With MTV out of cash, and Viacom shedding jobs left and right, life over at Logo, America’s gay network, must be looking pretty grim these days. Like many of you, Logo’s original programming has left us mostly scratching our heads. Noah’s Arc was goddawful bad as was the relentless unfunny U.S. of Ant and even bright spots like Transamerican Love Story and the ongoing tv-version of Del Shore’s Sordid Lives seem like the sort of programs which would only appeal to a small niche of its demo, which is not something you want when your audience is a niche market to begin with. Logo needs a hit and it needs it soon.
Because we really don’t want to be writing a post about the death of Logo anytime soon, we’re offering some free, unsolicited pitches. That’s right, we won’t sue you if you steal these ideas. They are yours, Logo—free for the taking. Just stop trying to make the BBC look so damn exciting and innovative already.
Heaven or Hell
Each week, audiences will be challenged to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, as gays and lesbians swap places with religious folks and others who don’t believe in equality for LGBTs. For seven days, a Mormon missionary might live in West Hollywood while the gay guy whose apartment he’s staying in will put on the shirt, tie and backpack and knock on doors to spread the Gospel. While they come from different backgrounds, by choosing to see the world through each other’s eyes for little bit, they’ll learn valuable lessons and make great TV. At the end of the week, they’ll meet the person whose life they’ve been living and share their experiences. It’s like Wife Swap, only with the stakes raised exponentially.
Threesome
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Look, we loved the couple of episodes of elimiDATE that were same-sex oriented. We loved it so much, in fact, that it’s the inspiration for Threesome. Two guys (or gals) will vie for the affection of another. The twist is that, at the end, the guy who gets picked as the winner gets the option of choosing to date either the guy who crowned him the winner or his competition. With its built in cattiness and opportunity for backstabbing, it’ll be just like the real gay dating scene.
I don’t personally know former escort, Marc Jacobs ex and wannabe nightlife impresario Jason Preston, but what I do know is that he’s a walking, one-man ball of drama and relentless media whore. In short, he’s a tragic reality show without a camera crew. I sort of envision The Jason Preston Hour as a real life Man Bites Dog, with Jason using the cameras and the show as a way to advance his own self-promoting agenda. In an age of Facebook and MySpace, Preston really is the perfect Warholian celebrity: famous simply for being famous. Produced with the right cynical eye, as well as intercutting scenes of Jason doing his thang with interviews of random people talking about what they think of Jason (this part seems key to making the whole concept work), we think this show could actually work. And we’ll go out on a limb and say Preston’s probably for hire.
burger king
bring on the drag races!!!
myrios123
Great ideas! See, I think that we should embrace our bad tv shows. I mean if LOGO is going to be edgy, it needs an angle. How about a Gay Gilligan’s island (The original survivor)? How about some silly game shows for gay audience, like Win, lose, or draw/drag: with some theme episodes like twinks versus softball. I know it sounds bad, but let’s just have fun with it. If I see another gay vampire dark shadows wanna be, I’m not tuning in.
I think the key to this dilemma is to either embrace the bad, spicing things up with the ‘gay people’s court’, America’s next top bottom, and as _Burger King_ said, drag races! (I think that’s a great idea: gay sporting events, just not bowling).
Or, LOGO needs something better than Grey’s. Let’s stop trying to mimic shows that we know are just not going to be on the same par. What can we do well, what can be done well? I’m kicking myself for saying so, but plays and musicals. I’m not generally a fan of all that singing, but an all male cast of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is just what our community wants or maybe some gay themed musicals…sorry can’t think of any. I just know there is a ton of talent out there. Give them a chance. I bet you there has to be at least 1000 gay playwrights and probably at least that many actors that would get all sweaty about finally being part of a play that was made for tv.
Wolf
My Idea is for a Show called “Cabin Fever”
Sort of like a Gay “Big Brother” with a mix of all types of Lesbians and Gays Stuck in a house for 6 weeks with a 24/7 Live Feed, Weekly evictions and reward tasks. I actually have a outline for it. So LOGO. CONTACT ME!!!!
Taylor
“Heaven or Hell” is a reinvention of Morgan Spurlock’s fabulous documentary series 30 Days, where people spend 30 days in the shoes of someone who’d beliefs are vastly different from their own. He’s already had a redneck boy from the mid-west go and live with a gay guy in San Francisco for a month… and it was riveting grab-a-hanky tv.
hardmannyc
Well, at least we know now why you took over Queerty – to try to get the ear of Logo’s program chief. I’ve got news for you: These ideas aren’t bad, but they also aren’t that new. I can assure you, Logo suits (and here! too, for that matter) have heard it all 1,000 times.
