Product Description
-------------------
Season One
They're here, they're queer, and they make Sex and the City look
like a demure tea party. Showtime's quintessentially American
Queer As Folk--based on the British miniseries--pours on copious
as of hot and steamy sex. This slick (and slickly
entertaining) series shares the same basic concept as its British
counterpart--centering on a group of gay friends living in a
primarily industrial city--but after that, all bets are off.
Whereas the British version focused on the gritty, realistic
drama of its characters, the American QAF is a glossy, fun soap
opera that occasionally tackles big issues but never lets you
forget that life at times can be a party, and you shouldn't be
one of those poor suckers starving to death. A good part of the
show's charm lies in its cast--boy-next-door Michael (Hal
Sparks), ruthlessly seductive rake Brian (Gale Harold),
out-and-proud Emmett (Peter Paige), wallflower Ted (Scott
Lowell), and nubile teen Justin (Randy Harrison)--who grew from
standard gay prototypes to intriguing characters by the first
season's end. And while some subplots didn't work (such as
Emmett's farfetched foray into gay-conversion therapy), others
were quietly affecting, including Brian's coping with his
her's death. Some may object to the show's relentless fixation
on sex (and gay men--there are just two lesbian characters), but
this is a series that in its own polished way is both
engrossingly fun and truly groundbreaking. It's liberating to
watch an American TV series in which the straight world is only
peripheral. Let's hear it for the boys! --Mark Englehart
Season Two
They're still out and proud, and in their second season the boys
(and girls) of Queer as Folk continued to break ground as the
most gay-friendly show on television (sorry, Will and Grace).
Some plot lines were a little over the top, others truly
heartfelt, but they were never less than entertaining, even
during their All My Children moments. Season two opened in the
aftermath of the gay-bashing of Justin (Randy Harrison), the
young artist who wondered if he'd ever be able to paint or draw
again, and went on to face a variety of issues and plotlines as
diverse as its characters. Some were timely (Michael negotiating
a relationship with new HIV-positive boyfriend Ben), some
romantic (lesbians Lindsay and Melanie tying the knot), some new
to the show (Emmett embarks on a relationship with
a--p!--older gentleman), and some, well, far-fetched (how many
of you had to wrestle, like Ted did, with starting your own
pornographic web site?).
While the writing tended to flail about a bit, thankfully
coalescing by the season's end, the show continued to be anchored
by stellar actors, especially Peter Paige's Emmett, who grew the
most during the second season; Michelle Clunie's Melanie, the
alternately wry and sweet lesbian who became the show's secret
weapon; and, as always, Gale Harold's Brian, the lothario with a
heart of tarnished gold. Frustrating, fascinating, exasperating
one moment and charming the next, Brian perfectly summed up the
guilty pleasures of Queer as Folk, where humanity peeks out every
now and then from behind the curtain of fabulous comedy and
drama. --Mark Englehart
Season Three
Drama ruled in a big way on the third season of Queer as Folk,
as the gay men and women of Pittsburgh rode a roller coaster of
emotional and personal upheavals that would make a regular
soap-opera cast blanch. Budding comic book artist Justin (Randy
Harrison) finally left longtime lover Brian for a chance at
ecstasy--and not a bit of agony-–with a charming violin player.
Emmett (Peter Paige) finally came face-to-face with his affection
for friend Ted (Scott Lowell), only to have Ted's growing drug
habit get in the way of their happiness. Lesbians Melanie
(Michelle Clunie) and Lindsay (Thea Gill) decided to have another
baby, whose her would be... Michael (Hal Sparks), whose
nesting with hunky Ben (Robert Gant) is rudely interrupted by
runaway Hunter (Harris Allan). And as for Brian (Gale Harold),
the man everybody wants but can't ever have? Just when it seems
he's gone to work for the enemy--a phobic mayoral
candidate-–it turns out he might be the savior the Pittsburgh gay
community never knew it needed. Snaps to the makers of QAF for
trying to bring their characters into the grown-up world –
Michael, Emmett, and Ted started their own businesses; Justin
finally cut loose from Brian-–but too many melodramatic plot
twists and turns impeded a lot of the character development this
show worked hard at during its first two seasons. Still, most of
the cast was topnotch, including Harrison, whose Justin finally
came into his own, and the always dependable Harold, who made
Brian a fascinating creature through all his steamy travails and
over-the-top encounters. --Mark Englehart
Season Four
The fourth season of Queer as Folk finds Brian, now broke and
unemployed, attempting to rebuild his life. Michael returns to
Pittsburgh to fight for custody of Hunter with Ben. Justin joins
a vigilante group where he discovers his buried anger. Also, as
Ted progresses into his sobriety, Emmett deals with the fallout
from their breakup. And Melanie and Lindsay await the birth of
their second child.
