10 underrated queer tv shows to binge during Pride Month

Underrated queer show: It’s a Sin

Platform: HBO Max

Cast: Olly Alexander, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells, Lydia West, Nathaniel Curtis, Neil Patrick Harris

Premise: This five-part drama follows a tight-knit group of gay men and their friends living through the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. The show examines the toll that the fast developing health emergency takes on their lives, as they become determined to live fiercely despite the threat HIV poses to them.

The show was written and created by Russell T. Davies, who also created the original British version of Queer as Folk. Each cast member turns in an impassioned, if at times haunting, performance throughout the course of the series, particularly the trio of Alexander, Douglas, and West. As with Queer as Folk, the show doesn’t shy away from depicting same-sex sex scenes, as well as the intricacies that go into having a love life amid the chaos of an epidemic.

While many shows choose to highlight the joy and perseverance that comes from being a member of the LGBT community, there’s also a huge chunk of its history that is dark and grim. The AIDS pandemic ravaged the queer community, robbing young men of their lives and shattering the hearts of their friends and loved ones. It’s a Sin does a wonderful job illustrating the despair that came with the strife, but also doesn’t forget to illuminate the screen with stories of resiliency.