10 LGBTQ+ TV Shows From Past and Present You Must Watch
Get your Pride on and visit (or revisit) some of these television gems.
Believe it or not, there was a time when finding LGBTQ+ characters and storylines was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Growing up in the 1970s, I’d see the occasional character in a guest spot on progressive series like CBS’s All in the Family (remember Beverly LaSalle?) or get excited for a regular character on a show to be openly gay but then see him (at least initially) be portrayed as a stereotype. (I’m talking about ABC’s Soap where in its first season in 1977, Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal) being gay meant that he also wanted to wear his mother’s clothes. *sigh*)
But hitting on those stereotypes was probably the easiest way to get these stories on the air in the first place and, thankfully, over time those characterizations were broken down and replaced with more realisitic portrayals of queer life. Unfortunately, the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s had to happen for a lot of those less-than-happy stories to be told.
For example, An Early Frost was a 1985 TV movie that told the story of a young gay man with AIDS (Aidan Quinn) who comes home to share his life with his parents (Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara). The good news is that audiences showed up to watch these projects which told TV executives that people want to see these real stories. In fact, An Early Frost was the #1 program the night it aired on November 11, 1985 with over 34 million households watching. Yes, it even beat Monday Night Football!
Even before this, more gay characters were showing up on prime time television like Steven Carrington (Al Corley, then Jack Coleman) on ABC’s soapy hit Dynasty. The first season’s finale was even built around the trial for Steven’s father Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) who accidentally killed Steven’s lover, Ted Dinard (Mark Withers) during an argument that turned physical.
But what I remember more about the character of Steven is the scene below from “The Two Princes” episode where he comes right out to talk about being gay with his family and, well, things don’t go as well as you might hope. (And while the show didn’t always tell Steven’s story the best - like whenever he tried to have a romantic relationship with a woman - it still was a big deal in the early 1980s).
Before and after I came out of the closet, I was living in Indiana and was drawn to anything remotely gay as I tried desperately to find my story reflected back to me. I mean, as much as I loved watching Gregory Harrison weekly in Trapper John., M.D. (not a gay role) or in the 1981 male stripper movie For Ladies Only (also not a gay role though, man, I bet I wasn’t alone in wishing it was!), I really needed to see actual gay stories told so I could find my own courage to accept who I was and come out. So I did what a lot of us did and weathered through the good and the not so good.
Jump ahead decades later to the present day and as I get closer to hitting the 20 year mark as an entertainment journalist, I’ve had the good fortune of having compelling conversations with writers, producers and actors bringing these LGBTQ+ stories to life. I always felt that it was important to share the stories of those people who were pushing the envelope and making sure representation was not only present but stories were told accurately. It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.
As Pride month was approaching, I started thinking about those shows that really impacted me in the past as well as right now so I put together a list of 10 scripted television shows that I see as important from the past as well as a few from our present that are standouts to me. Thankfully, when I first started making this list, I easily came up with more than 20 so here are ten shows but know there are so many more out there. Also, many of the streamers will have Pride collections if they don’t already have an LGBTQ+ section for series and films.
Note that I’m only talking scripted series for this post. Reality shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Queer Eye (both OG and the current Netflix series) and even those like The Amazing Race and Survivor are just as important for waving the Pride flag but I’ll save that genre for a future post. The same goes for miniseries or limited series like Angels in America, It’s A Sin, When We Rise and so many more.
But for now, in no particular order, here are 10 scripted series with where to stream them:
Will and Grace (1998-2006, 2017-2020): I still remember just before this NBC sitcom premiered and being ready to see a toned down version of being gay since the show was airing on mainstream NBC and other gay-centric sitcoms had lived a short life. But I am so glad I was wrong. Will (Eric McCormack) and Jack (Sean Hayes) were gay men who had sex, dated and talked about it all. Yes, the show addressed issues but it also was known for being joyfully bawdy and always pushing the envelope.
