Last year was a particularly rough one for queer representation. From the massacre of nearly every show on The CW (a network that, regardless of quality, always provided consistent representation for a variety of sexualities and gender identities) to the axing of series after series, the question for 2023 in the aftermath was: how will this year stack up? Will the representation be better, or somehow even worse? The answer, it turns out, is complicated—as most things always are.
There have been a slew of incredible LGBTQ+ series that have aired this year, and the ones listed below are just barely scratching the surface. Featuring representation of lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, and even a bi-gender character, this year offered a slew of couples and characters all with varying degrees of success in their overall storytelling. But most importantly, queerness could always be found, in one way or another, in some of our biggest series.
However, we also lost a number of shows this year, whether that be to cancellation or straight-up deletion. The delightful Willow, which came out at the end of last year and featured a character who was technically Disney’s first queer princess, was removed from Disney+ earlier this year. A League of Their Own was canceled at Prime Video in the middle of the strikes after being renewed for an already-insulting four-episode final season. And even the fan-favorite Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies didn’t survive past one season, and found itself removed from Paramount+; thankfully, the series was actually released on DVD and VOD, so fans can still enjoy the representation it provided, even if there will never be more time devoted to that musical world.
More than anything, this year has shown that the first shows on the chopping block when things get difficult are the ones that showcase diversity or are led by diverse creative teams. Even in the midst of the strikes, the series that found themselves in the most danger were the ones that took risks and dared to tell stories that aren’t always told. But, even with all of the uncertainty, the queer series that did make it to air this year are emblematic of the power of representation, the value of storytelling as a means of connection, and the importance of telling stories about the LGBTQ+ community with grace and care.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the best queer TV shows of 2023:
14. The Morning Show
Network: Apple TV+
Status: Renewed for Season 4
The Morning Show itself has a complicated relationship with queerness, and, similarly, I have a complicated relationship with this series’ attempts at representation. Sometimes, the relationship between Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and Laura (Julianna Margulies) is stellar; even when they’re fighting, their push and pull becomes a heartbreaking example of two women overcoming their differences to love each other in spite of them. However, it’s not all perfect, and The Morning Show’s fumbles sometimes overshadow its genuinely effective LGBTQ storylines. But, even with its lackluster queer moments, The Morning Show’s position as Apple TV+’s most popular and recognizable show paired with its commitment to Bradley and Laura (as separate characters, at the very least) makes it an important entry in our queer media canon from 2023. —Anna Govert
13. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Network: Netflix
Status: No renewal or cancellation announcement yet
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off proved itself to be a fantastic reboot of the graphic novel and film it was based on, taking twists and turns that audiences weren’t expecting. One of the best surprises was its treatment of Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her fourth evil ex, Roxie Ritcher (Mae Whitman). In the film, their relationship is played as a joke, with Ramona simply stating that she entered a relationship with Roxie because she was “bicurious.” Here, their relationship–and Roxie’s emotions after their breakup–is treated with the utmost compassion, aiding in the show’s heartening revisions. In confronting each other, both women are able to not only fully realize their identities as queer women, but their place in each other’s lives as well. With this reboot, an abysmal lens of queerness becomes elongated, proving that sometimes, revisiting one’s work makes it all the better. – Kaiya Shunyata
12. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake
Network: Max
Status: Renewed for Season 2
Since the inception of Adventure Time in 2010, the animated show has amassed one of the most dedicated queer fandoms of the 21st century. The gender-swapping spinoff debuted on Max in August, and thankfully reinvented itself as a staple not only for new fans, but for the people who grew up with the original series. In Adventure Time the subtext surrounding Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire was basically text, but the show didn’t truly showcase this (with a kiss) until its finale episode in 2018. Thankfully, we now live in a time where characters are actually able to be queer. The genderswapped versions—Gary Prince and Marshall Lee—are finally able to exist as any couple does. Their meet-cute at the bakery Gary works at is delightful, and their relationship quickly turns into a full blown romance, one that is finally able to blossom under new circumstances (and on a new network). — Kaiya Shunyata
11. The Owl House
Network: Disney Channel
Status: Final season
