Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Television Characters

by David A. Wyatt
Copyright ©2016 David Wyatt. All rights reserved.

[version=10 September 2016 (this page)]

For several years now I have been trying to compile a list of television programs that have included gay/lesbian/bisexual characters as a part of their regular (or semi-regular) casts. Many shows have `dealt' with sexual orientation in a single episode or story line, but just how many have included gay, lesbian or bisexual characters on a regular (or recurring) basis? This is the list I have. My intention is to keep the list to network and widely-syndicated entertainment shows in the English language.

To be listed a character should have appeared in at least three episodes and be explicitly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Effeminate (but not gay) male characters, manish (but not lesbian) female characters, and gender shifting science fiction characters are generally not listed.

For the purposes of this list, a character is described as `recurring' if he or she has appeared in at least three (3) episodes.

If you can recall any other shows, or can correct errors or omissions in this list, please e-mail to:

dawwpg@shaw.ca

The latest version of this list is always available on the World Wide Web at the URL: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wyatt/tv-characters.html

1.1 The TV networks

1.2 Program Index

[version=10 September 2016 (overall)]

Characters by decade of debut: 1961-1970 (1 character documented), 1971-1980 (59 characters documented), 1981-1990 (89 characters documented), 1991-2000 (338 characters documented), 2001-present (1048 characters documented to date).

A: Absolutely Fabulous, Action, After Henry, After the Beep, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agony Again, Agony, The Aliens, All In The Family, All My Children (1983), All My Children (1995-2004), All My Children (2006-present), All That Glitters, Allen Gregory, 'Allo, 'Allo, Amazing Race, American Crime, American Dad, An American Family, American High, American Idol, American Journal, And the Beat Goes On, Angels, Anger Management, Animal Kingdom, Anything But Love, Archer, Are You Being Served? Again!, Are You Being Served?, Arrow, As If (UK), As If (USA), As the World Turns (1988-1989), As the World Turns (2005-2010), At Home With the Braithwaites, Attachments, Australia's Perfect Couple, Awkward.,

B: Babylon 5, Backstrom, Bad Girls, Ball Four, Banana, Bare Essence, Barney Miller, Batman, Beane's of Boston, Beautiful People, Bedtime, Beggars & Choosers, Being Erica, Being Mary Jane, Bette, Between the Lines, Beverly Hills 90210, Big Brother (Australia), Big Brother (UK, 2000), Big Brother (UK 2001-present), Big Brother (USA), Big Love, The Biggest Loser, The Bill, Black Sails, Blackpool, The Bob Newhart Show, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Book Group, The Book of Daniel, The Borgias, Boston Public, The Box, Boy Meets Boy, Brass, Breakers, The Brian Benben Show, Brideshead Revisited, The Brittas Empire, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Brookside (1985-1990), Brookside (1991-2003), Brothers & Sisters, Brothers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bump!, Burnside, By Appointment With Dr. Keith, Byker Grove,

C: Cagney and Lacey, Californication, Camp, Caprica, The Carrie Diaries, Casualty (1996-2000), Casualty (2007-present), Chasing Life, Check It Out, Chicago Fire, Chicago Hope, Chozen, Chris & John to the Rescue!, The Chris & John Show, Chris & John's Road Trip, City Life, The City (Canada), The City (US), The Class, The Cleveland Show, The Closer, CodCo, The Comeback, Commander In Chief, Cop Rock, The Corner Bar, Coronation Street (1998-present), Coronation Street (2003-present), Courthouse, Coverguy, Crapston Villas, SE69, Crashing, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Crew, Crossroads, Crumbs, Cucumber, Cuffs, Cutters, Cybill,

D: Daddy's Girls, Dallas, Dalziel & Pascoe, Dance Academy, Dante's Cove, Dark Angel, Dawson's Creek, Days of Our Lives (1977), Days of Our Lives (2011-present), Dead of Summer, Deadwood, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Dig, Dirt, Dirty Sexy Money, Do Not Disturb, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor Who, Doctors, Dominion, Donald Strachey Mysteries, Don't Ask, Don't Trust the B**** In Apartment 23, Don't Wait Up, A Double Shot At Love, Downton Abby, Drawn Together, Dream On, Drop the Dead Donkey, DTLA, Dynasty,

E: EastEnders (1986-1989), EastEnders (1991-2000), EastEnders (2001-present), The Education of Max Bickford, Eldorado, 11 Cameras, Ellen, Emily Owens, M.D., Emmerdale (1993-2000), Emmerdale (2004-present), Empire, E.N.G., Entourage, ER (1995-2001), ER (2005-2009), Everwood, Eye Candy, Eyes,

F: F Troop, Fair City, Fairy Tale, Faking It, Fame, Family Affairs, Fear the Walking Dead, Felicity, Fingersmith, Fired Up, First Comes Love, First Years, Flash Forward, The Flash, Flipping Out, The Following, Footballers' Wive$, Forgive Me, The Fosters, Four Kings, 413 Hope St., Friends, The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty, Further Tales of the City,

G: Game of Thrones, GCB, Gems, General Hospital: Night Shift, General Hospital (1994-1998), General Hospital (2005-2006, 2012-present), Gigantic, Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie, Girlfriends, The Girl's Guide to Depravity, Girls, Glee, Glue, Go Girls, Go On, Godiva's, Golden Girls, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, Gotham, G.P., Grace And Favour, Graceland, The Graham Norton Effect, The Graham Norton Show, Grange Hill, Grantchester, Greek, Grey's Anatomy, Grosse Pointe, G-Spot, Guiding Light (1995-1997), Guiding Light (2009-present),

H: Hail To the Chief, Half & Half, Happily Divorced, Happy Endings, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, Hardy Boys, The Haves and the Have Nots, He Shoots He Scores, Head Over Heals, Heading Out, HeartBeat, Heartbreak High, Hearts Afire, Hex, High Society, Hill Street Blues, Hit & Miss, Hit the Floor, Holby City, Hollyoaks: In the City, Hollyoaks (1995-2000), Hollyoaks (2006-present), Hollywood Beat, Hollywood Squares, Homicide: Life on the Street, Hooperman, Hope and Gloria, Hot l Baltimore, Hotel Babylon, House Husbands, How I Met Your Mother, How To Get Away With Murder, Howard's Way,

I: I Now Pronounce You..., Ice Blues, Impastor, In Living Color, In Sickness and Health, In the Big House, In the City, In the Flesh, In the Life, In Treatment, Isidingo, It Ain't Half Hot, Mum, It Takes a Worried Man, It's All Relative, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia,

J: Jacob and Joshua: Nemesis Rising, Jawbreaker, The Jewel In the Crown, John Callahan's Quads, The John Laroquette Show,

K: Keeping Up Appearances, The Kids In the Hall: Death Comes to Town, The Kids In the Hall, Kingdom, Kings, Kink, Kiss Me Guido,

L: The L Word, The L.A. Complex, L.A. Law, The Lair, The Larry Sanders Show, Last Tango In Halifax, Law & Order, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Liberty Street, Linc's, Lipstick Jungle, Little Britain, Live Shot, Living in Captivity, Locker Room, The Lofters, London Spy, The Lone Ranger, The Long Firm, Looking, Love Monkey, Love, Sidney, Lovespring International, Lush Life,

M: Mad About You, Mad Men, Madison, The Magicians, Major Crimes, Malibu Country, Mapp & Lucia, Marry Me, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Masters of Sex, The McCarthys, Me and Frankie Z, Melrose Place (1992-1999), Melrose Place (2009-present), Men In Trees, Mercy, Metrosexuality, Mickey Mouse Club, Mile High, The Millers, Mission Hill, Modern Family, The Mole, Moral Orel, More Tales of the City, Mr. Robot, Mrs. Brown's Boys, Murder One, Murdoch Mysteries, Muscle, My Fabulous Gay Wedding, My Family, My Mad Fat Diary, My Name Is Earl, My So-Called Life, Mystery Girls,

N: Naked Josh, Naked News Daily Male, The Nancy Walker Show, Nash Bridges, Nashville, NCIS, Necessary Roughness, Neighbours (1994-1996), Neighbours (2004-2005, 2010-present), The New Normal, The Night Shift, 90210, Nip/Tuck, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, No Heroics, Noah's Arc, Normal, Ohio, Northern Exposure, Number 96, Nurse Jackie, NY Graham Norton, NYPD Blue,

O: The O.C., The Office, Offspring, Oh Grow Up, Olympus, On the Other Hand, Death, Once Upon a Time, One Big Happy, 1 Girl 5 Gays, The 100, One Life To Live (1992-1993, 1997-1998), One Life To Live (2004-2005, 2009-2010), One Tree Hill, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, The Originals, Orphan Black, Our Hero, Out Of Practice, Outland, Oz,

P: Pacific Drive, Pan Am, Paradise Falls, Partners (2012), Partners (2014-present), Party Girl, Party of Five, Passions, Peanuts, Penmarric, Penny Dreadful, A Place to Call Home, The Playboy Club, Playing the Field, Please Like Me, Political Animals, Popular, Porridge, A Portrait of a Marriage, The Practice, Pretty Little Liars, Prisoner: Cellblock H, Privileged, Profiler, Project Runway, Public Morals, Pursuit of Happiness, Push,

Q: Quads, Quantico, Queer As Folk 2, Queer As Folk (UK), Queer As Folk (US), Queer Eye For the Straight Guy,

R: Raising the Bar, Raw FM, Raw, Read Out!, The Real O'Neals, The Real World (1992-2000), The Real World (2002-present), Reaper, Red Band Society, Relativity, renegadepress.com, Reno 911!, Rescue Me, Revelations, Revenge, Rhona, Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World, Ripper Street, River City, Riverdale, The Roads to Freedom, Robson Arms, Roc, Roseanne, Rosewood, The Royals, Rubicon, Rude Awakenings,

S: St. Elsewhere, Santa Barbara, Sara, The Sarah Silverman Program, Saturday Night Live (2008-2013), Saturday Night Live (Also Rans), Saving Hope, Scandal, Schitt's Creek, Scream Queens, Sean Saves the World, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Secret Life of Us, Seed, Seinfeld, Sesame Street, Sex & Violence, Sex and the City, Shades of Blue, Shameless (UK), Shameless (USA), The Shield, $#*! My Dad Says, Shock to the System, Shortland Street (1992-2000), Shortland Street (2006-present), A Shot At Love, Shout, The Simpsons, Sinchronicity, Sirens (UK), Sirens (USA), Sisters, 6Degrees, Six Feet Under, Skins, The Slap, Sleeper Cell, Smash, Snips, So Graham Norton, So NoTORIous, Soap, SoGayTV, Some of My Best Friends, Sons and Daughters, Sophie, The Sopranos, Sordid Lives: The Series, South of Nowhere, South Park, Southland, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Spartacus: Vengeance, Spartacus: War of the Damned, Spartacus, Spin and Marty, Spin City, Spun Out, Spyder Games, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Starved, The State Within, Steven and Chris, Strike Back, Suburgatory, Suddenly Susan, Sugar Rush, The Super Adventure Team, Survivor (2000), Survivor (2001-present), Sweat,

T: Taggart, Tales of the City, Teen Wolf, Telenovela, Tenko, Terry and Julian, These Arms of Mine, These Friends of Mine, Third Man Out, 30 Rock, Thirtysomething, This Life, This Life, Three's Company, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Tinsel Town, To Play the King, Together, Too Close to Home, Torchwood, Total Security, The Tracey Ullman Show, Train 48, Trauma, True Blood, True Detective, The Tudors, 24, Two and a Half Men, Tyrant,

U: U8TV: The Lofters, Ugly Betty, Undateable, Under the Dome, Undercover Princes, UnderCovers, Undressed (1999-2000), Undressed (2001-2002), Unhappily Ever After, The United States of Tara,

V: V Graham Norton, The Vampire Diaries, Veronica Mars, Veronica's Closet, A Very Peculiar Practice, Vicious, The View, Viva Blackpool, Viva Laughlin,

W: The Walking Dead, The War At Home, Warehouse 13, Wasteland, Water Rats, Waterloo Road, Weeds, White Collar, Whitney, Who Wants To Be A Superhero, Will & Grace, Winners & Losers, The Wire, Wizards vs. Aliens, Women In Prison, World Without End,

X: Xena: Warrior Princess,

Y: You, Me and the Apocalypse, You Rang, M'Lord?, Young & Hungry, The Young and the Restless,

2.0 The Shows and Characters

2.1 1961 - 1970

2.2 1971 - 1980

2.3 1981 - 1990

2.4 1991 - 2000

2.5 2001 - present

Big Brother (game show) C4 2000-present Continuing from its debut in the last Century (see Big Brother (U.K.) 2000) the British Big Brother continued to cast glbt contestants as part of its formula. Brian Dowling was the winner in 2001. Transsexual Nadia was the winner in 2004. The 2012 edition was won by f2m transgender contestant Luke Anderson. Remade in at least 15 other countries, including the United States and Australia.

U8TV: The Lofters (“reality” programming) Life 2001-2002

Program format along the lines of Big Brother crossed with The Real World. Eight young adults living in a house wired with 24-hours cameras in every space. His boyfriend Marcello is a regular visitor. About three months into the year fellow lofter Valery came out as bisexual. The 2002 cast included Jason, who was the first evicted. Abruptly cancelled midway through the second season.

Undressed (anthology serial drama/comedy) MTV 1999-2002

Anthology series following the usually humourous exploits of highschool and college age young people finding their way in the world of relationships and sexuality. Story arcs typically ran four episodes and only some castmembers re-appeared in later stories. Two season aired in 2001.

2001(i): Keith dates Scott, then Mark. Belinda outs Mandy, but when Belinda comes out herself, they get together. Allen and his roommate are single, except that Allen is secretly dating Dennis. Karri is dating her boyfriend Lucas and girlfriend Shelby simultaneously.

