 AM

There was a CRAZY qaf troll on here for a few years.....

by Anonymousreply 229June 22, 2018 4:35 AM

R228, I agree about the actor playing Blake making a better Justin; he's about four and a half years older than Randy but he was pretty boyish.

Randy didn't have a really hot body and when Justin went to interview to work as a stripper the club owner said to him he didn't have a great body; and Justin says I have a great ass and I'm blond 'you'll be amazed at how far that gets me'

by Anonymousreply 230June 22, 2018 7:01 AM

I agree with 228 and 230. Randy Harrison looked like a blond monkey. The actor who played the Justin type character on the British QAF was better looking and not fem.

by Anonymousreply 231June 22, 2018 12:55 PM

r230 r231 are you blind?? randy harrison is amazing

by Anonymousreply 232June 24, 2018 9:01 AM

Randy was fine in the part. Twinks don't need buff bodies.

by Anonymousreply 233June 24, 2018 3:31 PM

Charlie Hunnan was UK Justin and I could see why Stuart/Brian fell for him...Randy’s sassy Justin couldn’t get my dick hard.

by Anonymousreply 234June 24, 2018 8:49 PM

[quote] Randy’s sassy Justin couldn’t get my dick hard.

He was more than just "sassy." He was fucking annoying and irritating.

The more the show went on, the more I grew to hate him. He and Brian made the how nearly unwatchable towards the end, because of their relentless cuntitude.

All they ever did was WHINE, and give off a bad attitude. Who would ever want to be around them???

by Anonymousreply 235June 24, 2018 10:10 PM

The last season of QAF, US version, was particularly cringeworthy.

Brian became a huge queen. I know, he changed for love, but that change made my head spin like Linda Blair on "The Exorcist". The only show I really liked of the whole series was where Justin got bashed. Then his mother "gave" him to Brian to fix, and I was like "really, WTF"?

by Anonymousreply 236June 24, 2018 10:26 PM

The last season felt really rushed. I enjoyed it prior to that.

by Anonymousreply 237June 24, 2018 10:35 PM

R231 That's because the actor that played him was straight. Justin was more authentic as a gay teen since that's basically what he was.

by Anonymousreply 238June 24, 2018 10:36 PM

He was a teen in DL years.

by Anonymousreply 239June 24, 2018 10:38 PM

The Justin character was so smug, so self-congratulatory and so self-righteous that it was very difficult to sympathize with him.

When he took that guy's virginity in Season 2 at Daphne's party and then brushed him off later on when the guy came looking for him (calling him a "fairy" to boot), I despised him from that point forward. Thus I didn't give a crap about the love triangle storyline with Ethan that followed.

by Anonymousreply 240June 24, 2018 10:40 PM

My question all along, which was never answered to my satisfaction, is why did Brian fall for Justin so hard? Justin was a vain, pretentious, obnoxious, annoying twat.

by Anonymousreply 241June 24, 2018 11:01 PM

Well so was Brian.

by Anonymousreply 242June 24, 2018 11:03 PM

[quote] why did Brian fall for Justin so hard? Justin was a vain, pretentious, obnoxious, annoying twat.

Exactly, R242.

They're the only ones who could actually stand each other.

by Anonymousreply 243June 24, 2018 11:05 PM

[quote]My question all along, which was never answered to my satisfaction, is why did Brian fall for Justin so hard? Justin was a vain, pretentious, obnoxious, annoying twat.

What kind of question is that to demand answering? Why do people fall hard for anyone? Haven't you ever fallen hard for someone your friends didn't like or vice versa?

Besides, Brian liked that Justin stood his ground with him. He loved the fawning and hero worship from him, but he wasn't one to be bulldozed over unlike Michael.

by Anonymousreply 244June 24, 2018 11:07 PM

[quote]Justin was a vain, pretentious, obnoxious, annoying twat.

Says someone labeling herself Dorothy Parker's Ghost

As if

by Anonymousreply 245June 24, 2018 11:18 PM

The guy who played Hunter (Harris Allan) looks so much better, with some age on him.

