(Clockwise from top) Matthew Rhys and Tom Skerritt star
in ‘Brothers and Sisters’ (Photo by Michael Desmond/ABC); The cast of
‘Ugly Betty’ are poised for the show’s third season (Photo by Bob
D’Amico/ABC) and ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine,’ on which a
dame-sex wedding will open the season. Shown here are Wanda Sykes and Julia Louis Dreyfus. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS)
|
Friday, August 22, 2008
 GLAAD
isn’t
particularly
satisfied
with
gay
visibility
on
television
shows
these
days.
Last
season,
ABC’s
multiple
gay-friendly
shows
gave
us
a
commitment
ceremony
between
men,
the
first
recurring
transsexual
character
on
television
and
a
nice
helping
of
same-sex
smooches
(male
and
female),
and
the
most
GLAAD
could
muster
was
a
“good”
rating
on
its
annual
index
of
network
responsibility.
I’d
say
we’re
making
great
strides.
ABC’s
two
top-20
non-reality
shows
both
feature
gay
characters
in
integral
roles.
Over
at
CBS,
Entertainment
Weekly’s
Michael
Ausiello
reports
that
“The
New
Adventures
of
Old
Christine”
will
capitalize
on
California’s
legalization
of
gay
marriage
by
having
its
leading
lady
—
as
played
by
Julia
Louis-Dreyfus
—
get
hitched
to
another
woman.
Cable
is
also
doing
its
part.
The
first
gay
Muslim
character
will
make
his
debut
in
2009
on
Edie
Falco’s
new
Showtime
project,
“Nurse
Jackie,”
while
Keir
Gilchrist
will
play
a
gay
teenager
whose
parents
are
OK
with
his
sexual
orientation,
on
another
forthcoming
Showtime
series,
“The
United
States
of
Tara.”
On
Tuesday,
Paul
James
returns
as
out
fraternity
brother
Calvin
Owens
on
ABC
Family’s
“Greek”
(yes,
gay
men
get
to
be
in
fraternities
in
TV
Land
now,
and,
yes,
that
channel
ends
in
“family”).
Meanwhile,
the
two
gayest
shows
on
television
—
“Nip/Tuck”
and
“American
Idol”
—
return
in
winter
2009.
Here’s
my
list
of
the
top
10
gay
characters,
actors
and
shows
to
watch
until
then:
10.
Eric
van
der
Woodsen.
“Gossip
Girl”
(The
CW).
I’d
like
to
think
Eric
will
embark
on
a
dysfunctional,
soapy
relationship
of
his
own
this
season,
but
I’m
smart
enough
to
know
he’ll
probably
blend
into
the
scenery
once
again
as
the
Chuck-Blair-Nate-Serena-Dan-Vanessa
love
hexagon
takes
center
stage.
Premieres
Monday.
9.
The
designers.
“Top
Design”
(Bravo).
“Shear
Genius”
may
be
winding
down,
and
“Project
Runway”
may
be
leaving
for
that
channel
that
plays
reruns
of
“The
Golden
Girls,”
but
“Top
Design”
—
the
interior
decorating
version
of
the
Bravo
reality
show
—
will
gladly
take
their
place,
introducing
us
to
a
whole
new
batch
of
creative
gay
guys
who
coin
catch
phrases
we
hate
(but
adopt
anyway).
Premieres
Wednesday.
8.
Neil
Patrick
Harris.
“How
I
Met
Your
Mother”
(CBS).
If
for
some
reason
you’re
forced
to
watch
a
sitcom
on
CBS,
I’d
pick
this
one,
mainly
because
the
out
actor’s
role
as
the
womanizing
Barney
Stinson
is
such
a
scene-stealing
delight.
This
season,
expect
more
development
of
Barney’s
season
finale
revelation
that
he
has
feelings
for
a
woman.
Too
bad
that
woman
is
his
best
friend’s
ex-girlfriend.
Premieres
Sept.
22.
7.
“True
Blood”
(HBO).
Gay
creator
Alan
Ball
says
this
new
vampire
series
doesn’t
have
much
to
do
with
homosexuality,
but
after
“Six
Feet
Under,”
I’d
—
to
borrow
an
expression
from
the
eternally
eloquent
Randy
Jackson
—
“watch
him
sing
the
phonebook.”
Premieres
Sept.
7.
6.
Carmelita.
“Dirty
Sexy
Money”
(ABC).
Despite
the
transsexual’s
mysterious
disappearance
in
the
last
episode,
producers
told
TV
critics
in
July
that
she’ll
be
back
for
the
second
season.
Candis
Cayne
is
the
first
trans-playing-trans
actor/character
on
network
TV.
Premieres
Oct.
1.
5.
“90210”
(The
CW).
There
are
rumblings
that
one
of
the
characters
on
the
next-generation
series
will
be
gay.
But
really,
it’s
all
about
Shannen
Doherty’s
return
to
television.
On
the
same
show
as
Jennie
Garth.
’Nuff
said.
Premieres
Sept.
2.
4.
Isis.
“America’s
Next
Top
Model”
(The
CW).
They’ve
had
lesbians,
plus-sized
models
and
even
twins,
but
this
season
“Model”
gets
its
first
transgender
contestant.
Premieres
Sept.
3.
3.
Marc
St.
James
and
Cliff
St.
Paul.
“Ugly
Betty”
(ABC).
Marc’s
plus-sized
sweetheart
shows
up
for
a
couple
of
episodes
this
season.
Premieres
Sept.
25.
2.
Kevin
Walker
and
Scotty
Wandell.
“Brothers
&
Sisters”
(ABC).
Will
Kevin
and
Scotty
walk
down
the
aisle
a
second
time,
now
that
gay
marriage
is
legal
in
California?
“Kevin
and
Scotty
will
continue
to
explore
their
committed
relationship,”
an
ABC
rep
said.
Premieres
Sept.
28.
1.
Callie
Torres
and
Erica
Hahn.
“Grey’s
Anatomy”
(ABC).
With
all
the
mix-and-match
partnering
on
“Grey’s”
(and
all
the
backstage
drama
to
boot)
it’s
high
time
one
of
the
show’s
couples
be
of
the
same-sex
variety.
Am
I
the
only
one
who
sees
a
world
of
potential
in
this
pairing
of
successful,
type-A
women
doctors,
both
of
whom
seem
to
have
just
realized
their
sexuality
isn’t
so
black
and
white?
Expect
things
to
be
awkward
for
Hahn
and
Torres
following
their
season
finale
lip-lock.
GLAAD
can’t
get
too
upset
about
the
way
in
which
executive
producer
Shonda
Rhimes
handles
this
story;
she
consulted
with
the
organization
to
make
it
accurate.
Premieres
Sept.
25.
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