In the years since “Schitt’s Creek” wrapped up its six season Emmy-winning run, nostalgia for it has grown deep – especially since the still painfully recent loss of its iconic leading lady, Catherine O’Hara, whose sudden passing prompted a social media wave of clips and tributes featuring her fan-favorite performance as the deliciously daft Moira Rose. Revisiting so many favorite scenes and funny moments from the show naturally reminded us of just how much we loved it, even needed it during the time it was on the air; it also reminded us of how much we miss it, and how much it feels now like something we need more than ever.

That, perhaps more than anything else, is why the arrival of “Big Mistakes” – the new Netflix series starring, co-created and co-written by Dan Levy – felt so welcome. We knew it wouldn’t be the Roses, but it seemed cut from the same cloth, and it had David Rose (or at least someone who seemed a lot like him) in the middle of a comically dysfunctional family dynamic, complete with a mother who gets involved in town politics and a catty sibling rivalry with his sister, and still nebbish-ly uncomfortable in his own gay shoes. Only this time, instead of running a pastor of the local church, and instead of a collection of kooky small town neighbors to contend with, there are gangsters.

As it turns out, it really does feel cut from the same cloth, but the design is distinctly different. Set in a fictional New Jersey suburb, it centers on Nicky (Levy) and his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) – he openly gay with an adoring boyfriend (Jacob Gutierrez), yet still obsessive about keeping it all invisible to his congregation, and she drudging aimlessly through life as an underpaid schoolteacher after failing to achieve her New York dreams of show biz success – who inadvertently become enmeshed in a shady underworld when a gesture for their dead grandmother’s funeral goes horribly awry.

They’re surrounded by a crew of equally compromised characters. There’s their mother Linda (Laurie Metcalf), whose campaign to become the town’s mayor only intensifies her tendency to micromanage her children’s lives; Yusuf (Boran Kuzum), the Turkish-American mini-mart operator who pulls them into the criminal conspiracy yet is himself a victim of it; Max (Jack Innanen), Morgan’s live-in boyfriend, who pushes her for a deeper commitment and is willing to go to couples’ therapy to prove it; Annette, his mother (Elizabeth Perkins), who lends her society standing toward helping Linda’s campaign against a misogynistic opponent (Darren Goldstein); and Ivan (Mark Ivanir), the seemingly ruthless crime boss who enslaves the siblings into his network but may really be just another slave in it himself. It’s a well-fleshed out assortment of characters that helps our own loyalties shift and adapt, generating at least a degree of empathy – if not always sympathy – that keeps everyone from coming off as a merely “black-and-white” caricature of expectations and typecasting.

To be sure, it’s an entertaining binge-watch, full of distinctive characters – all inhabiting familiar, even stereotypical roles in the narrative – who are each given a degree of validation, both in writing and performance, as the show unspools its narrative. At the same time, it makes for a fairly bleak overall view of humanity, in which it’s difficult to place our loyalties with anyone without also embracing a kind of “dog eat dog” morality in which nobody is truly innocent – but nobody is completely to blame for their sins, anyway.

In this way, it’s a show that lets us off the hook in the sense that it places the idea of ethical guilt within a framework of relative evils as it permits us to forgive our own trespasses through our acceptance of its lovably amoral – when it comes right down to it – characters, each of whom has their own reasons and justifications for what they do. We relate, but we can’t quite shake the notion that, if all these people hadn’t been so caught up in their own personal dramas, none of them would have ended up in the compromised morality that they do, and that they are all therefore, at some level, to blame for whatever consequences they endure.

However, it’s not some bleak morality play that Levy and crew undertake; rather, it’s more an egalitarian fantasy in which even “bad” choices feel justified by inevitability. Everybody has their reasons for doing what they do, and most of those reasons make enough sense to us that it’s hard to judge any of the characters for making the choices – however unwise – that they do. In a system where everyone is forced to compromise themselves in order to achieve whatever dream of self-fulfillment they may have, how can anybody really blame themselves for doing what they have to do to survive?

Of course, all things considered, this is more a relatable comedy than it is a morality play, and it is, perhaps, taking things a bit too seriously to go that “deep.” As a comedy of errors, it all works well enough on its own without imposing an ideology on it, no matter how much we may be tempted to do so. Indeed, what is ultimately more to the point is how well this pseudo-cynical exercise in the normalization of corruption – for that is what it really about, in the end – succeeds in letting us all off the hook for our compromises. In a reality in which we can only respond to corruption by finding the ethical validation for making the choice to survive, how can we judge ourselves – or anyone else – for doing whatever is necessary?

In the end, of course, maybe all that analysis is too deep a dive for a show that feels, in the end, so clearly to be focused merely on reminding us of how much necessity dictates our choices –for truly, the fate of all its characters hinges on how well they respond to the compromised decisions that must make along the way. The more important observation, perhaps, has to do with the necessity to make such moral choices along our way – and it comes not from a moralistic urge toward making the “right” choice as much as it does from a candid recognition that all of us are compromised from the outset, and that’s a refreshing enough bit of honesty that we can easily get on board.

