LGBTV:

Queer-Inclusive TV Shows and Movies That Are (Maybe) Coming in Fall 2023

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For the first time in 60 years, the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild are both on strike. While the majority of their demands differ, there are two major demands that overlap: residuals from streaming services and the use of AI in production. After weeks of trying and failing to negotiate new contracts, writers went on strike May 2. The WGA has a list of demands, which includes higher pay for writers, noting that while streaming services have been able to increase profit, writers’ pay has been falling. Writers are also demanding that AI tools such as ChatGPT are only used as tools to assist writers, not as a replacement for their work. Actors joined the picket lines on July 14, also asking for higher pay and increased residual payments from streaming services, which continue to make money off an actor’s work years after a movie leaves the theater.

The strikes have led to halts of shows that are in production , as well as shows that tape live, such as late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live. No one knows how long the strike will last or how it will affect the release dates of shows or movies. With that in mind, unless a listed show or movie has a listed release date, the arrival is up in the air until the strikes are resolved.

All that said, enjoy the following list of TV shows and movies that are making strides to include queer representation and give queer

Doctor Who

After many seasons that were sorely lacking in representation, Doctor Who is diversifying in more ways than one as the series will return with its 15th doctor. The new season, which had been promoted as coming out in November, will start Rwandan-British actor Ncuti Gatwa, best known for his roles in Sex Education and Barbie. Gatwa will be the first Black doctor and the first gay doctor, according to Gatwa’s co-star Neil Patrick Harris, who will be featured as the new villain. In a podcast, Harris commented that having the first gay doctor this season will be “super cool.” The series is expected to premier in November, and has so far not been included in lists of shows affected by the writer’s strike, but only time will tell if the release gets delayed or not.

Kaiser Karl

This Disney+ miniseries will serve as a biopic of fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld and will explore his life in the Parisian fashion world during the 1970s and 1980s, as well as his rise to fame. The series comes in a year where more attention has been paid to Lagerfeld, as his legacy was the theme of the 2023 Met Gala. The series is expected to feature six episodes and is most likely to premiere during the fall or early winter of 2023, barring any delays in production.

Ghosts

This American adaptation of a British series ended its second season on a major cliffhanger, but audiences need not worry, as the show was renewed for a third season in January 2023. Both seasons were renewed in the middle of their runs and aired from fall to spring, so if production followed its previous schedules a new season could be expected in the fall of 2023. The show follows Samantha and Jay, a young and strappedfor-cash couple who move into a haunted house. The paranormal characters are an eclectic ensemble of individuals from various backgrounds and time periods, including Captain Isaac Higgintoot, a gay (and formerly closeted) Continental Army officer.

Bridgerton

(This paragraph will contain spoilers for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, so proceed with caution.) While the first season of Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton did feature a closeted gay man, both seasons one and two were criticized for the lack of clear queer representation in the show. Shonda and her writers seem to have taken the criticisms seriously and included a much more developed gay storyline in Queen Charlotte, including both romantic and intimate scenes. While we don’t know much about season three, apart from the fact that it will focus on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, one could hypothesize (with supporting evidence!) that Rhimes and her team will continue to include and hopefully expand on their queer representation. We don’t have a release date for the show yet, but filming wrapped in March, so most outlets are predicting a late fall or early winter release, with a possible repeat of the show’s 2020 Christmas debut. Because filming has wrapped, it’s most likely that the release won’t be delayed by the strikes.

Bottoms

This comedic film directed by Emma Seligman is a Fight Club-esque comingof-age film, focused on two friends trying to lose their virginity. Best friends PJ and Josie aren’t popular, so they devise a plan to meet girls and get some action: a fight club in their high school. Soon, the club grows, and the friends find that they might have bit off more than they can chew when even the most popular kids in their school start throwing punches. The movie is set to premiere August 25 in theaters.

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Based on the BookTok sensation of the same name, Red, White, and Royal Blue is a comedic, dramatic, and heartfelt romance about an unexpected love between the Prince of England and the First Son of the United States. The story includes all your favorite tropes, including enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, and lots of witty banter.