It’s A Sin. Young Royals. Positive. Halston. Hacks. Gossip Girl. Genera+ion (RIP). 2021 was (arguably) the best year for LGBTQ+ content on the small screen, especially when you factor in returning fan-favourites such as RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Pose, Sex Education, Dragula, Elité, The Other Two and Legendary, among several others. Good news alert: 2022 is destined to be another year full of captivating queer stories with highly-anticipated new productions from Netflix, HBO Max and Peacock – and of course, more international versions in the ever-expanding Drag Race franchise. Read ahead for the eight new original shows of 2022 that GAY TIMES is most excited about.
The Big Brunch
Premiere date: TBA
Later this year, HBO Max will air a “special” new cooking competition series, titled The Big Brunch, from Schitt’s Creek creator and star Dan Levy. The Emmy Award-winning entertainer will judge undiscovered culinary talent from all corners of the United States who are “hoping to take their skills to the next level”. Levy said he created the show for “the local culinary heroes of America who deserve a spotlight,” adding: “That, and who doesn’t want to watch maple syrup being poured slowly over a golden stack of perfectly cooked, creme brûlée inspired French toast?” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, praised Dan for celebrating undiscovered voices in a show about “heart, a love of cooking, and spotlighting talent whose unique skills elevate the beloved brunch menu.”
Drag Race France
Premiere date: TBA
Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour! Later this year, the ever-expanding Drag Race franchise will be celebrating the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent of France’s drag scene. Expected to follow the same format as its predecessors, including the US original, Drag Race UK and Drag Race Espana, this brand new iteration will be hosted by season 12 alum Nicky Doll. She will be joined on the panel by TV presenter Daphné Bürki and musician Kiddy Smile. Casting closed in December and it remains unclear how many queens will participate in the season. Drag Race France is yet to be given an air date, but it is expected sometime in 2022 on WOW Presents Plus in international territories and on Endemol in France.
Drag Race Philippines
Premiere date: TBA
The Emmy Award-winning phenomenon is continuing its bid for world dragination with another spin-off in the Philippines. Not much is known, but again, it’s expected to include a variety of bonkers challenges and lip-sync smackdowns. World of Wonder co-founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey said in a statement: “The Drag Race franchise has shined a spotlight on so many incredible queens from around the world and we are so excited to introduce audiences to the dazzling queens of the Philippines. WOW Presents Plus was created to serve as a springboard for underrepresented voices, so we are thrilled to exclusively premiere Drag Race Philippines on the platform for our global viewers.” Alongside the announcement, World of Wonder released a video of Mama Ru calling on the sickening queens of the Philippines to submit for casting. The host, judges, cast and premiere date will be ruvealed at a later date.
First Kill
Premiere date: TBA
Based on Victoria “V. E.” Schwab’s short story of the same name, First Kill will follow a teenage vampire called Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook), who must “make her first kill so she can take her place among a powerful vampire family.” Juliette sets her sights on a new girl in town called Calliope (Imani Lewis), who is a vampire hunter from a family of renowned slayers. The synopsis adds: “Both find that the other won’t be so easy to kill and, unfortunately, way too easy to fall for.” Schwab’s story was first published in the Imprint story collection Vampire Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite. She previously described the tale as “Killing Eve meets Buffy” – so yes, this is one of our most anticipated new shows of the year. Felicia D. Henderson – whose previous credits include Moesha, Sister, Sister, Gossip Girl, Fringe and Marvel’s The Punisher – serves as showrunner, while Schwab writes and executive produces. American Horror Story alum Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss will executive produce the eight-part vampire drama under their Belletrist Productions banner. First Kill is expected to premiere later this year on Netflix.
Heartbreak High
Premiere date: TBA
A joint production between Netflix, Fremantle Australia and NewBe, the new iteration of Heartbreak High is “inspired by the original 90s series, but totally reimagined for a new generation.” The series will include leading a LGBTQ+ character in Darren (James Majoos), a South African queer and non-binary student who befriends Amerie (Ayesha Madon), a working class girl who becomes an “instant pariah” at Hartley High. Other queer characters include Dusty (Josh Heuston), a bisexual musician, and Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran), a Chinese-Australian lesbian and non-binary student. “A discovery makes Amerie an instant pariah at Hartley High, and causes a mysterious and very public rift with her ride-or-die Harper,” reads the description. “With her new friends – outsiders Quinni and Darren – Amerie must repair her reputation, while navigating love, sex, and heartbreak.”
Heartstopper
Premiere date: 22 April
Produced by See-Saw Films, this LGBTQ+ teen dramedy follows the romance between Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), a “high-strung, openly gay overthinker,” and Nick (Kit Connor), “a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player”. After meeting at secondary school, Charlie and Nick soon discover that their “unlikely friendship is blossoming into an unexpected romance. Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.” Heartstopper also stars William Gao as Tao Xu, Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent, Corinna Brown as Tara Jones, Kizzy Edgell as Darcy Olsson, Sebastian Croft as Ben Hope, Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry Greene, Rhea Norwood as Imogen Heaney and Tobie Donovan as Isaac Henderson. The series is based on the charming webcomic and graphic novel of the same name from Alice Oseman.
A League of Their Own
Premiere date: TBA
An adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name, A League of Their Own will follow a women’s professional baseball team during the Second World War. The upcoming comedy is co-created by Will Graham and Broad City alum Abbi Jacobson, who also stars in the leading role. An official synopsis says the team will “fight to keep it alive through close games, injuries, sexual awakenings and road trips across a rapidly changing U.S.” In a statement from Amazon, the series will take a “deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the league and outside of it.” Chante Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant and Melanie Field are also set to star in the show.
Queer as Folk
Premiere date: TBA
Set in New Orleans, Peacock’s new iteration of Queer as Folk will follow a diverse group of friends whose lives are turned upside down following a devastating tragedy. Ryan O’Connell, Jesse James Keitel, Candace Grace, Johnny Sibilly, Devin Way and Fin Argus lead the reimagining of Russell T Davies’ beloved British drama, while Kim Cattrall, Benito Skinner, Ed Bedgley Jr. and Juliette Lewis will appear in a supporting capacity. Sibilly, known for roles in Pose and Hacks, shared the first photo of the cast together last October, and celebrated the end of filming on 8 November, so we’re expecting a Q4 release for this one.
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