January is all about small-screen productions. Wildly popular series return with splashy new seasons — including “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Search Party” and “Euphoria” — while some of the biggest names in queer entertainment helm new shows from streaming giants.
9-1-1: LONE STAR SEASON THREE
‘9-1-1: Lone Star’Ryan Murphy’s “9-1-1: Lone Star,” which follows the first responders of fictional company 126 based in Austin, Texas, has never been a run-of-the-mill procedural drama. When the show cast Brian Michael Smith (“Queen Sugar”) as firefighter Paul Strickland, he became the first out Black trans man to be a series regular on network television.
The romance between police officer Carlos Reyes (Rafael Silva) and paramedic T.K. Strand (Ronen Rubinstein), the son of Capt. Owen Strand (Rob Lowe), has become the show’s buzziest storyline since the relationship ignited in season one. Fans finally got a Carlos-T.K. sex scene in season two, after getting called out for scrubbing a kiss that was advertised in the season promo. Rumors are already flying about wedding bells in season three.
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE SEASON 14
Mother Ru is returning with season 14 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The season features more than a dozen queens, who are all vying for the $100,000 grand prize and a chance to become a “Drag Race” superstar.
Recently the series sparked controversy for casting its first cisgender, straight male contestant, while it continues to lag behind on representation for transgender drag queens.
Last year, Gottmik made history as the first transgender male competitor, and Kylie Sonique Love was crowned the series’ first transgender winner. Notably, the cast of season 14 includes two Los Angeles-based transgender queens, Kerri Colby and Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté.
EUPHORIA SEASON TWO
In the season two trailer of “Euphoria,” starring Emmy-winning actor Zendaya and co-star Hunter Schafer as Rue and Jules, audiences get a peek into the chaos that ensues following the couple’s breakup in the season one finale. The trailer suggests more run-ins with the police, drug use and ever-present existential dread. In the snippet, Rue says: “When you’re younger, everything feels so permanent. But as you get older, you realize nothing is.”
This season will feature the return of queer actor Barbie Ferreira, who plays the sexually liberated, body-positive teenager Kat Hernandez.
CHEER SEASON 2
When the Netflix docuseries “Cheer” premiered two years ago, the Navarro College squad and their uncompromising coach, Monica Aldama, fascinated audiences with high-flying stunts and an all-consuming dedication to cheer. But the Emmy-winning first season was plagued by controversy, following the arrest of cast member Jerry Harris on a child pornography charge.
The new season picks up as its returning host of stars — including Gabi Butler, La’Darius Marshall, Lexi Brumback and Morgan Simianer — are processing Harris’ arrest and their newfound stardom, all while in the hunt for another championship title. And this time around, the Texas-based team shares airtime with its rival squad from Trinity Valley Community College.
SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE SEASON 1
LGBTQ director and executive producer Leslye Headland (“Russian Doll”) unveils a series chronicling the experiences of Samantha Fink (Sofia Black-D’Elia), a 20-something with alcoholism who is forced to move back in with her mother to get clean and avoid jail time. The move comes after Fink has a public, embarrassing breakdown. Headland’s wife, Rebecca Henderson, joins the series as Olivia, a melancholic lesbian who greets Alcoholics Anonymous meeting attendees with acerbic wit.
GETTING CURIOUS WITH JONATHAN VAN NESS SEASON 1
Nonbinary advocate Jonathan Van Ness is hosting a new Netflix show based on their popular podcast series of the same name. Since the podcast launched in 2015, Van Ness has dedicated episodes to exploring everything from the building of the Panama Canal to the history of scissors. In the new TV series, Van Ness brings audiences along as they speak with experts about a wide range of issues they are curious about, including buildings, insects and gender.
On Dec. 31, Van Ness and the other hosts of “Queer Eye” premiered season six of the beloved reboot, also on Netflix.
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MIAMI SEASON 4
The Miami-based iteration of “The Real Housewives” returned after eight years off the air, and the new cast includes Russian model Julia Lemigova — the first openly gay housewife in the 15-year-old franchise’s 11-series run.
Before Lemigova, who is married to tennis star Martina Navratilova, the show’s LGBTQ representation was limited to three cast members of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” who came out as queer during and after their seasons’ filming.
SEARCH PARTY SEASON 5
The cult dark comedy series “Search Party” is coming to an end with its fifth season. Created by Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, the show follows a band of self-involved 20-somethings searching for a missing former college acquaintance.
Season four ended with a cliffhanger involving search party leader Dory (Alia Shawkat), who is presumed dead after a fire engulfed the home where she’s been held captive by superfan Chip (nonbinary actor Cole Escola). The show has always been a who’s who of both emerging and established comedic talents, featuring the likes of Susan Sarandon, Rosie Perez, Busy Philipps and Chloe Fineman in guest and recurring roles. This season, Jeff Goldblum has signed on to join the search.
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