But, for all the big laughs, it also addressed coming out early in the run of the series (Season 2, Episode 7, “Homo for the Holidays”) where Will helps Jack finally come out to his mother (Veronica Cartwright). It’s a great example of coming out stories always needing to be told even on a progressive series like this one. (Hulu)
Looking (2014-2016): When I interviewed Jonathan Groff in January 9, 2014 for the first season of this HBO gone-too-soon gem, I told him this is the gay show I’ve been waiting for. That’s because the stories and characters in the Michael Lannan-created series felt like people I knew and a world that felt so real to me. The show focused on a San Francisco group of gay friends - Patrick (Groff), August (Frankie J Alvarez) and Dom (Murray Bartlett) - as they navigated their love lives, careers and even family while also dealing with their own friendships along the way. The show only lasted two seasons + a finale movie but Looking will always make my Top 10. (Someday I’ll tell the story of how, besides having interviews with Matt Bomer about The Normal Heart and Tim Gunn for the short-lived Under the Gunn, Groff sang “Happy Birthday” to me during that first interview since it was, in fact, my birthday! My friend Robin called it my gay trifecta!) (HBO Max)
Brothers and Sisters (2006-2011): I’m a sucker for TV family comedies and dramas and this ABC drama created by out writer Jon Robin Baitz and out executive producer Greg Berlanti ran for five seasons of soapy family drama. It also has the distinction of bringing us the first prime time commitment ceremony (since gay marriage wasn’t legal yet) between regular characters Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane) as opposed to minor characters or guest stars. Here’s a clip of the guys’ proposal scene during the show’s second season. (Hulu, Disney+)
Heartstopper (2022-present): Swoon! Like Looking being the adult gay show I always wanted, this Netflix British series is one I wish I’d had when I was a teenager still figuring out who I was and why I couldn’t get enough of watching Patrick Duffy climb out of the pool on Dallas. Even in present times, things aren’t exactly easy for teens Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) as they navigate coming out, peer pressure, eating disorders, bullying and just coming together as a couple audiences couldn’t get enough of. After 3 seasons, Locke and Connor’s respective stars have risen to great heights as they have each appeared on Broadway, Locke co-starred in the Marvel series Agatha All Along while Connor in the big screen film Warfare. With smoldering careers, it’s been a question for awhile as to whether we’d get a fourth season of Heartstopper. The bad news is we won’t but the good news is we will be getting a movie finale, which will start filming this summer with both Locke and Connor on board to wrap up Charlie and Nick’s love story. That’s better than nothing, right? (Netflix)
The L Word (2004-2009): Just as gay men were having their moment in numerous television shows, let’s not forget about this delicious soapy drama from out producer Ilene Chaikin. The Showtime drama focused on a group of Los Angeles-based queer women and delivered with a rich group of characters with their complicated friendships, romantic relationships, career drama and was also filled with familiar faces like Jennifer Beals, Pam Grier and, in later seasons, Marlee Matlin.
The L Word also brought us then-new faces like Mia Kirshner, Laurel Holloman, Katherine Moennig and Leisha Hailey who also helped make the original 2004-2009 series become just as addictive as any other show. And while the franchise continued in L Word: Generation Q and the reality series The Real L Word, the O.G. will always be my favorite. (But who killed Jenny? Did that mystery ever truly get solved since I always felt like the suicide mention in Generation Q was a cop out. Anyone else?) (Paramount+)
Queer as Folk (U.K.) (1999-2000): While the U.S. version that aired on Showtime from 2000-2005 definitely pushed the envelope, it has always paled in a big way in comparison to the U.K. version created by prolific out writer/producer Russell T. Davies. The story of London-based men Stuart (Aidan Gillen), Vince (Craig Kelly) and 15-year old Nathan (a pre-Sons of Anarchy Charlie Hunnam) only lasted a total of 10 episodes but all the groundwork was there for a compelling TV experience. I always hoped Davies would revisit this world, which I guess he did in some way as he wrote more LGBTQ+ stories in later projects like It’s A Sin, Torchwood, Cucumber and Years and Years. (If you haven’t seen any of these excellent projects of Davies - including Doctor Who - you’re missing out!) (Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Roku Channel)
Glee (2009-2015): On a grand scale, I had a lot of issues with the Ryan Murphy-created Fox series but when it came to LGBTQ+ characters, I cannot argue that it was groundbreaking in that it brought us super couple Kurt Hummell (Chris Colfer) and Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss). Going through Kurt’s journey in high school was hard enough given the bullying he endured and problems at home but once he met Blaine, the show was able to delve into a loving relationship worth cheering for. I didn’t always agree with the story twists and turns for them or other characters but I was glad they were out there at a time when a lot of younger and older people needed this love story to be told. (Disney+)
Mid Century Modern (2025-present): Being called The Gay Golden Girls is both accurate and also undersells Hulu’s endearingly fun and hilarious sitcom. The show, from Will and Grace creators Mutchnick and Kohan, is not an exact replica though the reasons to compare it are very clear as it also focuses on a group of friends who happen to be gay men (Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham) living together in Palm Springs. The sitcom is filled with snappy, bitchy dialogue and often-bawdy humor but it also wears its heart on its sleeve in every episode.