2001(ii): Matt tells his girlfriend he thinks he might be gay, and hooks up with Glenn. Lauren helps out her gay friend Brad by being his beard. Later Lauren and her boyfriend invite Molly to join them, but it's the women who make it permanent. Frat pledges Nick and Bruno are handcuffed together. Eventually Bruno helps Nick hook up with Lyle. Lee's straight friend Zack helps him figure out if he has a “female brain,” but Lee's just gay. Kim not being out to her family causes tension with her girlfriend Doreen.

2002: Justin is confused when the “guy” he falls for turns out to be a woman. Stephen helps best friend Jane figure out why all her ex-boyfriends are gay. Frannie visits to rekindle her relationship with Annie, who remembers it only as youthful fooling around. Highschoolers Henry and Brian kept their relationship secret by pretending to date Talia and Angie, who are also secretly dating. Amy, playing Juliet in a play, finds herself attracted to the actress playing Romeo. Fred bullied Barry back in highschool. Now Fred doesn't recognize him and is attracted to him. Identical twins Cody and Carter secretly shared an apartment but only Carter returns caretaker Joel's interest. Jake and Dustin fool around together but it means more to Jake. Dustin is secretly dating Jake's sister. Ethan comes between Carter and Joel. Tammy and Bridget's budding attraction is derailed by Tammy's HIV status. Nate is Henry's best straight friend, except that he harbours a secret crush on him.

For characters appearing in 1999 and 2000 see Undressed (1999-2000).

EastEnders (serial drama) BBC 1985-present

Life in a fictional working-class neighbourhood in the east end of London. Steven Beale, son of Cindy Beale and Simon Wicks, confessed to being gay in 2008. Jane Beale's brother Christian arrives in Walford in early 2008. Derek was a childhood friend of Pauline Fowler. Johnny comes to Albert Square when his parents buy the pub. (See also EastEnders (1986-1989) and EastEnders (1991-1999)).

Some of My Best Friends (sitcom) CBS 2001

Sitcom based on the Indie film Kiss Me Guido about a gay man and a straight Italian-American sharing an apartment. Between the first publicity and eventual airing the show passed through at least three titles: Kiss Me, Guido, Me and Frankie Z, and Some of My Best Friends.

First Years (lawyer drama) NBC 2001

Drama centred on a group of five young lawyers fresh out of law school.

Metrosexuality (drama-comedy) C4 2001

Six week series centred on Kwame (Noel Clarke), a straight youth whose two dads (Max and Jordan) have spit up. Characters include Max's sister Cindy, and Kwame's friends Bambi and Dean.

Kink (documentary) Showcase 2001-2006

Unusual documentary series examining the lives and sexual kinks of several individuals. David spanks his submissive 6,000 times. Pat, a woman with a PhD, admires the voices of whips. Stephen dresses in drag. Sharia and Ms. X maintain a dominant-submissive relationship. Velvet is a transsexual. Reece is a trans-male and drag king, a woman who prefers a male outward identity. Nina is a male to female transsexual. Ryan is a gay masochist. Couple Derrick and Dave are exploring adding BDSM to their relationship. Lesbian couple Jeanne and Kate are into leather.

Isidingo (serial drama) SABC3 1998-present

South Africa's most popular soap opera, Isidingo is set in the worlds of South African mining and broadcasting. Steve married Luke (Gary D'Alessandro) on-screen within days after South Africa legalized same-sex marriage in December 2006. Titled Isidingo: The Need 1998-2001.

Crossroads (daytime serial drama) ITV 1964-1988, 2001-2002

Daytime serial set in a west Midlands hotel. Tom and Bradley are a couple.

As If (drama) C4 2001-2004

Drama following the lives (and love lives) of six young people. Alex and Dan date, and later Dan causes problems for Alex and Mark. Short-lived American version also produced.

Paradise Falls (drama) Showcase 2001, 2004, here!TV 2008

Goings on among the residents of a small town in Ontario cottage country, shaded with more than a little Twin Peaks-like strangeness. The mayor's grandson Nick is a budding author, and a closet homosexual, much to the horror of his barbie-doll fiancée Jessica and the mayor. The mayor (Art Hindle) eventually discovers that his girlfriend, restaurant owner Bea, is a transsexual. Jessica tries to reconcile Nick with his estranged college buddy, personal trainer Simon, but gets dumped herself. When a movie production comes to town Nick asks the film's writer to mentor him, but Clive isn't interested in his writing talent. Sacha comes to town to open a gay bed and breakfast, and falls for Nick. Nick's attention is elswhere, with closeted professional hockey player Johnny.

The Bill (police serial drama) ITV 1984-2010

Long running drama centred on the police and crimes of the fictional Sun Hill precinct of London. Sergeant Gilmore was responsible for supervising the constables, and the first openly gay officer at Sun Hill. Constable Ashton returned to Sun Hill in 2002, and was a surprised as anyone by his attraction to Gilmore. Their same-sex kiss was a first for ITV. Lesbian constable Osbourne dealt well with harassment from her mentor Des Taviner, who called her “Dutch.”

Six Feet Under (drama) HBO 2001-2005

Award-winning series following the lives of a family of undertakers, including middle child David. Keith is David's boyfriend.

Spyder Games (serial drama) MTV 2001

A late-night soap opera with hi-tech overtones [imdb]. Ivan is the second oldest son of the Carlisle family central to the series. He's marries Julie after a two year long engagement. Temple is Natalie Carlisle's hair stylist.

Quads (animated sitcom) Teletoon (Canada) 2001-2002

Irreverent comedy about four physically handicapped people who share a mansion. Spalding is the central character's “overtly homosexual Australian physical therapist.” Series alternate title: John Callahan's Quads.

Big Brother (long format gameshow) CBS 2000-present

American copy of the British program of the same name. Contestants (“houseguests”) are locked into a house with cameras, and voted out one by one until a winner is determined. No gay contestants in the first season (2000). The 2006 season included returning “all-stars” Bunky and Marcellas. Bitter ex-boyfriends Joe and Dustin were both part of the 2007 Big Brother cast. The winter 2008 season paired contestants into potentially romantic couples. Joshuah's “match” Neil Garcia left the game abruptly in the first week. Cowboy Steven was the second evicted housguest in the summer 2008 series.

Big Brother (long format gameshow) TEN 2001-2008, 9NA 2012-present

Australian copy of the British program of the same name. Contestants (“houseguests”) are locked into a house with cameras, and voted out one by one until a winner is determined. Nine Network Australia revived the franchise in 2012 and it was won by gay housemate Benjamin. Benjamin celebrated his win by proposing to his boyfriend Ben. GLBT contestants have become a standard part of the formula. (Gay and bisexual list based largely on the Wikipedia article.)

The Secret Life of Us (drama) TEN 2001-2005

Ensemble drama about a group of twenty-somethings, most of whom live in three flats in the same Melbourne apartment building. Actor Richie shares one flat with his girlfriend Miranda and and his best friend Will. Simon tends bar where the rest of the residents go to unwind. Brad is Richie's reason for leaving Miranda (5 episodes). Richie aquires a boyfriend Charlie during the 2003 series.

SoGayTV (talk) PrideVision 2001-2002

Talk show format featuring guests and gay themes. Interrelated with The Lofters from which the hosts were drawn. Originated as a webcast in 2001 from the U8TV website. Simulcast on PrideVision from September 2001.

Bump! (travel) PrideVision 2001-2002, OutTV 2004-present

Travel show visiting cities in North America and Britain. Each program highlighted general and GLBT-interest sights in a particular city. Initially JR and Shannon alternated as hosts.

Shout (magazine) PrideVision 2001-2002?

Magazine format. Segments cover topics generally of interest to the GLBT community. Michael, Rachel and Guy were all co-hosts and reporters.

UnderCovers (call-in advice) PrideVision 2001-2002

Call-in advice on sex, health and relationship issues for the GLBT community. Elley-Ray and Dr. Keith co-hosted. After series production ended Dr. Keith did a series of two-minute spots along the same format, answering email questions, which was aired irregularly on PrideVision under the title By Appointment With Dr. Keith.

Locker Room (sports magazine/variety) PrideVision 2001-2003?

Reportage and sketch comedy on sports themes, from a gay perspective. Variable company of actors play sketch rolls, closeted Coach Fluff, and Pete the Scalper probably the most frequently recurring gay characters. DeBoy hosted each show and did most of the sports reporting. Transsexual Nina was a regular, often playing a reporter.

Boston Public (highschool drama) Fox 2000-2005

Vice-principal Guber's developing relationship with teachers aide Meredith Peters was complicated by his accidental discovery of her son Jeremy making out with boyfriend Brandon. Jeremy eventually acquires a girlfriend.

The Sopranos (mafia drama) HBO 1999-2007

Popular cable-TV drama following the home and work life of fictional New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano. Vito is a closeted member of Tony Soprano's crew [glaad]. He gets wacked in the 2006 season.

Amazing Race (long format game show) CBS 2001-present

Teams of (usually) two contestants travel the globe competing in order to win. Joe and Bill were billed as “Life Partners” and finished third in the first season. They returned in 2007's “All-Stars” series. Best friends Oswald and Danny, “Team Cha Cha Cha,” finished in fourth place in 2002, and came back to participate in Amazing Race All-Stars in 2007. Reichen and Chip were described as “married” as they competed, and eventually won, the fourth season. Boyfriends Lynn and Alex competed in the seventh installment, eliminated in the eighth leg for a fifth-place finish. Team “T & T” (Tom and Terry) contested the tenth season but were eliminated after the fourth leg, for an eighth-place standing. Father and son team Mel & Mike White finished sixth. The 2009 edition included a team of two gay brothers, Sam and Dan. The twenty-first season was won by “engaged goat farmers” Josh and Brent, the “Fabulous Beekman Boys.” Team “Jaymes and James,” both Chippendale dancers, came in second.

Jawbreaker (talk) PrideVision 2002-2004?

Talk show format featuring guests and topics of interest to the GLBT community. Playright Brad Fraser hosted and guests hardly got a word in edgewise.

The Book Group (situation comedy) C4 2002-2003

An American in Scotland tries to make new friends by starting a book club. Rab is a football-obsessed member of the club. Several other club members are wives of professional footballers, and Rab gets to know Janice's husband Jackie. Spanish football player Anselmo (Andoni Gracia) appears in two episodes.

Survivor (game show) CBS 2000-present

See also Survivor (2000). Sixteen or so individuals isolated as a group for more than a month to compete and cooperate to survive. No (out) glbt contestants in the second season (2001, Australia). Todd won the 2007 [China] season. [Need info for season four (2002, Marquesas) and season five (2002, Thailand)].

The Real World (video-verite documentary) MTV 1992-present

MTV gathers together seven young people to live in an apartment, under the watchful eye of the television camera. Each year has involved a different location and residents. The 2009 show, set in Brooklyn, New York, included gay castmember J.D. and transgender Katelynn. Frank dates Michael. See also The Real World 1992-2000.

The Shield (police drama) FX 2002-2008

The story of in inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates, for good or bad [imdb]. Julien is a deeply religious, African American police officer struggling to repress his sexual orientation. Everyone in his squad knows that he is gay, but after completing a church program that promised to “cure homosexuality,” Julien married a woman and adopted her son [glaad].

Footballers' Wive$ (sports serial drama) 2002-2006

Bed-hopping and cat-fighting among the wives and players of a professional English football team. Noah is a young, new player struggling at first to hide who he is, and then to adapt to it. Team star Conrad has an open relationship with his wife... open enough for a tumble or three with Noah. Player agent turned team owner Hazel normally acted to protect her interests, but stepped in to keep Noah on the team after he was outed.

Degrassi: The Next Generation (teen drama) CTV (2001-2010), MuchMusic (2010-present) and The N 2001-present

Latest incarnation of the long running teen franchise. Some of the teens in the previous version are now teachers at Degrassi Highschool. Popular student Marco is open about his sexuality at school, but coming out at home seems impossible. Marco's friend Paige's older brother is Marco's boyfriend. “Good girl” Paige and “bad girl” Alex date for a time in season 5. Marco dated Tim after breaking up with Dylan. Degrassi football jock Riley began an arduous journey of self discovery in 2008. Once Riley and Zane began dating they essentially disappeared on screen. The 2010 cast introduced a m2f trans student, Adam. Tristan is out, proud, and wants to rule the school [press release]. After dating Zoe and Maya, Miles then dates Maya's friend Tristan. Somewhere around 2010 the title suffix was dropped and the show's title became just Degrassi.

The Education of Max Bickford (drama) CBS 2001-2002

Home-and-work drama about a college professor, his co-workers and family. Max's best friend, college Anthropology professor Steve, returns from sabbatical as Erica.

The Wire (crime/police drama) HBO 2002-2008

Crime and policing in Baltimore is the subject of this drama. Kima is an ambitious, African American lesbian cop. Omar is a gay thief who steals from drug dealers [glaad]. Dante was Omar's boyfriend.

River City (drama) BBC 2002-present

Multi-character drama set in a Glasgow suburb. Scott was in a relationship with police detective Eddie. While battling River City's local gangster Nathan makes friends with the gangster's son Rory. Detective Cooper investigates Robbie's bashing, and stays for a sleep-over.

As If (drama) UPN 2002

American version of the same-titled British show.

Reno 911! (sitcom) Comedy Central 2003-2009

Spoof of the Fox series “Cops.” Officer Dangle wears short shorts while leading a group of misfit police officers [glaad].

It's All Relative (situation comedy) ABC 2003-2004

Young sweethearts Bobby O'Neil and Liz Stoddard-Banks are caught between their clashing parents. His are working class Boston Irish Catholic bar owners, and Liz has two dads.

The O.C. (drama) Fox 2003-2007

Drama centred on mostly wealthy teens and their families in Orange County, California Homophobic bully Luke Ward's world turned upside down when his dad came out (3 episodes?).