He's 33 now, which is why he looks the best of the cast. I'm not a fan of the freckles, though.

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by Anonymousreply 246June 29, 2018 3:37 AM

He's got big lips.

by Anonymousreply 247June 29, 2018 4:07 PM

the relationship I never got was David and Michael; what did Dr. Dreamboat see in Michael?

Tho as I am a "Michael" type I loved it.

by Anonymousreply 248June 30, 2018 9:44 PM

I liked it as TV junk food and I stuck with it until the bitter end, but it never felt authentic to me because of all of the Canadians in the supporting/guest roles. And the elimination of the original music in the reruns only served to expose how weak the writing was.

by Anonymousreply 249October 22, 2020 8:20 AM

[quote]Justin looked like a monkey.

I thought the writers got in a good dig at Randy's looks when they had the leader of the gay vigilante group call him "Meg Ryan."

by Anonymousreply 250October 22, 2020 8:28 AM

Regarding Prom. There is a double standard there. A guy bringing a female college student or even a cougar as his date would get high fives from his peers. But since Justin brought an older guy it was icky.

[quote] the relationship I never got was David and Michael; what did Dr. Dreamboat see in Michael?

Michael was kind of a stand-in for David's son who lived with his mom far away. He spoiled Michael by buying him stuff and even takes him to Paris. He was Michael's sugar daddy and in a passive aggressive way showed that he didn't care for Michael's friends (especially Brian) or any other contribution Michael was willing to provide other than his perky ass (and you've got to admit Hal Spark's ass was really nice).

by Anonymousreply 251October 22, 2020 9:35 AM

A previous poster mentioned the Heather reboot and I remember how put off I was by the trailer and didn't bother with the show at first, but then later on I decided to watch it on Netflix and it was quite nice actually. But then I am a sucker for Ryan Murphy type of campy entertainment. And Queer As Folk, of course.

by Anonymousreply 252October 22, 2020 9:42 AM

Rewatched parts of the series last year. I agree with R4/R7/R8, Kinney was a nasty piece of work, who acted above the friends and long-term lovers he was lucky to have.

Ok, he had more money than God as well as a nice Otterish figure and pretty andro looks (guess that’s why the lesbian friend wanted his sperm donation), but this was offset by his trashy manners and his apathetic personality and his extensive emotional damage (that which presumably caused his personality disorders). It took him years and several painful seasons to realise that he was nothing more than the biggest cunt in a small backwater pond, where the audience clocked that a few episodes, and there was almost nothing moving or compelling about this story.

And I didn’t like the Justin character at all either, but there were times I felt really sorry for him in spite of his whiney vapid entitlement, because Brian was just that needlessly cruel and borderline-abusive to him. Same goes for Michael, albeit to a lesser extent as Michael was older and should have known better having been Brian’s disciple for decades.

The characterisation of Brian barely came off back then, but I daresay that in our times it would be even more difficult - maybe even impossible - to portray a chilly moribund and cold-blooded CEO like him as a sympathetic protagonist. People have had their fill of 2D-sharks on television.

Stuart Jones, the U.K. counterpart to Brian Kinney, made much more sense as a dynamic predatorial type with a heart. Aiden Gillen portrayed Stuart as a shadowy swaggering man, but one with an underlying warmth and complicated affable defensiveness that created a more rounded person with whom we the viewer could sympathise. The writing was also far better for the original character and the series, R75 has it right. I feel I understand and somewhat like Stuart by the end of U.K. QAF, where Brian is simply loathsome start to finish.

Then there’s the fact that the U.S. version did not enjoy the incredible chemistry between Gillen & Charlie Hunnam, but we won’t talk about that...

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by Anonymousreply 253October 22, 2020 11:05 AM

My first boyfriend was as loathsome as Brian. And also as beautiful. Unconsciously, I figured he had the right to be as arrogant as he was. Seeing Brian confirmed it. While Dave wasn't the first guy to eat my ass out, he was the first guy to make me cum hands free, so I got Sunshine's adDICKtion to Brian. I was equally adDICKted, for a few years, actually.

