We’re still having trouble keeping up with all of the excellent LGBTQ+ televisions series from last year, but now you’re telling us there’s more on the way?
Of course, that’s a good problem to have, and 2023 is primed to be an exceptionally gay one for the medium. Though we said goodbye to a lot of beloved queer shows in ’22, there’s plenty to get excited about. Over the next twelve months, we’ve got the returns of some of our favorite comedies, buzzy and LGBTQ+ inclusive premium cable dramas, the first-ever gay Time Lord on Doctor Who, some intriguing literary adaptations, and—never fear—endless iterations of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
In order to help you keep track of it all, Queerty has assembled a list of our 15 most anticipated TV series headed to your screens this calendar year. Of course, many premiere dates have yet to be announced, but there’s so much to look forward to regardless.
Doctor Who‘s 15th Doctor
Gay TV luminary Russell T Davies returns to Doctor Who with three specials this year, marking the franchise’s 60th anniversary. These event episodes are set to feature Heartstopper breakout Yasmin Finney, Neil Patrick Harris as a mysterious villain, and will act as the official introduction to a new, gay Time Lord, played by Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa. Coming to the BBC in November.
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Related: Russell T. Davies has left an undeniable mark on queer television and he’s not finished yet
Fellow Travelers
Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer on the set of Showtime’s upcoming romance series FELLOW TRAVELERS. https://t.co/yIfQZOdGWW
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 9, 2022
Gay heartthrobs Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey headline this historical miniseries based on a novel of the same name, following a decades-long romance between two men, from the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s through the AIDS crisis on the 1980s. (The story is also being adapted into an opera this year!) Premiering on Showtime, date TBA.
Gen V
Across three seasons and counting, comic-book adaptation The Boys has delivered the raunchiest and most ridiculous of what the superhero genre has to offer, so we’re eager to see this spin-off about young “Supes” in training at a highly questionable crimefighting school. Starring Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and more. Premiering on Amazon Video, date TBA.
Related: We need to talk about that superpowered gay sex scene in ‘The Boys’ season 3
Glamorous
YouTuber-turned-actor Miss Benny stars as Marco Mejia, a gender non-conforming new hire at a makeup empire headed up by legendary mogul Madolyn Addison, played by Kim Cattrall. It’s giving modern queer take on The Devil Wears Prada/Ugly Betty mold, and we are absolutely here for it. Premiering on Netflix, date TBA.
Hacks, Season 3
Emmy darling Hacks is slated to return this year, which means it won’t be long until Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance, Hannah Einbinber’s Ava, and the rest of the charming (and super gay!) ensemble are back on our screens. Last season ended with big career news for both Deborah and Ava, so we can’t wait to see where this winning comedy takes them next. Premiering on HBO Max, date TBA.
Heartstopper, Season 2
Last spring, the world fell in love with the love story between schoolmates Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). But where does their relationship go from here, now that they’ve opened up to one another? And what about the growing spark between their pals Elle and Tao (Yasmin Finney, William Gao)? All will be revealed in season two! Premiering on Netflix, date TBA.
Related: A new ‘Heartstopper’ story is here and the boys are as adorable as ever
Our Flag Means Death, Season 2
This swashbuckling pirate comedy took us completely by surprise, offering up a touching romance between bumbling Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and the fearsome Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), a thoughtful exploration of nonbinary identity for Jim Jimenez (Vico Ortiz), and so much more. We’re ready to set sail with this crew again ASAP. Premiering on HBO Max, date TBA.
Ripley
That’s the Talented Mr. Ripley to you! Tom Ripley—the classic character created by novelist Patricia Highsmith—is one of the literary world’s prototypical chaotic queers, and this new adaptation finds him (played here by Fleabag‘s “Hot Preist” Andrew Scott) in NYC in the ’60s where he’s hired by a wealthy man to pursue a “complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.” Premiering on Showtime, date TBA.
Related: 8 queer movie villains we actually kinda love
RuPaul’s Drag Race Goes Global
By the time you’re reading this, you’ve likely already met the cast of “Original Recipe” Season 15, but make room for more because ’23 is going to be chock-full of spin-offs from Mama Ru’s rapidly expanding franchise, including All Stars 8, debuts for Brazil, Belgium, Germany, and the first-ever Global All-Stars. Season 15 airing now on MTV, with more to come via WOW Presents+ / Paramount+.
Related: The strangest and most surprising things we’ve learned about the cast of ‘Drag Race’ season 15
The Idol
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye teamed up for this wild romp about a burgeoning pop star (Lily Rose-Depp) and her thorny relationship with a self-help guru (Tesfaye) who might just be the leader of a dangerous cult. Dan Levy, Troye Sivan, and Hari Nef are among the LGBTQ+ talent rounding out the supporting cast. Premiering on HBO, date TBA.
The Last Of Us
HBO’s next can’t-miss event series is this video game adaptation about an unlikely pair (Game Of Thrones‘ Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) who just might hold the key to survival after a fungal virus has wiped out most of humanity and turned them into zombie-like creatures. If it’s anything like the game itself, it’ll feature some pretty pivotal queer characters, too! Premiering January 15 on HBO.
Related: 9 of our favorite LGBTQ+ video game characters from 2022
The Other Two, Season 3
Few television shows have as high a jokes-per-minute ratio as The Other Two, a comedy about two aimless adult siblings (played by Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke) dealing with the sudden fame of both their teen brother and their mother. Who knows what the family will get into in season three, but we’re sure it’ll be very funny—and very gay. Premiering on HBO Max, date TBA.
They Both Die At The End
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An adaptation of Adam Silvera’s best-selling YA novel—which took TikTok by storm—about two teenage boys who discover they only have a day left to live. The story was previously set for HBO, but last year it was announced it would be shopped around by Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen. We’re holding out hope we’ll get to see it in 2023, wherever it winds up! Details TBA.
Related: 17 LGBTQ+ books we can’t wait to add to our shelves in 2023
True Detective: Night Country
This anthology crime series has taken on many forms since it first premiered in 2014 with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. And though the following seasons failed to generate as much buzz, anticipation is high for the Alaska-set Night Country, which co-stars screen legend Jodie Foster and rising queer talent Kali Reis in lead roles. Premiering on HBO, date TBA.
Yellowjackets, Season 2
Buckle up because this twisty thrill ride is back for more! And there’s still plenty of questions to be answered in season two, with the teens in the ’90s struggling to survive winter in the wilderness (and each other) and the women in the present-day timeline still running from the past they thought they’d left long behind. Buzz, buzz. Premiering March 24 on Showtime.
bachy
Can’t wait for all these terrific new shows! In a trend started during the pandemic, television continues to serve as the perfect substitute for getting out, meeting real people and forming a relationship with a smelly, annoying, real-life human being!
IvanPH
IKR. I’d rather watch good TV, movie, or read a book than socialize with two-faced people and their vapid mind-insulting stories.
bachy
LOL you nailed my sentiments exactly!
linedrive
They Both Die at the End is a fantastic book and a punch in the gut. Not sure how an on-screen adaptation would work but I hope it happens.
IvanPH
Fellow Travelers
Ripley
True Detective
The Other Two
These are the only ones I am looking forward to watch.
bachy
Oh! I like your list! But I’d add Hacks, Heartstopper and The Idol (maybe).
cuteguy
I can’t wait until season 2 of the instant classic Heartstopper and the legend in the making, Kit Connor. And so happy to see Kim Cattrall being the queen she is.
bachy
LOVE Kim but she’s got a lousy picker! Sensitive Skin is the only good show she’s been in since SATC!