It helps that the performances are on point, especially the loony and wide-eyed fanaticism of Metcalf – surely the MVP of any project in which she is involved – and the directly focused moral malleability of Ortega, Levy, of course, is Levy – a now-familiar persona that can exist within any milieu without further justification than its own queer relatability – and, in this case, at least, that’s both the icing on the cake and substance that defines it. That’s enough to make it an essential view for fans, queer or otherwise, of his distinctive “brand,” even if he – or the show itself – doesn’t quite satisfy in the way that “Schitt’s Creek” was able to do.

Seriously, though, how could it?

As Season 2 of The Pitt comes to a close this Thursday, stars Noah Wyle and Taylor Dearden are looking back on what this season got right about queer representation.

“There is some intentionality behind it, but it’s not necessarily for the representation to be anything other than human or ubiquitous to anyone that would come into an emergency room,” Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Robby, told The Blade at Sunday night’s PaleyFest event in Los Angeles. “I know that we’ve done some storylines with some gay couples, and we did a storyline in season 1 where a woman comes in who’s cut her arm, who’s trans. But in both of those storylines, that wasn’t the point.”

Wyle continues, “In doing it that way, and not making a point of orientation being part of the problem that brings you to the emergency room, we have been told in feedback that that has been extremely revolutionary, almost, and extremely appreciated. But that’s true whether we do storylines with any kind of minority or a person with a disability. We try to have a cosmology of cast and representation on the show that’s indicative of what you find in Pittsburgh.”

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Dearden, who plays Dr. Mel King, echoed Wyle’s sentiment: “I think constantly battling tropes is always important. It’s not a show about romance; it’s a show about real life and a shift in the ER. The more we represent everyday people going through everyday life, they just happen to be queer, they just happen to be trans, and making it not the plot, is putting everyone on equal playing [field]. You don’t have to have a big coming out scene.”

Queer representation on The Pitt is also notable through the actual actors themselves, including openly queer actor Supriya Ganesh, who plays Dr. Samira Mohan (who didn’t attend PaleyFest after the news that she is not returning for Season 3), and Amielynn Abellera, who plays Perlah Alawi.

“Doctors don’t put value judgments on who they treat,” Wyle concludes. “That’s not a luxury extended to them, and so that’s not part of our storytelling.”

The Season 2 finale will air Thursday, April 16 on HBO Max, while Season 3 has already been confirmed and is currently being written.

Queer audiences are lucky that, during a time when LGBTQ+ artistry is being attacked all over the airwaves, we’re still being graced with an abundance of drag-centric reality shows. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race alone has created a gloriously saturated genre; not only is the flagship series offering yearly installments of great performers, but its many spin-offs and international versions have introduced audiences worldwide to the beauty of drag. And with other programs like Dragula and King of Drag offering sides of this art form that fans don’t usually see, it’s been amazing to watch drag become a larger part of mainstream culture. Now more than ever, it’s important to have series that focus on this kind of artistry, which is why Pageant Queens is such a welcome addition to this pantheon of stellar drag shows. 

While it’s another drag-centric program, Pageant Queens immediately sets itself apart with its primary rule: there are no eliminations. And, instead of episodic challenges, it will follow ten queens as they spend weeks rehearsing and preparing for the ‘Queen of Drag’ pageant, where one of them will achieve the titular title (and a $50,000 cash prize). In conversation with the Los Angeles Blade, director Travis Stancil clarified what drove him to create this program: “It’s important to pay homage to our heritage and to our history.”

“[These competitors] have all won major national titles — and there was nothing else for them [to win]!” He explained, when discussing the program’s all-star cast. While most reality shows feature an audition process, this ensemble was selected because each competitor is the proud holder of some illustrious Drag Pageant title. Focusing on them as they all live together and prepare for the pageant, Pageant Queens spotlights these trailblazing performers who’ve each had a hand in shaping the culture so many queer people love today.

“Our concept [was] basically legends that have been in the business for 30-something years, or that have won a national title,” explained California’s own Shae Shae LaReese, a contestant on the show. She went on to describe how each performer featured was a star of the community in their own right and how happy she was to be seen alongside such talents. 

With many younger generations’ first exposure to drag being RuPaul’s Drag Race, it’s easy for them to think the series reflects this entire industry. And while this show and the many like it do reflect certain aspects of this complex culture, an over-emphasis on relatively younger artists and mainstream styles means your average viewer is only getting a glimpse of the nuanced entity that is ‘Drag Culture.’ This series, which premieres on Prime Video on Monday, April 20th, introduces audiences to a group of drag queens who aren’t trying to make it as a performer — they already have! And by refusing to nudge them into dramatic conflict, it becomes an intriguing documentary into what it means to be a queer performer today. 

“The level of community, the level of sisterhood and respect that we have for one another [was most important],” said Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, a Pageant Queens contestant and one of the most decorated titleholders in drag history. “I think that’s what [we] needed for the world to see.” 