That was all I needed to know to appreciate the character of Brian Kinney, as presented.

by Anonymousreply 254October 22, 2020 11:12 AM

R202 a joke in one episode saw Ted at a party (possibly a wedding? I forget) swarmed by middle-aged women who did not know or realise he was gay, flirting aggressively with him. The bitter irony of his character situation was that he was considered basically nice-looking, decent, stable and not a bad catch to everyone but the beautiful jacked young gay men he craved. Quite tragically accurate, as stereotypes go.

I liked his relationship with the doomed druggie twink (Blane, or Blake, or something?), and I thought it was a clever parallel with LA TRAVIATA. It showed that to a certain extent Ted rode a carousel of messy drama and misery in life because of his inflexibility and emotional addictions.

Looking back, I feel the strongest and most dramatically-interesting character of the core group was Ted. Maybe this is the post-Breaking Bad perspective talking, but I think there is something fascinating about the unassuming nebbish nobody with rock-bottom self-esteem and a penchant for the melodramatic going through Hell and high-water, yet somehow staying afloat. The character went through comedic and dramatic arcs with equal aplomb, and the actor Scott Lowell gave the best performance in the show, I thought.

The presence of Ted made Brian almost bearable, for me. Their friendship dynamic was the only one I could watch that didn’t make me absolutely enraged by Kinney, and I wonder if that’s where the show dropped a major ball (I would have watched their high-rise escapades together more readily than their separate soapy blah love triangle issues). Their scenes together click so well, perhaps because Harold liked and respected Lowell enough to get over himself in their scenes, or something.

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by Anonymousreply 255October 22, 2020 11:20 AM

One plus for QAF was that the guys had a range of obvious gayness--compare that to today where gay characters are either over the top femmes (Modern Family) or Can You Believe This Masculine Jock Is A Homo guys with zero gay characteristics.

But yes, it was mostly a soap opera that had gratuitous sex scenes in it that, especially after the first season, rarely had anything to do with the story line. It was as if they'd spliced in a softcore gay porn shoot rather than cutting to a commercial.

What's funny is that my main memory of QAF is when I discovered Datalounge several years back and was shocked to see dozens of threads on Gale Harold, all of which were written by obsessed fangurls who desperately wanted Harold to be bisexual and in a secret relationship with Randy Harrison.

What's funny is those same people are now doing the same thing with Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet. Right down to the creepy stalking of random friends and family members.

In regards to the cast, IIRC, Sparks had some sort of career as a comedian prior to the show and the others were all unknowns and he thought he was going to be the star.

The beefs seemed to stem from the fact that Sparks was a stand-up who was thrilled to have gotten a well-paid acting gig while the others were all actors who wanted a show they could use to launch their careers-- QAF UK certainly helped Aiden G and Charlie H--and the two guys who ran the US show were hacks who couldn't move beyond soap opera.

What's most curious about QAF though is that it still seems to have a somewhat rabid fan base among fraus, particularly European and Asian fraus. My take was that it is the same basic groups of women who write all those gay fan fiction stories and somehow get off on gay sex and gay characters.

by Anonymousreply 256October 22, 2020 11:44 AM

I watched the Brit version when it aired. I started watching the american version and was immediately repelled

by Anonymousreply 257October 22, 2020 12:11 PM

Everything about this show sucked ,except Hal Sparks who is someone I kinda admire. The UK version is one of my all time fave series, so clever and sexy and real. And the music 🎶 👌

by Anonymousreply 258October 22, 2020 1:09 PM

Hal's alleged homophobia despite playing gay reminds me of Kerr Smith's alleged homophobia despite playing gay teen Jack on Dawson's Creek.

by Anonymousreply 259October 22, 2020 1:33 PM

I'd give you a WW, r259, but "alleged" is not a word you needed in either case.

by Anonymousreply 260October 22, 2020 1:35 PM

Harris Allan who played that bisexual teen hustler Hunter looks good today. Aged into a good looking guy.

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by Anonymousreply 261October 22, 2020 1:39 PM

Funny, Sparks always stuck out like a sore thumb to me--he was so clearly a standup doing shtick whereas the others were all actors trying to make something of a very soapy script.