Jake
Mryios is right. How about Who’s Afaid Of Virginia Woolf as Albee initially invisioned it–all men. Then there’s Genet’s The Maids which was originally written for a cast of men. There are other plays written by gay playwrights, alot in the public domain, which would be wonderful and expose us to our own literary contributions. Romeo and Juliet would be ideal and not difficult to envision even in Renaissance Italy, as would be any number of Shakespeare’s other works (ok, I’m a revionsist, him and the Earl of Oxford indeed!). And are you telling us that all those out actors in both NY and LA wouldn’t leap at the chance to do this kind of work?
Come on, Logo, you’re in an excellent position to really reveal and celebrate our contributions in the performing arts.
Japhy Grant
@Jake: Ha. Edward Albee gets REAL MAD when you tell him that Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is really about gay men, but a Logo Playhouse would be a fun show.
NineDaves
why should it matter what logo’s programming is? we already have a gay network with amazing programming. it’s called bravo.
Mister C
Japhy…you said
Why, Because you refuse to understand Black LGBT lifestyles and situations. But I did see you like Transamerican Love story and Sordid Lives and I’m sure you were living for the 2,000,000.00 episode of Queer as Folk also…HUH?
Those cast members are white, Ahhhh I now get it.
HOW SAD This community wil NEVER advance!
Jesus Mary
Logo and Here! are dreadful, often and occasionally wonderful. Like every other network on television. That’s why god invented Tivo.
Old Black Queen
Black LGBT lifestyles and situations.
LOL. Right, all unemployed screenwriters in LA live in nice apartments and drive new cars and have a wardrobe change every ten minutes. It was SO realistic!
I liked the show, but to say it was anything but a fantasy is ridiculous.
matt
So let me get this right: We have to appreciate “Noah’s Arc” simply because it’s non-white?
As a gay man of color let me be the first to say that Noah’s Arc was just bad, no two ways about it.
Ok, we’re advancing now. Move on.
Inquiring Mind
Is “Mister C” really Jasmyne Cannick?
Ryan
@Jake:
ermm.. not to nitpick but Albee never intended it to be performed by all men, he has in fact stopped all male performances of it in the past.
D.B.
At the very least, Here! gets sexy right in a silly, soft-porny kind of way. Logo can’t even do that correctly.
Logo is the channel of endless old repeats — if I want to watch gay TV, I’ll stick to Bravo.
Chelsea Resident
I like “Rick & Steve”.
Alan down in Florida
As a channel not carried by the local cable companies, Logo has absolutely no affect on my viewing habits.
J
i love “rick and steve” but the rest of LOGO is just endless repeats of the same shows they’ve been showing for the last 3 years.
GT
Logo is already going under. The gossip in the industry is the network is folding and they’re moving whatever content they have online.
Anyway, the key to gay programming is they all have no budget to create anything good. If you can find a good idea that can operate on a shoestring budget, then you’re golden.
jesse
Logo needs to give this dude his own show- he is mad funny!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOI-pPfIKa4&feature=channel
wondermann
I agree about Noah, it was bad, but I applaud them for a mutli-racial show.
And the 3 pitches are good, I will try this on my blog. Thanks for the idea.
GranDiva
@matt:
Worse than bad, as far as this BGM is concerned. The worst kind of gay minstrelsy, really. I couldn’t watch five minutes without wanting to throw a brick at the television.
On another note, what I hate most about LOGO is a problem that so many other networks seem to have to some degree or another: commercials are twice as loud as programming, which is hard on the entertainment system, particularly given the crappy nature of most of the products advertised (Joe Francis, take Guys Gone Wild and shove it up your tacky ass).
It is nice to see that Big Gay Sketch Show’s Erica Ash has joined the cast of Mad TV for it’s final season, though. Maybe they’ll let her do Grandma Bell or LaTanya a couple of times.
Rob Moore
Until recently, I thought Logo was targeted mostly to lesbians. How else to explain the hours and hours of Bad Girls? A lot of the movies were geared towards lesbian audiences and the handful that were running about men were often nipped and tucked to the point of being pointless or they were just bad to start. There has been some recent improvement and the addition of 01:00 A.M. on Saturday to show complete, untouched versions has been a good step. There have also been some small gems in the Click List: Best in Short Film. The music programs such as PopLab generally show acts of thin talent with a rare flash of light.