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It’s a sentiment that every contestant on the series seemed to share, including the ‘Texas Powerhouse’ herself, Layla Larue. “The reality of drag isn’t always pleasant,” she stated, when describing how intimate the documentary becomes at certain points. “I think we always show the glam and the fun side…but it’s our actual lives behind those faces. Behind the crowns and competition, [there are] personal struggles. And so I think it’s healthy to show that part, especially to the younger generation coming up, to let them know that, you know, this is a very serious thing, and it’s not always just about having fun.”

Of course, that’s not to say Pageant Queens won’t feature some of the juicy dramatics that fans love — each queen paired their admiration of their fellow contestants with some comical anecdotes about their ‘quirky’ living habits. And with the entire series leading up to a jaw-dropping pageant, each episode promises stunning feats of the drag performances that each queen has built a career on. Pageant Queens thrives as the reality show many people will come assuming it to be, but it quickly proves itself to be something else. 

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Looking deeper beneath its glossy veneer reveals a troupe of artists who’ve spent decades fighting to showcase their most authentic, beautiful selves through drag. A group that recognizes that now more than ever, their entire career is being used as a scapegoat for hateful political rhetoric. What sets Pageant Queens apart is not only logistical, although the program should be commanded for shirking your usual reality show conventions and focusing on a lineup of a certain age who are already famous in their communities. Beyond this, what singles Pageant Queens out as such an impactful docuseries is its ability to balance the glitz and glam of drag with the real narrative of trying to showcase your art when it’s being attacked at a governmental scale. Just like the members of its cast, this show combines gorgeous artistry with the real lived experience of what it means to be LGBTQ+ today.

Through their drag, the cast of Pageant Queens reclaim their stories, not only introducing their prowess to a whole new audience but displaying a kind of radical authenticity that modern watchers need to see. And through this show, they’re ready to not only fight for the ultimate ‘Queen of Drag’ title, but for the art form they’ve dedicated their lives to — all while looking utterly fabulous, of course. 

Pageant Queens premieres on Prime on April 20th

When the idea was tossed around to try to bring the original 1976 Charlie’s Angels cast back together for a reunion event, PaleyFest LA’s vice president of public programming and festivals, Rene Reyes, admits he “never” thought it would happen logistically.

But on April 6, the festival’s headlining event will feature Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd for a one-of-a-kind 50th anniversary celebration. The show spanned five seasons, found a dedicated legion of queer fans, and evolved through multiple reboots, including the 2019 film starring Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Banks, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska.

“You think about how there really weren’t female-driven narratives at the center of a TV investigative drama. That just wasn’t happening with great frequency [in the ‘70s], and they did it,” Reyes says of the original show. “They haven’t been together on stage in 34 years, so it’s a miracle that it all came together because schedules are all over the place. When it happens, we always seize the opportunity.”

Running April 4-12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, PaleyFest LA’s 43rd edition will once again feature screenings and panels celebrating some of the best shows of the past year; Pluribus, The Pitt, Shrinking, Scrubs, Emily in Paris, Nobody Wants This, and Your Friends & Neighbors are among the lineup. Stars expected to attend include Noah Wyle, Karolina Wydra, Jason Segel, Lily Collins, Kristen Bell, and Adam Brody.

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“Across my 26 years with the festival, I’ve been able to see so many changes in media and so many changes in the way we consume media,” Reyes says. “But what’s interesting is what remains the same — the connection to the shows we love and the stars we love. That really powers what happens at the festival.”

LGBTQ+ storytelling is a cornerstone of the shows represented in this year’s line-up. In Pluribus, the lead character Carol (played by Golden Globe winner Rhea Seehorn) is queer and talks about her experience with conversion therapy in a standout episode. In The Pitt, many of the patients and doctors are queer. And in Shrinking, Michael Urie and Devin Kawaoka play a married couple navigating their relationship.

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Reyes, who identifies as queer, sees these stories as an essential part of the festival in today’s climate: “It always becomes a facet of the conversation just because, thankfully, a fair amount of shows on television right now have queer storylines. We always want more, but that kind of representation just makes everything better and makes the conversations that happen at the festival more insightful. It always comes up and is a factor when we’re planning the festival to ensure we’re celebrating series that have representation across the spectrum.”

After the red carpets and star-studded panels end, though, the work has only just begun. The Paley Center for Media, the non-profit organization behind the festival, continues their work year-around, focusing on preservation and educational efforts. Over 160,000 TV and radio programs are featured in the collection, including an archive specifically dedicated to queer shows like That Certain Summer, Pose, and Glee.

“We shoot all of the PaleyFest events and all the events that we host at the Paley Center in New York for the archive, so it’s like a living history,” Reyes says. “You can hear what the writers of Pose were actually doing, what their thoughts were, what their creative process was. You can always look back on that. I think it’s so important to preserve our history, to make it accessible to people — especially queer history, which in so many cases is largely untold. That drives me.”

Head to PaleyCenter.org for more info

‘Bury your gays’ is a common trope in horror, referring to the unbelievable ways that this genre has historically killed off its queer characters. Usually preceded by numerous scenes of harmful stereotyping, for decades, LGBTQ+ folks in any kind of scary project were viewed as nothing more than joke fodder and additions to the body count. Luckily, that’s shifted in recent years; frustrated by the medium’s toxic tendencies, thriller fans began creating their own projects centering queer themes and identities. From I Saw the TV Glow to The Fall of the House of Usher, it’s been heartening to see horror, thriller, and mystery genres finally begin to respectfully showcase the queer communities who’ve always loved them. It’s a greatly welcomed trend, and it just gained one of its sexiest, most intriguing additions yet in the form of OUTtv’s new thriller series, Laid Bare. 

