.gif)
Queer as Folk (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
Queer as Folk is a 1999 British
television series that chronicles the lives of three gay
men living in Manchester
's gay village
around Canal Street
. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies. The first series was re-shown on More 4 between 14 and 18 October 2007, as part of Channel 4
's 25th-birthday celebrations.
Queer as Folk was produced by the Red Production Company
for Channel 4
. The title of the programme comes from a dialect
expression from some parts of Northern England
, "there's nowt so queer as folk", meaning "there's nothing as strange as people"; which plays on the modern day English synonym
of "queer
", meaning homosexual. Davies had originally titled the series this, although at the suggestion of Channel 4 executives for a period during its development and pre-production
it was known as Queer as Fuck, before it reverted to the former name.
), who is highly sexually active, and successfully so. His long-time friend Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly
), who has a crush on Stuart, has less luck regarding men. 15-year-old Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam
) is new to the gay scene but is not lacking in self-confidence.
The producers say that Queer as Folk, although superficially a realistic depiction of gay urban life in the 1990s, is meant as a fantasy, and that Stuart, Vince, and Nathan are not so much characters as gay male archetype
s.
Stuart, an advertising executive, possesses intrinsic power, able to bend anything to his will. Stuart's principal characteristic is that he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. He blows up a car belonging to his friend Alexander's antagonistic mother (in the second series). He invites Vince's female work colleague, who has a crush on closeted
Vince, to Vince's birthday party and then introduces Vince's boyfriend. When offered a test drive of a Jeep
by a car salesman who makes some homophobic comments, Stuart drives the car straight through the large window of the car dealership.
In the second series, the tone became somewhat more serious, with each of the main characters having to make hard choices concerning their futures.
A recurrent theme through out the series is Vince's fandom of Doctor Who
, with various scenes from the classic series being played (in one instance an awkward situation with a guy Vince brings home.) This is a small, yet significant piece to the series, as six years later Russell T Davies revived Doctor Who.
. Because of the TV show, it was the Queer As Folk CD soundtrack
, which went gold within one month of going on sale in March 1999 in the UK, that has become the most successful project the label has ever taken on. The release of this CD followed a request from the makers of the TV series, Red Productions
, after another major record company turned down the opportunity due to poor rating of previous 'music-led' television shows on Channel 4
.
Given a list of tracks, Almighty had 1 month to compile the music. However, some tracks could not be cleared in time for the release mainly due to time scales, including one by Steps who initially said that the show would be too 'low profile' for them to be associated with. It was the success of this album
that prompted Channel 4 launch their own music division when the second series of Queer As Folk was made — an international franchise that is still around today.
As a result of Channel 4's decision, Davies pulled out of a deal that would have seen a series of Queer as Folk short stories published on the broadcaster's website, and vowed never to work with Channel 4 again.
Driven by the success of the series, American
cable
channel Showtime and Canadian
cable channel Showcase co-made a North American version set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, still under the title Queer as Folk, closely following the original's plot and storylines, but then moving onto new storylines since it continued for four additional seasons.
The North American version covered more social issues such as AIDS, gay parental rights, and gay marriage.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series that chronicles the lives of three gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men living in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's gay village
Gay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
around Canal Street
Canal Street (Manchester)
Canal Street, the centre of the Manchester Gay Village, is a street in Manchester city centre in North West England. The pedestrianised street, which runs along the west side of the Rochdale Canal, is lined with gay bars and restaurants...
. Both Queer as Folk and Queer as Folk 2 were written by Russell T Davies. The first series was re-shown on More 4 between 14 and 18 October 2007, as part of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's 25th-birthday celebrations.
Queer as Folk was produced by the Red Production Company
Red Production Company
Red Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. The title of the programme comes from a dialect
Yorkshire dialect and accent
The Yorkshire dialect refers to the varieties of English used in the Northern England historic county of Yorkshire. Those varieties are often referred to as Broad Yorkshire or Tyke. The dialect has roots in older languages such as Old English and Old Norse; it should not be confused with modern slang...
expression from some parts of Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, "there's nowt so queer as folk", meaning "there's nothing as strange as people"; which plays on the modern day English synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
of "queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
", meaning homosexual. Davies had originally titled the series this, although at the suggestion of Channel 4 executives for a period during its development and pre-production
Pre-production
Pre-production or In Production is the process of preparing all the elements involved in a film, play, or other performance.- In film :...
it was known as Queer as Fuck, before it reverted to the former name.
Characters and plot
The main characters are Stuart Alan Jones (Aidan GillenAidan Gillen
Aidan Gillen is an Irish stage and screen actor and television presenter. He is known in Ireland for his role in Love/Hate, in the UK for his role in Queer as Folk and in the US for his role in HBO's television series The Wire in which he plays Tommy Carcetti and for his role in Game of Thrones as...
