10 shows that prove we’re in a golden age of queer comedies
Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
Josh Thomas’s sleeper hit Please Like Me, a semi-autobiographical comedy based on the Australian’s life, coming out, and his surrounding relationships with friends and family was critically acclaimed for its depictions of mental illness and queer identity.
His much anticipated follow up series on Freeform, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, centers on Thomas’s character, Nicholas, who moves to the states to take care of his two younger half-sisters after their father unexpectedly dies from a brief battle with cancer.
Like its predecessor, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, has a refreshing representation of neurodiverse characters, gay relationships, and sex positivity. As a burgeoning parent, the viewers never quite know where Nicholas stands, but it is always clear that he will take care of his sisters.
The core cast is incredibly charming with young leads Kayla Cromer and Maeve Press shining as Nicholas’s younger sisters Matilda and Genevieve. With Alex (Adam Faison, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Nicholas’s reluctant co-parent, Thomas has built a lush world where I’ll gladly watch his core four do anything.
The entire first season of Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is streaming on Hulu and Freeform. Get caught up before the second season airs next year. (And while you’re there, binge Please Like Me, too.)
Vida
Lyn and Emma (Melissa Barrera and Mishel Prada) are somewhat estranged sisters when we first meet them. While Lyn is a bubbly free spirit who mostly depends on her current romantic partner for financial stability, Emma is a Type A, independent, and fierce businesswoman.
The two are drawn back to each other, and their hometown of Los Angeles, when their mother unexpectedly dies. Lyn and Emma soon discover there is much they did not know about their mother, including that she has a secret wife.
Battling internalized homophobia, gentrification, and spiraling debts, the two sisters have to work together to save their mother’s bar and legacy, and ultimately their family. Vida may not be a laugh out loud comedy at all times. (In fact, it’s definitely more of a dramedy.)
Vida’s Creator and showrunner Tanya Saracho, like One Day at a Timetands out for its thoughtful portrayal of Latinx representation both on-screen and behind the camera. (‘s Gloria Calderon-Kellett, is a staunch activist for Latinx voices in Hollywood.)
But its overall lack of attention and general excellence earned it a spot in the top half of this list. A moving portrayal of grief amid estrangement with some of the more complex queer identities portrayed on television I’ve seen, Vida is a must-watch.
Sorely undermarketed and undercovered, Vida‘s third season premiered under the air of a surprise cancellation and aired its final episode on May 31. Vida deserved better. All three seasons are available to stream on Starz.