Season Five
Gay has rarely been so glamorous as in the American version of
Queer as Folk. But the show's success rests on more than hard
bodies and glossy, picture-perfect sex (though there's an
abundance of that); this series gave its characters a
multidimensional richness that rivals more high-profile programs
like Six Feet Under or The Sopranos, while tackling an impressive
breadth of social and political issues without ever (well, almost
never) feeling preachy. The fifth and final season lays out its
themes with authority: Alpha-gay Brian (Gale Howard) buys and
revamps the sex club Babylon, declaring promiscuity and
independence as a gay birthright, while Brian's oldest friend
Michael (Hal Sparks, Talk Soup) embraces domesticity with his
partner Ben (Robert Gant); the flamboyant Emmett (Peter Paige)
finds success as a tv personality, only to find his persona may
trap him in a stereotype; and Ted (Scott Lowell) grapples with
body prejudices within the gay community. Meanwhile, the
crumbling relationship of Mel (Michelle Clunie) and Lindsay (Thea
Gill) takes a more troubling turn when Michael demands more
rights as the her of their daughter. Most tv series would take
a topic like this last legal wrangle and stretch it over an
entire season, but Queer as Folk is more ambitious; the writers
recognize that the resolution of one problem is rarely the end of
the story, that muddy consequences can be as dramatically
compelling as head-to-head conflict. This aggressive and
effective plotting, combined with the show's willingness to
explore the complexities of every issue--be it assimilation or
the coming out of a celebrity--results in an increasing emotional
power as the series steamrolls towards its final episode. Some
subplots can be silly (Brian has a ridiculous stud-off with a new
hot guy in town), the dialogue can sometimes veer from wit to
camp cliches, and the omnipresence of sculpted, muscular
physiques is absurd and even a little alienating for some
viewers, but Queer as Folk's strengths--the compassion and
intelligence of the writers, the commitment and nuance of the
acting--make this show a true television landmark and a pleasure
to watch. And then, of course, there's all that graphic and
lovingly photographed sex. Rosie O'Donnell and Cyndi Lauper make
guest appearances, and Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey) continues
her much-loved performance as Michael's mother, Debbie. --Bret
Fetzer
.com
----
Season One
They're here, they're queer, and they make Sex and the City look
like a demure tea party. Showtime's quintessentially American
Queer As Folk--based on the British miniseries--pours on copious
as of hot and steamy sex. This slick (and slickly
entertaining) series shares the same basic concept as its British
counterpart--centering on a group of gay friends living in a
primarily industrial city--but after that, all bets are off.
Whereas the British version focused on the gritty, realistic
drama of its characters, the American QAF is a glossy, fun soap
opera that occasionally tackles big issues but never lets you
forget that life at times can be a party, and you shouldn't be
one of those poor suckers starving to death. A good part of the
show's charm lies in its cast--boy-next-door Michael (Hal
Sparks), ruthlessly seductive rake Brian (Gale Harold),
out-and-proud Emmett (Peter Paige), wallflower Ted (Scott
Lowell), and nubile teen Justin (Randy Harrison)--who grew from
standard gay prototypes to intriguing characters by the first
season's end. And while some subplots didn't work (such as
Emmett's farfetched foray into gay-conversion therapy), others
were quietly affecting, including Brian's coping with his
her's death. Some may object to the show's relentless fixation
on sex (and gay men--there are just two lesbian characters), but
this is a series that in its own polished way is both
engrossingly fun and truly groundbreaking. It's liberating to
watch an American TV series in which the straight world is only
peripheral. Let's hear it for the boys! --Mark Englehart
Season Two
They're still out and proud, and in their second season the boys
(and girls) of Queer as Folk continued to break ground as the
most gay-friendly show on television (sorry, Will and Grace).
Some plot lines were a little over the top, others truly
heartfelt, but they were never less than entertaining, even
during their All My Children moments. Season two opened in the
aftermath of the gay-bashing of Justin (Randy Harrison), the
young artist who wondered if he'd ever be able to paint or draw
again, and went on to face a variety of issues and plotlines as
diverse as its characters. Some were timely (Michael negotiating
a relationship with new HIV-positive boyfriend Ben), some
romantic (lesbians Lindsay and Melanie tying the knot), some new
to the show (Emmett embarks on a relationship with
a--p!--older gentleman), and some, well, far-fetched (how many
of you had to wrestle, like Ted did, with starting your own
pornographic web site?).