The Owl House wrapped its run with three final episodes earlier this year, drawing the story of Luz (Sarah-Nicole Robles) and her adventures on the Boiling Isles to a close. The series, which aired on Disney Channel for its too-short three-season lifespan, was groundbreaking in its queer representation, with Luz and Amity’s (Mae Whitman) relationship breaking down barriers for representation not just within children’s media, but in animation and our broader media landscape as well. The Owl House drew to an effecting and delightful close, and although it’s upsetting for it to have ended so soon after it began, this series will always remain incredibly important to queer representation and to its dedicated fanbase. —Anna Govert
10. Our Flag Means Death
Network: Max
Status: No renewal or cancellation announcement yet
If there’s one show on this list that burst onto the scene despite having almost no promo, it would be Our Flag Means Death. Starring self-proclaimed “queer icon” Taika Waititi, at first glance the HBO series appears like a comedic take on a swashbuckling group of pirates who may not be good at their jobs. However, It quickly turns into a love story focusing on amateur pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), and the legendary Blackbeard, Edward Teach (Waititi). Despite the generally good vibes of this series and its fanbase, tragedy struck when a fan-favorite character was killed off in the finale of Season 2, falling dangerously close to the “bury your gays” trope. It’s safe to say that while Our Flag Means Death is the source for a lot of happiness, this past season dropped the ball in its final episode, but not before delivering queer delights in its hilarious and heartfelt second outing. —Kaiya Shunyata
9. Riverdale
Network: The CW
Status: Final season
While Riverdale has always showcased incredible (and often unhinged) queer representation, the series’ seventh and final season highlighted LGBTQ stories in a way that was often wholesome and heartbreaking. Taking place entirely in the 1950s after being saved from a comet poised to destroy Riverdale, our favorite Riverdaliens are both similar and different to the versions we once knew. In particular, Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni (Vanessa Morgan) shine, as they are allowed a much softer love story in comparison to their tumultuous relationship from the previous five seasons. And in one final act of camp perfection, Riverdale confirming that Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Archie (KJ Apa), and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) were all in a quad relationship was just the cherry on top of this already delightfully queer final season. —Anna Govert
8. Yellowjackets
Network: Showtime
Status: Renewed for Season 3
Watch on Paramount+ (with Showtime)
Cannibalism is all the rage right now, and thankfully, the subgenre seems to be directly linked with queerness. Showtime’s Yellowjackets returned with an unfortunately lackluster second season this past year, but the queer aspects of the show were finally able to come into the forefront. By shining the spotlight on older Taissa (Tawny Cypress) and Van (Lauren Ambrose)—who finally reunite in the present timeline after fans spent Season 1 clamoring for a reunion—the show gave queer viewers more substance to chew on. But, it wasn’t all good, and the weight of this relationship saw Ty’s wife and child abandoned not only by Tai herself, but the narrative as well. In throwing Simone to the side, I can’t help but feel the writers ultimately did all their queer characters a disservice here. In the end, the way Yellowjackets portrays queerness is refreshing… until it stumbles as the season goes on. Hopefully, Season 3 will rectify these mistakes and allow Tai, Simone, and Van to all become characters who aren’t only defined by their tumultuous relationship. But until then, Yellowjackets Season 2 still remains one of the best queer shows of the year. —Kaiya Shunyata
7. Good Omens
Network: Prime Video
Status: Renewed for Season 3
Prime Video and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens, at its heart, is a love story. And what really is a love story without a bit of heartbreak, right? This series follows the misadventures of Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale and David Tennant’s Crowley, two cosmically opposed beings who manage to find connection and love within each other. Season 2 is a quieter, more domestic season than its first, and it blooms with a type of casual queerness that feels authentic and wholesome as Crowley and Aziraphale coexist together in the comfort of the little piece of Earth they have carved out together. Of course, until it all comes crashing down in the season’s final moments. But fear not, gentle viewers, this representation remains important and impactful even in the midst of its angst-filled cliffhanger. We only hope it will get the third season it deserves to wrap-up Aziraphale and Crowley’s story the way it deserves. —Anna Govert
6. The Fall of the House of Usher
Network: Netflix
Status: Limited series
In our endless conversations about positive queer representation, The Fall of the House of Usher is anything but—and that’s a good thing. Following the titular Usher family as each child (bastard or otherwise) gets killed in shocking accidents one by one, Usher is a twisted warning of the dangers of capitalism and the corrupting power of money and access. But most importantly, almost every single one of these horrible people at the center of this series is queer. This is not the kind of series that will be lauded for its showcasing of LGBTQ life, but it is the kind of series that dares to posit that queer people can (and should) be evil on screen, too.
