The Summer Gay TV Viewing Guide

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood (Oxygen)

Why It’s Gay: Um, it’s Tori Spelling, hello? Plus, Tori’s gay best friend Mehran shows up again briefly now and then.

When It’s On: The new season starts Tuesday, May 26^th at 10 PM/9 C.

Baby Liam, Dean and Tori work the red carpet

The Great Gay Says: I’ve spent the last year selling a house and trying to balance family and career. Tell me again why I’d like to watch a reality series about a low-level celebrity and her husband doing exactly the same thing? For the record, Tori and Dean are also debuting Mommywood, an original web series of ten three to five minute webisodes on the same day, in conjunction with Tori’s new book of the same name (www.oxygen.com and www.ivillage.com). But frankly, that’s too much Tori even for the Great Gay.

Beautiful People (Logo)

Why It’s Gay: This import, which premiered last fall in the U.K., is based on the childhood memoirs of a gay stylist, Simon Doonan (though moved from the 1960s to the 1990s).

When It’s On: The six-episode first season premieres May 26th at 10:30 PM.

The cast of Beautiful People

The Great Gay Says: The central conceit is strong: a young gay misfit in 1990s England must endure the trials and tribulations of small-minded Reading, Berkshire, and his crazy, decidedly un-beautiful (but ultimately “beautiful”) family. Still, the Great Gay found the show uneven. Not all the British humor translates, and sometimes Simon is downright unsympathetic. Still, the buzz about the show is deafening; when people like it, they really like it.

June

Bad Girls (Logo)

Why It’s Gay: No gay guys, but it’s women in prison. Come on!

When It’s On: The latest season starts Saturday, June 3^rd at 9 PM.

Bad Girl's cast members Liz May Brice & Danielle Brent

The Great Gay Says: An American version of this gritty British import is reportedly in the works from Six Feet Under’s Alan Ball, but in the meantime, catch the seventh season (from 2005) on Logo.