Little Britain (sketch comedy) BBC 2003-2006

In mockumentary style, Lucas and Walliams portray a myriad of roles in Great Britain's bizarre doppleganger --- Little Britain. Sebastian is the Prime Minister's doting executive assistant... insanely jealous of even the slightest kindness anyone else might show towards the P.M. In the popular “Only Gay In The Village” sketch, Daffyd bemoans being the ostracized outcast, oblivious that he is neither ostracized nor outcast, nor is he the only gay in the village.

Coronation Street (serial drama) ITV 1960-present

Long running classic British soap opera, set in a working class neighbourhood of Manchester. The Grimshaw family lives at number 42 Coronation Street. Teenager Todd was engaged to his pregnant fiancee Sarah by the time he came to accept that he was gay. When the actor resigned the role Todd was written out, attending college in another city. Todd popped in for his brother's wedding to Sarah in 2007. Karl's long slow seduction of Todd, alternating as it did between pressure and backing off, was erotic before even a single button was undone. After appearing in a single episode in 2003, Sean's 2004 arrival on The Street was almost a hand-off from the departing Todd, as he became a lodger in Todd's mother's house. He took a job as a seamster at Underworld, and eventually became a bartender at the Rovers Return. Sean's interest in Tim is eventually returned, only to discover that Tim already has a boyfriend. Sean's ex, Sonny, arrives in Weatherfield in December 2006. After donating sperm to his best friend Voilet, Sean started dating their sonographer Marcus. Gail Platt's long lost father Ted Page appeared in 2008. After a heterosexual past Sophie embarked in 2010 on a romance with her friend Sian. In addition, transsexual character Hayley Cropper was part of the show 1998-2014 (see Coronation Street 1998-present).

Mile High (serial comedy/drama) Sky One [UK] 2003-2005

Serial light drama following the shenanigans of a discount airline. Will is a flight attendant. A variety of occasional and short run characters also appeared, including Kevin, a married bisexual, and Nick, another flight attendant. Seen in the United States on BBC America and in Canada on OutTV.

Boy Meets Boy (dating gameshow) Bravo [USA] 2003

In six episodes “bachelor” James Getzlaff must whittle down the field of fifteen contestants (eight gay and seven straight) to pick a date. Other gay contestants eliminated before appearing in three episodes were Marc, Chris and Jason (Michael Jason Tiner). Getzlaff and the winner took separate prize trips to New Zealand.

Queer Eye For the Straight Guy (make-over) Bravo [USA] 2003-2007

Five gay men use their skills in style and culture to turn a straight man into a chick magnet. Kyan handles grooming. Ted does food and wine. Jai is the culture expert. Thom handles interior design. Carson's specialty is fashion. Collectively known as “The Fab Five.”

Neighbours (serial drama) TEN 1986-present

Life on Ramsay Street. Lana was the Canadian cousin of Sindi Watts. Chris is a high school student who befriends the show's other teens and becomes the captain of the school's basketball team. See also Neighbours (1994-1996).

Naked Josh (sitcom) Showcase 2004-2006

Josh Gould is a professor of anthropology specializing in the study of human sexuality. The personal lives of the professor, his students and friends mirror his lecture topics. Jenn, one of his students, becomes a friend and the bartender at his local hangout.

The Long Firm (crime drama miniseries) BBC 2004

Four-part fictional drama about a Soho gay mobster in the early 1960s. Harry is the lead character, “a dangerous mobster [...] who loves money, rent boys and Judy Garland” [imdb].

One Life To Live (daytime serial drama) ABC 1968-2012

See also One Life To Live (1992-1993). Mark was one of a group of summer student characters involved in setting up a youth centre. Colson oversaw the investigation of a murder, until it was revealed that he was the perpetrator, killing to hide his affair with Matt. The closeted gay serial killer reveal was seen as a homophobic plot by some. Crooked lab technician Kyle Lewis and Officer Fish used to be friends, or rather more than friends. Nick's appearance during a rough spot in Kyle and Oliver's relationship lead to one of American daytime's first same-sex romantic triangles. Amelia appeared to manage Dorian Lord's mayoral campaign, emphasising the hot-button issue of same-sex marriage. Llanview's resident psychic turned out to be Amelia's jilted ex. Marcie Walsh's gay brother Eric (Bill Dawes) was mentioned repeatedly about 2004, but eventually appeared only once or twice.

Emmerdale (serial drama) ITV 1972-present

See also Emmerdale (1993-2000). The last thing local tough Aaron Livesly wants to know is why he impulsively leaned in to kiss his best friend Adam. It took Aaron facing gay-bashing charges for hitting Jackson before he could admit to others that he was gay. After Jackson became disabled he encouraged Aaron to date others, and Aaron met Flynn. Robert, engaged to marry Chrissie White, begins a secret affair with Aaron.

Train 48 (improv serial drama) Global 2003-2005

A group of commuters meet each day on the way home from work in Toronto. Their conversations, mostly improvised, developed the characters and the somewhat soap-opera-like drama. Being open about his sexual orientation was at odds with David's sense of privacy.

Shameless (drama) C4 2004-2013

Life in the strangely functional Gallagher family, Frank, his six children and their various friends and relationships. Middle child Ian has an after-school job at the local convenience store, where he is also having an affair with his married boss Kash. Jez is the lesbian who owns the local bar where Frank drinks. Frank once told Ian: “Your mother [Monica] never once looked at another man, before she ran off with... Norma.” The Gallagher family's most dangerous rivals are the Maguires, but Mickey's got secrets of his own. See also Shameless (USA).

Naked News Daily Male (magazine) OutTV c2004-c2007

A little news off the top and then the trou off the bottom. Each episode opens with a glbt-relevant “newscast,” followed by magazine pieces on anything from fashion to cooking, computer games, cars, vacations, spas, music, man-on-the-street interviews, and viewers' mail.

Fairy Tale (dating) OutTV c2004-c2007

A bachelor or bachelorette picks a date from a panel of three (usually) same-sex potential dates.

Read Out! (literature interview) OutTV c2004-c2006

Host Chantelois interviews the author of a current glbt-relevant book.

The L Word (drama) Showtime 2004-2009

Ensemble serial drama following the lives of a diverse group of lesbians in Los Angeles. Candace has an affair with Bette. Lisa has an affair with Shane. Married woman Cherie has a fling with Shane. “Lisa” is a man who believes he is a lesbian, exactly what Alice needs. Ivan is a drag king, a woman who lives his life as a man. Cherie's daughter Clea is struggling to accept her lesbian identity.

Passions (daytime serial drama) NBC 1999-2007, DirecTV 2007-2008

Somewhat unconventional American daytime drama, mixing complex, interrelated families with a 300-year-old supernatural meddler. Simone is daytime's first African-American lesbian. In early 2007 is was revealed that Chad was having an affair with another man. Chad's lover Vincent would go to any lengths to keep the affair secret. In its last months on cable, Passions did manage to wed Norma and Edna, a first for the daytime dramas. Chad's heterosexuality was eventually rescued when it was revealed that Vincent was a hermaphrodite and Chad was sleeping only with Vincent's female anatomy. Vincent turned out to be a serial killer and (using his male parts) a rapist. (Who writes this stuff?)

Rescue Me (drama) FX 2004-2011

Sometimes intense, sometimes funny drama about a post-9/11 stationhouse of New York City firemen. Lead character Tommy Gavin's daughter Colleen is a lesbian. The station captain's adult son is gay, and in a relationship. Probie's principal character development in the third season (2006) was to recognize that his “we're not gay” sexual relationship with roommate Chris really meant that he was bisexual. And Tommy's girlfriend, Sheila (Callie Thorne) sometimes has an eye for the ladies [glaad]. In season four (2007) all of the glbt content was dropped. Silletti announced he was straight, and then became celebate, Peter disappeared after his father died, and Colleen began a series of relationships with men.

Blackpool (musical drama) BBC 2004

Ripley Holden wants to turn British seaside resort Blackpool into the Las Vegas of the U.K. Ripley's son Danny is implicated in a prostitute's murder while his father is suspected of the fire that destroyed the murder scene. Seen in the United States under the title Viva Blackpool. An American version, Viva Laughlin (CBS 2007) was cancelled after its second episode, before Ripley's son Jack (Carter Jenkins) did much of anything.

Half & Half (sitcom) UPN 2002-2006

Situation comedy about two half-sisters, one an aspiring sports agent, the other working at a record label. Adam is the secretary-receptionist at the record company.

Drawn Together (animated sitcom) Comedy Central 2004-2008

Spoof of the “reality show” genre with a house full of cartoon contestants. Xandir is a gameboy action hero “on a never-ending quest to save [his] girlfriend,” until his housemates help him come to terms with his (obvious) homosexuality.

renegadepress.com (teen drama) APTN 2004-2008

Drama centred on a group of teens in highschool who publish an on-line e-zine. “Truth 'n Rumours” columnist Oscar came out about his bisexuality, much to the embarassment of his girlfriend Patti.

Nip/Tuck (medical drama) FX 2003-2010

A Miami cosmetic surgery practice is the setting for this slightly surreal drama. Liz is an anaesthesiologist. Plastic surgeon Quentin's bisexuality isn't his only surprise. In the 2006 season the show played with the obvious sexual undertones of the relationship between the straight leads Dr. Sean MacNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon).

Hex (fantasy drama/comedy) Sky One [UK] 2004-2005

Set in a remote British boarding school, a shy student acquires supernatural powers. The lead character's best friend and roommate Thelma becomes a ghost.

Desperate Housewives (drama-comedy) ABC 2004-2012

Ensemble comedy-drama about the families of Wisteria Lane. Break-out hit of the 2004/05 season. Housewife Bree's scheming son Andrew lives to torture his mother. Is sleeping with Justin a genuine expression of his sexuality, or just part of goading mom? Bree dated recovering sex addict Peter McMillan for five episodes in 2006, until Peter slept with Andrew. Wisteria Lane acquired it's first resident gay couple, Bob and Lee, in 2007. Andrew and Alex announced their engagement in December of 2008. Katherine (Dana Delaney) embarks on a romantic relationship with stripper Robin in 2010.

The Comeback (comedy-drama) HBO 2005, 2014-present

An actress whose career seems to be behind her brings a reality camera crew with her while she tries to restart acting. Mickey is Valerie's hairdresser and best friend.

Out Of Practice (sitcom) CBS 2005-2006

Relationship councillor Benjamin Barnes' entire family, both parents, brother and sister, are medical doctors. All three Barnes children are very competitive, including over eligible women to date.

Fingersmith (period drama miniseries) BBC 2005

Three-episode TV adaptation of the 2002 novel by Sarah Waters. Sue and Maud are two of the main characters.

Chris & John’s Road Trip (reality) OutTV 2005
Chris & John to the Rescue! (reality) OutTV 2006-2008?

Chris and John descend on unprepared victims for a visit or a rescue (depending on the season). Scheduled to appear in the United States on Logo beginning in 2009. A short series of interstitial episodes titled The Chris & John Show appeared on OutTV in 2004.

Veronica Mars (drama/mystery) UPN 2004-2006, CW 2006-2007

Of the several gay characters which have appeared, only Marcos has been on three episodes, all in season two.

Shortland Street (serial drama) TVNZ 1992-present

Set in a privately run emergency clinic. The turbulent courtship and relationship between nurse Maia Jeffries and barmaid Jay Copeland culminated in their civil union on Valentine's Day 2006. The pair went on to plan a family, and Maia gave birth to baby Jay in 2007. Editing of a bed scene between Gerald and Lindsay caused some controversy in 2008. See also Shortland Street (1992-2000).

Everwood (drama) WB 2002-2006

Family drama centred on the Brown family recently relocated from Manhattan to the small town of Everwood, Colorado. Son Ephram mentors Kyle while Kyle comes to terms with being gay.

Doctor Who (science fiction drama) BBC 1963-1989, 2005-present

In this latest incarnation of the long-running British science fiction franchise the doctor's universe includes Jack, a bisexual intergalactic pilot from the future. After about 5 episodes Harkness spun-off to his own program Torchwood.

My Name Is Earl (situation comedy) NBC 2005-2009

Earl has a second chance in life, and sets out to make amends for his past. Kenny is an occasional character, appearing typically two or three times per season. Eventually Kenny and Stuart date.

Weeds (comedy/drama) Showtime 2005-2012

Comedy about a suburban mother turned marijuana dealer.

Starved (comedy) FX 2005

Four thirty-something New Yorkers with various eating disorders lean on one another for support in this dark and poignant comedy that chronicles their romantic and personal lives [imdb]. Billie is a recovering bulimic/anorexic who finds that being bisexual is a plus when you're an up-and-coming singer/songwriter [glaad].

Coverguy (model search) OutTV c2005-2009

Men compete to win a modelling contract.

ER (medical drama) NBC 1994-2009

ER featured several glbt characters in the 1990's, only one of which, Dr. Carrie Weaver (Laura Innes) has continued past 2001. Chaz is Dr. Gregory Pratt's brother. See also ER (1996-2001).

I Now Pronounce You... (interview) OutTV c2005

Host Trevor Boris follows a same-sex couple getting married.

The Office (sitcom) NBC 2005-2013

Situation comedy set in a paper company office in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Oscar is a closeted accountant for the Dunder-Mifflin paper supply company [glaad]. American version of the British series of the same name.

Eyes (detective drama) ABC 2005

Short-lived series about a private investigator.

South of Nowhere (drama) The N 2005-2006

A family moves from Ohio to Los Angeles, where they find themselves unprepared for the city's fast pace, and the overcrowded public school that their three teenagers will attend [imdb]. Spencer is a teenager in Los Angeles who knows she's a lesbian but hasn't come out to her friends and family [glaad].

Robson Arms (sitcom) CTV 2005-2008

The trials and tribulations of the residents of a run-down Vancouver apartment building. Somewhat revolving cast (as somewhat revolving tenants) means that other than the caretaker, most characters disappear after a while. Youngish Geoff and not-so-youngish Stanley have a rocky relationship.

