Watch Queers

Queers is a television drama series that was created by renowned playwrights and screenwriters such as Mark Gatiss, Brian Fillis, and Gareth McLean. The show comprises of eight monologues that were written by eight different writers, and each episode portrays the life of a gay character and their struggles in different time periods throughout the 20th century, from the 1910s to the 2010s.

The show features an ensemble cast of high-caliber British actors who each take turns delivering the monologues. These include, amongst others: Ben Whishaw (Spectre, Paddington), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife, X2: X-Men United), Russell Tovey (Being Human, Him & Her) and Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, The End of The F***ing World).

One of the main themes of the show is the oppression and persecution of homosexuals during the 20th century, as the events of the show take place against the backdrop of key historical moments. For instance, in one episode set in the 1960s, a character recounts how he and his boyfriend were arrested for engaging in sexual acts in a public restroom. The episode mirrors the infamous arrest of Oscar Wilde in 1895 and serves as a reminder of the harsh realities faced by the LGBTQ+ community at the time.

Another interesting aspect of the show is its exploration of the queer experience in Britain from different perspectives. While some episodes deal with the struggles of coming out and being ostracized from society, others focus on the notion of queer family and how the LGBTQ+ community has created their own families as a reaction to being excluded from mainstream society. This is exemplified by an episode in which a character tells the story of how he became a ‘surrogate parent’ to several younger gay men, acting as a mentor and offering a safe haven for them to be themselves.

The show also pays homage to several renowned LGBTQ+ figures throughout history. The first episode, set in the 1910s, pays tribute to H.H. Asquith, the British Prime Minister who was famously blackmailed into withholding a royal pardon for Alan Turing, after his conviction for homosexual acts in 1952. The episode features Whishaw as a young man trying to come to terms with his sexuality under the looming threat of imprisonment.

The acting performances in the show are all excellent, and each actor brings their own unique quality to the monologues they deliver. For instance, Whishaw delivers his lines with a quiet intensity that makes his character’s internal struggle all the more palpable. Similarly, Cumming is able to command the screen with his intense gaze, stealing every scene he appears in.

Overall, Queers is a moving, thought-provoking drama that provides a nuanced look at the British queer experience throughout the 20th century. It is well-written, well-acted, and portrays a diverse array of characters and experiences. Despite the historical distance between the different episodes, the show does an excellent job of making the themes and emotions feel universal and relevant to contemporary audiences. Queers is definitely a must-watch for anyone interested in exploring the rich history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community.

Queers is a series that ran for 1 seasons (8 episodes) between October 10, 2017 and on Amazon Addon