‘Queer as Folk’ Reboot Canceled: What to Know

Last week, fans learned that Peacock has canceled its revival of Queer as Folk. Series creator Stephen Dunn announced the news on social media, thanking fans for their support and the cast and crew for their dedication. Fans were more outraged, wondering why this bastion of LGBTQ+ culture needed to have such a short life on the air.

Dunn broke the cancellation news in a heartfelt post on Instagram. He wrote: “It’s a rare gift in these times, and in this country, to be able to make a show as fearless and unapologetic as Queer as Folk. This experience changed our lives forever and we’re so grateful to have found this incredible new family. But today we received the disappointing news that we’re not getting a second season. We know how much it’s meant to the fans and while we’re heartbroken we won’t get to make more episodes, we wanna thank everyone for watching and falling in love with Brodie, Mingus, Ruthie, Noah, Shar, Julian, Daddius, Busey, Marvin, Judy and Brenda.”

“We’re so grateful for the chance to honor our community and are so proud of this show,” Dunn concluded with the hashtag “Queer as Family.” Dunn’s post included two photos – a group shot of the cast together on set and a photo of a disco ball exuding rays of light in every direction. Commenters could hardly believe that Peacock had canceled such a promising show.

“That’s nuts to me it was epic,” one person wrote. Another added: “A beautiful work of art you should be proud of. Congrats on a wonderful season,” while a third wrote: “This is so heartbreaking. I’m so sorry Stephen. Wish we could see these beautiful characters continue their stories.”

This series was the third iteration of Queer as Folk. The series was originally created in the early 1990s by Russell T. Davies for British television, and it ran for two seasons. In the late 1990s, an American version was created for Showtime by Ron Cowan and Daniel Lipman. That version got several seasons, and was credited with laying a foundation for future prestige TV series about LGBTQ+ communities.

Dunn’s most recent version of Queer as Folk is set in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it follows the local LBGTQ+ community struggling to recover from a mass shooting analogous to the Pulse nightclub shooting that took place in Florida in 2016. You can stream the series now on Peacock, but another season is not coming.