I tried to watch Noah’s Arc a few times, and frankly, found my attention drifting to more mundane things. A couple of the actors showed some talent, but the only thing memorable about the central character and the actor who played him was the name of the series.
Here! has programming that is good for the eyes, but not the mind. A lot of eye candy and cheesy dialogue reminds me of softcore porn popular on early cable in the late 70s and the 80s. Some of the DVDs from Here! have decent movies as well as some really awful ones.
GranDiva
@Rob Moore:
The thing about Here! is that its original programming seems custom-written for retired or retiring porn stars who are still harboring some hope of legitimate acting work, with varying degrees of success. They’re not all bad, but some of them just seem like stunt casting.
hardmannyc
The Big Gay Sketch Show may be the worst-produced tV show in history. I mean, it makes Fox and VH1 reality shows look like BBC documentaries.
MadProfessah
Noah’s Arc was intended to be a guilty pleasure, like SEX IN THE CITY and QUEER AS FOLK and SOUL FOOD.
However I have to agree with some other posters that Noah’s Arc was simply not a very good show–however it was a very good showcase for some very good (and attractive!!) actors like Wilson Cruz, Darryl Stephens and Jensen Atwood specifically.
There are so many creative gay boys and girls out there it is surprising to me that LOGO can’t find a way to capture that creativity and develop it for national presentation.
Geo Vaughn
@Mister C:
Don’t be silly, and don’t pull the race card … not HERE at least.
Noah’s Ark was simply poorly written, and had the worse acting (Darryl Stephens) I’ve ever seen on television.
It has nothing to do with the show focusing on “black gay culture” and everything to do with it just being tacky … 😉
Nitesurf
The only thing I ever watch on LOGO is 365 Gay News.
David Hauslaib
@Mister C: It’s sort of ridiculous to think the quality of a show comes down to a race construct. The very white “Queer As Folk” was mildly entertaining but, at its core, a trashy soap opera. It was not excellent television, but it served a niche. If you want to “elevate” a show like “Noah’s Arc” to the trashy-yet-entertaining level of “Queer As Folk,” nobody’s stopping you. Both shows serve a purpose and an audience, but let’s not kid ourselves that either are top notch television programming.
Qjersey
Rick and Steve is brilliant, the recent episode where they went to San Fran was so spot on, I kept saying to myself, “oh no they didn’t”
Noah’s Ark: Bad Acting! and Noah, a Black Carrie Bradshaw, self involved and self absorbed…and utterly unlikeable. And just what the Black community wants to see or any of us wants to see, more top/bottom, bitch/thug, femme/butch roles.
Mister C
Well that’s how I felt and I said it and by the way Brokeback Mountain was an AWFUL FILM But the powers that be of the LGBT community still praised it in spite of…
I’m from NYC and not LA Noah’s Arc wasn’t the worst and it wasn’t the best but from some of the posts I have read from Queerty in reference to African Americans is truly disconcerting and offensive
Here’s one for sure:http://www.jossip.com/the-big-three-black-leaders-who-need-to-go-20081223/
How in Gods name do you know what African Americans want? These people do not serve our entire community However they do serve some and most Black men do NOT drink, smoke,or sag their pants As Rick Roberts and others have said.
But it’s not your interest to see the good side of us why would you your white. It’s only to rally up the ones on here who have so much negativity to comment when it comes to Blacks by some of your posts and once again we have another. Where your audience is more caucasian than anything else.
@No.13 Inquiring Mind am I Jasymine Cannick? NO I’m Mister C. Are you Vito Natali? Google him and find out if you don’t know.
He definitely wasn’t a friend to the Black LGBT community in San Francisco.
Peter
This is a classic example of the GLBT community biting itself in the foot. Yeah, Logo has problems, but instead of whining and bitching about it, why not see the good in it and support the intents?
Japhy Grant
@Mister C: Hate to break it to you, but the article on Jossip you’re referring to was written by our managing editor Cord, who’s black. I’m sorry you just assumed everyone here is white, but that’s your bias, not ours.
George Baily
@Mister C: *yawn*
GranDiva
@Mister C:
*double yawn*
Methinks there is a BGM who, not unlike bell hooks, has an ax to grind. Now that I’m forty myself I’ve learned to let it all go…
The Gay Numbers
I am a black gay guy desperate to see gay stuff with black folks in it. But, let’s call things what they are: Noah’s Arc was crap.
