From left to right: Jean Smart, Megan Stalter, and Paul W. Downs in a scene from "Hacks." Source: Courtesy of Max

Streaming Queer: May 2024

Andrea Marks Joseph READ TIME: 14 MIN.

This month we reunite with many of our favorites: The women of "Hacks," the gossip and romance of "Bridgerton," the tense and unhinged seduction of "Interview with the Vampire," the punk rockers of "We Are Lady Parts," and the teens of "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" (now renamed "Summer School.")

May also brings a documentary about Black Twitter, a movie where a pop-star falls for a single mom, and two brand new chaotic reality competitions dial up the drama for our entertainment. Happy streaming!

"Hacks" Season 3

Season 3 of this beloved comedy picks up a year after season 2 ended. Deborah (Jean Smart) is "back on top," reaching a new level of success and respect in the industry, while Ava has found a new avenue of writing work where she feels like she's really making a difference. Per Screen Rant, "even with a year of growth and material success, something is missing in these women's lives, and it must be each other."

We can't wait to see comedy queen Meg Stalter continue to shine as Kayla, and we're really looking forward to guest stars J. Smith-Cameron, Helen Hunt, and Christina Hendricks – who is seen leaning over Ava seductively in the trailer.

"Hacks" Season 3 premieres May 2 on Max.

"The Idea of You"

"Red, White & Royal Blue" prince Nick Galitzine leads this romance with Anne Hathaway, as they fall into an unexpected love affair after meeting at Coachella. "The Idea of You" is a romantic drama that explores the whirlwind relationship between Solène (Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom, and Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), the 24-year-old lead singer of the world's hottest boy band. Out actor Dakota Adan plays one of Hayes' bandmates.

"The Idea of You" premieres May 2 on Prime Video.

"Prom Dates"

Best friends Jess (Antonia Gentry, "Ginny & Georgia") and Hannah (queer actor Julia Lester, "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series") find themselves suddenly without dates 24 hours before their prom after Jess catches her boyfriend cheating on her and Hannah breaks up with her boyfriend "because I'm gay, Greg!" And so begins a chaotic, hilarious race to find the perfect replacement prom dates. Hannah's especially focused on bringing someone cool to prom as her public coming out moment but keeps messing things up with her crushes. When the girls strike out among their peers, they go to a college party "where everyone's gay" and Heather (trans actress and "Gossip Girl" reboot fave Zión Moreno) acts as their guide, granting Hannah the "good fortune of seeing someone's boobs for the first time."

"Prom Dates" premieres May 3 on Hulu.

"The American Society of Magical Negroes"

Out actor Justice Smith leads this satirical comedy as Aren, a young man who is recruited into a secret society of Black people who dedicate their lives to the cause of making white people's lives easier. Drew Tarver ("The Other Two") stars as Jason, Aren's first assignment. When both Aren and Jason end up falling for the same woman at work, it messes up the careful balance that the Society upholds to keep everyone safe and magic in order.

"The American Society of Magical Negroes" premieres May 3 on Peacock.

"OMG Fashun" Season 1

Julia Fox and image architect Law Roach (the genius behind Zendaya's red carpet looks) co-host this design competition that sets out to disrupt the fashion world and celebrate sustainable, resourceful creatives. This show is all about "using materials and techniques that would make fashion's so-called gatekeepers squirm." Think recycled packaging, literal junk, and repurposing materials to eye-catching effect. Winners receive a $10,000 cash prize and have their garment modeled by Fox. Guest judges on the show include former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Phaedra Parks, trans actor and director Tommy Dorfman, and "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Violet Chachki.

"OMG Fashun" Season 1 premieres May 13 on Peacock.

"Pretty Little Liars: Summer School" Season 2

The survivors of "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" are reluctantly preparing for a cruel summer spent in class. Now called "Pretty Little Liars: Summer School," this season sees the Liars return for more haunting horror and adolescent shenanigans. Out actor Ava Capri ("Do Revenge") joins the cast as Noa's (Maia Reficco) former juvie cell mate, Jen, who ends up at the Liars' school and pulls Noa into her messy life. Noa will delve into "unspoken and unresolved affection" with Jen, exploring the obvious deep feelings between them. Trans actor Jordan Gonzalez returns as Ash, whose romance with Mouse is "stronger than ever" with them "fully in love," but Mouse being distracted by a potential new A stalking the girls is going to test their relationship.

