The romantic misadventures of a handful of gay and lesbian friends living in a working-class section of Pittsburgh set the stage for this made-for-cable series, based on a popular (and controversial) British television serial. Brian (Gale Harold) is a professionally driven advertising executive whose take-charge attitude extends to his love life; he's looking for a good time and has little use for commitment. One of Brian's few close friends is Lindsay (Thea Gill), a photographer and art instructor he met in college; Lindsay and her longtime lover Melanie (Michelle Clunie), a lawyer, recently had a child using sperm donated by Brian. One of Brian's biggest admirers is Michael (
Hal Sparks), a comic-book artist and bookstore manager who has known Brian since high school; Michael, however, has just entered into a relationship with David (Chris Potter), a sensible older doctor who has only been out of the closet for a few years (after divorcing his wife) and is looking for a stable, long-term relationship. Justin (Randy Harrison) is a 17-year-old high-school student who was picked up by Brian at a club; Justin is convinced he's in love, though Brian hardly feels the same way. Rounding out Brian's circle of acquaintances are Ted (Scott Lowell), a shy accountant who has had bad luck with relationships and spends too much time looking for lust on the Internet, and Emmet (Peter Paige), a flamboyant club maven and owner of a cutting-edge boutique.
Queer As Folk kicked off with a two-hour movie on December 3, 2000, and subsequently aired as a series of one-hour episodes; the show's appearance on the premium cable network Showtime allowed the producers to approach the material in a much bolder fashion than any conventional network would allow. As a result, the series is recommended for adults only. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide