Reunited for the first time since the series wrapped back in 2005, the cast and executive producers of Queer As Folk sit down with Entertainment Weekly to reflect on the iconic Showtime series.
“We saw it as an opportunity to address a lot of issues that had never been shown on American TV before,” executive producer Ron Cowen says. “That was very important to us because we, gay people, didn’t really see a true reflection of ourselves on TV very often.”
He continues, “Back then, you couldn’t get married. There was Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the Army. In 14 states, there were still sodomy laws on the books. It was a very hostile atmosphere.”
Related: Hal Sparks Spills What Really Happened While Filming His Queer As Folk Sex Scenes
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“We had meetings where they told us we were going to receive hate mail and threats and we had to be prepared,” adds Michelle Clunie, who played the part of Melanie.
Oddly, most of the backlash the show received came from LGBTQ people.
“We thought the major backlash would be from right-wing religious people, but we never heard a word,” says Cowen. “The show received criticism from gay people and gay organizations, but they never said we weren’t telling the truth. As we often said, ‘If you don’t like the reflection you see in the mirror, don’t blame the mirror.'”
Related: Watch These Guys Watch Queer As Folk For The First Time
And while the final episode may have aired waaaay back in August 2005, the cast says the show still resonates with people today.
“We do fan conventions and things like that all over the world,”says Scott Lowell, who played Ted, “and that’s a pretty unique thing for a relationship-based drama.”
“God knows the clothes and the hairstyles have changed, but the emotional stories are eternal,” adds Peter Paige, who played Emmett. “I often say people came for the queer, but they stayed for the folk.”
muscl954
The headline makes it sound like a reunion show might be in the works, but the story mentions no such thing.
ProfessorMoriarty
Not to mention the fact they linked to a three-year-old Buzzfeed video and made it seem like it was something brand-new.
Thanks Queerty. It’s been an exceptionally shi++y week, what with plural celebrity suicides, the further coarsening of our national political discourse, and the news of the imminent loss of one of the few remaining semi-reasonable conservative voices due to an awful disease I wouldn’t wish in my worst enemy. I surely didn’t need false hope of a QAF reunion thrown on this crappy heap.
ProfessorMoriarty
Having said all that… can I just take a breath to point out how AMAZING the cast looks? In particular, the women are absolutely stunning. There is NO WAY that Sharon Gless at 75 somehow looks younger than she did thirteen years ago, and yet there she is. And Randy Harrison? He’s FORTY?! I don’t believe it. I refuse to believe it.
Sure, the rest of the guys in the cast have visibly aged, but I think they all still look great, and everyone looks raring to go for a reboot. Goodness knows a lot has changed in the past 13 years since QAF aired it’s final episode… the producers definitely would not lack for a wealth of possible storylines to pursue. Come on, Showtime… give me a no-brainer reason to renew my subscription for another five years.
Chrisk
You’re lying man. There’s no way little Twinkie Justin is is 40 freaking years old. I mean it was practically yesterday he was standing outside in front of club Babylon because he was too young to get in.
jcecce
Queerty mentioned a reunion, not a SHOW. There is a difference. I applaud them for noting there was a reunion of all the characters. I plan to purchase EW soon. And there are other reunions that occur among some, but not all characters. Scott Lowell recently had an online live discussion with a few of the cast members.
michaelmt1009
I thought from the headline that they were planning a reunion or come back show but that never came up in the article so I guess you got some of our hopes up for nothing……
babyblueeyes
Clickbait my friend
crowebobby
It should read “The American Version of Queer as Folk.” If they can’t clone an 18-year-old Charlie Hunnam to play the 15-year-old Nathan, don’t bother. He was one of the most beautiful teenage boys ever captured on film and plu-perfect in the role.
man5996853
I think that Randy Harrison was one of the strongest casting choices made in the American version. He may not have been as “plu-perfect” in the role as Hunnam but I think that he did a damned fine job.
jcecce
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? And the show was not primarily about casting beautiful actors; the story arcs and issues addressed I believe were most pertinent to the writers’ objectives.
MaxH
The show’s name was derived from the northern English saying “There’s nowt queer as folk”, meaning “There’s nothing as strange as people”. I always figured that was probably lost on the international audience.
alanballs
Loved that show…bought the DVDs, watched it hundreds of times, and still watch it to this day. IF a reunion (show) of some sorts really is in the works, please keep us informed.
jcecce
Glad to see there are other hardcore QAF fans! I’ve only seen it 5 times or season start to finish, and feel obsessed! (Over the last 7 years.)
Would love to chat more with you about your favorite scenes, takes on characters, opinions of story lines/arcs, etc.
babyblueeyes
Starting to get real tired of these clickbait headlines queerty. This story is interesting though. I just watched a videoon how these guys look now! Let’s just say time has taken its toll on a few of them…
bobbyjoe
With the many shows now being revived, I’m surprised that they aren’t doing at least a Showtime movie revival of QAF. Catching us up with how the characters have adjusted to the events of the last couple of decades would be great material. I wish they’d do it.
GayEGO
The backlash was from dishy queens, not the regular gays.
Zambos271
I want a revival, too. I rewatched the first season recently and I still love it. I had just turned 21 when it came out, and it reminds me so much of that early 2000s.
Chrisk
I was 31 then. However I acted like I was 21. Haha
It definitely was groundbreaking. Gay men of a certain age 20s/30s and we were all doing the same thing. Clubbing, drugs, sex, relationships, more drugs, etc. It was just all out there and completely unapologetic. Nothing sanitized about it. Something we never saw before.
CanadianGuy62
I honestly can’t understand the fuss. The acting was atrocious and when they ran out of source material (the original U.K. series, which was brilliant) the plots were ridiculous and weak.
Were there to be a reboot, I would want to see it be of the U.K. version.
man5996853
I never criticized QaF for attempting story lines that were unrealistic or too stereotypical. When I took issue with the show, it was often due to trite storytelling or presentation of characters not as stereotypes but as caricatures of stereotypes.
jcecce
I see the writing as hyperbole; representations of gay men and lesbian women, but in an extreme way. In my 15 years as an out gay man, I have met or heard of individuals who are portrayed by the QAF characters.
One oft-mentioned flaw was the lack of ethnic diversity represented, but I’m guessing that was an issue of casting. Noah’s Arc addressed that. Sad that it ended so quickly.
jcecce
Thank you Queerty for giving coverage to this amazing show and cast. The show aired when I was just about to come out. And continued during my exploration phase, and ironically, I was too busy juggling work and going to clubs to watch!!! I started watching the show a year after is ended. As the boys danced at Babylon, I danced at Splash Bar NYC, a few times at Roxy, Feathers in NJ (mostly with the Latin guys on Thursdays) or just observed the gay world from a bar stool at those places. I often went alone, and occasionally with the few friends I had at the time. (Most I met on gay.com. – yes another remnant of the early 00s!)
I have since watched the entire series about 4 times – once with friends, and after that, alone so I can reflect on how it has touch points with my journey as a gay man, now 48 years old (about the age of most of the characters today.) I just concluded watching the final episode today, for the 4th of 5th time. And I finally watched the additional footage/outtakes.
I was shocked to see an alternate ending that never made the cut!! It is named “New Kind on the Block” and shows a blond young guy stepping into a puddle (as Justin did) as guys are lined up to go into Babylon. That is supposed to symbolize a baptism. While I have changed much as a gay man, and gay culture has changed in some ways, with the advent of gay apps, so much as remained the same, just as the writers communicated up to the the last scene and inclusive of that alternate ending.