Commander In Chief (drama) ABC 2005-2006

Drama about the first woman president of the United States. Vince is a special aide to the president (and a series regular).

Law & Order (crime drama) NBC 1990-present

Law & Order has been cranking out crime investigation and criminal trial stories for more than a decade and a half. In ADA Southerlyn's very last scene viewers (and, apparently, the actress) were surprised to discover she was a lesbian. Commentators speculated it was a departing shot at the actress by the writers or producers.

Godiva's (comedy-drama) CityTV and Bravo Canada 2005-2006

Comedy-drama set in the kitchen of a Vancouver restaurant. Cordell is a waiter with a roving eye. Schoolteacher Drew is his on-again, off-again boyfriend.

The War At Home (sitcom) Fox 2005-2007

Dysfunctional family sitcom. Parents spend the first part of the first season trying to figure out if nerdy middle child Larry is gay or not. Unknown to anyone, Larry's best friend Kenny wishes Larry was gay so they could be together forever. Kenny's first boyfriend Dylan (Jackson Rathbone) appeared in two episodes in February, 2007.

Crumbs (sitcom) ABC 2006

Dysfunctional family sitcom. The Crumbs run a restaurant. Son Mitch returns from his failed career as a hollywood movie writer to help out in the family business.

Dante's Cove (Supernatural drama) here!tv 2005-2007

The Dante Hotel is the home of a varied group of young people, gay, straight, lesbian and otherwise, and the haunt of the supernatural witch Grace and her unfaithful fiancé Ambrosius whom she imprisoned in the cellar in 1840. Toby lives at the Dante, and works as a bartender on the beach. His boyfriend Kevin comes to live with him, but becomes ensnared in the jealousy between Grace and Ambrosius. After 165 years in the cellar, Ambrosius is liberated by Kevin's kiss, only to renew the contest of wills between himself and Grace. Toby's straight best friend Adam harbours a secret crush. Amber and Chrissy meet at a party and make out on the beach. Michelle is Van's girlfriend. Marco buys the local bar, H2Eau, and hires Toby. Grace's sister Diana arrives in 2006 to exact revenge. Colin and Rex run a local after-hours sex club (See The Lair).

Noah's Arc (drama) Logo 2005-2006

Four best friends navigate relationships, dating and friendship. Noah is an aspiring hollywood script writer. Alex is an HIV educator and Trey is his boyfriend. Ricky owns an upscale clothing store, and the most active sex life of the four. Chance is a university professor trying to make a home with his boyfriend Eddie. Wade is Noah's straight friend, and his boyfriend on the down-low. Rafael takes a clerk job in Ricky's store. Chance learns to be a little less square from home-boy T-Money. Junito, a resident at the hospital where Trey works, volunteers at Alex's HIV clinic, and attracts Ricky's attentions.

Sugar Rush (drama/comedy) C4 2005-2006

Kim is at the centre of her dysfunctional family, a fifteen year old coming to terms with her lesbian identity, and nursing a secret crush on her best friend Maria “Sugar” Sweet (Lenora Crichlow).

G-Spot (situation comedy) The Movie Network 2005-2006

Gigi is an actress trying to resume her stalled career, with the support of her three women friends. Rick is a rising movie star who sometimes hires Gigi to accompany him to public functions, when taking his boyfriend would be inappropriate.

Sleeper Cell (drama) Showtime 2005-2006

An investigator infiltrates a terrorist cell. Salim is a gay Muslim terrorist. Jason is the man he begins developing a relationship with. (Wikipedia).

My Fabulous Gay Wedding (reality/documentary) Global 2005, 2007

“Wedding fairy” Scott Thompson and his team plan and pull off a fabulous wedding for a same-sex couple. Elvira Kurt assumes host responsibilities in the second season. Seen on Logo in the United States under the title First Comes Love.

General Hospital (serial drama) ABC 1963-present

See also General Hospital (1994-1998). Long-running classic American soap opera. A character since his birth, during the winter of 2005/6 college student Lucas grew to realize he was harboring a secret sure to distress his family situation. Lucas will return to Port Charles in 2014. Guy and Lucas began dating in May, 2006, and they both promptly disappeared from view. Nursing student (later Nurse) Felix began at General Hospital in 2012. Crooked lab technician (later lab manager) Brad has a crush on Felix. In February 2016 it was revealed that Kristina Davis, daughter of mobster Sonny Corinthos, had a romantic crush on her professor, Parker Forsyth. Even with three gay characters their collective airtime is generally only a few minutes per month.

As the World Turns (serial drama) CBS 1956-2010

See also As the World Turns (1988-1989). Long-running classic American soap opera. A character since his birth, in the spring of 2006 teenager Luke came out, to varied reactions from his family and friends. Luke's first crush was his straight best friend Kevin Davis (Karl Girolamo). Second crush Noah's speedy connection with Maddie Coleman suggested Luke's heart was headed down the wrong path again. Brian was hired to administer the Luke Snyder Foundation. Even a marriage to Luke's grandmother couldn't help Brian suppress his feelings for Luke. Fellow Oakdale U student Reg appeared in three 2008 episodes, and met his demise in a one-episode return in February 2009. Reg's (ex-)boyfriend Tony (Tom Baran) appeared twice in 2008. Abrasive, egotistical Reid Oliver came to Oakdale in early 2010 to treat Noah's blindness. Soapy plots have included Luke's biological father's attempting to enroll Luke in a deprogramming camp, Noah's crazed, homophobic father, Luke's tenure paralized in a wheelchair, and Noah's green-card-sham marriage to Ameera, a wayward Iraqi. Early story characterized by well-written plot developments separated by weeks or months of the character being sidelined by the writers. A vocal campaign by Luke & Noah fans cracked a 211-day kissing ban maintained by the production company in May of 2008. Eventually, paltry airtime and utterly dreadful writing doomed the couple and snuffed out a fifty-four year old show.

The Book of Daniel (drama) NBC 2006

Irreverant drama about an Episcopal priest and his off-the-wall family. Daniel's oldest son Peter is out to everyone except his imperious grandfather, who sets him up on a date with a girl. Series cancelled before completing it's 10-episode limited run, either because of poor ratings or for it's alleged anti-religious theme (take your pick).

Love Monkey (drama) CBS 2006, VH1 2006

Drama centered on four adult male friends. Jake is a deeply closeted former Major League Baseball player. Cancelled after just three episodes aired and before his sexuality could be explored. VH1 broadcast the CBS episodes plus five unaired ones later the same year.

Lovespring International (comedy) Lifetime 2006

The improvised comedy series revolves around the wacky goings-on at an elite matchmaking service in Tarzana, California [imdb]. Burke is the closeted Senior Vice President of Lovespring International.

So NoTORIous (comedy) VH-1 2006

Tori Spelling plays herself, an underdog in the un-celebrity world that she desperately tries to be a part of [tv.com]. Tori's best friend is Sasan, whose traditional Iranian parents are in denial that he's gay [glaad].

Deadwood (western serial drama) HBO 2004-2006

Series set in a lawless settlement in the late 1870's, in what would later become South Dakota. An old acquaintance of central character Al Swearengen, Langrishe comes to town and opens a theater business. He is enamoured of one of his male actors.

Project Runway (contest) Bravo [USA] 2004-present

American Idol-esque fashion competition. Additional contestants eliminated in first or second episode.

Entourage (drama/comedy) HBO 2005-2011

Movie star Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his entourage navigate hollywood stardom. Lloyd is the loyal executive assistant to Vince's agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven).

11 Cameras (anthology drama) CBC 2006

The lives of a variety of characters are told through their web-cam conversations. Colin hides his sexual orientation from his girlfriend Amber, and has a similarly closeted boyfriend from the next town, who he met on-line.

American Dad (animated sitcom) Fox (2005-2014) TBS 2014-present

Plot centres around the Smith family, CIA agent Stan, his wife Francine, their children Hayley and Steve, and Roger, an outer-space alien Stan rescued from Area 51. Terry and Jeff are the nice young bachelors who live across the street. Stan is initially oblivious to the nature of their relationship. Terry and Jeff's dog is named “Heath Ledger.”

The Class (situation comedy) CBS 2006-2007

Ensemble-cast sitcom about eight young adults with little in common except that they were all in the same third grade class twenty years earlier. Kyle was Lina's third-grade crush, and Holly's tragic highschool prom date. Kyle's lover Aaron finds himself suddenly caught in the middle of decade-old highschool dating baggage. Holly's straight husband Perry Pearl (Sam Harris) makes everyone's gaydar ping, except Holly's. Mid-season cast cuts reduced or eliminated Holly, Perry and Aaron, and re-worked Kyle as a friend of Ethan's.

Donald Strachey Mysteries (movie series) here!tv 2005-2008

Series of detective movies: Third Man Out (2005), Shock to the System (2006), On the Other Hand, Death (2008), and Ice Blues (2008), based on the novel series by Richard Stevenson. Donald solves mysteries with the help of eager office assistant Kenny and the support of lover Timmy.

24 (drama) Fox 2001-2010

Federal agent Jack Bauer handles national security threats. The Defense Secretary's son Richard has a one-night stand with a man linked to a terrorist.

Brothers & Sisters (drama) ABC 2006-2011

Complex family drama about two sisters and three brothers, their family business and their family baggage. Kevin is a lawyer, somewhere in the middle of the Walker clan, and one of the more stable members. Scotty is a lot of things Kevin is not... younger, more comfortably gay, and independent. Kevin's uncle Saul came out late in life. Chad is a closeted soap star who meets Kevin at the gym. Kevin finally fell in love, with his sister's fiance's brother Jason. Producers and writers seemed to recognize that Kevin-Scotty made a better pairing, and the couple were re-united, and civil-union'ed by the end of the 2007/08 season.

How I Met Your Mother (situation comedy) CBS 2005-2014

Long running comedy about a group of late twenty-somethings in New York City. James, Barney's “black, gay” brother appeared in single episodes in 2006 and 2007, twice in 2011, and three times in 2013 [imdb].

All My Children (serial daytime drama) ABC 1970-2011

Erica Kane's lesbian daughter Bianca Montgomery (Eden Riegel) returned full time to the program from fall 2006 to April 2007 (without girlfriend Maggie). (See All My Children 1995-2005). In what was perhaps one of the most convoluted attempts to avoid portraying a same-sex romance, AMC introduced Zarf, a male-to-female transsexual (played by a male actor) to provide Bianca a love interest. Bianca returned yet again in 2008, this time accompanied by her wife Reese. Bianca hires Marissa to handle her divorce from Reece and the two eventually grow closer. After Bianca and Reese departed for Paris in 2009, Bianca (Eden Riegel 2010, Christina Bennett Lind 2010-2011) returned once more to Pine Valley in 2010 without Reese.

The View (talk show) ABC 1997-present

Rosie O'Donnell, American television's most visible lesbian, joined this daytime morning chat as a regular in 2006.

Torchwood (science fiction) BBC 2006-2011

Doctor Who spin-off, following a group of investigators working for the secret organisation investigating aliens. Jack is the bisexual leader of the secret “Torchwood” agency. Ianto is described by another character as Jack's “part time shag.”

Ugly Betty (comedy/drama) ABC 2006-2010

Office drama/comedy set in the fashion/publishing industry. Wilhelmina plots to control “Mode” magazine and Marc is her faithful assistant. Justin's journey to accepting his own sexual orientation percolated in the background throughout the series run. He finally met someone special, Ryan, towards the end of the last season. Long thought dead, prodigal son Alex returns to claim a share of the family empire a changed person. Marc meets Cliff at a photoshoot. Marc met and briefly dated Troy before learning Troy also worked at Mode. Justin finally found his first love, Austin, in acting class. Based on the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea.

Sinchronicity (drama) BBC3 2006

Six-episode series about a group of people with complicated romantic entanglements. Jase is central character Nathan's best friend. His girlfriend Fi is Nathan's secret crush. Jase's secret is Mani. Fay is a male-to-female transsexual who befriends Nathan.

The State Within (drama miniseries) C4 2006

Six-part miniseries about trans-Atlantic political intrigue. Brocklehurst is the assistant to the British ambassador. Jenkins is the American Undersecretary for Defense Intelligence. Seen in three parts on BBC America in 2007.

Hollyoaks: In the City (serial drama) BBC 2006

Adam is a schoolteacher, just coming to terms with his identity. Josh is still in school, but knows and likes who he is. Troy is a model, and straight (but adaptable). Seen in the United States on BBC America under the title In the City.

Jacob and Joshua: Nemesis Rising (documentary/reality) Logo 2006

Jacob and Joshua are gay identical twins trying to make it in Hollywood as pop stars. This series follows the two small-town boys from Montana as they try to launch their group “Nemesis Rising.” [tv.com]

Hotel Babylon (drama) BBC 2006-2009

Drama among the guests and staff of a five-star hotel in London. Ben works the front desk.

Big Love (drama) HBO 2006-2011

Big Love centres around a polygamist (Bill Paxton) and his relationship with the three wives, all whom he is married to [imdb.com]. Alby's orientation is hidden from his family, especially his father, the prophet (leader) of the Juniper Creek polygamist community. After Alby's father's death, Dale is appointed to oversee Juniper Creek's business affairs.

The Lair (vampire drama) here!tv 2007-2009

A string of murders leads an investigative journalist to a gay vampire club. Thom's boyfriend Jonathan gets caught up in the vampire investigation. Damian is the leader of the vampires.

Dirt (drama) FX 2007-2008

Tabloid editor digs the dirt on celebrities. Leo is the editor's brother. Dawson is a deeply closeted action-movie star.

The Sarah Silverman Program (comedy) Comedy Central 2007-2010

Silverman plays a fictionalized version of herself, an unemployed, immature woman who leads an irresponsible life [Wikipedia]. Brian and Steve are Sarah's neighbours and friends.