Already renewed for a second season, someone we’ll miss moving forward is iconic actress/singer Linda Lavin, who played Nathan Lane’s overbearing mother Sybil and unfortunately passed away in December. (I wrote about talking to Lavin about a gay storyline in the early run of her 1970s sitcom Alice here.) Her memory will be felt moving forward and while I love Pamela Adlon, who played Lane’s salty sister Mindy in several episodes, filling Lavin’s shoes is impossible but I feel like that household still needs that saucy older woman throwing jabs at the three gay men around her. Who would you cast? (Hulu)
My So Called Life (1994-1995): If ever the term “gone too soon” applied to a TV show, it’s this ABC gem that only ran one season with 19 episodes. A high school drama, the show centered on deeply feeling teen Angela Chase (Claire Danes) dealing with the usual teen agnst but with smart writing by creator Winnie Holzman. The series also had a stellar cast of predominantly new talent at the time and achieved more in those 19 episodes than some long-running shows did in years of existing.
And one of my joys in my work has been talking to actor/activist Wilson Cruz many times about his role as Rickie Vasquez, who comes to own who he is in the course of the short-lived series. I remember moderating a panel that Cruz was on maybe 6-7 years ago at the Los Angeles LGBT Center where I asked him how often he heard about his role as Rickie and he smiled and said proudly “Every day.” The character was as groundbreaking as the show itself and below is a scene where Rickie truly comes into his own…on the dance floor. (Also, a heavier but important episode to watch is the “So Called Angels” episode when Rickie hits his darkest time during Christmas. (Hulu, Disney+)
Six Feet Under (2001-2005): Like some of the shows listed here, this HBO drama is important because it gave us one of the most honest and realistic portrayals of an adult coming out process in wound-so-tight funeral director David Fisher (Michael C. Hall). At the start of the series, David is a tortured soul and still grappling with being gay but over the course of the series we see him deal with those issues and while he makes his share of mistakes, he’ll eventually come out to his family, date and finally find that true love in Keith (Mathew St. Patrick). Hall may have found another great role in Showtime’s Dexter but to me he’ll always be David Fisher. (HBO Max, Netflix)
And, as an extra #11, in a previous post I made sure to tell you about how much I loved Prime Video’s Overcompensating, which takes a look at the modern coming out journey in college. It’s not only a funny series but beautifully hits dramatic notes spot on as it portrays how lonely it can be for freshman Benny Scanlon (Benito Skinner, who also created the series) to truly accept who he is with not only others but with himself. (Prime Video)
There are so many more series to explore so feel free to also check out these honorable mentions Pose, Star Trek: Discovery, I May Destroy You, Grace & Frankie, Special, Dickinson, Love, Victor, Sort Of, Elite, Interview with the Vampire, Feel Good, Sense8, Noah’s Arc (which has a 20th anniversary movie in the works with the original cast!) and so many more that I already feel like I have a list for next year’s Pride Month.
What’s your favorite series with gay characters and stories? Tell me in the comments!