I know they meant well, but, wow, bad is bad.
The only two shows that I have ever seen with intereting black gay characters are- “The Wire” and “Six Feet Under.”
Hell, they were interesting characters on those two shows regardless of whether they were gay. The fact they were gay just made my life so much sweeter because of the icing that being gay added.
When I write, I look to these shows for inspiration. Not Noah’s Arc. Crap is crap.
Japhy Grant
@The Gay Numbers: Have you seen True Blood? Lafyette is a lot of fun, transgressive and it’s great to see a gay black character on TV be outrageous and fun. I love The Wire and Six Feet Under but nobody ever had much fun on either show. Or vampires, either.
michael
Maybe it sucks because it’s the same old crap, and for many, the face of Gay America is changing, factioning. I, for one, haven’t seen anything performed in drag in probably… 12 years. Never thought it was much of a talent in the first place. I mean, if you can sing – you can sing; if you can tell jokes – you can tell jokes. Those are talents irrespective to what one wears. While I have nothing to support this thought, I would wager the folks at LOGO did little in the way of market research before coming up with their amazingly awful lineup. They just assumed they knew the tastes of the network’s intended viewers and ran with it. And, for the record, we don’t need another crappy reality show that follows around some drama-obsessed “media whore”.
The Gay Numbers
@Japhy Grant: A friend tells me that I need to see “True Blood” because my writing is intricate plots and characterization that fucks with my audience’s head. Fun and transgressive is definitely important due to my influences being movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Deliverance.
The problem: I don’t have premium cable 🙁
I held off (due to writing) going to see it at my friend’s apartment. She’s been telling me I need to come over her place for a month. You just gave me the incentive to make a trek this weekend out into the boondocks because coincidences are weird. Thanks.
Insideguy
I will proffer an all-gay version of THE VIEW to be called, THE ‘TUDE. Some potential panelists come to mind such as You Tube sensation Michael Buckley, Mario Cantone, Frank Decaro, Ted Casablanca, and Brent Corrigan as the Elizabeth Hasselbeck of the show. Andy Towle, Armistead Maupin, Paulo Murrillo also come to mind. Out TV Producer Gary Socol, creator of both TALK SOUP and THE GOSSIP SHOW for E! Entertainment would be the perfect Bill Geddes.
A live action version of THE CHELSEA BOYS would be a perfect sitcom. Chris Mason Johnson’s film. THE NEW TWENTY could become a very watchable series, especially if Nicole Bilderback stays in the cast.
Another would be a gay version of HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, where three guys sick of the corporate rat race try to land Sugar Daddies but end up falling in love with different men for different reasons. Though it might be a better made for TV movie.
That’s all I am saying
Wolf
@The Gay Numbers:
The Gay Numbers.
Here is my other site MoviePlex. You can watch all 12 True Blood Episodes there.
Merry Christmas. Enjoy!
http://www.movieplex.org/showthread.php?t=6864
Wondermann
Here are my ideas if I was granted to power to change things
* A “Gay” View. I would love to see or be a part of a LGBT version of The View. It would be cute to see a diverse crew of LGBT people talking about our world and everything else around it.
* A good, good drama show like Six Feet Under and NOTHING like Queer as Folk. Ex: After a rude awakening, a nightlife impresario decides to change his life and start a LGBT home for troubled youth.
* A supernatural show that does not make a joke out the genre, Joss Whedon-like writer would be great. Ex: A young gay outsider falls for another outsider who happens to be half-demon.
* Continue the Can’t Get a Date series. It’s good to see other LGBT folks dealing with dating issues.
* Have a Midnight Special variety hour. There are a lot of LGBT musical artists. It would be nice to see them perform.
* Create a series called Everyday, that highlight the great things LGBT folks are doing. We don’t see that enough in the media.
Wondermann
Here are my ideas if I was granted the power to change things
* A “Gay” View. I would love to see or be a part of a LGBT version of The View. It would be cute to see a diverse crew of LGBT people talking about our world and everything else around it.
* A good, good drama show like Six Feet Under and NOTHING like Queer as Folk. Ex: After a rude awakening, a nightlife impresario decides to change his life and start a LGBT home for troubled youth.
* A supernatural show that does not make a joke out the genre, Joss Whedon-like writer would be great. Ex: A young gay outsider falls for another outsider who happens to be half-demon.
