The casting has been announced for a major new British TV drama that looks at the arrival of HIV and AIDS in London in the 1980s. The five-episode show, entitled Boys, has been penned by acclaimed screenwriter Russell T Davies.
Davies penned the original British production of Queer As Folk and last year’s acclaimed A Very British Scandal, starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw.
Casting for the show was announced yesterday. It will star singer Olly Alexander of the band Years and Years. He will play 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, one of three young men who move to London at the start of the 1980s.
The other two leads, Roscoe and Colin, are played relative newcomers, Omari Douglas and Callum Scott Howells.
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Also in the cast at Neil Patrick Harris, Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry, and Tracy Ann Oberman. The show will premiere on the UK’s Channel 4 in late 2020.
Related: Neil Patrick Harris reveals which celebrity promised him sex when he was 15 years old
This is not Alexander’s first acting job. He has previously appeared in the movies The Riot Club and God Help The Girl but put his acting on hold when his pop career began to take off.
He has been out as gay since the start of his music career. In 2017, he fronted a BBC documentary called Growing Up Gay, in which he revealed something of the mental health challenges he and other gay people face.
Alexander said he’s thrilled to be involved with the show.
“I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to be a part of this project. I’ve been a fan of Russell T Davies ever since I watched Queer As Folk in secret at 14 years old.
“His work helped shape my identity as a gay person so I’m absolutely over the moon we’ll be working together.
Related: Olly Alexander feels sorry for straight guys, says they need marijuana lube in their butts
“The script was amazing to read, I laughed and I cried a lot, it’s a privilege to be helping to tell this story and I’m so excited.”
??? I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to be a part of this project, I’ve been a fan of @Russell_TD ever since I watched Queer As Folk in secret at 14 years old. His work helped shape my identity as a gay person so I’m absolutely over the moon we’ll be working together pic.twitter.com/M62KphjsVo
— Years & Years (@yearsandyears) October 3, 2019
Neil Patrick Harris described the show as, “an irresistible, funny, jubilant story of young people discovering their true identities and the unalloyed joy of living life to the fullest, it is also a deeply resonant exploration of a decade when so many of these lives were cut short by the devastating effects of the nascent AIDS pandemic.
“Russell’s scripts chart the highs and lows of this time so beautifully and deftly, it’s an honor to help tell this story.”
Stephen Fry took to Twitter to reveal that he play the part of a right-wing Conservative politician.
Everyone is talking about Tory MPs at the mo, so I'm delighted to reveal I'm going to be playing one in Russell T Davies' 80's-set drama #Boys for @channel4. It's a vital, beautiful story of friendship & joy set against one of the most devastating decades for the gay community pic.twitter.com/HFw7a6d13z
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) October 3, 2019
He called Boys a, “vital, beautiful story of friendship & joy set against one of the most devastating decades for the gay community”
Shooting is due to commence next week.
bonbon
Just what we need. More movies (or TV) about the AIDS epidemic.
WashDrySpin
I have to agree with you…there are SO many movies about it…also this will be YET another gay white male movie about AIDS…I would open to this movie if it dealt with African Americans and AIDS
Also it will be YET another movie where pretty much every gay person dies…ENOUGH already
Vince
Yeah, I too did an eye roll when reading what this was about. Although I still enjoy them. Say the Normal Heart.
rock9221
Actually, we do – the devastation of that era is long forgotten. It always needs to be retold.
SELA Rising
What was the last one you saw? We do need more, for the sake of education and for the sake of remembering. If it triggers you, then I suggest you investigate why that is. if you’ve forgotten how to respond to this wonderful news (particularly given the cast involved) watch the documentary 5B. we can all learn to be a little less jaded.
Jimmy T
Yep, exactly what I thought.
jjose712
The 80’s are back, and AIDS epidemy was a big part of the 80’s (and given the number of gay celebrities that came out as HIV positive it seems not everybody learnt the lesson).
In recent years there were several successful novels with AIDS as one of the main themes, John Irving’s In one person, Rebecca Makkai’s The great believers (it was a pulitzer finalist) or Paul Murphy’s Christodora.
AIDS had an important part in other novels like The inmortalists or The green road.
My main problem with tv and films, is that AIDS is always linked to a gay character and that’s far from being true in real life
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Brings me back to that horrific time….words can’t describe how miserable horrific and devastating that time was it seems every week if you heard of another most unlucky guy….
it was a time when Gays could finally begin to emerge take some pride in the life be somewhat open, then all of a sudden the plague descended. You never know what heartbreak is until you see a Jewish funeral when the Father picks up a shovel full of dirt and places it on his
25 year old son’s grave..
it was such a sad ritual the local bar we used to hang out with startled opening up at 11:00 in the morning. We would all gather there after a funeral. The bartender seeing a group dressed in suits would put an empty glass on the bar……
I still to this day fantasize about the ending scene of Longtime Companion. On the beach Fire Island when those surviving the carnage suddenly see all those we lost running miraculously resurrected down the beach all embracing in joyous
hugs ……..
Vince
Very bizarre like a bad dream. Like did that really happen? I still remember an acquaintance who had a end of life party. Took the poison and that was it. He was in his 30s.
Words will never be able to describe the horror of young men being cut down in prime of their lives the way it did.
Prowelsh56
Hopefully they spoke with folks who were living in London at the time so they get a feel for what was happening back there. Otherwise there are other aspects of the legacy: women with HIV; Moms; needle exchange programs that were ” underground”. Its a shame to not ask those who lived through this in London, myself included.
Joshua333
HOW DID YOU NOT MENTION RUSSELL T DAVIS WAS APART OF THIS HOLY TRINITY!?
ptb2016
WashDrySpin did you read what this new series is about? Not many African Americans in early 80s London to feature in a series about the devastating effect on young British people. And the effect of Russell T Davis Queer As Folk, original version not bland American remake, on queer tv and cinema was extraordinary, as well as on the opinions of straight people. I cannot wait as I’m sure it will be truthful and accurate of that terrible period I lived through, watching so many of my friends shrink away before my eyes.