Russell T Davies is hopeful for Queer as Folk reboot after runaway success of It’s a Sin
Queer as Folk ran for two seasons, the first episode airing on February 23, 1999. (Channel 4)
Russell T Davies has said he is hopeful for a reboot of his iconic series Queer as Folk, even if he won’t be the one to write it.
Following the runaway success of It’s a Sin, which was so popular it broke All 4 streaming records and drove a 91 per cent increase in viewership, Davies has spoken about the possibility of reviving the 1990s queer classic.
Asked by The Hollywood Reporter whether he would be involved in the project, Davies confirmed that Closet Monster director Stephen Dunn would be the one to write a Queer as Folk reboot.
He said: “Stephen Dunn has the rights to Queer as Folk and I hope he gets it made.
“We’ve read the scripts and I gave a few notes. I hope it happens, but it’s not my show anymore and I’m happy to hand it over.
“I don’t think I should be, sitting here at my age, revamping my old property. I think that’s a bit sad.”
Davies said that when he left Doctor Who, he vowed to only work on gay drama, and continued: “I did Banana and Cucumber and Tofu, and then I did the gayest production for A Midsummer Night’s Dream for BBC One that you’ll ever see.
“Then I did Years and Years, A Very English Scandal and now It’s a Sin. I’ve reached the end of that cycle, if I have cycles. I now think whatever I write will be gay.
“Maybe it doesn’t need to be aggressively queer content, but it’s queer because I’m making it. I don’t know where that’s leading but I will find out.”
Davies, who has been outspoken since It’s a Sin’s release about his commitment to casting LGBT+ actors in LGBT+ roles, also explained why he didn’t feel this was possible when casting the original Queer as Folk.
He said: “It wasn’t possible. With hindsight, you think, should we have made more effort? Because out gay actors did exist then, but again, out gay lead actors, it’s a great fallacy to presume all actors are the same.
“You can’t point to an actor and say he’s out, that doesn’t mean they’re a lead actor. It’s my job as a program maker to make programs modern.
“To feel like they’re made in 2021. To get that energy. To get authenticity. I would be failing if I didn’t.”