* Continue the Can’t Get a Date series. It’s good to see other LGBT folks dealing with dating issues.
* Have a Midnight Special variety hour. There are a lot of LGBT musical artists. It would be nice to see them perform.
* Create a series called Everyday, that highlight the great things LGBT folks are doing. We don’t see that enough in the media.
max
are you serious? these ideas suck!
the problem with LOGO is that its programming thinks that 100 percent gay is what gay people want to watch. it’s why they’re failing and gays are tuning into bravo. real gays with style and taste have a little more of a mixed palate.
these ideas cater to the lowest tier of programming. edgy? are you seriously using the words “edgy” and “sort of like a gay wife swap” in the gay sentence?
this is why a gay network is difficult to work. the people that want all gay 24/7 don’t really have a very sophisticated palate.
give me bravo anyday – and mix it up!
Greg
How about something that’s actually not just mindless entertainment, like a documentary series about gay history or famous gay people? Or is a little substance too much for Logo to handle?
mgh
am I the only one who absolutely adored the same-sex wedding show that LOGO did/bought? I know it’s all conservative to get married and what not, but the show was way cute…
RichardR
Can anyone believe that Jason Preston earned money having sex? Or is that just a bad pic?
Qjersey
My 2cents:
To start with, how about a regular programming schedule that is easy to follow. Now Logo scheduling is like HBO, films and shows that start on the half hour in prime time.
But we need:
A nightly news program
a talk show, ala the View (which I thought Joan Rivers was developing)
A weekly show that travels to a different state every week to tell us “whats goin on there!” after all 50 states and we have 52 weeks!
What about Logo merging with Here! and then we won’t have to sit through dumbass editing and bleeping of language and scenes that are no problem for the FX network, but oh yeah straight people, a real double standard.
Dawson
More Sports shows. Gays are often considered hating sports. Let’s stop this sterotype. Outgame highlights or stories related to different people trying to make the Outgames and the obstacles they encounter. A bodybuilding shows would draw a cross over audience. A gay bodybuilding competition. Or competitions between gay teams verses straight teams.
Or a historical show on famous gay people in world history.
Debate shows on important gay issues–gays in the military, gays in the bible, gay marriage, the absence of gays in tv or sports, etc… There are many stories we can come up with were we have a debate from both sides.
Gay porn actors and their life of stage. Different profiles each week.
Anthony in Nashville
I’m black and thought I was the only person who has not had an overwhelming urge to watch Noah’s Arc, but I’m surprised that so many people are dissing it.
I thought it was a respected show? I probably will break down and watch it eventually, just because it was a trailblazer.
As far as the theme of the thread, I believe their owners treat here! and Logo with the same level of respect as BET: Niche programming for an audience that should be grateful we are catering to them, so let’s keep it cheap, with lots of re-runs, and not much news or information about the community.
The Gay Numbers
@Anthony in Nashville: Re BET
That’s exactly how I see it. It’s funny how much the gay community is now mirroring early experiences that I had has an African-American. Whether it is politics or entertainment. It’s like looking in a mirror from 20 years ago.
Billy Barnacle
My View
with your host;
Japhy Gant
Jism Cannick
Christy Crain
Jackie Jett
Greg
I think a show about gays and lesbians who have been together for a while and are looking for a new home to live in together would be great, on a number of fronts. It would show them touring various homes (kind of like Househunters on HGTV, which is one of their most popular shows for years and does sometimes feature people who are presumably gay), it could be part decorating their homes and picking out furniture and stuff like that, and most importantly it would show real gay couples in lasting relationships going through the real life issues that everyone else goes through, putting them in a good light and giving more credibility to gays in the eyes of others.
Aside from that, what Logo really needs is a show that’s good enough that another existing network wants to play it in a few years from now. Right now, Logo buys a lot of older shows from other networks, acting as the lesser channel, but this needs to be reversed if it’s ever going to be really noteworthy.
John M
Gay Jeopardy.
Big Gay Brother
The Price is Right…and Gay
Michael
I’ve got a show for them. It’s called “Troy” and it’s based on my comic strip.
Charles
Logo is so bad that I forget it exist, but then again running the network is a woman who was vp at the food network.
Can you say, duh!
scott
well, i LIKE queer as folk. I really think that seasons 1-3 were decent.
noah’s arc. I hated that show when I first saw it. But like a Britney Spears song, once you play it and then listen to it, several times over, it starts to grow on you. And I actually started to enjoy Noah’s Arc after watching it over and over again.