While the writing tended to flail about a bit, thankfully
coalescing by the season's end, the show continued to be anchored
by stellar actors, especially Peter Paige's Emmett, who grew the
most during the second season; Michelle Clunie's Melanie, the
alternately wry and sweet lesbian who became the show's secret
weapon; and, as always, Gale Harold's Brian, the lothario with a
heart of tarnished gold. Frustrating, fascinating, exasperating
one moment and charming the next, Brian perfectly summed up the
guilty pleasures of Queer as Folk, where humanity peeks out every
now and then from behind the curtain of fabulous comedy and
drama. --Mark Englehart
Season Three
Drama ruled in a big way on the third season of Queer as Folk,
as the gay men and women of Pittsburgh rode a roller coaster of
emotional and personal upheavals that would make a regular
soap-opera cast blanch. Budding comic book artist Justin (Randy
Harrison) finally left longtime lover Brian for a chance at
ecstasy--and not a bit of agony-–with a charming violin player.
Emmett (Peter Paige) finally came face-to-face with his affection
for friend Ted (Scott Lowell), only to have Ted's growing drug
habit get in the way of their happiness. Lesbians Melanie
(Michelle Clunie) and Lindsay (Thea Gill) decided to have another
baby, whose her would be... Michael (Hal Sparks), whose
nesting with hunky Ben (Robert Gant) is rudely interrupted by
runaway Hunter (Harris Allan). And as for Brian (Gale Harold),
the man everybody wants but can't ever have? Just when it seems
he's gone to work for the enemy--a phobic mayoral
candidate-–it turns out he might be the savior the Pittsburgh gay
community never knew it needed. Snaps to the makers of QAF for
trying to bring their characters into the grown-up world –
Michael, Emmett, and Ted started their own businesses; Justin
finally cut loose from Brian-–but too many melodramatic plot
twists and turns impeded a lot of the character development this
show worked hard at during its first two seasons. Still, most of
the cast was topnotch, including Harrison, whose Justin finally
came into his own, and the always dependable Harold, who made
Brian a fascinating creature through all his steamy travails and
over-the-top encounters. --Mark Englehart
Season Four
The fourth season of Queer as Folk finds Brian, now broke and
unemployed, attempting to rebuild his life. Michael returns to
Pittsburgh to fight for custody of Hunter with Ben. Justin joins
a vigilante group where he discovers his buried anger. Also, as
Ted progresses into his sobriety, Emmett deals with the fallout
from their breakup. And Melanie and Lindsay await the birth of
their second child.
Season Five
Gay has rarely been so glamorous as in the American version of
Queer as Folk. But the show's success rests on more than hard
bodies and glossy, picture-perfect sex (though there's an
abundance of that); this series gave its characters a
multidimensional richness that rivals more high-profile programs
like Six Feet Under or The Sopranos, while tackling an impressive
breadth of social and political issues without ever (well, almost
never) feeling preachy. The fifth and final season lays out its
themes with authority: Alpha-gay Brian (Gale Howard) buys and
revamps the sex club Babylon, declaring promiscuity and
independence as a gay birthright, while Brian's oldest friend
Michael (Hal Sparks, Talk Soup) embraces domesticity with his
partner Ben (Robert Gant); the flamboyant Emmett (Peter Paige)
finds success as a tv personality, only to find his persona may
trap him in a stereotype; and Ted (Scott Lowell) grapples with
body prejudices within the gay community. Meanwhile, the
crumbling relationship of Mel (Michelle Clunie) and Lindsay (Thea
Gill) takes a more troubling turn when Michael demands more
rights as the her of their daughter. Most tv series would take
a topic like this last legal wrangle and stretch it over an
entire season, but Queer as Folk is more ambitious; the writers
recognize that the resolution of one problem is rarely the end of
the story, that muddy consequences can be as dramatically
compelling as head-to-head conflict. This aggressive and
effective plotting, combined with the show's willingness to
explore the complexities of every issue--be it assimilation or
the coming out of a celebrity--results in an increasing emotional
power as the series steamrolls towards its final episode. Some
subplots can be silly (Brian has a ridiculous stud-off with a new
hot guy in town), the dialogue can sometimes veer from wit to
camp cliches, and the omnipresence of sculpted, muscular
physiques is absurd and even a little alienating for some
viewers, but Queer as Folk's strengths--the compassion and
intelligence of the writers, the commitment and nuance of the
acting--make this show a true television landmark and a pleasure
to watch. And then, of course, there's all that graphic and
lovingly photographed sex. Rosie O'Donnell and Cyndi Lauper make
guest appearances, and Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey) continues
her much-loved performance as Michael's mother, Debbie. --Bret
Fetzer