Skins (drama/comedy) E4 [U.K.] 2007-2013

Drama about eight teenagers and their lives, relationships and troubles. Maxxie, one of the eight main characters is gay.

A Shot At Love (game show) MTV 2007-2009

A bisexual bachelorette looks for “love” among a group of contestants comprised of lesbians and straight guys. In the first (2007) and second (2008(i)) series Tia is the judge and prize. In addition to the contestants listed above, the 2007 game's lesbians eliminated in the first and second episodes were Steffanie, Grace, Lala, Keasha, Brenda, Ellie, Scout, and Chaos. The 2008(i) early eliminations were Serenity, Lili, Tarra, Janny, Tashi, Rada, and Fame. For the third series (2008(ii)-2009) the bachelorette role was filled by bisexual identical twins Rikki and Vikki, and the series retitled A Double Shot At Love. In addition to the above listed 2008(ii) contestants, early eliminations were Kandice “Kandi” Hutchinson, Dana Kelly, Claudia Joseph, and Isabella “Bella” Rabello. Contestant Angela, eliminated in the first episode of 2008(ii), revealed she was straight as she left.

30 Rock (situation comedy) NBC 2006-2013

Comedy set backstage at a show suspiciously similar to Saturday Night Live. Devon Banks appeared in nine episodes.

Hollyoaks (drama) C4 1995-present

Serial drama about the lives of teens and young adults. Craig and Sarah, and John-Paul and Hannah are two couples in their last year of highschool. JP's suppressed feelings for Craig eventually come out. Meeting Spike finally puts JP on the boyfriend path, but surprisingly arouses jealousy in straight friend Craig. Kris, who becomes John Paul's friend, has dated both girls and boys. Kieron insists that as a celebate priest, being gay is largely irrelevant (except to homophobic parishioners). Ravi and his girlfriend are both having clandestine affairs with Kris. Beginning in the Fall of 2010 troubled Ste Hay is confused to discover himself drawn sexually to straight boss Brendan. Brendan is more than willing to use and manipulate Ste's attraction and confusion. Macca shows up to try and rekindle his relationship with Brendan. Jason would like to continue a relationship with Bart that began when he was female. See also Hollyoaks (1995-2001).

Greek (college drama/comedy) ABC Family 2007-2011

Summer series following the fraternity and sorority crowd at a college. Omega Chi pledge Calvin was out in highschool but he plays his cards close to his vest in order to fit in. Heath and Calvin become involved as “funbuddys” (their word) in the first season. They reconnect and start dating by the 2011 season.

Who Wants To Be A Superhero (game show) SciFi 2006-2007

Contestants compete to become a superhero. Parthenon is an archeologist whose powers arise from his “Armaguard” an ancient bracelet he found on a dig.

Flipping Out (reality) Bravo [USA] 2007-present

Jeff Lewis, an obsessive compulsive, high-stakes real estate speculator. He buys million dollar homes in and around Los Angeles, lavishly and loving renovates them and then sells them for a huge profit [AfterElton]. Ryan is Jeff's business partner and ex-boyfriend.

Mad Men (drama) TBS 2007-2015

Set in 1960, this series follows the work and home lives of Madison Avenue ad-men. Beneath the Leave It To Beaver surface lurks a world of misogyny, prejudice, infidelity and lies. Sal is deeply closeted. Sal is fired after refusing to flirt with a male client.

Dirty Sexy Money (drama) ABC 2007-2009

A lawyer with a conscious works for a wealthy family that appears to have none. Family scion Patrick Darling (William Baldwin) keeps his transvestite mistress Carmelita out of sight.

Steven and Chris (magazine) CBC 2008-2015

Hosts (and real-life couple) Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman presented celebrity guests and segments on entertainment, cooking, fashion, health and home decor. Daytime talk-format show was widely syndicated, reaching audiences in as many as 17 countries.

Sophie (sitcom) CBC 2008-2009

Sophie's about to have her worst year, ever. Helping through it all is her loyal best friend Matt.

Men In Trees (drama) ABC 2006-2008

Drama arising from the gender imbalance in an Alaskan community. Even in rough-and-tumble Alaska, gay men are hairdressers.

Reaper (supernatural drama) CW 2007-2009

Hardware store employee Sam sends escaped souls back to hell, thanks to his parents selling his soul to the devil before he was born. Sam and his friends are rattled to learn the new neighbors are no ordinary gay couple. Steve and Tony are demons in league against the devil.

Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World (animated) Pridevision (2001-2002?), Logo 2007-2009

Rick and Steve, and their friends Dana and Kirsten and Chuck and Evan, navigate life and relationships in the gay enclave of West Lahunga Beach (West Brickwood in the 1999 version). Several short episodes were taped using copyright toys 1999 and these appeared irregularly on Canada's PrideVision circa 2001-2002. When the series was picked up by Logo the show was re-cast and re-filmed.

Waterloo Road (drama) BBC 2006-2015

Drama following the lives of students and teachers at an English comprehensive school. Drama and music teacher Matt lives with his boyfriend Colin (Chris Finch).

The Tudors (historical serial drama) Showtime 2007-2010

History-based fictional telling of the life of England's King Henry VIII. The king's close friend William Compton has a secret affair with Thomas Tallis. After Compton's death, Tallis moves on to court two sisters. The historically postulated homosexuality of Queen Anne Boleyn's brother George is portrayed as a clandestine love affair with a court musician.

Gossip Girl (teen drama) CTV, CW 2007-2013

Teenagers from the well-to-do upper east side of New York City cope with teen angst amid the ever-present interference of anonymous Gossip Girl's blog. Serena's little brother Eric is outed after he's spotted kissing Jenny's boyfriend Asher Hornsby (Jesse Swenson). Based on the series of teen novels by Cecily von Ziegesar. In the novels Serena's older brother Erik (with a “k”) van der Woodsen was straight.

The Mole (gameshow) ABC 2001-2004, 2008

Game show where one of the contestants is secretly trying to sabotage the others.

General Hospital: Night Shift (serial drama) SOAPnet 2007-2009

Evening spinoff of daytime's General Hospital. Kyle develops a relationship with patient Eric in September of 2008.

Do Not Disturb (hotel sitcom) Fox 2008

Upstairs downstairs comedy set in a hotel. Larry, head of housekeeping, is part of the downstairs group.

True Blood (vampire drama) HBO 2008-2014

Southern gothic vampire drama. Vampires seek acceptance and tolerance among the living. Lafayette seeks his own acceptance in the intolerant south, while dealing in illicit narcotics derived from vampire blood. Eddie is Lafayette's source, exchanging blood for sex. In season three Lafayette meets Jesus, the nurse looking after Lafayette's crazy mother. Russell is a 3,000 year old vampire who sees humans as nothing more than useful for vampire food. Russell's consort is Talbot, another vampire. James' relationships included Jessica and Lafayette.

Saturday Night Live (sketch comedy/variety) NBC 1975-present

Staple of the NBC Saturday late night programming for decades, unambiguously LGBT characters have been few and far between. Stefon appeared often on the &ldquo For a few notes on some “maybe” characters see Saturday Night Live (Some Also Rans).

Grey's Anatomy (drama) ABC 2005-present

Hospital interns and doctors form the core of this soapy medical drama. The romance between doctors Hahn and Ramirez ended suddenly, when producers claimed it wasn't working dramatically. Callie had much greater romantic success when she met Arizona.

Lipstick Jungle (drama) NBC 2008

Light drama (or drama-comedy) from Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell starring Brooke Shields.

Casualty (hospital drama) BBC 1986-present

Medical drama set in the emergency department of Holby General hospital. See also Casualty (1996-2000).

Beautiful People (sitcom) BBC2 2008

Six-part miniseries which moves back and forth between 1997 Reading, England, and present day New York City, following the life of Simon, the creative director at Barney's Department Store. Sacha is Simon's NYC boyfriend.

No Heroics (superhero sitcom) ITV2 2008

The hot-mess ordinary lives of off-duty superheroes. Timebomb can see sixty seconds into the future, often enough to see if his pick-up line will succeed.

Raw (restaurant drama) RTÉ Two 2008, 2010-2013

Drama centred in the kitchen of a Dublin restaurant. Brash, egotistical Aussie chef Geoff and shy Czech waiter Pavel make an unlikely couple. After Pavel and Geoff break up, Pavel starts dating Jack.

Privileged (drama) CW 2008-2009

Drama centred largely on two sisters, children of a wealthy family. Faithful family servant Marco is a an island of calm and sage advice. Marco and his fiancé Keith married in the 08/09 season finale.

Guiding Light (serial drama) radio 1937-1956, CBS 1952-2009

Oldest television program in the world. Known as The Guiding Light 1937-1978. In 2009 two women with heterosexual track records shared a romantic kiss. See also Guiding Light (1995-1997).

Moral Orel (animation situation comedy) Cartoon Network/Adult Swim 2005-2008

Stop-motion animation comedy about an eleven-year-old boy named Orel who tries but generally fails to live by his flawed interpretation of Christian morality. Coach is obsessed with Orel's father Clay Puppington and their affair is eventually exposed.

The United States of Tara (drama) Showtime 2009-2011

Tara is a wife and mother, and her family has learned to cope with her several different personalities. Some of Tara's personalities accept son Marshall's sexual orientation, others don't. Ted and Hany are the neighbourhood gay couple.

The Good Wife (drama) CBS 2009-2016

Legal and political drama starring Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, a lawyer returning to the workforce after her husband's political corruption and sex scandal. Kalinda is bisexual and has a series of relationships through the show, mostly with women. Alicia's brother Owen, who is gay, appears occasionally.

White Collar (detective) USA 2009-present

An FBI unit employs a dashing con-man to investigate white collar crimes. Agent Barrigan isn't distracted by Neil's charm.

Undercover Princes (reality) BBC3 2009

Three royal claimants share a house in Brighton and try to live as ordinary folk. Part of Manvendra Singh Gohil's goals is to meet a man for a romantic relationship.

Kings (drama) NBC 2009

Political drama in an alternate universe 21st Century american kingdom. Jack is the son and heir of Gilboa's King Silas. Jack's boyfriend Joseph survives just long enough to appear in three episodes. Unlike in the original source material, David (Christopher Egan) isn't gay or bisexual.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (drama) BBC and HBO 2009

Series based on the novels of the same title, about a detective agency in Botswana. BK is the owner of the Last Chance Salon and friend to the lead character.

Southland (police drama) NBC 2009, TNT 2010-2013

Ensemble drama following the work lives of several Los Angeles beat cops and detectives. Rookie Ben learns what it really means to be a cop from his experienced training officer John Cooper. TNT picked up the series, rebroadcasting the NBC episodes followed by the remainder of the production.

The Young and the Restless (serial drama) CBS 1973-present

Most popular of the American daytime soap operas. Phillip Chancellor III returned in 2009 to report that he had faked his 1989 death in order to escape to Australia and find himself as a gay man. Writers made little use of Phillip or Rafe.

American Idol (talent/game show) Fox 2002-present

American copy of the British series Pop Idol. Contestants compete for a recording contract. Adam was runner-up in the 2009 series.

Sordid Lives: The Series (situation comedy) Logo 2008

The sordid lives of the Texas white-trash Ingram family. Grandson Ty is trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood. Jacob meets Ty at a casting call for the play “Naked Boys Singing.” Ty's uncle “Brother Boy” is the family secret, a Tammy Wynette impersonator locked up in a mental hospital.

Raising the Bar (legal drama) TNT 2008-2010

The series revolves around a group of law school classmates who find themselves on opposite sides of the criminal law (Wikipedia).

Australia's Perfect Couple (game show) 9NA 2009

Eight newlywed couples compete for a $250,000 prize. Robbie and Dan have been together for seven years.

Doctors (serial drama) BBC 2000-present

Doctors tells the story of the staff at the fictional Mill Health Centre and Letherbridge Universities Campus Surgery. When Ollie met Greg he thought Greg was interested in Caroline. Greg rushes into marrying his Goan boyfriend Rico so he can stay in the country, but their relationship founders when Rico's baby son comes between them. Simon is a quite shy, professional but very friendly GP. Todd appeared in four episodes as Simon's boyfriend.

Glee (comedy-drama-musical) Fox 2009-2015

A highschool glee club mixing cool and uncool kids, and their equally diverse teachers. Show combines over-the-top comedy, dramatic subplots, and show choir performances. Kurt is one of the core group of Glee kids, as much an outsider for being a glee kid as for being openly gay in highschool. Kurt meets Blaine, lead singer of the competing Dalton Academy Warblers. Blaine eventually follows Kurt to McKinley. Football player Karofsky bullies Kurt but it's a projection of self-loathing. Coach Beiste came into his true self in Glee's final season. Surprise hit of the 2009/10 season.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (teen drama) ABC Family 2008-2013

Drama amongst a group of teenagers. Griffin is Ashley's gay best friend. Donovan and Leon are an ideal couple to adopt a teen couple's baby. In the series of episodes airing in the summer of 2010 Griffin meets and starts dating Peter. Strangely, in a show about sexually active (and often pregnant) teens, Griffin and Peter decide not to have sex. Once Griffin and Peter began dating they essentially disappeared on screen.

Melrose Place (drama) CW 2009-2010

Remake of the 1990s show of the same name. Caleb smokes cigars, likes the Los Angeles Lakers, collects sports memorabilia, drinks Scotch, likes guys and is not afraid to admit it [AE].

Modern Family (sitcom) ABC 2009-present

Three modern families, including a same-sex couple and their baby.

Mercy (medical drama) NBC 2009-2010

Angel is a nurse in this medical drama.

Trauma (paramedic drama) NBC 2009-2010

Drama following the lives of San Francisco EMT paramedics. Tyler comes out to his partner in the midst of Hallowe'en in the Castro.

1 Girl 5 Gays (talk) MTV Canada 2009-present

Host Aliya Jasmin Sovani and a rotating panel of five gay men answer 20 questions about love and sex.

