Queer as Folk reboot gets series order at Peacock
It’s been 21 years since Queer as Folk aired its final episode, but now Peacock has officially given a straight-to-series order to Stephen Dunn’s reboot of the British drama, which was led by Game of Thrones alum Aidan Gillen. The project hails from Universal Content Productions, who has been developing the new reboot since 2018. This isn’t actually the first time that the short-lived British series was remade in the U.S. as Showtime previously adapted Queer as Folk back in 2000 which ran on-air for five seasons.
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“It is a surreal honour to adapt the notoriously groundbreaking series by Russell T. Davies,” Dunn said in a statement. “When the show originally aired, the idea of unapologetic queer stories on TV was so provocative that I felt I could only watch Queer as Folk in secret. But so much has changed in the last 20 years and how wonderful would it be if the next generation didn’t have to watch Queer as Folk alone in their dank basements with the sound muted, but with their family and friends and the volume cranked all the way to the max.”
Created and written by Dunn, the reboot will be set in New Orleans and will follow a diverse group of friends whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy. The series is described as vibrant reimagining of the groundbreaking UK series.
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“Queer as Folk was more than just a show, it was a ground-breaking and necessary voice for so many people,” Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement. “Stephen’s new version for Peacock arrives at yet another pivotal moment in our culture. Alex Sepiol, EVP of drama programming, and his team have championed this project from the first moment it landed on their desks, working to ensure the script became the series we’re announcing today. The entire team is so excited to be a part of introducing a new generation to this type of authentic and affirming storytelling.”
In addition to writing, Dunn is also set to direct the pilot and executive produce alongside Lee Eisenberg, Emily Brecht, NENT Studios UK’s Richard Halliwell and original series producers Russell T. Davies and Nicola Shindler.
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Created by Russell T. Davies, the original series only ran on-air for 10 episodes from 1999-2000. It starred Gillen, Craig Kelly and Charlie Hunnam, who portrayed the roles of Stuart, Vince and Nathan, respectively. The series centers around the lives of three gay men in Manchester.