The Queer Weekend Watchlist: 5 LGBTQ+ TV Shows to Binge

Less than six months ago, the TV landscape was rocked by six episodes of hockey romance out of Canada. Heated Rivalry hit screens and hearts worldwide, bringing together a community, catapulting its leads to instant stardom, and cementing its place in the queer TV canon. A slow burn love story, in the hyper masculine world of elite sports, with just a smidgen of…extra curriculars…to keep us all interested, it’s revived conversations about LGBTQ+ characters in media, prioritizing queer joy, and even prompted some real-life examinations of diversity and pride in sports.   

But it was only the latest in a long line of short (and short-lived) TV shows that have highlighted queer stories and characters and managed to resonate with audiences in a limited amount of time. Check out below for five queer shows from my watchlist that you can power through in a weekend. 

Tipping the Velvet

Starting off with the oldest and possibly most controversial show on our list, the mini-series Tipping the Velvet premiered in 2002 to critical acclaim and press obsession. Based on the 1998 debut novel by Sarah Waters, Tipping the Velvet follows protagonist Nan Astley, a simple oyster girl from Whitstable in Kent, and her life-changing love affair with Kitty Butler, a male impersonator who visits to perform in the town. Nan joins Kitty in London - in her act and in her bed - leading to heartbreak, homelessness, and ultimately, hope. 

After Kitty discards Nan, the show weaves through Victorian London – from the seedy backstreets where politicians and peddlers alike solicit Nan for “favours”, to the aristocratic home of Diana, the wealthy socialite who takes Nan in, although for wildly un-altruistic reasons. Nan’s travels through multiple personas before finding one she doesn’t have to perform can be recognised by many in the community as the real self-discovery at the heart of many coming out tales. 

Broadcast in three parts, Tipping the Velvet mirrored many a BBC drama at the time of its release (and was later followed by more Waters’ adaptations on the channel), highlighting that the stories of queer characters were just as worthy of the prestige period production on television as any Dickens or Austen. Celebrated now as part of the queer TV canon, Tipping the Velvet is a must-watch for sapphics and sapphic enthusiasts alike. 

Sugar Rush 

A noughties fever-dream, Sugar Rush turned 20 last year, marking two decades of the sticky sweet Brightonian coming of age. Fifteen year old Kim (Olivia Hallinan) moves to a new school, immediately drawn to wild girl Maria “Sugar” Sweet (Lenora Crichlow) – and so begins an almost odd-couple friendship, where Sugar introduces Kim to drinking, partying, and boys, while Kim comes to realise that maybe Sugar herself is actually the most exciting part of it all. 

Kim’s teenage daydreams and overwhelming inner monologue keep us embedded in her perspective – she’s a wildly flawed protagonist, but her awkward fumbling and second guessing make her an almost embarrassingly relatable one too. 

Back-lit with the very particular kitschy mundanity that a seaside adolescence brings, Kim’s discovery and eventual exploration of her queerness make Sugar Rush absolutely essential viewing for anyone who has ever been crushed by their straight bestie. 

Mary & George

Delving into the passionate, powerful world of 17th century English politics, the limited series Mary & George debuted in 2024, promising intrigue, sex, and a healthy dose of historical speculation. While it’s based in a wide range of documentation on King James I’s sexual proclivities, Mary & George takes those tales of his exploits and palace rumours and gives life to his courtiers and conquests themselves, with one George Villiers leading the piece. 

Nicholas Galitzine (already having starred in recent queer cinema hits Red, White, and Royal Blue, and Bottoms) portrays George, a beautiful, young courtier, pushed to rise through the ranks of court life by his ambitious mother, Mary, exquisitely embodied by Julianne Moore. What follows is years of dastardly political machinations and debaucherous sexual power games, where it’s safe to say, that no-one ends happily. 

With opulent costuming and sets, the show sinks you into the decadence of King James’ court – the characters themselves are often despicable in their desire for power and control, utilising every tool in their arsenal in order to stay on top (in more ways than one). 

While the explicit nature of the show might not be for everyone, historical depictions of queer figures in position of power, let alone ones that hold moments of truth, are rare, and that’s what makes this a must-see. 

Wayward

Wayward dropped on Netflix in 2025 with very little fanfare which I personally think is a huge shame. Taking swipes at the troubled-teen industry and the cultish expectations of a town at its mercy, Wayward’s mysterious, vaguely supernatural premise had me hooked from the outset. 

Written by and starring Mae Martin of Feel Good fame, and Academy Award-nominated Toni Collette, Wayward takes us to Tall Pines, a small town in North America where Collette’s Evelyn Wade runs an “academy” for troubled teenagers. Mae’s Alex, a trans man, and his wife Laura were students at the academy when they were younger, and consequently fell in love and are now expecting. Laura still feels gratitude at her experiences at the academy, while Alex is more sceptical of Laura’s reignited friendship with Evelyn.  

While the show does gives us a view into the academy via characters Leila and Abbie, Alex and Laura’s re-integration into the town and slow suffocation back into its cultish desire for communion are the real anchor of the series. It casts a creepy pallor over their interactions with their neighbours, friends, and Alex’s colleagues at the police station and leads us to the true goal of the academy. While ostensibly Evelyn talks about breaking cycles of toxicity and undoing trauma doled out from parents, it becomes clear that no one who enters Tall Pines ever really leaves – Evelyn grows the town through the cultish devotion of the students she indoctrinates. 

The narrative of the show initially sets us up for a conversion therapy-style conflict, but while the academy’s purpose has never been to convert anyone’s sexuality, the parallels to media we’ve all seen before are not lost. The central mystery however is really the driving engine of Wayward and for any fans of Twin Peaks or Carnivale but who like a little LGBTQ flavour, this is the show for you. 

Mid Century Modern

Let’s end with a light one shall we! Although Mid Century Modern is the only show on this list to be officially cancelled after only one series, the conceit of the show (three late middle-aged gay friends decide to move in together in Palm Springs) could have conceivably continued for years – we’ve been missing a good gay sitcom! 

Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer), and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) are heartbroken by the unexpected death of their longtime friend George. After realising they’ve grown too far apart over the years, Bunny extends the invite to Jerry and Arthur to move into the home he shares with his mother in Palm Springs. Chaos ensues. 

Classic sitcom hijinks and miscommunications occur, but the show is all heart at its core (the ninth episode is a bit of a gut-wrencher) and the central cast are incredibly endearing. Bunny, Jerry, and Arthur are all at once real and tangible and still make even the well-worn cliches feel new again. 

Which is your favourite LGBTQ+ series?

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