But whereas the original series meant to put out a fantasy version of the community, prototypes of gay men, this series presents fully fleshed out characters, with a bit more grit and complexity. With the legacy of this show, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to shed light on a specific community that cannot be replicated and that needs to be seen.ĭie-hard fans of both the American and British series will recognize some of the situations and energies of the characters complete with a woke mom, the young boy trying to find his way, newbie parents trying to get used to adulting, and the successful business gay juggling career and party life. We’ve seen New York and San Francisco and LA, there’s a lot of stuff already out there. It’s so unlike anywhere in the entire world with so many stories from within the community that are just begging to be told. I started spending a lot of time there and I just got embedded and deep into the drag scene and the queer scene. I was really close with (Drag Race’s) Chi Chi Devayne and we would often go to New Orleans together. I wanted to make a new Queer as Folk that was distinct and came from a specific culture that was like punk, irreverent and rebellious.
According to Dunn, there could only be one choice on where to set this story.ĭunn: There’s nowhere else.
Reflecting what our community actually looks like, there are more shades of skin this time around, gender identities abound, and the disabled members of our community get a voice. This reboot puts the central group of characters in the hotbed of diversity and debauchery that is New Orleans. I’m just enamored by him and so grateful that he trusted me and all of us to create this new chapter. I am blown away with his work, he continues to create such relevant and moving groundbreaking stuff, whether it’s in the queer space or not. There are several winks and nods and references to the British series, even the design of the Babylon logo. Russell’s been like a godfather – he weighed in on scripts and the edits, and his DNA is all over it. Photo by Nicholas Hiscock.ĭunn: (Davies) really responded to it and felt this was the way to expand this specific avenue, to expand on the legacy of the show and tell a new story for this generation of queer folks.