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (police/legal drama) NBC 1999-present

Cops and lawyers handle cases involving sexually-based crimes. Staff psychiatric advisor George Huang mentioned his being gay in a 2009 episode. Detective Fin Tutuola's gay son Ken has appeared periodically since 2004.

Flash Forward (drama) ABC 2009-2010

People have experienced a brief vision of their future. Why did it happen? What does it mean? Can they change their futures? Janis Hawk is one of the agents working with Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) to solve the mystery of the FF. [AE]

Caprica (science fiction drama) SyFy 2010

Set in the same universe as Battlestar Galactica, Caprica depicts events six decades before. Sam's life is divided between his husband and his job as a Tauron enforcer. Clarice is a key figure in the monotheistic resistance. Her domestic life is centered on her communal marriage with several women and men, including husbands Nestor Willow (Scott Porter) and Olaf Willow (Panou), and wife Mar-Beth Willow (Anita Torance).

Spartacus (period drama/action) Starz 2010-2013

Gladiator drama. Barca is a gladiator in the ludus of Batiatus. Pietros is Barca's lover and acknowledged as such by the other gladiators. Agron joins Spartacus' revolt when his brother is killed by Romans. Tiberius initially resists joining the rebellion but eventually does, reclaiming his Syrian name Nasir. Without fighting skills Nasir is encouraged to gain position amongst the rebels by taking a gladiator as a lover. Both gay characters meet their ends early in the series. Each season's title included a unique subtitle. Season one [2010] was Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Second season [2011] was a prequel to the first, titled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Third season (2012) titled Spartacus: Vengeance. Fourth (final) season [2013] titled Spartacus: War of the Damned.

The Kids In the Hall: Death Comes to Town (sitcom) CBC 2010

The Kids In the Hall return to television with an eight episode limited run series. Each actor plays several roles. One of Thompson's roles is Dusty Diamond, the town corner. Dusty carried a torch for the obnoxious mayor and just can't bring himself to part with the corpse.

Nurse Jackie (medical drama) Showtime 2009-present

Nurse Jackie struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas [imdb].

One Tree Hill (serial drama) WB (2003-2006), CW 2006-2012

Plot in the 2010 season about a closeted actor.

My Family (situation comedy) BBC 2000-2011

Comedy about Ben, a dentist, and his family. They don't exactly get along well [imdb]. Son Michael came out in 2010.

Being Erica (supernatural drama) CBC 2009-2011

Erica's therapist sends her back in time to relive, or even change, events in her life. Dave join the cast in the second season as a barista/manager of Erica's favourite coffee shop His partner Ivan appeared in the third season when they bought the coffee shop.

The Closer (crime drama) TNT 2005-2012

Police detectives investigate major crimes.

Rubicon (Espionage Drama) AMC 2010

Drama following the lives of intelligence analysts. Ingram is one of the directors at the American Policy Institute, a shadowy organization that facilitates the communication of secrets among America's security agencies and the military [AE].

90210 (drama) CW 2008-2013

Reboot of the 90's classic Beverly Hills, 90210. Teddy's life is all about doing what his father wants him to do, including playing tennis and being straight. After an injury ends Teddy's tennis career, Ian changes Teddy's life even more. Teddy meets Shane in Barcelona and they begin dating.

Pretty Little Liars (drama) ABC Family 2010-present

A clique of teenage girls begin to receive taunting messages from someone who disappeared a year before. Emily befriends new girl Maya, and they grow closer.

Downton Abby (period drama) ITV 2010-2016

Upstairs/downstairs drama in an English manor house. The Earl's heirs perish on the Titanic promoting a distant cousin to be heir. Ambitious footman Thomas may charm the servant girls but he spent the previous summer in the Duke of Crowborough's bed.

Two and a Half Men (situation comedy) CBS 2003-2015

Long running situation comedy about two brothers, Charlie, a hedonistic party animal, and Alan, a divorced dad, sharing a beach house. Charlie's girlfriend/fiancee Chelsea's dad Tom appeared in four episodes. Tom's old war buddy Ed appeared in three episodes, long enough for Tom and Ed to fall in love. In 2013 Jenny, deceased Charlie's long lost daughter, comes to live with Alan. Initially Alan's ex-wife Judith had left Alan for a woman, but through most of the show's run Judith was dating men. Conversely, Alan and Charlie's mother Evelyn Harper (Holland Taylor) was usually dating (and marrying) men but over the course of the series had a few flings with women.

$#*! My Dad Says (sitcom) CBS 2010-2011

A crusty dad (William Shatner) gets to know the son he never raised. Ed gets Tim fired from the DMV, then from a waitering job.

In Treatment (drama) HBO 2009-2011

Psychiatrist Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne) treats a wide spectrum of troubled people. Jesse is a rebellious teen dealing with being adopted. Promiscuity appears to be part of his acting out.

Outland (comedy) ABCTV 2011

Outland orbits around a gay science-fiction fan club, and the lives, loves and never-ending dramas of its members. Six-episode limited series.

Shameless (drama) Showtime 2011-present

Life in the strangely functional Gallagher family, Frank, his six children and their various friends and relationships. Middle child Ian has an after-school job at the local convenience store, where he is also having an affair with his married boss Kash. The Milkoviches are the Gallaghers' most dangerous neighbours. American remake of the British show of the same name (see Shameless).

The Cleveland Show (animated sitcom) Fox 2009-2012

Spin-off from Family Guy centred on the Cleveland Brown character. Cleveland's co-worker and friend Terry turns out to be gay.

Gigantic (teen drama) TeenNick 2010-2011

Drama/comedy about teens growing up with Hollywood celebrity culture. Teens discover that dad is gay and his marriage is a Hollywood cover.

Happy Endings (situation comedy) ABC 2011-2013

Six twenty-something friends adjust when the couple amongst them splits up. Max and the others have to figure out how the group stays friends without choosing sides between the broken-up couple.

Game of Thrones (fantasy drama) HBO 2011-present

Miniseries based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin. King Robert's youngest brother Renly is fourth in line to the throne. He and his lover Loras are one faction contesting for Robert's throne. Olyvar works in a brothel, and spends time with Loras (2013, 2015) and Oberyn (2014).

Holby City (medical drama) BBC 1999-present

Serial drama following the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at Holby City Hospital.

The Hard Times of RJ Berger (situation comedy) MTV 2010-2011

Nerdy RJ navigates highschool and a tumultuous homelife. His only advantage is an exceptional endowment. At the end of the second season RJ discovers that his main tormentor, popular good looking jock Max, is deeply closeted.

Teen Wolf (supernatural drama) MTV 2011-present

Highschool student Scott becomes a werewolf after being bitten in an apparent animal attack. He then finds himself at the centre of a struggle between werewolves and their hunters, challenged to protect his friends from both sides. Danny is the best friend of Jackson (Colton Haynes) who is at least initially rivals with Scott. Danny is out and like most of the male teenage characters, plays on the school's lacrosse team. Alpha werewolf Ethan's infiltration strategy is to date Danny. In spite of an out showrunner, and several gay characters, Teen Wolf has been incapable of significant LGBT representation.

Days of Our Lives (serial drama) NBC 1965-present

Serial drama about the lives of middle and upper-class professionals in the middle-American town named Salem. Sonny is out and proud, and accepted by his parents. Will struggles with his relationship with Gabrielle, which just doesn't seem right for him. Murder charges against Will for the death of Stefano Dimera were dropped when it came to light that Will was on a date with Neil at the time. Confined to a bed in Salem Hospital, Paul firted with most of the women who visited him but Sonny got the most passionate greeting. Skittish producers and a revolving door on the writers' room slowed the early story, finally picking up when the old writers were rehired.

Warehouse 13 (fantasy drama/comedy) SyFy 2009-2014

The series follows United States Secret Service agents when they are assigned to the government's secret Warehouse 13, which houses supernatural “artifacts.” Jinks has been recruited to the Warehouse 13 team because of his unerring ability to tell when people are lying.

Sirens (comedy) C4 2011

The work and personal lives of three paramedics. See also Sirens (USA).

Happily Divorced (situation comedy) TVLand 2011-2013

Fran Lovett (Fran Drescher) and her husband of 18 years, Peter, adjust to being best friends after Peter comes out.

Archer (animated spy comedy) FX 2009-present

The inept agents of ISIS somehow manage to stumble into solving their cases. Ray is one of the few competent ISIS agents, a friend to agent Lana Kane.

The Playboy Club (period drama) NBC 2011

Drama set in the early 1960's Playboy Club in Chicago. Alice and her husband are partners in a “lavender” marriage, and early members of the Mattachine Society.

The Vampire Diaries (supernatural drama) CW 2009-present

The teens of Mystic Falls include humans, vampires, werewolves and witches. Vampire Caroline's estranged father Bill comes to town in 2011. In 2012 he choses death over becoming a vampire. Luke and his twin sister are witches and his life was imperiled by their pre-ordained fate to one day merge their powers with only one survivor. Instead Luke died in a power-merge contest with his older brother, the twin of his older sister. In spite of its apparently youth-oriented broadcaster Vampire Diaries rarely found much story for its lgbtq characters. Early death was the usual outcome.

Allen Gregory (animated sitcom) Fox 2011

Pretentious obnoxious seven year old Allen Gregory DeLongpre looks down his nose at his entire world. Richard and Jeremy are Allen Gregory's dads.

Revenge (drama) ABC 2011-2015

Amanda Clarke assumes a new identity to return to the Hamptons to destroy those who destroyed her family. Nolan is one of the very few who know Emily is really Amanda. Nolan says he's a “Kinsey three.” Tyler and Nolan strike a bargain, in bed.

The Slap (drama) ABCTV1 2011

Eight episode drama about the consequences of a socially unacceptable incident at a neighbourhood barbecue. Richie becomes entangled in a dispute between is best friend Connie and Harry, the perpetrator of the infamous slap.

Awkward. (situation comedy) MTV 2011-present

Comedy centred around teenager Jenna Hamilton and the endless awkward events of her life. Occasional character Clark is an out student, and a friend of Jenna's. Theo and Cole occasionally make sassy comments. The LGBT characters tend to be peripheral.

Suburgatory (situation comedy) ABC 2011-present

A father and daughter are transplanted from Manhattan to suburbia.

The L.A. Complex (drama) CTV 2012-2013

A diverse group of young people are trying to break into show business in Los Angeles. Tariq hopes to break into hip-hop as a songwriter and producer. Kal's reputation as an edgy, dangerous, womanizing thug with talent can't be compromised.

Hit & Miss (drama) Sky Atlantic 2012

A transwomen contract killer discovers she is a parent after the death of a former girlfriend. Mia takes on custody of her son and his half-siblings after the death of their mother. Six-episodes. Show created by Paul Abbott, creator of Shameless (UK) and Shameless (USA).

Pan Am (period drama) ABC 2011-2012

Set in the early 1960's at the dawn of the jet age, the drama follows the personal and professional lives of a crew of pilots and stewardesses. Pilot Ted's high society fiancee Amanda is determined to make a success of their marriage and confesses she doesn't understand why she prefers the company of other women.

Smash (drama) NBC 2012-2013

Drama backstage in the production of a Broadway musical. Writing the musical are composer Tom and lyricist Julia Houston (Debra Messing). A general pruning of peripheral storylines for the second season eliminated several characters' off-stage lives including much of Tom's.

NCIS (procedural drama) CBS 2003-present

Police procedural drama set in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Dornegat was killed off in a 2015 episode.

Once Upon a Time (fantasy drama) ABC 2011-present

Serial drama mixing characters and elements from fairy tales with more conventional character drama. In a 2016 episode involvin Oz, Ruby met Dorothy Gale (Teri Reeves), and their attraction led to a relationship.

GCB (comedy-drama) ABC 2012

Former highscool frenemies Amanda, Carlene, Sharon, and Cricket are reunited with the dynamics changed. Blake is Cricket's husband. Series originally titled Good Christian Bitches then Good Christian Belles.

Whitney (situation comedy) NBC 2011-2013

Relationship comedy centred around Whitney and her longtime boyfriend Alex. After Whitney's friends Lily and Neal break off their engagement, Neal begins to date Steven from his office. The character was written out a few episodes later.

Dance Academy (teen drama) ABCTV 2010, 2012-2013

Drama following the students of a dance academy. When second year student Sammy is assigned a tutor from third year, the two grow closer. Sammy's first step is to admit to his friends that he's a straight guy with a boyfriend.

6Degrees (drama) BBC 2012-present

Drama set amongst Belfast football players. Team captain Conor hides his relationship with Justin.

The Bold and the Beautiful (serial drama) CBS 1987-present

Daytime soap opera set in the fashion industry. On screen off and on since 1991, Karen's sexual orientation was only revealed in 2012.

Don't Trust the B**** In Apartment 23 (situation comedy) ABC 2012-2013, logo 2014

A naive Indianan shares a New York apartment with Chloe, the title character. Chloe's best friend is neighbor James Van Der Beek (James Van Der Beek). Luther is James' assistant. Eight unaired episodes appeared on Logo in 2014.

Last Tango In Halifax (drama) BBC 2012-present

Drama about a romance between two septuagenarians, Celia and Alan. Caroline is Celia's daughter. Kate and Caroline begin a relationship. Seen in the United States on PBS.

The Borgias (historical drama) Bravo [Canada] 2011-2013

Drama following the lives of Pope Alexander VI and his family in Rome at the end of the 15th Century. The Pope's son Cardinal Cesare Borgia depends on his ruthless mercenary Michelotto to deal with family enemies. In the second (2012) season a mission in Michelotto's home town includes a nighttime assignation with a boyhood lover. (The historical Michelotto's sexuality is probably not known). In season three Michelotto acquires a lover, Pascal. Seen in the United States on Showtime.

