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License to Thrill Series creator Gabe Liedman talks about balancing edgy humor and LGBTQ+ issues in the new Netflix show Q-Force. By Ramin Zahed
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an a super-queer crime-fighting team save the world from prejudice, discrimination and heteronormative society rules? The creators of the new Netflix adult animated series Q-Force certainly hope so. Exec produced by acclaimed TV comedy veterans Gabe Liedman (PEN15, Broad City, Big Mouth), Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) and Michael Schur (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation), the new show centers on a group of undervalued LGBTQ+ superspies who have to prove themselves to their boss, the super uptight head of the American Intelligence Agency! “The idea behind our show started with Sean Hayes and his producing partner Todd Milliner, who are exec producing the series,” says Liedman during a recent interview. “They had a tiny seed of an idea, which was: let’s have a show about a gay James Bond, and Sean thought it would be a fun character for him to play. They were fans of my writing and my stand-up comedy, so we had a meeting and talked about what the show would entail. And we came up with this idea for an ensemble comedy about queer secret agents who had to work for an organization who doesn’t respect or want to have them?”
‘Our message of acceptance and LGBTQ+ equality and pride is baked into the concept of the show. But Q-Force is also meant to be super fun and exciting.’ — Exec producer Gabe Liedman
Liedman says he thought a lot about the trials and obstacles a gay secret agent would have to put up with in our world. “Even if you are James Bond and you’re gay, are you going to get the same shots as your straight counterpart?” he asks. “I started to think about this concept for months and came up with this LBGTQ+ team, and they all have their own skills and specialties. They also love each other and want to prove themselves. But, are the people they’re trying to prove themselves to really worth it?” Next, Liedman, Hayes, Milliner and Schur pitched the show to Universal TV, which liked the idea a lot, and soon after they made the big sale to Netflix. “They wanted a whole series right away, and that’s absolutely the dream. That’s like hitting a home run, because it rarely happens. I wrote the pilot myself, and then we put together an excellent room of writers
[eight other writers besides Liedman] who are mostly LGTBQ+ and started putting the episodes together in December of 2019.” “More than half of the writing and all the animation and the acting had to be done in isolation after the pandemic hit,” he adds. “We figured out our technologies and the best way to produce the show. I am based in Los Angeles, and the animation was done by Titmouse (both at the L.A. and Vancouver studios), which is a dream come true. They are so skilled and supportive over there and did such an amazing job with the animation and the way everything looks. The first season of the show (10 halfhours) took about 18 months to finish.” Liedman praises the wonderful work done by Titmouse art director Michelle Rhee, who had previously worked on shows such as Ventures Bros., Rick and Morty and Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart. “She has been in the game for a
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september|october 21
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