I do get tired of seeing REPEATS, OVER AND OVER again.
I do get tired of seeing REPEATS, OVER AND OVER again.
I do get tired of seeing REPEATS, OVER AND OVER again.
I do get tired of seeing REPEATS, OVER AND OVER again.
I do get tired of seeing REPEATS, OVER AND OVER again.
I agree that the can’t get a date show was interesting. I’d watch a show about porn stars. I’d also watch a show about up and coming gay businesses, their trials and tribulations.
Rob Moore
@Japhy Grant: Lafayette is my favourite character on True Blood. He brings such a huge presence to the story. His scenes are always the best ones to me. Based on the season finale, I am concerned the character might not be around anymore.
luke
#56 Charles, you got your info wrong. Nobody from Food Network runs Logo. That would actually be a good thing. Food Network is at least a successful network. The head of Logo is The same man who heads up the entertainment divisions of MTV & VH1. His name is Brian Graden. Obviously, those channels of “superb” programming take up too much of his time to dedicate to Logo or maybe in business terms Logo isn’t a priority for Viacom. Under Mr. Graden is a woman named Lisa Sherman who is the channel’s GM. From what I could find online she has never worked in television in her 30 year career. She came from Sprint. Bizarre! For a groundbreaking channel you would have thought they would have hired some who knew what they were doing.
Gogetitgirl
First Comes Love , Can’t Get a Date and CBS News on Logo were my favorites. They got rid of them all or just repeated the same episodes over and over so I stopped watching months ago. Jason Bellini was cute and smart. this new reporter sucks!
Bobster
Put Logo out of it’s misery! I looked forward to the channel when I heard about it’s launch, but like meeting guys online it didn’t live up to my expectations. In the meantime BRAVO came along and gave me the gay TV I was looking for.
Cam
Jason Preston always looks like he smells of B.O. stale smoke, and dirty scalp.
Kyle
I worked there in Logo’s early years and there were a lot of talented people behind the scenes. Unfortunately over the past couple of years the true creatives left out of frustration with the TPTB who didn’t want to do anything fun, edgy or irreverent. Many of the ideas discussed in this thread have been pitched to Logo in vsrious forms. It seems that the Logo execs who for the most part are mid 40s and up are out of touch with gay culture. they are trying so hard to show that gays are just like everyone else that they stripped our community of what makes us unique and have given us ho hum programming showing America that gay people are just as boring as straight people.
Thank goodness for Bravo. That is a network that celebrates GAY!!
Macky
I’m 24 and don’t understand the need for Logo. It would have been great 10 years ago, but with shows like Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, As the World Turns and so many reality shows having gay characters why do we need Logo?
Tony
Logo’s programming seems too slanted for me. To me, it’s either too gay (as in activist gay) or it seems overwhelmingly geared to the lesbian community (no offense to the lesbians). The programming needs to focus less on gay as a lifestyle and more on gay as a part of who we are, not what defines us. This is where Bravo and HGTV hit the nail on the head – lots of gay representation/issues without focusing on defining people by their sexual preference. As for here!, terrible series with even worse actors and the movie choices are too slim. Again, too much focus on gay as a lifestyle as opposed to just being a part of what we are made of.
Travis
I agree with #20, this queen is the shit. get him his own show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBYi6q3zUt0
also, Noah’s Ark was fucking awful
Balthezaar
I think you should all be ashamed of yourselves for being so critical. If your over the age of 25 (most likely) you realize just how hard the struggle has been and how much of a joy it is to have a gay network. Also if you live in the south, mid-west or some other portion of the discriminate USA you are aware that, for some, LOGO and other small portions of gayness like it are all that are available. Just remember, many of us fought the fight. The REAL fight. Not words or ideals but blood shed, tears, pain and death. It may sound extreme but by supporting LOGO and any other organization, person or event you are supporting those who are not as fortunate as yourself to have as much comfort as you do. If you dont like LOGO, parades or being “too gay” then youve forgotten about all your brothers and sisters before you who did the work and made your life more tolerable. Get involved! Be a part of the answer not a part of the problem….
Joanne
#67 Logo is in only 35 million homes across the country. Most of these homes are in the big markets (i.e. LA, NYC, San Fran). The rural gays aren’t seeing Logo, but I’m sure they are seeing the gay characters/stories on HBO, Showtime, ABC, Bravo and every reality show out there. Why should we be kinder to a network just because it is gay? We strive for equality so why shouldn’t Logo be treated the same way we would treat any TV network?
