Like an oasis during these messy times, Queers on BBC was a beacon of light shining on a really interesting part of British/LGBT history. An eight episode miniseries of monologues, the monologues were penned as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offenses Act and chronicles the LGBT journey across several generations with a cavalcade of actors.
The monologues are a mixed bag, with 3 being truly excellent, 1 being good, and the others being average. You’re never not entertained though, which I think is the biggest win of the series. I enjoyed the 2+ hours I got to spend with these wonderful stories, eva though they might not have all been the most engaging. It’s tough to judge the performances of the actors in the piece because while they are all good, they are also hindered or helped by the words they are given. Ben Whishaw, Russell Tovey, Gemma Whelan, and Alan Cumming anchor those four best pieces with performances that elevate some already superlative words. I was most surprised by Tovey, who I’m hot and cold on, who got to imbue his monologue with something interesting because of how it was told over time.