Set in a clothing-optional resort, this blood-soaked mystery follows a group of gay men summoned by the dying wishes of late millionaire Nikos Lambrakis. Guided by the rich man’s two wayward sons, they learn that despite having wronged the tycoon before his death, he’s left them each a sizable amount of money in his will. But, there’s a catch: they’re only able to get the cash after staying at the resort for a set number of days. And if, for some reason, one of them were to die…his funds would be distributed amongst the remaining, with each of them growing richer as the victim’s body begins to rot. It’s a chilling caveat on the gift of a lifetime, and it leads to one of our cast becoming a silent killer, stalking the other men across this nude paradise, ready to end their lives in the bloodiest ways imaginable. 

An ingenious, sex-fueled twist on mystery tropes that many fans will know well, Laid Bare stands out as a thriller project filled with LGBTQ+ voices behind and in front of the camera. It serves as an unsettling, sexy dissection of modern queerness, and for its star Ethan Daniel Corbett, it made for one of the most affirming roles of his career. 

“I usually play villains,” said Corbett, as he discussed his performance as Alistair in Laid Bare with the LA Blade. “But being able to play someone who is so chaotic…it was so much fun to do.” The actor’s joy is evident every second he’s onscreen; Alistair is one of Nikos’ two sons who, to the frustration of his harried brother, views his father’s resort as nothing more than a chance to get naked and flirt with cute guests. But as the bodies begin to pile up, he adds a hilariously chaotic sense of panic to the proceedings, allowing Corbett to act in a way he’d never been able to before. “It’s just refreshing to do something unique,” the man continued. “To have a queer story where it’s not necessarily tied to past trauma about being queer. [These characters] are already out, they are who they are, and they’re comfortable with who they are.” 

And comfortable they definitely are, as any discussion of Laid Bare wouldn’t be complete without speaking about one of the series’ most notable elements: its constant nudity. 

Laid Bare never shies away from the nude sights that a clothing-optional resort would entail. It may shock watchers at first to see such bold displays of body, but Corbett emphasized that the men’s nakedness wasn’t just to surprise viewers — their nudity serves to subvert the genre conventions that horror fans are used to. “I find that it’s a really interesting way to do a murder mystery, because a lot of that time, a major part of [the mystery] involves hidden weapons and how much people can get away with. I thought [the nudity] was actually a really unique, interesting take.” 

Not only that, Ethan discussed that the nudity was an utterly revealing mechanism used to explore one of the core aspects of Laid Bare: the experience of being a gay man today. 

“To be able to watch this and see men being vulnerable and leaning on each other…I feel like that is something missing in today’s world. Being able to count on each other during hard times.” The performer expressed his disappointment in this absence not only within heterosexual circles but also in queer ones. It’s an unfortunate truth that many LGBTQ+ spaces meant to be welcoming can often feel exclusionary for those who aren’t queer in ‘the right way.’ This aspect of modern queerness shows up often throughout the series, with the men’s many arguments and cruel words echoing sentiments that, unfortunately, still exist within gay circles today. “I think it can hold a mirror up to the queer community. I know it’s not the case for [everyone], but sometimes you find that if you don’t look a certain way, or you don’t act a certain way, you’re [not allowed] in.”

Ethan teased that this particular allegory is explored constantly throughout Laid Bare, along with discussions of sex work, harmful intellectualism, and toxic masculinity (all set against the backdrop of a terrifying killing spree). But even with all of this animosity and bloodshed on display, he raved about what an amazing experience filming this project was — and it was all thanks to Laid Bare’s cast and crew. 

Even in movies and series centered around queer identity, it can be hard to find a crew stacked with people who personally understand the themes playing out onscreen. Corbett emphasized how thoroughly queer almost everyone associated with this show was, saying, “Behind the scenes, it was one of the most supportive casts and crews I’ve ever worked with. It was really encouraging for me to know that these people [weren’t only] great, but were also specifically a part of our community.” He discussed how this intimate awareness made him feel comfortable with not only the nudity but the intense emotionality of Laid Bare, with everyone involved with the project ensuring that it was a comfortable space for all. “I think this is honestly the first time I was able to fully express [my queerness], exploring that part of my craft and the industry as a whole.”

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It was heartening to hear Ethan Daniel Corbett’s amazing experience acting in Laid Bare, with his time on the series stressing why it’s important to have professionals in the entertainment industry who truly understand the queer experience today. It’s an intimate kind of finesse that allowed for not only the actor’s great performance, but the success of this program as a whole. And, with the Laid Bare gaining a massive fandom online and becoming one of OUTtv’s most talked about projects to date, it hopefully signals even more terrifyingly inclusive projects for thriller fans in the near future. 

Laid Bare is now streaming on OUTtv.

