I Kissed a Girl
5 stars
Apple TV
Dannii is back, fabulous as ever, this time with a group of queer women looking for love. For those who missed last year’s I Kissed a Boy, the premise remains the same (but with girls): ten 20-somethings are paired up and must seal their new coupledom with a kiss upon their arrival at an Italian masseria. They then get to know each other, decide if they are a match or if love awaits elsewhere and seal it again at a later kiss-off. Those left unkissed must leave the masseria, with new girls occasionally added to the mix to spice things up.
The show is filled with drama, high emotions, partner swapping, and a whole dictionary of Gen-Z queer girl terminology (Golden Retriever, Black Cat, Stem, to name a few). However, it avoids the nastiness, shaming, toxicity and misogyny often seen in some heterosexual dating shows (Love Island, anyone?). These girls are respectful, honour their lineage, talk openly and honestly about their emotions, laugh at themselves when they’re being ‘gay-girl clichés’ and are just really sweet to watch. There are no villains, no one is being competitive or cutthroat, and even the one contestant I initially thought might grate on me (posh girl Amy with her slightly affected Surrey accent) became my favourite by the end.
Just as she did in I Kissed a Boy, Dannii makes occasional appearances in ever-more ostentatious outfits to spice things up or hold the kiss-off but for the most part, we’re just hanging with a group of queer girls who, I can honestly say, reaffirm how proud I am to be a part of the queer community. You can also watch it on BBC iPlayer using a VNP or look out for it on 10Play.
Lost Boys and Fairies
3.5 stars
Stan
The story follows performance artist Gabriel and his partner Andy, who decide to adopt a child. Both have personal issues that the process brings to the surface, in particular Gabriel, who has a troubled relationship with his own father and is struggling with a lifetime of gay shame. It’s an affecting drama, with a healthy dose of camp, which reminded me a lot of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In fact, like Priscilla, it could have almost been made in the ‘90s. But unlike Priscilla did at the time, it doesn’t really say anything new, particularly about gay shame (we all suffer from it in varying degrees and it would have been nice to see a more nuanced conversation). That said, there is a twist at the end of the second episode that I genuinely didn’t see coming and there are some real tearjerker moments and great performances throughout.