Sean
Logo has its issues. It chooses to many low cost reality-like series and falls into the “more skin” trap. For a while, my friends would always joke that Bad Girls was ALWAYS on when you turned the tv on. There has to be a better way to program!
We have to get away from the stereotype and start emphasizing programming that not only informs our community but reflects it. UPN and WB for instance made a business plan to stay on air by emphasizing the only original African-American programming on TV. They merged and are using new media strategies to attract the 18 – 24 demo. We need to take a tact that goes after our audience and keeps it, but draws in new audience.
We need a daily news not a weekly – people want it now not later, hence the reason paper magazines and newspapers are now trending internet. Expand 365GayNews and bring AfterElton/AfterEllen to the small screen and push interactive development with the web site. Series News first and then entertainment news is best. Throw in a View like show and you have it, alternating lesbians and gays two nights a week.
We need at least two or three hour long dramas to emphasize the serious and not the bad acting goofy. Expensive, but to be credible there has to be something out there that could work. There are plenty of good gay actors out there not working that could make a good shot and not be in with bad writing.
Throw in two sitcoms, push Big Gay Sketch Show to twice a week at 1030pm, program some HBO/Wisecrack comedian spotlights, and emphasize gay or gay-friendly talent with a variety show. How about a few reality shows based on weddings again and a home improvement show to rival Ty Pennington? Why not bring back Brini Maxwell for a late night show?
Fill the rest in with documentaries (which many of my friends look forward to the most and DVR) and movies.
Drop Queer As Folk, L-Word, and Bad Girls.
Here is my primetime lineup:
Sunday:
8PM Gay Weddings
9PM Prime Time Movie of the Week
11PM Gay News Wrap Up
Monday:
7PM Gay Daily News
730PM Gay Entertainment Magazine
8PM Gay/Lesbian Home Improvement Show
9PM The Gay View
930PM Best in Gay Short Film
10PM Gay Drama – A gay man in his 40s who owns his own garbage pick-up business moves on with life alone after his partner is killed in an accident. No kids, ordinary looking guy, no clingy mom or sister.
11PM Gay Daily News Rerun
1130PM Brini Maxwell Talk Show
Tuesday:
7pm Gay Daily News
730PM Gay Entertainment Magazine
8PM Lesbian Brady Bunch
830PM Gay/Lesbian Travel
9PM The Lesbian View
930PM Best in Lesbian Short Film
10PM The Big Gay Sketch Show
1030PM Rick & Steve/Alien Boot Camp Rotation
11PM Gay Daily News Rerun
1130PM Brini Maxwell Talk Show
Wednesday:
7pm Gay Daily News
730PM Gay Entertainment Magazine
8PM Gay Couple raises kids and has family friendly adventures in Montana. One Dad is a ranger at Yellowstone, the other owns a restaurant.
9PM Variety Show – The Gay Ed Sullivan Show
10PM Latino Lesbian General keeps her public and private life separate while commanding a division in Iraq. Redeployed back to San Antonio, she realizes she has to come out.
11PM Gay Daily News Rerun
1130pm Brini Maxwell Talk Show
Thursday:
7pm Gay Daily News
730PM Gay Entertainment Magazine
8PM Gay/Lesbian Coffee House
830PM Gay Artist Spotlight
9PM The Gay View
930PM Wisecrack
10PM Gay James Bond
11PM Gay Daily News Rerun
1130PM Brini Maxwell Talk Show
Friday:
7pm Gay Daily News
730PM Gay Entertainment Magazine
8PM
9PM The Lesbian View
930PM Wisecrack
10PM The Big Gay Sketch Show
1030PM Gay Artist Spotlight (Repeat Thursday)
11PM Gay Daily News Rerun
1130PM Brini Maxwell Talk Show
Saturday:
7PM Repeat Variety Show (Wednesday)
8PM Repeat Gay Couple in Yellowstone (Wednesday)
9PM Repeat Gay Garbage Man (Monday)
10PM Repeat Lesbian General (Wednesday)
11PM Repeat Gay James Bond (Thursday)
balthezaar
@Joanne:
Why should we be kinder to a network just because it is gay? We strive for equality so why shouldn’t Logo be treated the same way we would treat any TV network?
