User reviews

Even if i would have loved the show being a excellent LGBT portrait, let's admit first that it's only a gay show.

From this point, it is not lying to say that Queer as Folk US gives us an entry to the single life of gay people, shallow and superficial. At first, this was not convincing to me but after a few episodes, i got attached to characters.

Then it became clear that all behaviors get some kind of explanations at some point, letting us the choice to believe the characters' intentions and allowing us to relate in a better way to them.

The last two seasons go deeper by showing more "serious" issues gay encounter in their life. And i have to admit that this change was for the better.

Watching this show now and in a week, knowing all the changes (apps for example) in the gay life, the problems and joys you find in it, you may experience for real. This is why i love this show : because it's accurate at many points.

This is 1 of 5 TV shows that I have watched the entirety of. I think I liked queer as folk for how blatant it is. It's a unflinching view of a "gay lifestyle". The characters are fantastic, in the beginning they tend to teeter on stereotypes, but when it comes down to it, they are brave, strong, honest and trustworthy people. The connection I felt with the characters was so strong and in particular, Brian Kinney. I think his character was the best acted out of all of them. The storyline of the show is great and they addresses topics from politics to health issues. It's a powerful TV show that asks questions with the courage to decipher them head on. I highly recommend watching it.

As an older man (55), I'm amazed at the level of graphic nudity, the frankness of the sexual couplings whether gay or lesbian sex is involved, and it struck me as astonishing that the reason I would sometimes be uncomfortable viewing these scenes, is that there are virtually no images for gay people on TV that are comparable to those in QAF. I'm no prude, and thank goodness I've stopped squirming. My normal reaction is that if a series is good in its original British guise, the Americanization will be awful. Not so here. QAF started for me as a superficial soap about gay life. But once the first season was half over, I was hooked. I found I cared deeply about these characters. Their insular gay world in Pittsburgh was refreshing. The relationships work beautifully and you see a fairly representative slice of gay life on this series. Sure everyone always seems to be showing up at the big gay club with its go-go dancers and steamy back room. But how wonderful to have a show all about gay people where nobody gets killed for being gay, or commits suicide or is in some sort of depression or any other negative situations that have been such a feature of films showing gay characters as life's losers.

Gale Harold's Brian took me totally by surprise. His no gamesmanship attitude towards sex and relationships makes total sense. What I responded to is his character's absolute refusal to be liked, unlike the very likable Michael (Hal Sparks) whose insecurity demands that he be liked. Brian's a stunning bad boy, confident of his looks, his talent, his ability to spot bullshit a mile away. He wants to be appreciated for his worth. Nothing wrong with that. He's unapologetic about his sexuality and is not obsessed with settling down into domestic bliss the way Michael is. Michael is a child, but a sweet one with his love of comic books, and his unresolved longing for Brian. His character's worry about everything has finally become endearing. Peter Paige's Emmett is adorable and heartbreaking. I love that he's always picking himself up after every romantic disaster, dusting himself off and heading towards the next with high hopes. Scott Lowell has a natural affinity for Ted Schmidt's insecure and manipulative accountant. I'd like him to settle down for awhile. I sometimes weary of his travails.

At first I thought Randy Harrison's sweetly beautiful Justin was going to be a fluffy love toy for Brian, but Justin's own problems have shown Brian's caring side, and you get to see that Justin is no dummy. He goes after what he wants. Nothing wrong with that. Sharon Gless's working Mom waitress can be abrasively grating at times, but she presents a loving mother to a gay son, and that's a good thing. Michelle Clunie as Melanie and Thea Gill as Lindsay strike me as an appealing, smart, and caring lesbian couple Their stability as a couple shows what is possible without proselytizing.

Now in its fifth season, I've come to appreciate the show in big gulps since I rent each season from Netflix. It's a real wallow, and I'm always sorry that it's over. Right now I'm deep into season four and I can't wait to find out what happens next. QAF is excellent series TV, vastly entertaining. Best of all it won't make you feel dumb.

