A watershed in LGBTQ representation faces a complicated critical divide
In short: When a landmark series is reimagined for a new era, does it capture the same cultural lightning? The 2022 reboot of Queer as Folk sought to update a television staple, but it sparked a fierce debate over whether it honored its roots or merely exploited trauma.
Created for Peacock by Stephen Dunn, the 2022 series serves as a reimagining of the 1999 British original by Russell T. Davies. While the original was a cultural milestone, Dunn specifically used the 1999 version as his "jumping off point," intentionally choosing not to consider the later Showtime adaptation. Relocated to New Orleans, this latest version focuses on a varied circle of pals whose existence is disrupted following a queer nightclub shooting at the Babylon.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunn gathered a room of writers while staying at his mother's St. John's condo. John's, Newfoundland, where nearly the entire staff—save for one assistant—identified as queer. The cast was intentionally diverse, featuring a non-binary teen drag queen, a trans woman English teacher, and characters with varying physical abilities. This diversity was a point of praise for critics, with The Guardian noting the show refused to "flatten or homogenize" the community.
However, the series faced a polarized reception. While critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 80% approval rating, the general public's approval sat at only 44%. Critics were divided on the show's tone: some lauded its cultural resonance, while others, including reviewers from The Times and Vanity Fair, argued the show became "bogged down in Tragedy" and risked exploiting the trauma of marginalized communities. Despite the critical acclaim for its ambition, the series was canceled after one season on September 23, 2022, following low viewership.
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