Peacock orders ‘Queer As Folk’ remake

Queer As Folk UK

NBCUniversal-owned streamer Peacock has ordered a remake of British drama Queer As Folk from Stephen Dunn.

Universal Content Productions, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce the show, which is described as “vibrant reimagining” of the UK LGBTQ-focused series created by It’s A Sin’s Russell T. Davies, and will follow a diverse group of friends in New Orleans whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy.

Dunn is creating, writing and executive producing the series and will also direct the pilot episode, while Lee Eisenberg, Emily Brecht, Russell T. Davies, Nicola Shindler will also exec produce, as will Richard Halliwell on behalf of NENT Studios UK, which distributes the format.

The original version of the series aired on the UK’s Channel 4 from 1999 to 2000 and followed the lives of three gay men living in Manchester, while a previous US remake aired for five seasons on Showtime between 2000 and 2005.

Dunn described adapting the series as a “surreal honour”, calling the original show “groundbreaking” and commenting: ”When the show originally aired, the idea of unapologetic queer stories on TV was so provocative that I felt I could only watch Queer As Folk in secret.

“But so much has changed in the last 20 years and how wonderful would it be if the next generation didn’t have to watch Queer As Folk alone in their dank basements with the sound muted, but with their family and friends and the volume cranked all the way to the max.”

“Stephen’s new version for Peacock arrives at yet another pivotal moment in our culture,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

“Alex Sepiol, EVP of drama programming, and his team have championed this project from the first moment it landed on their desks, working to ensure the script became the series we’re announcing today. The entire team is so excited to be a part of introducing a new generation to this type of authentic and affirming storytelling.”