The world of queer TV beyond ‘Heartstopper’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’

Good LGBTQ+ representation is hard to come by, so we cling on to a selected few or branch out with the latest trendy series. Shows like Heartstopper, Orange is the New Black, Pose, and Modern Family have been critically and commercially acclaimed, but if you’re still on the lookout for other amazing LGBTQ+ shows, here are some that you might like. 

1/5 Feel Good

Avbailable to stream on Netflix

With a BAFTA nomination under its belt, Feel Good is one of the most empathetic, deeply awkward, and extremely hilarious TV series I’ve seen in years. The show follows George and Mae’s relationship in present day England as both characters stumble about their gender and sexual identity. Mae is a comedian whose past drug addiction raises a number of issues while George has always identified as a straight girl and isn’t the most keen to come out. The show perfectly captures the nuances between the peaks and valleys of a queer relationship, especially for those new to it. Lisa Kudrow also stars as Mae’s anxious mother.

2/5 Please Like Me

Available to stream on Netflix

Please Like Me is a perfect show for people who use comedy as a defence mechanism. The sitcom follows Josh’s confusing adulthood as he deals with big changes like discovering his queerness, taking care of his depressed mother, and growing apart from his friends. Despite the circumstances, the series still manages to find humour amidst the drama. The show’s opening credits instantly draws you in with its peppiness that carries on throughout the unassuming and almost bubblegum-like nature of the characters, making it impossible to predict when the next joke or tear-jerker moment is going to land.

3/5 Years and Years

If you’re into dystopian thrillers, this one’s for you. Taking place from 2019 and spanning 15 years, the limited series focuses on different members of the Lyons family and how they are impacted by the unreliable socio-political state of the world. A notable LGBTQ+ plot line comes into play when Daniel Lyons, a housing officer, begins a romantic relationship with Viktor Goraya, a Ukrainian refugee.  As you can imagine, this story becomes eerily reflective of some of the harshest prejudice and violation of human rights that LGBTQ+ refugees are subjected to facing today.

4/5 Champions

Available to stream on Netflix

You know those fictional characters that you instantly click with and feel like they can be your friends? The Champions’ family is exactly that. The ten-episode Netflix gem centres around Vince and Matthew, two single brothers who co-own the family gym named “Champions”. But everything gets turned upside down when Vince’s high school ex-girlfriend shows up to not only announc that Vince is the father to her teenage gay son but that the boy is also coming to live with him. Prepare to laugh out loud watching the interactions between a washed up jock like Vince as he navigates parenting a flamboyant queer son.

5/5 Arcane

Available to stream on Netflix

Based on the steampunk world of League of Legends, Arcane mirrors class disparities and other societal issues through its juxtaposition of the utopian city of Piltover and the oppressed city of Zaun. In its first season, the ex-criminal, Vi, and the police officer, Caitlyn, are not explicitly stated as queer in the show, but it is heavily implied. On top of that, the showrunner has confirmed that their feelings are romantic. Their relationship is praised for being able to curb the oversexualisation of women-loving-women (WLW) in the media and allows the characters to flourish as fully formed people without an overemphasis on their queerness.