Winners & Losers (drama) 7N 2011-present

Winners & Losers focuses on the lives of four women living in Melbourne, after they win a large amount of money in the Oz Lotto.

Girls (situation comedy) HBO 2012-present

A group of women in their early 20s navigate life and relationships in New York City. Friend and former highschool boyfriend Elijah appears occasionally (regular cast from 2015). Hanna's dad Tad came out of the closet in 2015. Elijah acquired a famous boyfriend, TV personality Dill Harcourt, in 2016.

Major Crimes (crime drama) TNT 2012-present

Fictional drama set in the Major Crimes Division of the LAPD. Rusty is a homeless teenager taken in by Captain Sharon Raydor.

Offspring (comedy-drama) TEN 2010-present

Comedy-drama following modern life in a circle of friends and family around an obstretician. When Mick and Billie have trouble conceiving they turn to Mick's brother Andrew.

Mrs. Brown's Boys (situation comedy) RTÉ/BBC 2011-present

Situation comedy about Mrs. Brown and her family. Rory is the second of Mrs. Brown's five children. Dino is Rory's husband.

Political Animals (drama) USA 2012

Political drama. TJ is the first openly gay son of an American president.

Anger Management (situation comedy) FX 2012-present

Dr. Charlie Goodson (Charlie Sheen) is an anger management therapist in need of some anger management therapy himself. Patrick is in group anger management therapy under Dr. Goodson.

Saving Hope (medical drama) CTV 2012-present

Drama centered on doctor Alex Reid who must hold onto hope when her fiance, another doctor at the same hospital, falls into a coma after a traffic accident. Among the medical team at Hope Zion Hospital is Dr. Hamza, a neurosurgeon. Shy Hamza lives with his more outgoing lover Victor, who works at the same hospital. See in the United States on NBC.

Partners (situation comedy) CBS 2012

Two architects, one gay and one straight, form a professional partnership. Wyatt is Louis' boyfriend.

The New Normal (situation comedy) NBC 2012-2013

A gay couple trying to start a family hire a surrogate.

Chicago Fire (drama) NBC 2012-present

Firefighters.

House Husbands (drama) Nine 2012-present

Drama about four families where the husband stays home to raise the children. Kane and Tom and their children form one of the four central families. Kane stays home while Tom works as a fireman.

Emily Owens, M.D. (medical drama) CW 2012-2013

Emily finds medical school less like adult life and more like highschool.

Scandal (political drama) ABC 2012-present

The show takes place in Washington, D.C. and focuses on Olivia Pope's crisis management firm, Pope & Associates, and its staff, as well as staff at the White House. James is Cyrus' [first] husband. Daniel is the husband of Vice-president Sally Langston. Against his better judgement Cyrus becomes involved with a prostitute named Michael. To avoid a scandal, Cyrus and Michael wed. Cyrus cheats on Michael with Tom.

Go On (situation comedy) NBC 2012-2013

Matthew Perry stars as a sportscaster trying to move on from the loss of his wife by joining a support group. Anne, another member of the group, is a single mom grieving the loss of her wife.

World Without End (drama miniseries) Showcase 2012

Eight episode miniseries based on the Ken Follet novel of the same name. The story follows the townsfolk of fictional Kingsbridge in the reign of Edward III. A knight apparently connected to the murder of Edward II seeks refuge in the town's priory and becomes a monk. As Brother Thomas, he develops a relationship with another monk. International co-production with Canadian, British, German, and American partners.

DTLA (serial drama) logo 2012

DTLA tells the story of a diverse group of friends, all at crossroads in their lives.

Dexter (crime drama) Showtime 2006-2013

Dexter investigates serial killers. He's also a serial killer himself. Isaak is a member of the Koshka Brotherhood, a Ukrainian crime syndicate. He travels to Miami after learning of associate Viktor's disappearance.

In the Big House (reality) Logo 2012

A retired mafioso shares a house with his ex-wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law. Son Louis is out and proud. Louis' boyfriend Joe appeared in most episodes.

The Girl's Guide to Depravity (comedy/drama) Cinemax 2012-2013

Very heterosexual show about two twenty-something women navigating sexual relationships. Tyler is the bartender at their local bar.

Malibu Country (situation comedy) ABC 2012-2013

A family from Nashville relocates to Malibu. Geoffrey becomes a friend to the central character Reba, who is trying to restart her singing career.

Vicious (situation comedy) ITV1 2013-2015

An older gay couple's lives are disrupted by the arrival of a new upstairs neighbour.

The Carrie Diaries (teen drama) CW 2013-2014

Prequel to Sex and the City set in 1984 and featuring Carrie Bradshaw as a fifteen-year-old. Among Carrie's circle of friends is Walt, boyfriend of Carrie's best friend Maggie. In the series pilot Walt is clearly struggling with understanding and accepting himself.

Seed (situation comedy) City 2013-present

Bartender Harry meets and becomes part of the lives of some of the families who conceived from his past donations. Michelle and Zoey's son Billy seeks out Harry and claims Harry as his father.

Forgive Me (Drama) SuperChannel 2013, 2015-present

A young insomniac priest gets caught up in the sins of his congregants while a secret from his own past threatens his calling (Wikipedia).

The Following (crime drama) Fox 2013-present

An imprisoned serial killer orchestrates his followers' crimes while the FBI struggles to stop them. Jacob and Paul are part of a cell of Followers responsible for a child kidnapping. Their cover as a gay couple, Will and Bill, is supposed to be false. When Jacob's lover Emma joins them the resulting relationship tension is eased when the three of them sleep together. Either a bisexual killer cliché or a significant development in complex multifaceted non-straight characters. Both characters were first season fatalities.

Heading Out (situation comedy) BBC2 2013

Sitcom following the life of a neurotic veterinarian trying to live openly with her friends while hiding her sexual orientation from her parents.

Please Like Me (comedy) ABCTV2 2013

The series revolves around Josh, who is growing up quickly and realises that his parents are not heroes, but dopes with no idea what's going on, just like him (Wikipedia). No one is more surprised than Josh that Geoffrey likes him.

Californication (drama/comedy) Showtime 2007-present

Relationship comedy/drama centered around a novelist. A stint in rehab puts the main character in contact with Gabriel, the rehab councellor (4 episodes).

Necessary Roughness (football drama) USA 2011-2013

Drama on the field and in the office of a fictional professional football team. Three-episode arc about what's troubling the star quarterback.

Orphan Black (Science fiction) BBC America/Space [Canada] 2013-present

A woman named Sarah discovers she is one of several clones. Sarah's foster brother Felix is one of the few people she can trust. One of the clones is lesbian University of Minnesota doctoral student Cosima.

Nashville (musical drama) ABC 2012-2016

Drama following several country music performers at different stages of their careers. Will surprised both himself and his best buddy Gunnar when he leaned in for a kiss in an unguarded moment. Derek works for Will's record label, and they have a past together. Will later works with Bicks writing songs, and they eventually become romantically involved. Homophobic country singer Wade Cole hires Will to write songs for him, and then make a pass at Will.

The Haves and the Have Nots (serial drama) OWN 2013-present

Weekly soap opera featuring two wealthy families, the Cryers and the Harringtons, and a third, much poorer family, the Youngs.

In the Flesh (supernatural drama) BBC 2013-2014

Those who died in 2009 become re-animated as zombies, but with proper treatment they can be re-integrated into society as sufferers of “partially deceased syndrome” (PDS). Main character Ren committed suicide after his best friend and romantic partner Rick (David Walmsley) died serving in Afghanistan. Both are among the partially deceased being treated and integrated back into their community.

The Fosters (drama) ABC Family 2013-present

Drama about a family of biological, adopted and foster children being raised by parents Lena and Stef. Cole is a resident of the Girls United group home, a female-to-male trans person. Thirteen year old best friends Jude and Connor shared a kiss in a 2015 episode, and admitted it wasn't their first kiss. By the end of the season they had decided they were boyfriends. After breaking up with Connor, Jude met Noah. Widely praised for the show's portrayal of a young male teen couple, the showrunners responded by breaking up the relationship and abandoning the storyline.

Go Girls (comedy/drama) TV2 (New Zealand) 2009-present

Dissatisfied with their lives, a group of Auckland North Shore residents make challenging promises to improve their lives. Levi makes a quest for pay back (Wikipedia). Levi's crush on Kent is more than complicated when he learns Kent is the brother of his revenge target.

A Place to Call Home (period drama) 7N (2013-2014), FoxTel 2015-2016

Drama about a wealthy Australian family during the social changes of the 1950s. Young married man James juggles the pressures of family, a new wife, and secrets. One of those pressures is the return of his youthful dalliance Harry.

Under the Dome (science fiction horror) CBS 2013-present

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, a town is sealed under a dome. Carolyn and Alice were travelling through town and trapped when the dome landed.

Camp (comedy) NBC 2013

Summer series following the wacky events at a summer camp. Todd and Raffi are the dads of two of the kid campers.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (situation comedy) Fox 2013-present

Comedy set in a Brooklyn police station.

Strike Back (military action drama) Sky1 2010-present

The series follows the actions of Section 20, a secretive branch of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), who operate several high risk, priority missions throughout the globe. One of the fourth (2013) season's bad guys is nasty villan James Leatherby. Seen in the United States on Cinemax.

Sean Saves the World (situation comedy) NBC 2013-2014

Comedy about divorced dad Sean and his 14-year-old daughter.

Wizards vs. Aliens (Science fiction/fantasy) CBBC 2012-present

The adventures of a 16-year-old wizard and his non-wizard best friend as they battle against attacking aliens. Benny is the wizard's best friend, and comes out late in the second season. Benny moves away to America during the 2014 series. Series created by Russell T. Davies.

Masters of Sex (period drama) Showtime 2013-present

Series fictionalizes the lifes and work of pioneering sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Set in the 1950's. Masters and Johnson's research takes place at the hospital where Scully is Provost. Masters blackmails Scully after interviewing Dale.

The Biggest Loser (reality/contest) NBC 2004-present

The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight. Chief trainer Bob Harper came out in a 2013 episode.

Ripper Street (period police drama) BBC 2012-present

Police investigate crimes in the Whitechapel district of London in the 1890s. Newspaperman Fred Best is an ongoing irritation for the police. In the second season it's revealed Best has insider knowledge about a telegraph boys prostitution ring.

My Mad Fat Diary (comedy-drama) E4 2013-present

Set in Stamford, Lincolnshire in 1996, My Mad Fat Diary follows the story of 16-year-old, 16 stone girl, Rae Earl (Wikipedia). One of Rae's friends closer friends is Archie.

The Originals (supernatural drama) CW 2013-present

Vampires in New Orleans A romance between Josh (a vampire) and Aiden (a werewolf) presents more than a few complications. Spin off from Vampire Diaries. Gay characters rarely get more than a line or two per episode.

Sex & Violence (drama) OutTV 2013, 2015

Two six-part series following the professional and personal lives of those who deal with people in harrowing situations. Constable Roach is often called to the scene of domestic violence incidents. Brenda deals with many people in trouble, but can't deal with her couch potato spouse Louella. Husbands Stephen and Steven see fostering as a possible path to having children of their own. Middle aged and recently separated from his wife, Jasper is losing cases and exploring his bisexuality. Kevin is the handyman at a battered women shelter. Chanel is a homeless trans person the system cannot seem to help. Neville supervises the local social services office, and has permission from his open minded wife to cruise the local bath house. Manny tells his husband Diarmuid he's having an affair.

Looking (dramedy) HBO 2014-2015

Drama about the lives of a group of gay men living in San Francisco. Frank is Agustin's boyfriend. Patrick and Richie meet on a bus. Kevin is Patrick's boss.

Chozen (animated sitcom) FX 2014

Animated situation comedy about “a gay white rapper just out of prison who has his sights set on becoming one of the genre's superstars.”

Sirens (comedy) USA 2014-2015

The work and personal lives of three paramedics. American version of the British show of the same name.

Arrow (supernatural action/drama) CW 2012-present

Oliver Queen, a millionaire playboy, thought dead in a shipwreck, returns to Starling City as a vigilante archer determined to save his city. Sara was also thought drowned in the sinking, but returns to Starling as The Black Canary, a member of the League of Assassins. Sara's romantic relationships include Oliver (her sister's boyfriend) and Nyssa al Ghul, daughter of the League's leader.

Spun Out (situation comedy) CTV 2014-present

Workplace situation comedy set in a public relations firm. Series stars Dave Foley as the owner of Dave Lyons Public Relations (DLPR). Nelson is a smooth-talking account executuve, and best friends with copywriter Beckett. They both work at DLPR.

Faking It (comedy) MTV 2014-2016

Two best friends, Amy and Karma, are mistakenly outed as lesbians. Shane is their gay friend. Amy and Reagan date. Shane and Duke date on the downlow. Wade dates Karma and Shane, simultaneously. Shane likes Noah, who is gay and trans.

The Night Shift (medical drama) NBC 2014-present

Medical drama that follows the lives of the staff who work the late night shift in the ER at San Antonio Medical Center.

Undateable (situation comedy) NBC 2014-present

Danny, who is successful at picking up women, tries to lead his less successful peers to better social lives. Brett works at the local bar, and is just newly out of the closet.

Penny Dreadful (psychological thriller) Showtime 2014-2016

Characters from classic horror fiction (Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray) interact in Victorian London. Dorian Gray is bisexual or at least bored with life and willing to experiment). Dorian's bisexuality absent in seasons 2 and 3. Dorian and Angelique's romantic relationship crosses gender conventions. Married Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle (Simon Russell Beale) also seems to have an eye for strapping young men.

Mystery Girls (situation comedy) ABC Family 2014

Two actresses decide to try being real detectives. Nick is their assistant.

Young & Hungry (situation comedy) ABC Family 2014-present

A wealthy entrepreneur hires a blogger as his domestic chef. Another member of his houshold staff is his assistant, Elliot. Alan is Elliot's boyfriend.