), who is highly sexually active, and successfully so. His long-time friend Vince Tyler (Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (actor)
Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
), who has a crush on Stuart, has less luck regarding men. 15-year-old Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam
Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
) is new to the gay scene but is not lacking in self-confidence.
The producers say that Queer as Folk, although superficially a realistic depiction of gay urban life in the 1990s, is meant as a fantasy, and that Stuart, Vince, and Nathan are not so much characters as gay male archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
s.
Stuart, an advertising executive, possesses intrinsic power, able to bend anything to his will. Stuart's principal characteristic is that he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. He blows up a car belonging to his friend Alexander's antagonistic mother (in the second series). He invites Vince's female work colleague, who has a crush on closeted
The Closet
The Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, referring to undisclosed homosexuality- See also :* Closet* Closet * In the closet...
Vince, to Vince's birthday party and then introduces Vince's boyfriend. When offered a test drive of a Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
by a car salesman who makes some homophobic comments, Stuart drives the car straight through the large window of the car dealership.
In the second series, the tone became somewhat more serious, with each of the main characters having to make hard choices concerning their futures.
A recurrent theme through out the series is Vince's fandom of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, with various scenes from the classic series being played (in one instance an awkward situation with a guy Vince brings home.) This is a small, yet significant piece to the series, as six years later Russell T Davies revived Doctor Who.
Location and production
The music for the series was produced by Almighty RecordsAlmighty Records
Almighty Records is a British recording label and remix production team founded in 1989, releasing their first single in the same year. Producing mainly Dance-Pop and Hi-NRG music, the label is best known for releasing remakes and remixes of mainstream pop songs...
. Because of the TV show, it was the Queer As Folk CD soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, which went gold within one month of going on sale in March 1999 in the UK, that has become the most successful project the label has ever taken on. The release of this CD followed a request from the makers of the TV series, Red Productions
Red Production Company
Red Production Company is a British independent television production company, formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, an experienced television producer who had worked on such prestige dramas as Our Friends in the North and Cracker...
, after another major record company turned down the opportunity due to poor rating of previous 'music-led' television shows on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Given a list of tracks, Almighty had 1 month to compile the music. However, some tracks could not be cleared in time for the release mainly due to time scales, including one by Steps who initially said that the show would be too 'low profile' for them to be associated with. It was the success of this album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
that prompted Channel 4 launch their own music division when the second series of Queer As Folk was made — an international franchise that is still around today.
Cast
- Craig KellyCraig Kelly (actor)Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
as Vince Tyler - Jason MerrellsJason MerrellsJason Merrells is an English actor, who received his big break when he starred in Casualty for three years as receptionist Matt Hawley...
as Phil Delaney - Aidan GillenAidan GillenAidan Gillen is an Irish stage and screen actor and television presenter. He is known in Ireland for his role in Love/Hate, in the UK for his role in Queer as Folk and in the US for his role in HBO's television series The Wire in which he plays Tommy Carcetti and for his role in Game of Thrones as...
as Stuart Alan JonesStuart Alan JonesStuart Alan Jones is a fictional character from the Channel 4 drama series Queer as Folk, portrayed by Aidan Gillen. He worked in an advertising company in Manchester and spent lots of time in pubs or the night club, Babylon, in Canal Street after work... - Charlie HunnamCharlie HunnamCharles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
as Nathan Maloney - Andy DevineAndy Devine (actor)Andy Devine , is an English actor primarily on television, whose best known role has been Shadrach Dingle on one of ITV's longest-running soap opera, Emmerdale. He has played Shadrach on and off since 1998 and made his final appearance in July 2010...
as Bernard Thomas - Denise BlackDenise BlackDenise Black is an English actress, best known for playing Denise Osbourne in the ITV1 soap Coronation Street and Hazel Tyler in Channel 4 TV's Queer As Folk in 1999 and 2000, written by Russell T Davies. After attending Portsmouth's Girls Public Day School, she studied Psychology at London...
as Hazel Tyler - Saira Todd as Lisa Levene
- Esther HallEsther HallEsther Hall is an English actress who has had high profile roles in a number of television dramas.Born in Manchester in 1970 and brought up in Cheshire, she took A levels in Manchester before training in Theatre Arts for three years at the University of Leeds Bretton Hall College where she gained a...
as Romey Sullivan - Juley McCann as Siobhan Potter
- Alfred Robinson/Olivia K.Critchley as Baby Alfred
- Carla HenryCarla HenryCarla Henry is a British actress, most famous for her role as Donna in Queer As Folk.Her performances in the stage productions such as Storm and Habitat and On the Shore of the Wide World have seen her tackle a wide variety of roles...
as Donna Clark - Ben Maguire as Christian Hobbs
- Alison Burrows as Sandra Docherty
- Susan CooksonSusan CooksonSusan Cookson is an English television actress. She lives in Sheffield with her husband, actor Malcolm Scates, and her two children Ruari and Dan. She also has two sisters....
