October 19, 2009

The Original Queer As Folk

I had a bit of a cold over the weekend so I stayed home and caught up on my Internet TV viewing. I've been enjoying the new thriller series "FlashForward" on ABC, loved the season premiere of "Ugly Betty" which remains one of the funniest shows out there, and saw the latest episode of "Fringe", Fox's "Twilight Zone"/"X-Files"/"CSI" mash-up which is surprisingly compelling.

Also, I reconnected with an old favorite that's now available for free on Hulu: the original UK version of "Queer As Folk". Having re-watched the first two episodes, I can report that this show is just as brilliant and shocking as it was 10 years ago when it premiered on Channel 4. It's hard to compare it to the American remake as the UK QAF was a short run series, with only 10 episodes while the Showtime version ran a soapy 5 years. But, overall, it is truly an example of excellent television with great writing, casting, music and some unforgettable scenes/lines, some of which I still find myself quoting (i.e. "I'm doin' it! I'm really doin' it!"). Worth seeing again...or for the first time.