Twenty-five years ago, a little television show called Queer As Folk began airing on Channel 4. Centred around the lives of three gay men living in and around Canal Street, the programme helped spur a monumental impact on Manchester’s Gay Village that is still evident today. To celebrate the anniversary, creator Russell T Davies reunited with those who played a part in the series as part of Manchester’s newest LGBTQ+ film and television festival SCENE.
The Q&A event, which was hosted by famed weatherman and presenter Owain Wyn Evans , took place at New Century Hall on Friday (August 16) and featured former cast members Denise Black, Carla Henry and Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton as they recalled moments from the show and looked to its place in queer history today. READ MORE: The best restaurants and bars where you can celebrate Manchester Pride 2024 Running for two series from 1999 to 2000, the show featured lead stars Aidan Gillen , Craig Kelly and Charlie Hunnam and aimed to showcase what it meant to be a gay man living in Manchester at the time. For many, it was the first time they saw themselves depicted as characters on screen and was filmed on location in the Gay Village, with Cruz 101 doubling up as fictional bar Babylon.
The drama is looked back today as having helped to shape what Canal Street came to be and also changing perceptions towards the LGBTQ+ community not just here but around the world. It has also been cited as inspiration for other leading que.