Peacock’s upcoming Queer as Folk will feature a warning card when it begins streaming on June 9th. This follows last week’s tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 young children and two adults were killed (the shooter also died). The 2022 reimagination, based on Russell T Davies’ original Showtime series, follows the aftermath of a New Orleans LGBTQ nightclub shooting. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, creator Stephen Dunn cited the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, as inspiration for the upcoming show.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the added warning card will read: “Queer as Folk is a fictional series about the vibrant LGBTQ community in New Orleans rebuilding after a devastating tragedy. Some viewers may find elements of the first episode distressing as it depicts the aftermath of a shooting. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by these senseless tragedies.”
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Queer as Folk is not the only series that has recently addressed America’s growing gun violence epidemic. Netflix issued a warning during the first part of Stranger Things season four, as the premiere included violent imagery involving children, while CBS pulled FBI’s season finale. The episode was to have a storyline regarding a student suspected of carrying out a school shooting. Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson took to Twitter last week to express her disbelief in fans requesting that the 30-minute sitcom tackle the issue of gun violence.
Stephen Dunn’s Queer as Folk Reimagination
Dunn’s Queer as Folk is the third version of the series. The first, centered around a group of friends living in Manchester’s gay quarter, aired for two seasons beginning in 1999. A second version, written and developed by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, started in 2000 and aired for five seasons. The Showtime series focused on characters living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
To acquire the rights for his “reimagination” of Queer as Folk, Dunn met with Russell T Davies, the groundbreaking original series’ creator, writer and director. After pitching his updated story, that focuses on the aftermath of a shooting in a gay bar, Dunn acquired the rights and Davies joined as executive producer.
Dunn’s Queer as Folk has been in development since 2018, but the pandemic caused major setbacks for the production. To ensure that Queer as Folk would go on, Dunn recruited friends, colleagues and celebrities to assist in the creation of a video where they discussed their experiences as members of the LGBTQ community.
Season one of Queer as Folk will begin streaming on June 9 on Peacock.
Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets Violent Content Warning from Disney+
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