There has been a lot of hullabaloo about the runaway straight female fandom of Heated Rivalry. Queer people, especially gay men, have been cherry-picking from pop culture for years, choosing divas and himbos as queer placeholders. Currently, straight women are enjoying the man-on-man sex, romance, and drama of the smutty hockey show. On the same network, Industry has been feeding the queer community for years, with its fourth season ending this Sunday. 

Set in the UK, Industry follows the sordid sex and work lives of a bunch of young financial movers and shakers. It features straight people having sex and doing drugs like your favorite, or least favorite, circuit queens. Add to this dialogue that matches Ryan Murphy-level shade and drama worthy of your favorite soap opera, this show has everything the queers love: sex, shade, and drama. 

The cast features Myha’la as Harper Stern, a petite power top who refuses to let her race, stature, or the law stop her from making her bag. Marisa Abela plays Yasmin Kara-Hanani, a polyglot trophywife who’s aspiration is often undone by her sordid history, self-destructive tendencies, and the underestimation of her peers. Ken Leung plays Harper’s verbally abusive and morally bankrupt mentor. The past three seasons also featured Harry Lawtey as Robert Spearing, the working-class bisexual eye candy. 

The fourth season added Kiernan Shipka as a provocative sex pot executive assistant, and Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton as a disgraced journalist working on a career-saving story. The Handmaid’s Tale star Max Minghella plays a suspicious CFO with a secret. 

Each season, the series has brought us memorable scenes ranging from a Muslim businessman boofing cocaine up Lawtey’s behind, a full frontal of Fire Island star Joel Kim Booster, and the cast bedhopping more than the cast of Friends. This season also features Kit Harington at a gloryhole. Yes, Jon Snow gets a blowie. Shock value aside, the show has it all. 

The series began as an ensemble drama of young upstart traders dealing with the perils of making boku bucks in London and the toll of working in the financial industry. It’s loosely inspired by creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s time as investment bankers. The first season also featured David Jonsson as a queer conservative with a secret boyfriend. The series began to morph into a complex morality tale exploring the themes of grief, corruption, addiction, and ambition. 

The series was just confirmed for a 5th and final season, and the announcement was Abela and Harrington’s fictional framed wedding photo covered with lines of cocaine. This series is a must-see and gives queer folks the chance to be lookey-loos. Enjoy the self-destructive journeys of hypersexual, impulsive, risk addicted singles with as much treachery as The Traitors and more cohesive story development than a Ryan Murphy series. 

Now’s the perfect time to binge the series and see for yourself. But be warned, the series is highly addictive, and there will be some delay before season 5 is released.

It’s unfortunate how poorly so many people view reality television. 

Of course, the genre doesn’t always do itself any favors; for decades, the most prominent examples of this medium were drunken fights and jaw-dropping bigotry. But viewers forget that reality TV has evolved along with its eternally growing audience. It still contains wild drama, yes, but recent years have seen an increase in shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and We’re Here, which offer nuanced insight into the experiences of queer communities today. Series like these have an undeniable impact on the many who watch them, with their episodes among the most reliable sources of authentic representation that queer viewers can count on. That’s why reality television as a whole deserves more respect, and that’s why Netflix’s The Boyfriend is one of the most impactful programs airing today. The show has become a hit, with season 2 now streaming.

Japan’s first gay dating show, this series brings together a group of eligible men for one summer in ‘The Green Room,’ a house where they’ll live, run a small business, and hopefully find their true love. Overseen by a panel of commentators — a common practice for Japanese reality TV — the series has astounded for two seasons with the genuine emotions on display. Yet along with the romance, what sets The Boyfriend apart is just how informative it is. Not only by offering insight into a queer culture outside of America, but by creating a level of representation that Japan as a country has never seen before. So many scenes and stories on the show are important for LGBTQ+ audiences across the globe, but what truly sets The Boyfriend apart is the simple message that grounds this entire series: it’s not wrong to be gay. 

“In Japan, LGBTQ+ people…[they] are prohibited,” said Durian, a commentator from The Boyfriend and one of Japan’s biggest drag performers. “They are regarded as nonexistent…[and] for some of the young people, when it comes to the fact that they are being ignored in society, it could lead to them not having pride in themselves.”

It was a sentiment echoed by The Boyfriend cast, with the group describing how LGBTQ+ identity is rarely discussed in public and only shown through stereotypes. “When I was in middle school, the word gay didn’t exist,” described Huwei, a contestant and member of Thailand’s national judo team. “People would use other words, [ones that] usually mean just being [like] women.” This is reflected in the portrayal of gay people in Japanese media, with the cast detailing how the few times they saw gay characters, it was always hyper-effeminate, ultra cheerful men — traits that were used as joke fodder for the audience. “They’re trying to be [funny], and they’re trying to make people laugh, but it didn’t necessarily have a positive impression,” said Tomoaki, whose time on the show saw the man grapple with accepting his own sexuality.

These topics come up naturally on the program, as well as other facets of what it means to live as a queer person in Japan, granting American audiences vital insight into an LGBTQ+ culture outside of their own. Durian explained their customs further, saying, “Japan is a bit reserved and very quiet. People may be a little frustrated because they think [the cast] should be more direct, but [their behavior] is really a part of Japanese culture. And if viewers can [understand] that, they’ll be happy.”