as Marcie Finch - Caroline PeggCaroline PeggCaroline Pegg is an English actress. She has appeared in several television series including Holby City, Hotel Babylon, Queer as Folk and The Bill. In February 2010 she appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing Sandy, the estranged mother of Dotty Cotton.-External links:...
as Rosalie Cotter - Caroline O'Neill as Janice Maloney
- Jane Cawdon as Helen Maloney
- Antony CottonAntony CottonAntony Cotton is an English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk.-Early and personal life:...
as Alexander Perry - Peter O'Brien as Cameron Roberts
- Jonathon Natynczyk as Dazz Collinson
- Maria Doyle KennedyMaria Doyle KennedyMaria Doyle Kennedy is an award-winning Irish actress and singer. She is possibly best known for her roles as Natalie, in cult film The Commitments, Queen Katherine of Aragon in the award winning The Tudors and as the title character's wife Frances in The General.-Early life:She is an honours...
as Marie Jones Threepwood - John Brobbey as Lance Amponah
- Ger RyanGer RyanGer Ryan is an Irish film and television actress, whose credits include Queer as Folk, Family, The War of the Buttons, The Van, Moll Flanders, Driftwood, A Love Divided and Intermission....
as Margaret Jones - Ian McElhinneyIan McElhinneyIan McElhinney is an actor and director.-Personal life:He is married to playwright/actress Marie Jones. Together they started their own company, Rathmore Productions Ltd.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Clive Jones - Paul CopleyPaul CopleyPaul Mackriell Copley is an award-winning English actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Copley was born in Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, and grew up beside a dairy farm there. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family...
as Roy Maloney - Adam Zane as Dane McAteer
- Kate Fitzgerald as Mrs Delaney
- Sarah JonesSarah JonesSarah Jones is a Tony- and Obie Award-winning American playwright, actress, and poet.Called "a master of the genre" by The New York Times, Jones has written and performed four multi-character solo shows, including Bridge & Tunnel, which was produced Off-Broadway in 2004 by Oscar-winner Meryl...
as Suzie Smith - Michael Culkin as Martin Brooks
- Andrew LancelAndrew LancelAndrew Lancel is an English actor. He is best known for his current role as Frank Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and formerly in his role as DI Neil Manson in The Bill.-Biography:...
as Harvey Black - Michael Biffen as Gareth Critchly
- Paul Oldham as "Spike" O’Hagan
- Steve Ramsden as Colin Goodfuk
- David ProshoDavid ProshoDave Prosho is an English television actor. Dave grew up in Leicestershire, England where he lived for much of his childhood before relocating to Leeds, England where he now resides...
as Muscle Man - Paul Simpson as Michael
- Lee WarburtonLee WarburtonLee Warburton is a British actor, known for several ongoing television roles.He appeared in Coronation Street as Tony Horrocks, Natalie Barnes' drug addict son, played gay male nurse Tony Vincent in Casualty and its spin-off Holby City in 2003, and played Melanie Costello's violent boyfriend...
as Piero McCarthy - Jim Shepley as Jonathan Walker
- Adam Heywood Fogerty as Roger Clements
- Toshi Dokiya as Lee "Kane"
- Michael AtkinsonMichael AtkinsonMichael John Atkinson , an Australian politician, was the South Australian Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Rann Labor Government. A day after the 2010 election, he stepped down as Attorney-General and resigned...
as Mr Latham - Elizabeth Steele as Stuart’s neighbour
- Robert Ashcroft as Gary McGee
- David WilliamsonDavid WilliamsonDavid Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
as Bob Green - Roxy Hart as Karaoke hostess
- Andrew Mawdsley as Tom Threepwood
- Stuart Mawdsley as Ben Threepwood
- Alan HalsallAlan HalsallAlan David Halsall is an English actor best known for playing Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street, a role which he has played for since 1998.-Early life:...
as Midge - Samantha Cunningham as Cathy Mott
Spin-offs and remakes
A follow-up, spin-off series, Misfits, was initially commissioned by Channel 4. The series would have followed the characters of Hazel, Alexander, Donna (who was absent from the 2nd series due to scheduling commitments) and Bernard from the original series, while introducing new characters. Although Davies developed draft scripts for four episodes and storylines for a further twenty-two, the series was cancelled before it went into pre-production.As a result of Channel 4's decision, Davies pulled out of a deal that would have seen a series of Queer as Folk short stories published on the broadcaster's website, and vowed never to work with Channel 4 again.
Driven by the success of the series, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
channel Showtime and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
cable channel Showcase co-made a North American version set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, still under the title Queer as Folk, closely following the original's plot and storylines, but then moving onto new storylines since it continued for four additional seasons.
The North American version covered more social issues such as AIDS, gay parental rights, and gay marriage.
See also
- Queer as Folk (North American TV series)
- The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...