Tyrant (drama) FX 2014-2016

Drama centred on the Al Fayeed brothers Jamal and Bassam/Barry. When Jamal inherits the presidency of their homeland, Barry and his family give up their American lives to play a role in their homeland's political life. Sammy is a teenager who grew up in California with little understanding of what it means to be gay in a strict, conservative country. Abdul is the young scion of the family who have provided security for generations of Al Fayeeds. Sammy begins a relationship with a university professor in season three. Writers seem to abandon the Sammy/Abdul plot a few episodes into season one.

Hit the Floor (sports drama) VH1 2013-2016

Drama centred around a professional basketball franchise. Brent has an eye for talent, and for his client, basketball player Zero. Zero's reputation is built on quoting the Bible, seducing cheerleaders, and buying (female) prostitutes, but is always willing to advance his career.

Graceland (law enforcement drama) USA 2013-present

Graceland depicts inter-agency undercover operations based in a southern California beach house. Carlito, son of the Solano cartel's leader, is manipulated by a straight undercover FBI agent (series regular Joe “Johnny” Turturro (Manny Montana)) pretending to be gay.

Partners (situation comedy) FX 2014

Two lawyers from vastly different backgrounds form a law firm together. Michael is their office assistant.

Chasing Life (drama) ABC Family 2014-present

Drama centred on a 24-year-old journalist who is diagnosed with leukemia. Brenna, the lead character's sister, is attracted to both Kieren and Greer.

Dominion (science fiction/fantasy) SyFy 2014-present

After a war between angels and humans, the remaining human population reside in a few fortified cities. One of these is Vega (formerly Las Vegas), where the human population is protected by the archangel Michael. Arika is the ambassador of another city of survivors, and the wife of that city's queen. Although best friend of the central character, Ethan is not a major role (and his sexuality is only mentioned once). Gay character was little seen in season one, and did not appear in season two.

How To Get Away With Murder (drama) ABC 2014-present

Criminal defense attorney Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) teaches a law school class on defending accused murderers. Connor is one of five law students chosen to intern at their professor's law office. Connor's sexual activities made real-world headlines in the Fall of 2014. Annalise's college fling Eve appeared in three episodes in 2015, renewing their affair.

Red Band Society (medical drama) Fox 2014

Drama centred on a group of pediatric medical patients.

Glue (drama) E4 2014

Eight-episode drama revolving around the friends of a 14-year-old boy who is found dead (Wikipedia).

Gotham (crime drama) Fox 2014-present

Set in the Gotham of Bruce Wayne's boyhood, the series follows the pre-Batman life of James Gordon and some of Batman's most infamous villains. Detective Gordon's fiancee has had a past relationship with Detective Montoya. Montoya suspects Gordon (perhaps the only honest cop in Gotham) of corruption and murder.

The Millers (situation comedy) CBS 2013-2014

Comedy centred on a local television news reporter. Second season cast added Kip. CTV in Canada played the remaining few episodes unaired in the United States.

The Flash (superhero drama/action) CW 2014-present

Young forensic technologist Barry Allen is given super speed by an accident at a particle accellerator. Captain Singh's on-air time barely tops 10 minutes per year.

Marry Me (situation comedy) NBC 2014-present

After dating for six years Annie and Jake decide to get married. The cast includes the bride's two dads, both named Kevin.

Being Mary Jane (drama) BET 2014-present

Drama centred on the professional and personal life of broadcast journalist named Mary Jane Paul.

The McCarthys (situation comedy) CBS 2014-2015

Comedy about a big Irish Catholic, sports-crazed Boston clan and the gay son whose greatest sin is not his sexuality but his desire to spend less time with his family. Ronny wants to take the job in Providence.

Kingdom (drama) DirecTV 2014-present

Drama centred on two generations of a family involved in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Nate's struggle to return to fighting after an injury is only one part of his need to conform to his family's expectations.

Empire (music drama) Fox 2015-present

A music mogul must chose a successor from amongst his three sons. Middle son Jamal is a talented singer-songwriter, but dad can't accept his lifestyle. Michael is Jamal's boyfriend.

Cucumber (drama) C4 2015

Cucumber follows middle-aged gay man Henry and his long-suffering boyfriend, Lance. Interlinked with Banana. Seen in the U.S. on Logo.

Banana (drama) E4 2015

Drama about the younger generation of friends. Interlinked with Cucumber. Seen in the U.S. on Logo.

Backstrom (detective drama) Fox 2015

Cantankerous detective Everett Backstrom uses unconventional methods to solve crimes.

Eye Candy (mystery drama) MTV 2015

Tech genius Lindy Sampson goes on the hunt for a serial killer in New York while searching for her lost sister Sara. Based on the novel by R.L. Stine. Connor is best friend of Sophie, Lindy's roommate.

Murdoch Mysteries (period police drama) City [2008-2012], CBC 2013-present

Set in turn-of-the-Century Toronto, police detective William Murdoch solves crimes, often inventing investigative methods ahead of their time. Dr. Grace assumed responsibility for the morgue beginning in season 6. In an episode of season 8 (2015) she is accused of being a sapphist during an investigation of an all-female jewelry theft gang.

Black Sails (pirate drama) Starz 2014-present

West Indies pirates set as a prequel to Robert Lewis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. Captain Flint leads his band of pirates on the hunt for the Spanish treasure galleon Urca de Lima. Not until well into the second season was lead character Captain Flint's exile from society explained. Anne's relationship with Max develops in an unexpected direction.

The Walking Dead (zombie drama) AMC 2010-present

A band of survivors wander in search of civilization or help in the zombie apocalypse, battling the undead and the desperate living along the way. Aaron is a scout and recruiter for one colony of survivors, and brings Rick and his band to their refuge.

The Royals (drama) E! 2015-present

Soapy drama about a fictional English royal family where The King is just about the only one without an ongoing illicit romance or affair. The king's brother Prince Cyrus covets the throne, sexually exploits the female staff, and sleeps with men to gain advantage. After a string of doomed relationships with men Princess Eleanor became involved with an American woman named Samantha “Mandy” Cook (Sarah Dumont).

Olympus (costume drama) SyFy 2015

Sword-and-sandals drama set in ancient Greece. Kimon the scribe is assigned to Prince Lykos to serve his every need.

The 100 (science fiction drama) CW 2014-present

Drama following a group of teens as they become the first humans to return to earth after a devastation war (wikipedia). Clarke is the leader of the 100, and is bisexual. Clarke and Lexa become involved. Lexa is then killed.

Dig (drama) USA 2015

An FBI agent uncovers an international conspiracy with archaeological, religious and political dimensions. Israeli police detective Cohen becomes involved in the investigation, working informally as the FBI agent's partner. Udi is Golan's boyfriend.

One Big Happy (situation comedy) NBC 2015

A man lives with his new bride and his lesbian best friend who is pregnant with their child. Lizzy and Luke went forward with their “best friends have a baby” project just before Luke met and married Prudence.

Mr. Robot (drama) USA 2015-present

Drama following Elliot, a computer security consultant who profiles people by hacking into their computer accounts and social media. Gideon is Elliot's boss. His story arc ends early in the second season.

True Detective (anthology noir detective drama) HBO 2014-present

Each season comprised a self-contained multi-episode crime and detective drama. The second season revolved around a murder of a local official and the dirty land deals he was implicated in. Woodrugh is deeply closeted, and in deep denial about his own sexuality. Miguel knew Paul when they were in the military in Afghanistan.

Grantchester (drama) ITV 2014, 2016-present

Set in the 1950s, a Cambridgeshire vicar involves himself in investigating criminal cases. The timid parish curate Leonard has at least one secret incompatible with living in rural England in the 1950s.

Scream Queens (Comedy/Horror) Fox 2015-present

Anthology series. Season 1 centres on a series of murders involving the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority [wikipedia]. Fratboy Boone Clemens (Nick Jonas) was only faking being gay. Part of a 2015 mini-trend towards fake gay characters (see also Quantico).

Quantico (drama) ABC 2015-present

The series follows a group of young FBI recruits battling their way through training at the academy in Quantico, Virginia, with flashbacks detailing their previous lives. FBI-agent trainee Simon Asher (Tate Ellington) was only faking being gay. Part of a 2015 mini-trend towards fake gay characters (see also Scream Queens).

Cuffs (police drama) BBC 2015

Front-line policing in Brighton. Jake has a tough first day on the job when his veteran partner doesn't take him seriously. And his life gets even more complicated thanks to a romance with sexy lawyer Simon Reddington. Another constable, Donna, is married with a wife named Alice.

London Spy (espionage drama) BBC2 2015

Five-part miniseries about chance romance between a spy and a civilian. Danny is unexpectedly immersed in the world of espionage when a romantic relationship with the enigmatic Alex (Edward Holcroft) ends suddenly.

This Life (drama) CBC 2015-present

A diagnosis of terminal cancer sends single mother Natalie on a quest to help her three teenage children get ready for the future. Natalie's brother Oliver returns from Los Angeles to help out, leaving behind a messy personal life of his own. Oliver and Luke date.

Rosewood (police procedural) Fox 2015-present

A private pathologist working in Miami, Florida, in high demand with law enforcement. Pippy is the central character's sister. Tara is Pippy's fiancee.

Impastor (situation comedy) TV Land 2015-present

A man on the run assumes the life of a small-town pastor. In addition to faking being a pastor, he also has to fake being gay. Church secretary Russell is looking forward to the new gay pastor the most. At least this time the audience was in on the fake gay character from the start (see Quantico and Scream Queens).

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (science fiction/fantasy) ABC 2013-present

S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division), is a peacekeeping and spy agency in a world of superheroes. Joey understands living with a personal secret, and coming out.

Telenovela (situation comedy) NBC 2015-2016

Comedy set backstage on the set of a Spanish-language TV show. Gael is the lead actress' best friend, and plays her love interest on the show within the show. They both admit to imagining the same hunky actor when doing love scenes.

You, Me and the Apocalypse (science fiction comedy/drama) Sky1 2015-present, and NBC 2016

With their days numbered, a group of people struggle with the inevitable apocalypse after a comet is scheduled to hit Earth. Scotty is a minor Washington bureaucrat in the Special Situations Group. Scotty and his boyfriend Arnold are working to stop the comet.

Shades of Blue (crime/police drama) NBC 2016-present

An NYPD detective is caught up in a corruption investigation and must choose between doing the right thing and covering up for her corrupt colleagues. Wozniak is the corrupt commander of the 64th Precinct. He is bisexual with a wife and a boyfriend on the side. Donnie is Wozniak's co-conspirator and lover.

The Magicians (drama) SyFy 2016-present

Drama centred on the lives of several students at a college for magicians. Eliot forms a fast friendship with fellow college student (and lead character) Quentin.

American Crime (crime drama) ABC 2015-present

Each season of this drama is built around a criminal event. The second season was centred around a sexual assault at a highschool basketball team party. In the course of the investigation some of the players' sexual orientations are revealed.

Crashing (drama/comedy) C4 2016

Several twenty-somethings squat in an abandoned East London Hospital. Fred has a crush on fellow squatter Sam (Jonathan Bailey) who may or may not return the affection.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (comedy/musical) CW 2015-present

Rebecca, a lawyer from New York, moves to California to be in the same town as her ex-boyfriend. White Josh is the other Josh, not the ex-boyfriend. The more time Rebecca's boss Daryl spends around “White Josh", the more he realizes he's bisexual.

The Real O'Neals (situation comedy) ABC 2016-present

A close-knit Chicago family with Catholic roots has more than a few secrets. Son Kenny's secret is he's gay.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (comedy) FX 2005-present

Series follows the exploits of a group of underachiever friends who run a bar in south Philly. Series creator Rob McElhenney plays Mac, who comes across as a somewhat homophobic conservative Catholic. In the final episode of the 2016 (eleventh) season Mac comes to realize what almost everyone else seems to know, that his attitudes are covering for his unacknowledged homosexuality.

Schitt's Creek (situation comedy) CBC 2015-present

A wealthy family loses its fortune and has to retreat to a small town. Series co-creator Daniel Levy plays son David, who describes himself as pansexual, and has dated both men and women.

Fear the Walking Dead (zombie drama) AMC 2015-present

Spin-off and prequel to The Walking Dead. Show depicts the events at the coming of the zombie apocalypse. In season 2 we learned that Strand is gay.

The Aliens (science fiction comedy) E4 2016

Six-episode limited series. Forty years after they arrived, aliens live on earth segregated behind a border wall, allowed to work in human communities only on a limited basis. Dominic works on the human side of the wall, and has a crush on the lead character, a border guard named Lewis.

Animal Kingdom (drama) TNT 2016-present

A 17-year old orphan goes to live with his grandmother and uncles, who make a living committing crimes. Youngest uncle Deran is hiding his sexual orientation from his family. Adrian and Deran's relationship is sexual. If it ever was romantic it doesn't seem to be any more.

Dead of Summer (horror) Freeform 2016-present

Teens work as camp counsellors at a summer camp where the scary stories told around the campfire might be real. Some of the other counsellors remember Drew when he was a kid at camp named Andrea.

Too Close to Home (serial drama) TLC 2016-present

Anna, Valerie and Dax work at the White House in Washington, DC. Victor is Dax's boyfriend. Series full title is Tyler Perry's Too Close to Home.

3.0 Some Also Rans

4.0 Some That Don't Belong

5.0 References

Component Last Change: 1961-1970: Wednesday, 05-Sep-2012 16:06:53 CDT, 1971-1980: Thursday, 24-Nov-2011 11:09:44 CST, 1981-1990: Thursday, 17-Nov-2022 19:29:30 CST, 1991-2000: Wednesday, 12-Feb-2014 16:45:42 CST, 2001-present: Saturday, 10-Sep-2016 22:56:13 CDT, Networks: Friday, 16-Feb-2007 14:01:32 CST, Show Index: Saturday, 10-Sep-2016 22:54:20 CDT.