It can be easy to forget that the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation looks different in areas across the world. The cast of The Boyfriend not only portrays what dating looks like in their country, but also the many ways their communities fight for acceptance that international audiences don’t often get to see. It doesn’t do this in a way that discredits or villainizes Japanese culture — in fact, many of the men profess how much they love the country that raised them. But their national pride is paired with a hope that their country can grow and begin granting LGBTQ+ people the respect they deserve. It’s this desire that drives so much of the series’ emotion, making it all the more heartwarming when viewers realize just how important The Boyfriend is to this ongoing hope today.  

“For me, I’d never been a part of a gay community…this is really [the first] time I was able to be really true to myself,” said Ryuki, a college student and the youngest member of the group. Bomi, who spent a majority of the season pining after fellow contestant Huwei, agreed, saying, “When I came to the ‘Green Room,’ honestly, in the beginning, I was scared…for the last 20 years, I have not really been honest to myself. But through the life I had [on this show], I’ve been able to be truly myself.”

The franchise’s inherent inclusivity not only allowed the men to find romance but to simply find community amongst one another. This led not only to great television but also to the entire cast raving about their time on the show, while also recognizing how hard it is to find this sense of belonging for so many LGBTQ+ people in Japan today. 

As the conversation wound down, the men reflected on what their inclusion on this series means for their country going forward. As members of Japan’s inaugural gay dating show, they’ll be providing examples of queer identity outside of the grinning caricatures that have always permeated popular culture. They would finally be giving so many young LGBTQ+ viewers the knowledge that there are real people like them out there living happy lives today. This realization drove many of the cast to tears, with each expressing how they hoped these episodes would help those viewers desperately searching for representation. And while they all expressed their care, Bomi summarized the group’s thoughts on what they hoped people took away from The Boyfriend best.

“I want people to feel that they’re not alone. You’re not alone. I want to tell [them] that we all have the same kind of issues, and there are a lot of people who haven’t really expressed themselves yet…but we are here. We are here with you.”

An uplifting message of community, one that was only possible because of the genuine bonds this group forged throughout their experience. This shows just how much of an impact The Boyfriend is already making on Japanese culture, and it’s a reminder for viewers across the world that none of us are alone in the fight for queer equity today. 

The Boyfriend season 2 is now streaming on Netflix

Even in a series packed with so many amazing winners — and that’s not even including its cavalcade of spin-offs — RuPaul’s Drag Race has never seen a victor quite like season 17’s Onya Nurve. 

This drag queen entered her installment of the trailblazing franchise with one goal: make sure nobody watching could ever forget her. And it’s safe to say she succeeded; even before clinching the $200,000 win, Onya always showed her immense talent and the no-nonsense personality that audiences quickly fell in love with (and some competitors constantly clashed with). Beyond all of her skills, though, what made Onya stick out was her genuine heart, the authentic emotions she brought to every scene as she fought to uplift both her fellow contestants and herself. It’s a kind of genuine empathy that you don’t often see on reality television, and it’s one that is on full display in every second of Onya Nurve’s new WOW Presents talk show, Hello, Hello, Hello.

“You know, I think it’s always been in my blood to sit in a chair and have a conversation with someone across from me,” Onya said, as she sat down in a chair for her conversation with the Los Angeles Blade. Out of drag, the performer’s confident grin makes it clear that she’s still the artist fans love, even when she’s just having a relaxed interview. “It’s something that I do naturally, and something that I do so well.”

A reinvention of your typical talk show, Hello Hello Hello sees Onya speak with the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 to discuss the chaotic journeys that led them all to the show. Filled with shady questions and a thorough analysis of each one’s audition tape, every episode sees the winner speak with these hopefuls and learn what inspired them to become drag performers today. While funny, these episodes are also shockingly heartwarming; Onya’s visible care for her guests creates genuine moments of camaraderie between the franchise co-stars. 

When asked about her approach to these conversations, Onya began, “When you’re filming your audition, you don’t know whether you’re going to get on the show or not. The only thing you do know…is that you have to do your best.” She stressed that hosting the series was so impactful because she remembers what it’s like to be one of these performers. To worry for months over your audition tape, to thrill over getting cast, and then to worry even more as you realize just how intense this cutthroat competition can be. Luckily, Onya never had to deal with the grief of losing, but she still empathizes with each eliminated queen she gets the chance to talk to. “When [I’m] watching [their audition] tapes with all of the girls, it’s a moment of, ‘Regardless if you thought this was a good tape or not, it still got you on the show. So let’s celebrate that!’”

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The warm demeanor that Onya has for each queen is one that has always been evident during her time in the Drag Race universe. While she’s not without her chaotic moments — the winner’s argument with Lexi Love is still legendary — a rewatch of season 17 shows Onya supporting her fellow performers in the face of upset cast members and stressful situations. It’s this care that she brings to every episode of her show, and it’s one that has defined her reign as ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar.’ 