It was like they were on two different shows.

It should be noted that there is no way in hell QAF would get made today--can you imagine the freakout about a 30 year old seducing a 17 year old high school student-- and in the UK version he was supposed to have been even younger. Regardless of what the actual age of consent was, there would be major social media freakout about the age difference.

by Anonymousreply 262October 22, 2020 1:45 PM

I guess Peter Paige ended up being the most successful one out of them all. He is a showrunner now with The Fosters and The Good Trouble getting acclaim and ratings. Love both series.

by Anonymousreply 263October 22, 2020 1:46 PM

he was the most talented

by Anonymousreply 264October 22, 2020 1:48 PM

The original appeal of QAF (Showtime and the original from UK) was the unapologetic and explicit hedonism of the characters. They were, for the most part (unless a story plot demanded it), not ashamed of getting laid. They were party queens spending their time at gay bars and gay clubs, took the occasional drug, drank and had fun. And, of course, the gay soap drama. Sure, for some that was "problematic", because gays weren't supposed to look like they are driven by lust (Oh great, now my straight peers think I am horny all the time and think with my gay dick! Now they will think less of me, for sure! Damn you, QAF *shaking fist*).

by Anonymousreply 265October 22, 2020 1:54 PM

R228 didn’t Dean Armstrong also play a victim in Repo Man? If it wasn’t him, then it was a guy who looked just like him.

He’s very Canadian to listen to and look at. Judging by his Twitter, he’s an ‘acting coach’ and a hetero family man now. Apparently he still makes time to hang out with Scott Lowell a few times a year’and flirt up a storm with him for the fanservice, though, which is nice.

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by Anonymousreply 266October 22, 2020 1:59 PM

It was the one gay show at the time and people demanded it be everything to everyone which was impossible.

I laughed when the straight guys asked Michael if he watched sports and Hal takes a beat and says “constantly.”

It was fantasy. I saw gay men cracking jokes, talking in shorthand, living their lives.

Who of us at 17 had the balls to go to the gay part of town and tried to get laid like Justin did?

I loved it when Melanie would rip into Brian. I loved the friendship between Debbie and Jennifer. I loved it when Brian got Guillaume out of the picture and as he’s leaving, Brian, holding Gus, says “ Say au revoir, Gus!”

I loved season 1; I preferred David to Ben.

It was a gay Melrose Place.

by Anonymousreply 267October 22, 2020 2:00 PM

Which other shows centered on gay characters airing in the period 2000-2005 are you comparing this to?

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by Anonymousreply 268October 22, 2020 2:07 PM

It's not odd that girls enjoyed this show how to see all the hot male ass. I bet majority of the viewers were women in fact since you know they are a larger population than us. It's no different than straight dudes who made up most of The L Word's viewing audience.

The made a sequel to The L Word which I haven't watched but apparently it's been fixing all the problematic aspects of the original show.

by Anonymousreply 269October 22, 2020 2:09 PM

It was successful in "world building", a great escapist TV for small town gays to keep "it gets better" mantra alive. It was clearly not intended to win Palm D'Or so I looked past some considerable quality issues.

by Anonymousreply 270October 22, 2020 2:17 PM

It was a groundbreaking, great gay series. I have watched it at least 5 times. It never gets old.

by Anonymousreply 271October 22, 2020 2:34 PM

Younger lesbians will criticize The L Word too. But like QAF was important for its time and groundbreaking.

by Anonymousreply 272October 22, 2020 7:34 PM

We all agree that Michael Novotny had some sort of mild high-functioning autism, right? And I’m saying that as someone who liked the character and thought he got too much unwarranted hateful criticism.

Wonder if that possibility ever entered into Sparks’ decisions about the character?

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by Anonymousreply 273October 29, 2020 1:48 PM

I think that was Spark's idea of being a gay nerd who's so into comics that, starting with season 2, owns a comic book store and creates a comic book series with his frenemy Justin. In the episode he meets Ben Michael points out the value comics had for kids like him struggling to fit in.

by Anonymousreply 274October 29, 2020 1:59 PM
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