Whatever your entertainment needs, we got your back (and hopefully your mind) with Queerty’s weekly “Culture Club” column with some of the highlights of new releases, streaming shows, classics worth revisiting, and what to drink while you watch.
The Wacky: Welcome to Flatch
Comedy maestro Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) co-created and directs this new Fox series about the quirky residents in a rural Ohio town. Shot documentary-style, Welcome to Flatch focuses predominantly on cousins/besties Kelly (Holmes, who is queer in real life) and Shrub (Sam Straley) as they try to cope with perpetual boredom and family woes. Also along for the ride: Father Joe, a former boybander turned preacher who might just be too horny for his own good.
Like Parks & Recreation, Welcome to Flatch aims to poke fun at small-town America. Unlike that show, Flatch has more contempt for its characters and setting. That said, the show does have a few big laughs in its first few episodes (the origin of Shrub’s name and a renegade pig really got to us), and shows enough promise to hold our interest. Another queer twist also arrives a few episodes in, but we won’t give that away here. As with most of Feig’s work, Welcome to Flatch has its own zany brand of humor. Those who can get on board will have a delightful time.
Debuts March 17 on Fox.
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.
The Bow: Single Drunk Female Season Finale
Freeform has scored a hit with this unorthodox sitcom about recovering alcoholics. That wouldn’t seem like a great premise for a comedy, though Single Drunk Female certainly got to us. The series stars Sofia Black-D’Elia as Sam, a recovering 20-something forced to live with her mother (Ally Sheedy) to dodge jail. Of course, as she gets her life back on track, the usual stressors that used to drive her to drink flare up again, and Sam must confront them head on and sober. The show is also noteworthy for the performance by queer actress Jojo Brown, who breathes hilarious life into Sam’s boss, Mindy.
As with another Freeform show, Everything Is Going to Be Okay, Single Drunk Female manages to find humor in dark subject matter. And, like that show, it also shouldn’t work this well given some of the questionable characters at its core. We recommend it for Brown, and for its comic inventiveness.
Season finale airs on Freeform March 17.
The Fabulous: CBX: Canadian Ballroom Extravaganza
Anyone missing Pose, or who can’t get enough of Legendary won’t want to miss this new Canadian competition show that takes ballroom to the next level. Even better: viewers get to participate.
CBX teams real-life Canadian ballroom stars with noted queer filmmakers to create new themed videos each week. Viewers then get to vote on who wins each week, American Idol-style. Even better, viewers from across the world can view the show digitally, and vote on their favorite contenders for the grand prize. Given the live nature of the show, we’ve not officially seen it yet. We can’t wait to see these ballroom heavy hitters go for broke in front of the cameras.
Available to stream online beginning March 17.
The Return: Darren Hayes “Do You Remember”
Half of 90s pop hitmakers Savage Garden returns, now unapologetically queer and in full voice. Hayes’ latest tune, “Do You Remember” finds him channeling early 80s R&B and pop, as well as a bit of dancefloor techno. The resulting song—a tribute to raw sexual attraction—feels ripe for a full-on barn-burning remix.
Streams on YouTube.
The Spin: Nieri “Beautiful Music”
Speaking of queer crooning, Italian-born artist Nieri releases this dancefloor anthem this week, a musing on the stress relief and dance in the club scene. The accompanying video finds the handsome singer showing off some of his dance moves with a sexual edge. It also shows just how much release Nieri finds in music—something many of us can relate to.
Streams on YouTube.
The Sip: Sparkling Apple Cider
It seem a bit awkward to recommend a cocktail along with Single Drunk Female, a show about alcoholism. We, therefore, offer up this delicious alternative, best served in a flute, ice cold.
Serve cold in a champagne glass.
truefrench
A Darren Hayes comeback? Excellent news, thank you! He also released another song called Let’s Try Being In Love with a very gay video with Scott Evans (Chris’s brother).
IvanPH
Welcome to Flatch is based on the UK TV show THIS COUNTRY which is hilarious. Y’all should check out that one.
galileo
Glad you said that as I was just thinking wait a minute, is this a Yank rip -off This Country?
Dick Gozinia
David, thanks for this column. It is one of my favorite things to read and I look forward to it each Friday. I have been alerted to many movies I have enjoyed thanks to you.
Karlis
Is that what you consider to be a Champagne glass, Queerty? Gurl, I didn’t know you were trailer trash!