Queer As Folk

Bob & Rose

July 7, 2001

There’s a growing sense these days that Manchester’s Canal Street is far too, well, straight. Many ascribe this to the appeal of Queer As Folk: All the straight girls started coming down to gawp, with the hetero lads in hot pursuit. If there is any truth to that, it’s only partial. The area was already […]

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Folk Off to America: An interview with Russell T. Davies

November 30, 2000

Scott: The American-made version of Queer As Folk starts this Sunday, December 3. Russell: It does, doesn’t it? Bloody hell. Apparently there are billboards all over New York, and things like that happening. Marvellous! And what am I doing in Manchester, I ask myself? So what has it been like handing the series over to […]

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Another Year On

November 28, 2000

She strolled down towards Via Fossa. Three hours to get ready tonight, more than she spent for her first date with Michael Chambers in Year 12. The door swung open, knocking the gift from her hand. Picking it up, she realized who was passing her. “Nathan!” she called. “Happy seventeenth!” He looked at her like […]

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The Cherub

June 27, 2000

He had skin of gold. In all Stuart’s nights of searching for the perfect man, he’d never found flesh of such perfection. The boy stared all around, taking in the sights of the cobbled street. Every so often their eyes locked, and a gentle smile emerged. All too soon, his gaze started wandering again, desperately […]

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New Best Friend

June 21, 2000

Every part of Hazel that wasn’t supported by an underwire sagged visibly as she sat down at the kitchen table. ‘Well, that’s that,’ she said to the toaster in the corner, there being no one else in the house. ‘It’s just you, me and half a loaf of Mother’s Pride from now on. D’you think […]

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Unconventional

June 20, 2000

Vince took a deep breath and burst through the door. It wasn’t what he had been expecting. No long scarves, no silver foil Cyberman costumes - some of them even had decent haircuts. It was nice to feel like he wasn’t alone. There were other Doctor Who fans out there. He bought a Budweiser (declining […]

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Today…

May 16, 2000

Stuart Alan Jones had done some seriously stupid things in his time, but this had to be right up there with the worst of them. For someone who normally felt no shame, he was absolutely shitting himself. He looked over to his mother. She could barely raise a smile in support, but her presence was […]

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Post mortem

May 14, 2000

“Well I think he captured us all really well,” Vince said as the Weather Girls segued into the theme music. “Of course you do,” grumbled Stuart. “You’re the everyman hero who every mother wishes their faggoty son will meet and settle down with.” “But you’re the one that everybody will want to fuck all night.” […]

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Facade

May 8, 2000

We switch the light off and snuggle down for the night. “G’night, John Boy,” quips Alexander. We giggle gently together, then fall into that uncomfortable silence where you really want to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Only you can’t, because you want to so much, and the more you try and force yourself, the […]

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And So, It Begins

May 8, 2000

Friday night started with the usual tales of previous exploits. Vince was bursting. “You’ll never guess who he was,” he said. “Works in television: fantastic! He lists all the programmes he’s worked on and I’m thinking: Oh my God! And then when he tells me his name, it’s like I’ve died and gone to heaven. […]

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