QAF is, in my opinion, the best cable TV series of all time (since Rude Awakening is off the air). Kudos to Showtime for having the courage to put it on. The most important reason this show works is because of THE ACTORS, who are all superb, creating 3-dimensional characters that you care about, deeply, week after week. It's impossible to imagine any different actors in the main roles, in fact - the true sign of brilliant casting. This is the only show on television, cable or network, that I watch religiously and I couldn't be any more thrilled that it's been renewed for another 2 seasons.

Added on August 8th (a day after the series finale aired) - Just wanted to say that this show has changed television forever, not just because it pushed the envelope - actually, it EXPLODED the envelope - but also because of all the lives it touched, informed and/or changed. This show crossed all barriers, appealing to every kind of viewer, thanks to the beautifully written characters, magnificently realized by the superb cast, and I for one am sad to see it end, this once-in-a-lifetime bold and redemptive journey.

Before I begin, I am a 35 year old guy who tried to supress my homosexual feelings until May of this year. Now I have slowly been coming out and experiancing my true self,and "Queer as Folk" really is inspirational in hitting so many issues in the Gay society. As sexually active as some of the main characters are they always use a condom and make a point of saying so. The show came around at a great time for me, as I am still new to gay culture and want to become part of the culture, and this series,QAF really gave me glimpses of it, and I am ready to start exploring the many gay bars down in Santa Monica Blvd and perhaps meet some cool friends, or something more? Anyhow, this show is the smartest soap opera type show, gay or not, because it makes you think about things! It makes issues of very relevant topics. ANd the actors are amazing. Especially Gale Harold, as the sexy, manipulative, self serving Brian Kinny, who's portrayal is so ruthless and emotionless at times, the actor manages to sometimes show a very human, soft loving side that Brian trys to keep hidden. Hall Sparks also is another big reason to watch. He gives his character of Micheal such warmth and compassion and sincerity. Any gay guy would love to have a best friend like Micheal. And the chemistry between Brian and Micheal is undeniable. This is the best series on TV! And thanks QAF for giving me a much needed spark of interest to actively pursue the gay culture and be true to myself....

I cant even describe it it has everything a perfect TV show need to and people who hasnt watched it yet youve lost almost half of your life go download it RIGHT NOW

this show is AMAZING!! i love the characters and the actors who portray them! my favorites are justin (randy harrison) and brian (gale harold) because they make the best couple on the planet! they should get married in real life! that would make me happy! anyway, i never get bored with any of the episodes, and it's funny yet serious at the same time. that's why this show is so amazing, it's the humor and the story. just basically everything about this show is pure AMAZINGNESS! i have to thank my best friend for showing it to me. it has brought nothing but joy into my life. seriously, queer as folk has to be the #1 show in the world and to the cast and crew...I WORSHIP YOU!!!! ;-)

It's always a delight to find a show about the LGBTQ community. But trust me, watch the original UK Queer as Folk first. Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones 'Little Finger') is the main character aka 'Brian' in the US version. Gillen of course brings world class acting, cheekiness & is incredibly sexy back in 1998. The cast just comes across as so much more believable and just a joy to watch the relationships and struggles with one another.

I always love the early 00s shows. As a queer guy who's been figuring things out, I think this show helps me grow as a person. School bullying, discrimination, desire for hot men and pride...I just relate to these things and I've been through some same experiences. This show is so real and beautiful.

I agree with the guy who wrote - "Good production values, wrong message" I enjoy watching the series because if I'm honest with myself I like looking at the handsome guys but of course this is typically unrealistic Hollywood-type film making where most guys look like male models. The sex scenes were pretty daring for t.v. at the time but after a while you get totally used to them and in this case they are integral to the storyline. I haven't seen the part about French bashing but sounds like a bit of hypocrisy to me and certainly sends out the wrong message. This is undoubtedly entertaining t.v. but should not be taken too seriously as real life, however much some people might wish it was.

It is quite apparent now how much of the early success of this series was due to copying of the storyline of the original British series. Once it had to bring in entirely its own stories so that it can extend this series into 5 seasons, the poverty of ideas and trashiness of the story lines just made it unbearable to watch. It was good to watch it for the first series, but the second series was barely OK, the third absolutely dire and the rest never got better.

