Remembering the British Queer As Folk

Throughout the last couple of weeks, the UK’s Channel 4 has been celebrating its 25th birthday by re-screening some of its landmark programs on its new digital spinoff channel, More4. Among them is the original British Queer As Folk, first aired in 1999.

That’s right: before Michael, Brian and Justin ever partied their way across Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, there were Vince (Craig Kelly), Stuart (Aidan Gillen) and Nathan (Charlie Hunnam) partying their way across Canal Street, Manchester, England.

Queer As Folk: the original series was a much briefer thing than the American show it spawned, running for only ten episodes. But its immediate impact on mainstream society was arguably much greater, since it ran on one of the UK’s four main TV stations, rather than on a pay-cable channel as in the US.

Predictably denounced by conservatives, as well as protested by gay activists who worried about its lack of role models, the show nevertheless became a ratings hit. It also provided a breakout success for out gay screenwriter Russell T. Davies, who would go on to helm the current BBC revival of Doctor Who, as well as creating the bisexual-heavy sci-fi spinoff Torchwood.

Davies has since won several awards for his work in television, and when I first saw the British QAF, it was really the quality of the writing, above and beyond the gay themes, that made an impression on me. Watching for the second time around, I was more aware of the clunkiness in certain scenes — he tends to shoehorn in homophobic comments from his straight characters in circumstances where they don’t feel totally convincing, for example — but it’s still almost impossible not to be drawn into the drama.

Perhaps the actors might seem too ordinary-looking, the overall feel too rough-around-the-edges for those used to the glossy (and often melodramatic, voyeuristic) American series. But to me, an Amazon.com reviewer was correct when he wrote: “As sexy, glitzy and prettily-cast as the American version is, it doesn’t have the heart or depth of the British original.”

One of the really interesting things about re-watching the series in 2007 is that many of the plot-points now make it a period piece in the UK. Vince’s father matter-of-factly tells him that “You’re never going to marry” - a claim that seems happily outdated in the age of civil partnerships.

The most controversial aspect of the series remains troubling, and illegal, however: the seduction of the 15-year-old Nathan by the 29-year-old Stuart. (When the program first aired, the age of consent was unequal in the UK — 16 for heterosexuals, 18 for gay men — although it has since been equalized at 16). American adaptors of the show notably raised Nathan/Justin’s age to 17, thereby reducing Stuart/Brian’s skeeve factor.

Queer As Folk : the original series has never been shown on American television, but the DVDs are available online. For US viewers not afraid to brave the regional British accents, the quality of the writing and the performances make it worth a look.