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Looking

Oooh, this is the first I'm hearing of a reboot. It's a shame they just don't continue the original, it had so much potential.

This has reminded me - if you haven't seen it yet, the recently premiered miniseries It's A Sin (by QAF creator Russell T Davies) is one of the best written shows I've watched in years. It's a masterpiece, and absolutely heartbreaking. I'm looking forward to it officially launching in the US this month as it's gaining traction around the world for just how authentic and brilliantly articulated it is. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I watched it last week.

Back on-topic though, I'll have to look into what they're planning for this Looking reboot. I really liked the series.
Continuing the original QAF story would be a bad idea... The thing I like about how it ended was that it was open ended and yet wrapped up the story as best it could. It gives you the viewer an opportunity to create their own narrative from there. For that reason a full on revival would be rife with disappointment.

For me I’m kind of stuck on how they plan on reviving the show with new characters... Will the plot be completely original? Or will they try and tell an new story with plot elements of the original? If it’s an original story why call it QAF? Since gay culture is becoming more homogeneous and accepting what ground is there left to break? Or will it take a similar “nothing to prove” approach that a series like Looking did.
 
Continuing the original QAF story would be a bad idea... The thing I like about how it ended was that it was open ended and yet wrapped up the story as best it could. It gives you the viewer an opportunity to create their own narrative from there. For that reason a full on revival would be rife with disappointment.

For me I’m kind of stuck on how they plan on reviving the show with new characters... Will the plot be completely original? Or will they try and tell an new story with plot elements of the original? If it’s an original story why call it QAF? Since gay culture is becoming more homogeneous and accepting what ground is there left to break? Or will it take a similar “nothing to prove” approach that a series like Looking did.
OH! I had read your post as rebooting Looking (which, in hindsight, I’m not sure why I thought that! haha) so that is what I was referring to. My bad. That makes more sense now.

In any case I completely agree about your thoughts for a QAF reboot.
 
This has reminded me - if you haven't seen it yet, the recently premiered miniseries It's A Sin (by QAF creator Russell T Davies) is one of the best written shows I've watched in years. It's a masterpiece, and absolutely heartbreaking. I'm looking forward to it officially launching in the US this month as it's gaining traction around the world for just how authentic and brilliantly articulated it is. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I watched it last week.
WOW! I just finished it.... Is there a word beyond heartbreaking?
 
Right?! I haven’t sobbed that hard since a death in my family. That last episode deserves awards.

I’ve been wanting to rewatch but I’m not sure I can go through it again so soon.
OMG I had anxiety through the latter episodes. I don’t think I’ve had series out me through it as much that this one did. I agree definitely should be up for a shit ton of awards.
 
Some interesting bits...

The actress who plays Jill’s Mum in the series is who Jill is based on. There was actually a Pink Palace and she actually worked with AIDS patients.

Also the line about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is what the series was based on. Russell says he heard the story in the late 80’s/early 90’s. He said he included it as a throw away moment as he didn’t want it to carry too much weight.

“La” was also real. It came from a theatre group Russell was a part of in his youth.
 
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OH! I had read your post as rebooting Looking (which, in hindsight, I’m not sure why I thought that! haha) so that is what I was referring to. My bad. That makes more sense now.

In any case I completely agree about your thoughts for a QAF reboot.
I figured as much... Looking on the other hand I feel was done dirty. It had so much potential that was wasted by limited episode runtime and the length of the series.

Hopefully whatever NBC Universal do with QAF (if the series ever gets off the ground) they’re in it to win it.

It’s kind of ironic in a way that It’s a Sin is set in the 80’s/90’s as I was thinking a QAF reboot would almost be better set in the past than it would be set in current times.
 
I've just watched It's a Sin. Great music, definitely got flashbacks to the early 80s there. I found myself identifying with Colin's awkwardness and trying to fit in, that kinda triggered me actually. I'm really lucky I was only just in my teens at that time, and coming to grips with being gay. AIDS was in the news a lot and it was pretty confronting. By the time I came out and joined the gay scene in Auckland in '88, safe sex was a thing and guys my age were quite timid about it all, so sex was pretty much limited to blowjobs and mutual wanking. So I never knew anyone who got sick or died, but I imagine some guys I knew probably were, or did become HIV+ over the years. Was obviously horrific in the early 80s though.
 
I've just watched It's a Sin. Great music, definitely got flashbacks to the early 80s there. I found myself identifying with Colin's awkwardness and trying to fit in, that kinda triggered me actually. I'm really lucky I was only just in my teens at that time, and coming to grips with being gay. AIDS was in the news a lot and it was pretty confronting. By the time I came out and joined the gay scene in Auckland in '88, safe sex was a thing and guys my age were quite timid about it all, so sex was pretty much limited to blowjobs and mutual wanking. So I never knew anyone who got sick or died, but I imagine some guys I knew probably were, or did become HIV+ over the years. Was obviously horrific in the early 80s though.
Shocking to some but I also identify with Colin... By far the most devastating and hardest hitting storyline in the series.

I was born in the 80’s and grew up in the 90’s... My parents are the same age as those in the series. I grew up with the safe sex messaging but HIV/AIDS really wasn’t talked about much. In terms of sex eduction in school it was virtually non-existent and most of what we did talk about was abstinence.

I’m also shocked at how it’s only been in the last maybe 5 years that we’ve really started making ground in tackling the stigma surrounding HIV. The word ‘clean’ was still pretty rampant on ‘dating’ profiles until recently.
 
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Anyone watched Cucumber? Is it worth watching?
I couldn’t really get into the Cucumber / Banana / Tofu series’ when I tried a few years ago. Maybe I’ll give them another go sometime.

P.S. Also very much a Colin here. Gah, I’m still not over episode 3.
 
I’m starting to think this thread should be renamed to The LGBTQ+ TV Show Appreciation Thread at this point. 🤪
I was going to suggest a name change the other day...
I couldn’t really get into the Cucumber / Banana / Tofu series’ when I tried a few years ago. Maybe I’ll give them another go sometime.

P.S. Also very much a Colin here. Gah, I’m still not over episode 3.
I watched the trailer for it the other day and I really didn’t feel as relatable or interesting as QAF or IaS.

Callum Scott Howell is clearly the breakout star of the series. He’s captured Colin so well that you’d almost think the role was written with him in mind.

One LGBTQ+ series I reasonably enjoyed recently was the reboot of Tales from the City. Murray Bartlett (Dom from Looking) is in it. Got to admit his American accent is so spot on that I had no idea he’s Australian.

 
Somewhat concerning that they want this series to have a broad appeal... Likely means the sex will be toned down from the original.

I found his vision statement a bit off putting... They should focus on creating a compelling narrative that stays true to the tone of the original and let the show find it’s audience. Whether someone chooses to watch it in secret or openly shouldn’t be an issue.
 
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At the end of the day the tone of the original series was summed up by Michael in the opening scene “the thing you need to know is, it’s all about sex!” and is sex really something you discuss as a family?
 
Hmmm… I think it’s great to see a non-binary person in a lead role of a series just not for QAF. I feel like QAF is more of a male dominated franchise that has a group of dynamic and diverse side characters. The more I hear about this show the more it feels like a different show riding on the success and nostalgia of QAF.

 
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