It morphed into a show that is empty of any real emotion, truthful observation of human reality or indeed any of the sexual insight that the original British series had, and turned into a vehicle for tiresome political activism, spiced with an endless parade of narcissistic gays who really all should go kill themselves off when aged 30 like Brian tried to do in the first season.

It is pointless to list the awfulness of the later series, the unrealistic story lines, absurd characterisations, poor scripts and dialogue, plastic emotion and farcical political agitprop. It became just a show for those who don't have too much inside their heads yet who like to think that they are watching a show about "real issues", but one that also allow them to goggle at male flesh at the same time. It is a show for the dim, the soulless and the sex-obsessed urban gays.

Thank god it is finally gone.

My family was taken more than somewhat aback to find out that this mainstream retired accountant highly touts Queer as Folk and watches it not just once a week, but also the repeats. I tell them that after awhile you forget that these are gay people - yes, a few of the more scorched sex scenes are very explicit and take some getting used to. What wins one over is the superb writing and story lines (especially the first year). The characters are well fleshed-out and you can't wait from week to week to see what happens to them - in point, you have really learned to care for these people and understand their joys and agonies and day to day tribulations. The acting is first rate and you sometimes forget that these are people just emoting and not playing out their own lives. I love to see the contrasting facets to Brian: sometimes ruthless and cunning, but perfectly balanced with great acts of compassion and kindness - and he juggles these traits perfectly.

I subscribe to Showtime Cable Channel just to see this show.

I have watched all 83 episodes more than once. The lines in this are worth hearing. The Stories are deeply touching. The personalities of the characters is true to my life each in their own way. I wish this show was still being produced. Hoping for a Season 6 or a reunion movie someday. I was so moved by this show that I found a way to meet several of the actors in it and tell them that I appreciate their willingness to make this a reality and to use their acting ability to produce the feel that it is actually happening in the moment.

This show addresses issues that the gay community dealt with in the early 2000s. So much has changed since then for the good but gay people are still beat up, drugged out, rejected by parents and schools,and rejected by society and religion. Brother and sister relationships and Parent child relationships were dealt with. Teachers and students, students and students were all related in this show. Enduring friendships were the deepest issue addressed. How they did friendships; what they were willing to do for one another, how much they loved and cared for and stood by their friends was the most meaningful part for everyone.

I give Queer as Folk a 10 out of 10 rating because it remains my favorite show of all time to watch. I began watching the show in high school - following the series one mailed-in Netflix DVD at a time. Now, nearly 10 year later I continue to watch the show almost every night - only now it's via my instant stream.

For me, the love story between Brian and Justin is one that I have found both captivating and enduringly sexy. Be warned though: it's not a relationship I've found people are quick to get on board with. It's one that is unapologetic in it's sexuality and controversial by it's very nature - deliberately flirting with and calling into question the boundaries of legality and consent throughout.

That being said, I think the strength of Queer as Folk comes not from it's stories or it's written dialogue, but rather from the dynamic and layered performances from actors who give life to (what I believe was) some oftentimes hackneyed and one-dimensional writing. It's not that the writing in Queer as Folk was consistently bad - but it wasn't consistently good either. It was one of those shows that had moment and scenes that made you want to rewind and rewatch over and over again, followed by scenes that bombed so hard they left you cringing and puzzled. But for what Queer as Folk lacked in continuity and smart dialogue, it more than made up for in the extremely skilled acting and chemistry of it's lead characters.

In particular, Gale Harold's ability to convey so much meaning and raw emotion through his non-verbal performances was something to be admired. SO MUCH of the communication of the show's main character, Brian, is done without him saying a word, and Gale Harold really made the most of the material he was given and made every moment on screen count.

The true genius of Queer as Folk comes from the unbelievable chemistry and convincing emotional exchanges between Harold and Randy Harrison, who played his young twink lover Justin throughout the series. Even those who are not fans of their character's May/December romance (or even fans of the show for that matter) cannot deny that the spark between Harold and Harrison on screen was both rousing and real. Sex scenes ranged from tender to manipulative to downright HOT, and these two actors are a dream to watch no matter what kind of sex the scenes call for.