“I think that it’s one of my number one jobs,” said Onya, when asked how important it’s been to uplift other queens during her time as incumbent winner. “Especially as a drag mom. One of your jobs is to support the people who’ve supported you along the way…it’s a way to remind [those people], ‘Hey, I might be famous — but I still love you!’”

This mentality, along with her many years as an Ohio-based drag queen, is what prepared Nurve to be the hilariously heartfelt host that fans see in Hello, Hello, Hello. Onya emphasized how, while of course she loves being a talk show host, it’s the times when she gets to reassure this season’s performers that truly made the experience so fulfilling. “There are such sentimental moments that you want to just hug them and let them know, ‘You’re not alone. I’ve been through this process too.’” And when asked what advice she likes to give each of these performers after these sentimental moments, Onya offered the two words that have kept her afloat through situations even more stressful than RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Don’t cry!”

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As the interview came to an end, Nurve used her time to not only discuss how thrilled she is to be hosting this new show, but how excited she is to celebrate the other Drag Race queens — those on this season, and the many yet to come. She stressed that the resonance people see from her is due to the fact that her own experience was not an easy path to the end. From creating her audition tape to having RuPaul announce her as a winner, Onya has always been fighting to get to the place where she is today. She understands the hard work that it takes to get on the show, let alone do well on it. 

And so to all of these queens that she’s excited to continue speaking with on Hello, Hello, Hello, Onya proclaimed, “It doesn’t really matter how well you do on the show. You already won, because the goal was to get on the show. So use this moment, do the best you can, and just take it and run with it. You’re going to be the star that you’ve always been.”

Words to live by, whether you’re a sickening drag artist or not, and an inspiring sentiment that defines Onya Nurve as one of the most impactful RuPaul’s Drag Race winners we have today. 

Pluribus, The Pitt, and a 50th anniversary celebration of Charlie’s Angels are among the top shows announced as part of this year’s PaleyFest LA line-up, with stars Rhea Seehorn and Noah Wyle expected to attend.

Running April 4-12 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, The Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest LA once again brings a collection of celebrated TV shows for special screenings and panels. Other featured shows include Nobody Wants This, Emily in Paris, Your Friends & Neighbors, and Scrubs, which is notably being rebooted and will debut Feb. 25 on ABC.

“PaleyFest LA is a one-of-a-kind celebration where iconic talent, passionate fans, and unforgettable moments all come together,” Paley Center’s president and CEO Maureen J. Reidy said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome audiences back to the Dolby Theatre this April and are deeply grateful to our partners at Citi and the William S. Paley Foundation for their continued support in making this festival possible.”

In addition to the festival’s contemporary focus, this year, PaleyFest LA will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels with Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd in attendance. That original show ran for five seasons from 1976 to 1981, laying the groundwork for the 2000 movie with Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, as well as the most recent 2019 reboot with Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Banks, and Ella Balinska.

Check out the full schedule and participating talent below:

Saturday, April 4th at 7:00 pm – Pluribus

Big Screen Presentation of the season one finale by the Producers & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars! 

Featuring: Rhea Seehorn (Carol Sturka); Karolina Wydra (Zosia); Carlos-Manuel Vesga (Manousos); 

Samba Schutte (Mr. Diabaté); Gordon Smith, Executive Producer & Writer; and Jenn Carroll, Co-Executive Producer & Writer 

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Monday, April 6th at 7:30 pm – Charlie’s Angels 50^th Anniversary Celebration (Original Network ABC and Sony Pictures Television)

The Iconic Series and Its Legendary Stars Celebrate a TV Milestone! 

Featuring: Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd  

Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 pm – Shrinking (Apple TV and Warner Bros. Television)

Screening of the Season 3 Finale & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars! 

Featuring: Bill Lawrence, Co-Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer; Brett Goldstein, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, (Louis); Jason Segel, Co-Creator, Executive Producer, (Jimmy); Jessica Williams (Gaby); Michael Urie (Brian); Luke Tennie (Sean); Christa Miller (Liz); Lukita Maxwell (Alice); and Ted McGinley (Derek)

Wednesday, April 8 7:30 pm – Nobody Wants This (Netflix and 20^th Television, a Disney company)

Big Screen Presentation of an Episode Selected by the Producers & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars! 

Featuring: Kristen Bell, Executive Producer (Joanne); Adam Brody (Noah); Justine Lupe (Morgan); Timothy Simons (Sasha); Jackie Tohn (Esther); Erin Foster, Creator, Executive Producer, Writer; Jenni Konner, Co-showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer; and Bruce Eric Kaplan, Co-showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer 

Friday, April 10 at 7:30 pm – Emily in Paris (Netflix and Paramount Television Studios)

Big Screen Presentation of an Episode Selected by the Producers & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars! 

Featuring: Darren Star, Creator, Executive Producer & Writer; Andrew Fleming, Executive Producer & Director; Lily Collins, Producer (Emily Cooper); Ashley Park (Mindy); Lucas Bravo (Gabriel); Samuel Arnold (Julien); Bruno Gouery (Luc); and Lucien Laviscount (Alfie)

Saturday, April 11 at 2:00 pm – Scrubs (ABC and 20^th Television, a Disney company)

Big Screen Preview of a New Episode & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars!

