"Queer as Folk" (2000) TV series 2000-2005

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Directors:

Michael DeCarlo
John Fawcett

Writers:

Doug Guinan (writer) (episodes)
Richard Kramer (writer) (episodes)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

3 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's here. It's queer. Coming out December 2000.

Plot:

Based on the British series of the same name, Showtime's 'Queer as Folk' presents the American version...

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Love | Sex | Friend | Friendship

Awards:

7 wins & 26 nominations

Cast

Michelle Clunie	...	Melanie Marcus (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Thea Gill	...	Lindsay Peterson (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Gale Harold	...	Brian Kinney (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Randy Harrison	...	Justin Taylor (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Scott Lowell	...	Ted Schmidt (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Peter Paige	...	Emmett Honeycutt (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Hal Sparks	...	Michael Novotny (82 episodes, 2000-2005)
Sharon Gless	...	Debbie Novotny (78 episodes, 2000-2005)
Robert Gant	...	Professor Ben Bruckner (55 episodes, 2002-2005)
Jack Wetherall	...	Vic Grassi (47 episodes, 2000-2004)

Also Known As:

Q.A.F. (USA) (informal alternative title)
Queer as Folk USA (UK)

Runtime:

55 min (83 episodes)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:18 | Germany:16 | Hungary:18 | New Zealand:R16 (seasons 1-2) | New Zealand:R18 (seasons 3-5) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Australia:R | USA:TV-MA

Filming Locations:

6 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cowlip Productions

Trivia:

At one point Joel Schumacher was attached to direct the pilot.

Goofs:

Continuity: In episode 116 when Justin and Daphne are entering the classroom, Justin has his backpack over his right shoulder. It then alternates between his left and right shoulders. Later it falls off, comes back on, and then is off again.

Quotes:

Emmett: My flame has been rekindled and is burning brighter than ever.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "My Name Is Earl: Pilot (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Spunk

crazy sexy sweet cool

Two men are standing on the roof of a hospital. Brian and Michael are in their late twenties, gay and best friends. In the past three hours before this rooftop scene, Brian has had sex in a gay nightclub, hooked up with a 17-year old boy (whom he will deflower approximately one hour later) and has become a father. Michael, on the other hand, was about to have a one-night stand and realized but once again that he actually is secretly in love with Brian.

With drugs inside, Brian goes on a trip, climbs the edge of the roof, pulls Michael to him and whispers in his ear: "Come on, Mickey, let's fly!" In the background, Heather Small sings "I step out of the ordinary…" It is a mild summer night in the middle of a sparkling city and there is magic in the air.

The first episode of "Queer as folk" was probably the sexiest, craziest, sweetest and best TV show premiere I've ever seen (well, apart maybe from "Desperate Housewives"). It really impressed me and woke my interest. But it was this magical moment Michael and Brian share on the roof that made me fall in love with this show. You can almost smell the night air, feel the warm summer wind breeze and know: it's one of those crazy, unusual moments that make us feel alive. The music, the atmosphere, the scenery – it's all perfect and goes straight under your skin into your heart and soul. The scene gives a promise to the viewer that in the future we will witness unusual, as well as profound and ordinary things, but most of all it is a promise that there will be more magical moments like this one and breathtaking surprises like the ones that happened previously and followed right after. And what better promise can a first episode give – and keep? We witness the lives of four gay friends, a newbie, a gay man's mother and a lesbian couple plus their friends, lovers, relatives and one-night-stands in Pittsburgh. Brian, the main character, is a selfish asshole and Casanova on the one hand and a vulnerable, caring, sweet young man on the other. Michael, whose relationship to Brian I have already described a bit, on the one hand loves his proud mother, on the other tries everything to pretend that he's straight at the supermarket he works in. Emmett, a sweetheart of a queen, always delivers flamboyant one-liners and looks for the man of his dreams. So does Ted, suffering from his not-classically-attractive looks, but having a heart of gold. Young Justin is about to discover the scene and has the (bad) luck to choose Brian as his first love(r). And then there are Lindsay and Melanie, just your average lesbian couple, who has just become mother and … mother with the little help of … Brian.

After having seen three more episodes I am completely addicted to this show. I could enumerate at least 1000 reasons why it went so quickly with me and scenes like the one above which pulled me inside this "queer" world. But I won't. Because everybody has their own reasons to love (or hate) this show and the right to discover it for themselves. But I would like to mention "QAF" 's greatest strength and maybe THE reason why this is a brilliant series. Today's TV shows have so many clichés, try to judge, to label. You will find none of this in "Queer as folk". It just witnesses the lives of people without commenting on it, judging or trying to justify what they do. If they want to shag, they shag, if they want to take drugs, they do so without asking anyone's permission, if they want to party, they party and they make just as many and stupid mistakes as everyone does. Sometimes they screw up and there are times they don't know if they want to scream of joy or suffering. They just live and the show celebrates them for it. And what better message can it have? I know that the show was already a huge success in the US, I am glad that it finally reached Europe (or at least Germany) and I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to see it. Great performances by a brilliant cast and a plot that simply knocks you off – for me one of the best TV shows that has ever been done.