The Books of My Life: Queer as Folk

In his BFI monograph Queer as Folk (London: BFI, BFI TV Classics series, 2007) Glyn Davis explores what he calls the "groundbreaking" TV serial, Queer as Folk. Commissioned by Channel 4, written by Russell T. Davies, and produced by Nicola Shindler's Red production company, this show in which virtually the central characters were gay or lesbian, was broadcast in two series of eight and two episodes respectively, went out over the air in 1999 and 2000.

In his monograph Davis, drawing on secondary research and published interviews, explores the cultural pedigree of Queer as Folk; the economic and cultural contexts of why Channel 4 commissioned the show; the backgrounds of Davies and Shindler; the production of the show, if perhaps too briefly; the collaborative nature of the making of Queer as Folk; the look of the show and how mise-en-scene related to character and broader economic context; the central theme of the show; the narrative structure of the show; and the impact the show had and the political controversies it left in its wake. Along the way, Davis notes that Queer as Folk broke the stereotypes and caricatures of gays and lesbian characters that had been the stock and trade of TV shows in the UK and US over the years; points up the inclusivity at the heart of the show; notes the sexualised gaze of the show which, he assumes, drew viewers to identity with its gay and lesbian characters; points up the centrality of created families to the show; notes the theme of unrequited love at the heart of the first series of Queer as Folk; and explores the common no more than 1 to 2 minute segments the show was divided into, a practise most modern television shows follow.

As with a lot of academic books, and particularly books written on film and television, Davis' archivally anemic book would probably have been better as an article rather than a 100 page plus monograph. Davis' excellent and interesting "Introduction" to Queer as Folk lays out, in microcosm, what he is going to say about the show in the pages that follow. That said, anyone with an interest in British television and queer television and studies in general will find much of interest in this monograph.