Luckily, Queer as Folk was smart enough to realize that their formula for ratings success came from the controversial-but-undeniably-sexy romance between Brian and Justin. So for me, the show was a home run. My advice: if you're expecting a home-run of Showtime cinematic excellence and a realistic look into the struggles of gay life in America, you might be disappointed. The story-lines range from dramatic to campy to downright absurd, and the show doesn't always have the writing to back up it's more ridiculous plots. It is, however, ridiculously entertaining, ridiculously addictive, and ridiculously romantic (ant that's a good thing). As long as you keep expectations for realism low and allow yourself to enjoy the ride, it's bound to be delight even the most cynical of viewers.

Straight man, just watching season 1 now and loving it

The obvious sad reviews from incels and other loser men pretending to be gay in order to bash the show is ridiculous. You can't fool anyone lol.

It was the best in terms of subject and acting among the series I have watched so far.

If there were more seasons, I would watch it without getting tired of it. I wish there were sequel seasons with the same players, that would be great. There was going to be a comeback for 2022, but probably not with the same actors and not a sequel. :(((

Not about the queer, not about the folk, not about he drama. At first, I was a little reluctant watching the show. I thought 'Just sex', which, was fine. I had just came out of the closet, to myself, and I was exploring about the real gay world. But then, I had my eyes open wide, looking at the screen, thinking that i didn't want to be part of the gay community. Going out at night, I discovered that the world had changed a little bit for me, I saw things I didn't before. And there it was, the world Queer as Folk showed me, right there, under my nose. My boyfriend said to me that Queer as Folk was all about the sex, drugs, promiscuity. Reaching the finale of season one, I realized the show did not entice the use of drugs, nor the excessive sex, but the other way around. If you read between the lines of the show, you can see that it is all about warnings. As matter of fact, the characters develop and the environment itself develops, so if you only saw the first season, you can't draw conclusions. Yes, in this show we can find sex and drugs, but we can also find love, family, political issues, health-related issues, and so on. It is not just a show. It teaches the people about that dark and cruel world that is the homosexual community, and when you look closer, it's not that dark and gloomy, but rather colorful and happy, even with all the enemies it has.

Thank you, Queer as Folk, for teaching me how to be a better gay man.

Watched when it was originally on and liked it, but didn't love it. Even though I was the age of the characters, I didn't feel that it represented the community that I knew and the sex was too graphic. Watching now, I appreciate it more for the stories and that's what I'm mostly focused on. I definitely feel that Melanie is the most honest and stable character, and stays true throughout the series with her personality and beliefs. Everyone else is kind of swinging back and forth and some storylines get dropped altogether (Ted's secret obsession with Michael in season one, for example). And now with fresh eyes...I cannot stand Michael. He's so moony over Brian that I don't see how ANYONE could stay with him...he's like an obsessive stalker and is so pathetic...whiny, selfish, needy, nosy, and all around nauseating. Melanie and Emmett are the best written characters by far.

So---gay guys have lots of torrid sex with other hot-looking gay guys. And when they aren't engaged in that, they're out clubbing! As a gay man myself, can someone tell me what universe this show takes place in? But I suppose if you put lots of implied sex and near-nudity in a TV show, it is SURE to boost the ratings!

Apparently the gay world consists of narcissistic nitwits who are all beautiful and spout dumb dialogue.

This empty-headed series is just chock-full of the worst gay stereotypes. But then again, as I mention above, dopey dialogue and the occasional sweaty heaving (but implied) sex brings in the idiot viewers.

This show, has brought the best five years to my life. I started watching the show when I was 13, and was the backbone for my coming out. Without this show, I don't think I would have had the courage to come out when I did. It was like home to me when things got rough. Now 17, I have developed a connection with the characters based on the lifestyle they led and the one I lead. Through the whole last episode, I cried, it was like a part of me had died, remembering that it was the biggest reason why I came out. I already miss the show, and I am anticipating buying the rest of the box sets I'm missing, the two Cd's I'm missing, and the book, to keep in my collection of the greatest t.v show to be aired and the greatest backbone support to gay people around the world. That's all folks!