Featuring: Zach Braff, Executive Producer (John “J.D.” Dorian); Donald Faison, Executive Producer (Christopher Turk); Sarah Chalke, Executive Producer (Elliot Reid); and Bill Lawrence, Executive Producer 

Plus additional guests to be announced.

Saturday, April 11 at 7:00 pm – Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV and Apple Studios)
Big Screen Preview of a New Episode & Conversation with the Creatives and Stars! 

Featuring: Jon Hamm, Executive Producer (Andrew “Coop” Cooper); Amanda Peet (Mel Cooper); Olivia Munn (Samantha Levitt); and Jonathan Tropper, Creator, Showrunner, Writer, Director, & Executive Producer

Sunday, April 12 at 7:00 pm – The Pitt (HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television)

Celebrating This Year’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award Winner for Best Drama Series! Preview Screening and Conversation. 

Featuring: R. Scott Gemmill, Executive Producer; Noah Wyle (Dr. Michael Robinavitch); Katherine LaNasa (Dana Evans), Supriya Ganesh (Dr. Mohan), Taylor Dearden (Dr. King), and Isa Briones (Dr. Santos)

LA Blade will be on the scene! For more information, head to PaleyCenter.org.

Stranger Things has become a Netflix phenomenon by combining 1980s nostalgia, Dungeons & Dragons, the sci-fi and horror geekdoms, and Winona Ryder. We’ve watched a group of childhood friends fight demigorgons and grow up over the last 9 years. The latest season featured a pivotal moment for the character of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp): he came out. 

While social media has been flooded with fans’ frustration that Max made no attempts to run in the various rescue attempts from the Upside Down, and have mocked Millie Bobby Brown’s alleged post filler mug, there have been mixed reviews of the coming out scene. Some found it too long, too earnest, while others found it healing. Is it the strangest thing that the community can have such a varied reaction to this scene?   

In season one, the sensitive and shyest member of this group was essentially a MacGuffin. He was kidnapped and taken to the hell dimension of the Upside Down, with the whole season centered on his return. Unlike cult fave Barb, the sensitive boy had to navigate the trauma of surviving the harrowing experience. As the show progressed, fantasy met reality as Schnapp’s sexuality became part of the series. 

His unrequited crush with his friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) began driving narrative tension. In the final season, an impromptu and lengthy coming out scene drove part of the war between the teens and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the Mind Flayer. 

While the pacing can seem a bit strange, with a ten-minute coming-out scene on the cusp of the final battle, there is still the matter of the context of the 1980s and being queer. Also, rather than the perfunctory, “we’ve got a queer character, let’s have them come out,” this scene fundamentally factored into the narrative of the show. 

This season found Will having his own Dark Phoenix moment, taking on multiple demigorgons. He is also confronted by Vecna, exposing the shame, embarrassment, and darkness of his suppressed queer feelings. His coming out was not only necessary for Will’s character but also for the success in defeating the main antagonist. 

Throughout television history, child actors have started as precocious sources of comic relief and memorable lines, but as their queerness presented itself, it changed the show. Danny Pintauro on Who’s the Boss was phased out of his sitcom as he got older.  Mark Indelicato on Ugly Betty essentially provided a queer element, and his coming out was factored into the series as he got older. 

While the scene may have stalled some of the action, it has more to do with the fact that the series was not released in 8 episodes but released in three chunks, with the last two episodes as one 2-hour spectacular.  

The pacing issues with the 5th season have nothing to do with Will’s sexuality. After all, Max managed to perp walk her way through the Upside Down and had time to conduct a whole pep talk for Holly Wheeler. 

While some younger folks may find the scene corny or cringeworthy, the context of this scene is vital. Being set in the 1980s puts it in a different context. Being gay in the early 1980s was a whole thing unto itself. The idea that a character could be honest about being gay and find everyone in his life supporting him can be healing. 

It also honors the unique coming-of-age moments of queer people. Will Byers’s sexuality is not just something to make his character interesting. Instead, it’s honoring the actor, putting it in a context, and making a queer person a prominent part of the story. 

As the quantity of queer characters on screen is decreasing, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the quality is getting better. The timing of Heated Rivalry, Boots, and this scene, all while the political climate for LGBTQ people is in turmoil, offers a shot in the arm for queer people and a call for us to honor our shared experiences rather than focus on our differences. 

The retro nature of Stranger Things allows for revisionist history for people who survived the trauma of being in the closet during the age of AIDS and when queer people weren’t in the media. 

Stranger Things choosing to not just honor their star’s queer identity, but also having the full reality of a queer person’s life factor into the narrative seems like progress. Will doesn’t come out because he’s gay. He comes out because he cannot survive his secrets when facing a psychic demon from a mirror dimension. 

The show isn’t some schmaltzy story about a queer teen in the closet and his inevitable coming out. Instead, Will is a kidnapping survivor with superpowers, set on vengeance for the creature that kidnapped him, and just so happens to have to come out to succeed. 

So now what? What is the future for queer characters, and how will more showrunners treat queer characters in the future?