From the deliciously unhinged Camille (Kate Siegel) to the burnout Napoleon (Rahul Kohli) to the truly despicable Victorine (T’Nia Miller), even the series’ mysterious Vera (Carla Gugino) and a young Madeline Usher (Willa Fitzgerald) share a kiss before the bloodbath begins years later. If this series had come just a few years earlier, there likely would have been a lot more hand-wringing about what it’s trying to say about these cruel, heartless, and unsettling queer characters, but now (especially with creator Mike Flanagan’s track record of heartbreaking and incredible queer stories in his previous works) we can simply enjoy the queerness and the carnage side by side. —Anna Govert
5. Gen V
Network: Prime Video
Status: Renewed for Season 2
From the world of The Boys comes Gen V, a spinoff series that manages to eclipse its predecessor in both effectiveness and general enjoyability. The immaturity and tongue-in-cheek attitude integral to this heavily-satirized world is more grounded at the collegiate level, and this series’ ability to slip into genuine sincerity doesn’t hurt, either. When it comes to queerness, Gen V takes a casual approach, but includes some important representation that is often overlooked.
Marie (Jaz Sinclair), the series’ central heroine, falls into an easy romance with her once-rival Jordan, who is a bi-gender shapeshifter played by both London Thor and Derek Luh. It’s incredible to see Marie work through her own sexuality journey in such a subdued way, and Gen V’s handling of Jordan’s dual identity as they switch between masc and fem presentations is perfectly done. And even though a kiss between fem Jordan and Marie was cut from the finale (which Prime Video almost immediately released following an all-out fan campaign), it appears that Gen V is committed to the casual queerness of its Gen Z-inspiration and to the relationship between Marie and Jordan in its already-ordered second season. —Anna Govert
4. Heartstopper
Network: Netflix
Status: Renewed for Season 3
Heartstopper was last year’s queer breakout hit for Netflix, becoming a phenomenon amongst the LGBTQ community and beyond it. It’s difficult to follow a season like that, where so many found such comfort within those eight half-hour episodes, but Heartstopper manages to be just as wholesome and poignant in its second outing. Capturing that same breezy charm, Season 2 follows Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) as they attempt to navigate their relationship while deciding the right time to come out to their families and the school at large—all while dealing with their own internal battles. It doesn’t go as deep as it could on the more serious issues the series attempts to conjure (hopefully something they’ll rectify in future seasons), but what matters most is that it still feels like a warm blanket, a type of representation that is healing for those that never received it at such a formative age, and vital to those that are currently the target audience for this delightful show. Following Nick and Charlie into this colorful, doodle-accented world is always worthwhile. —Anna Govert
3. Everything Now
Network: Netflix
Status: No renewal or cancellation announcement yet
Like many teen shows, Netflix’s Everything Now debuted with a whimper, but that didn’t stop it from being leagues better than its peers. Mia’s (Sophie Wilde) relationship with her frenemy Alison (Niamh McCormack) is one of the show’s best aspects, and although they don’t end up together in the end, Alison’s love for her is so sweet to watch. It’s the perfect summation of what it feels like to be in love with a friend, and all the frustration and melancholy that comes with that realization. Various characters are given the space to explore their sexuality, and when they do come out to their friends, it’s never an issue. Instead of sitting them down and giving a speech, coming out in Everything Now is more of a simple conversation, and each friend reacts to the news as if they’re discussing the morning paper. We can only hope this show will be picked up for a second season, but knowing Netflix, those chances appear unfortunately slim. —Kaiya Shunyata
2. The Last of Us
Network: HBO
Status: Renewed for Season 2
The best aspect of HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us is when the show takes time to explore the intricate and fraught bonds between its characters. Episode 3 remains the best example of this, focusing on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), allowing the audience to take a breather from the zombies and action through their decades-spanning love story. Even almost a year later, this episode still feels bold, allowing two characters who were nothing but a blip in the story of the original game to become two of its most famed aspects. Paired with Episode 7—in which Ellie (Bella Ramsay) and her first love Riley (Storm Reid) are the focus—The Last of Us proves that adaptations can do better than their source material. Here, the way the show frames its queer characters remains its best touch, and there’s no doubt that the second season will do right by Ellie and her journey later on. —Kaiya Shunyata
1. Fellow Travelers
Network: Showtime
Status: Limited series
Watch on Paramount+ (with Showtime)
With each episode, Fellow Travelers continues to feel like a revelation. In a time where queer representation and sex scene discourse seem to be dominating the cultural conversation, here is a show that feels like it’s giving a middle finger to both. Bursting onto the scene with its boundary-pushing sex scenes, the show has continued to push the limits of what queer television can be in 2023. While it does become a bit tamer and languid towards the end, that doesn’t stop this limited series from still feeling special. A show focusing on the Lavender Scare and the AIDS epidemic could be extremely dour, yet Fellow Travelers is anything but. Instead, it feels like each time Hawk (Matt Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) profess their love to each other (in strikingly different ways) the series gets more hopeful. That hope carries on until the show’s final moments, with only the screen cutting to black, forcing you to reckon with not only your face mirrored back at you, but the realization that you’ve just witnessed something special. —Kaiya Shunyata
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