As a queer person, there’s no better pick me up than watching hours of queer shows during the weekend to make you feel better. The series on this list has some of the best reps and some of the most unforgettable characters. Not every time “we outside”, sometimes stay in and enjoy these seven underrated queer series; it’ll only take you two days anyway.
Our Flag Means Death
My new favourite TV thing is when writers rewrite history. Black British royalty, Ariana Grande’s music in the 1800s, and Our Flag Means Death did not shy away. This show is a ten-episodes-too-short romantic comedy that follows the life of Captain Stede and his almost entirely queer crew. You get to enjoy a rarely seen fun yet tender relationship between two men where they end up together. Our Flag Means Death feels almost revolutionary with how effortlessly all the queer characters are portrayed, and that’s why it’s a 10/10.
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Trigonometry
If you had to pick one show on this list to watch, let it be Trigonometry. Gemma and Kieran are a couple who needed money to sort bills, so they rented their spare room out to Ray. It’s all good until they both fall in love with her and she with them. This show explores polyamory with no form of judgement, and it’s funny, clumsy, authentic, and well-rounded characters. BBC did a madness with this series, and if I had to rate it, I’d give it an 11/10.
Dickinson
Again with the trope of rewriting history, you can’t even complain about it. Dickinson is a historical comedy-drama based on Emily Dickinson, the famous poet who’s in love with her best friend/sister-in-law Sue. You can’t watch Emily talk about her poetry and not fall in love with her passionate personality. You might not finish this one in one weekend, but it’s too good to not be on this list.
Dead End: Paranormal Park
Dead End: Paranormal Park is about a trans boy and his friends working at a haunted theme park full of the most foolish demons. It’s a sweet coming-of-age trans story about a boy dealing with a family who doesn’t support him but finds friends who love him for who he is and romantic love. The show might have taken fighting demons literally, but I love it and why you will too.
Feel Good
Feel Good is like a long stand-up comedy, except sometimes you’re not laughing, sometimes you’re triggered, and sometimes you’re sad. Mae and Geroge might not be in a complicated relationship, but their individual lives complicate things for them. This series shows that sometimes queer relationships aren’t sweet and overly romanticised. The most significant turning point is Mae and Geroge learning to hold space for each other during all that, which makes Feel Good at least a 9/10 for me.
Heartstopper
There’s no love story as soft as Heartstopper, and I love that younger queer kids get to experience this. What happens when the school jock falls in love with the openly gay boy? Well, that’s Charlie and Nick’s awkward but beautiful schoolboy romance. The best thing about this series is exploring the queer joy and accepting one’s authentic self. While not avoiding homophobia and bullying, it doesn’t dwell on it either. Beware, his show will have you giggling like a 15-year-old.
First Kill
First Kill hits the spot for people like me who love to read the cheesiest, low-key senseless lesbian paranormal books. This movie is Shakespeare meets Twilight and is written around Juliette and Calliope’s complicated love story of a vampire falling in love with a vampire hunter. It has all the tropes that make the series predictable, but that’s the appeal. Don’t go in expecting to have deep thoughts; it’ll end in tears. But, be ready to laugh, cry, and stan because you know it’s good when something is so bad, it’s good? That’s First Kill.
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