Canal Street in Manchester, England, the setting for this series. I took this pic when I was there in July 2024, and I can confirm that it's a pleasant and romantic spot.
What is it?
A 1999/2000 UK miniseries (10 episodes), written by Russell T. Davies.
Hey, we reviewed one of his miniseries before! And were underwhelmed.
Yes, I should have been better prepared this time. I actually went into this with excitement, as it’s a bit of a legendary queer TV series.
What’s this legendary miniseries about?
It’s revolves around two gay men and a gay boy (he’s 15) in Manchester.
That’s succinct.
Yeah, honestly, this series plays with terrifying levels of shallowness. There’s not much to say. They talk, they have sex, they do a lot of stupid things that make no dramatic sense.
John, I need to point out that this isn’t coming across as a serious review.
Let me be positive for a sec. This series could almost serve as a template for how to make watchable television: Create clearly differentiated characters, cast highly appealing actors (they’re so cute, these guys!), set your story in a sharply defined community, have the action take place in lots of different physical spaces, don’t linger on anything too long, keep it moving—a non-stop flash of colour and movement. It is eminently watchable! The thing is, is it worth watching?
I suspect that may be a rhetorical question.
As with It’s a Sin, there’s just not much here that holds together. And there is some really disturbingly off-colour “humour.” Davies seems to have a thing for gay characters who exact revenge on straight folks, by blowing up their car or pretending to hold a gun to their head or publicly shaming them or driving a car through the plate-glass window of their car dealership. There’s even a scene where one of the guys humiliates his little nephew who is saying homophobic things. (How about talking to him instead, and perhaps begin by admitting to your wee nephew’s parents that maybe you shouldn’t have left gay porn on your computer and then neglected to notice that your little nephew was watching it?)
While some of this might elicit a feeling of satisfying revenge for gay viewers, this particular gay viewer finds it infantile. (I also find the notion of serving urine to people you don’t like to be NOT FUNNY. Davies must have thought it was really amusing, because he uses a twist on this gag again in It’s a Sin.) This is a series that promotes the idea that queer folk are amoral, frighteningly empty, intellectually stunted, and desperate.
I don’t think I really need to ask, but ... stars?
Once again, no! To be honest, I was thinking I might give it one star, on the basis that it IS a colourful way to pass the time, but then the last episode ratcheted up everything I dislike about this series. I get that it’s a fantasy, but fantasy can be thought-provoking or thrilling or moving or inspiring. This is just dumb. If you have six or seven free hours in your life, I’d recommend doing something else.
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