Why indeed? You just dont get it…..Sad
euclid
as an average homo i’m more interested in straight males than homo females – there is very little i’m interested that homo females are interested in and i’m sure the same goes for them- the gap is just as deep with jock guys and fem guys – when logo isn’t about dykes – it about queens- then its about reruns
Rob
@Japhy Grant: Picking what is probably one of very few blacks on staff to do the dirty work doesn’t absolve Queerty of any wrongdoing, Mr. Grant. Instead of having your token black writer pick the top black leaders who need to go, why don’t you do a post on how most mainstream African-American organizations and leaders have been allies with the LGBT community for many years? This reminds me of when Logo’s 365 Gay News picked the one black girl they have on staff to do the report about how “the blacks passed Proposition 8” the day after the election. The color of the person delivering the news doesn’t make it any less offensive when they’re obviously in the position of being forced to cater to those in power on the staff. Give me a break.
Cole
#69 Sean, nice ideas, but the only problem is that these programmign choices all cost MONEY and an itty bitty network like Logo doesn’t have $. MTV and VH1 don’t have the dollars to produce orignal scripted series so where in the world would Logo get the money? To license QAF reruns Logo is paying about $50k per episode while their crappy original 1/2 hours cost about $200k – $300k. a scripted 1/2 hour would cost $500k on the low end. you now understand why they are programming so many shows that are licensed. it was stupdi to licents QAF and L WORD seeing that anyone who wanted to see them originally probably saw them on Showtime or rented them uncensored on DVD.
Sean
@Cole: I agree that cost is a high but with CBS behind them wouldn’t it make sense to maybe move Swingtown or a low cost drama to the network to save it? Fox does that with FX and TNT is doing good business as well with this idea.
Potential
What about movies? Not just the average GBLT Lifetime plot ripoffs but showing older films already in existence. Things like Maurice with Hugh Grant in it. There are actually a lot of good movies with GBLT mindsets that many people don’t get to see because the main stream considers them too cult and not enough hollywood.
Doing a few months of rare movies would get up hype not just from us gays already aware of the network but many others and maybe raise the number of viewers and thereby the advertising. So that all the wonderful show ideas above could be created.
Just because there isn’t money for new programming doesn’t mean they can’t have good and meaningful programing. In reply to Cole and Sean what’s wrong with them showing other network’s shows. Hell that’s what USA had to do and because they do they have some really great shows of their own now. Couldn’t viewer content also be used? I mean, Logo could ask their viewers to submit things; home movies, flash clips, particular episodes of off network shows they felt were important. This is the age of the internet why not a little back and forth between viewers and execs instead of running a whole series from another network why not viewer selected relevant ones? Saving more money because they won’t need to buy whole series.
Cole
Having worked in TV for many years and consulted with Logo I can tell you why they can’t use user generated content. It comes down to legal issues. Viacom which owns MTV Networks has a fragile relationship with Youtube. You can google them to get the scoop. Also, Logo being an itty bitty channel doesn’t have the man/woman power to vet all the user generated content. That would be a cost they couldn’t afford. You can’t simple send content in without releases being signed by all people involved in the production. Let’s be honest about UGC. Is there really anything that good that would make people tune into a TV network to watch it? Probably not. People on this site are complaining about poorly written scripts and bad acting (if Logo had more $ they could hire better writers and actors) so I don’t think unprofessional UGC is the answer.
Sean, even though I liked SWINGTOWN I know what the execs at Logo would say….”what’s gay about it?” The guys are hot, but Logo is an LGBT channel and the stories and characters should be at least 50% gay. Unfortunately, CBS doesn’t have many gay characters other than the occasional one on BIG BROTHER, SURVIVOR and AMAZING RACE. ABC, which isn’t in the Viacom family but ironically family friendly, Disney has more gay friendly shows with BROTHERS & SISTERS, UGLY BETTY, DIRTY/SEXY/MONEY, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, GREY’S ANATOMY, ALL MY CHILDREN. Come to think of it why not jsut watch ABC?
max
Let’s face it:
An ALL-GAY network (just like an ALL-GAY website) is a little outdated. It’s like, let’s put being gay over everything else – even quality.
Come up with a good show first, then add a sprinkle of gay, if it’s not already inspired. But to construct a show from gay on is a sign that you’re not really interesting. If gay is the most interesting thing about you, I’m bored. And I’m gay.
It’s 2009. Let’s move forward. The worst thing in the world is to be uncool (OK, Cher’s words, not mine) and an all-gay network is like so totally 2004. Not cool.
And The Jason Preston Hour. Seriously?
Alida
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