"Pretty Little Liars: Summer School" Season 2 premieres May 9 on Max.

"THE GOAT" Season 1

Alyssa Edwards ("RuPaul's Drag Race") is one of 14 reality-TV stars who maximize their joint slay in this "reality show about reality shows" to compete for a grand prize of $200,000.

Contestants move into the GOAT Manor, from where they will begin 20 different challenges. In addition to those quests, they'll also have strategic challenges which call for them to earn and then break their fellow competitors' trust. Whether you're into "Fear Factor," "The Traitors," "Big Brother," or "Top Chef," this is looking like a chaotic mashup of them all, with fun for everyone!

"THE GOAT" Season 1 premieres May 9 on Prime Video.

"Black Twitter: A People's History" Season 1

So much of queer culture (both online and offline) can be traced through Black culture, and we're looking forward to hearing the stories of the people who make Black Twitter the vibrant, life-giving space that it is. The three-part docuseries will follow "the rise, movements, voices, and memes that made Black Twitter an influential and dominant force in nearly every aspect of American political and cultural life." Queer writers Roxane Gay, Ira Madison III, and trans activist Raquel Willis are among the people featured here to share the "oral history of a cultural phenomenon."

"Black Twitter: A People's History" Season 1 premieres May 9 on Hulu.

"Doctor Who" Season 14

This wildly popular show has a rebirth with the magnificent Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor (the Doctor being a Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a magical machine that looks like a British police box from the outside). This is the 14th season since the British show's revival in 2005, but will be its 40th overall. We trust in the queerness that Russell T Davies brings as this season's head writer and executive producer. Actors featured in this season include Jinkx Monsoon in "a major antagonistic role" as Maestro, "Heartstopper" actor Yasmin Finney playing Rose Noble, and Jonathan Groff in a mysterious "key role."

"Doctor Who" Season 14 premieres May 10 on Disney+.

"Interview With the Vampire" Season 2 (AMC+)

Jacob Anderson is back as Louis de Pointe du Lac, the vampire telling his story and taking us back into his memories since meeting Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and creating his idea of a family with Claudia (now played by Delainey Hayles). Louis narrates his past to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) under the watchful eyes of Armand/Rashid (Assad Zaman), who allows Louis some exploration of the origin story behind their relationship, specifically when they met in Paris.

Per AMC, "Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories." This season unfolds in Europe, where we learn more about life as part of a vampire coven, and dive deeper into the idea of memory as a monster.

"Interview With the Vampire" Season 2 premieres May 12 on AMC+.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes"

This movie is set 64 years before the events of the first "Hunger Games" film. It follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), enlightening us to the journey that led him to become Panem's tyrannical leader. Hunter Schafer stars as Tigris, Coriolanus' older cousin and confidante, who decades later becomes a stylist for the Games and ally to Katniss Everdeen. Rachel Zegler stars as Lucy Gray Baird, District 12's tribute during the 10th Hunger Games, and Snow's mentee; the young woman's relationship with Coriolanus has a tremendous impact on him and on Panem's history. Peter Dinklage, Josh Andrés Rivera, and Viola Davis also star.

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" premieres May 14 on Starz.

"Bridgerton" Season 3, Part 1

"Bridgerton" season 3 will be released in two parts, each of them being four episodes. Out actor Jonathan Bailey returns as Anthony Bridgerton, who is still madly in love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), but this season's focus is on a slow-burn friends-to-lovers storyline between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). This upcoming "Bridgerton" season has a new showrunner, Jess Brownell, who told PRIDE: "I want to see more queer joy on my screens and that was definitely a priority for me when I stepped into the showrunner role." We don't have any specifics yet, nor do we know how prominent the queer storyline will be in the show, but we're hoping for something really good and really gay.

"Bridgerton" Season 3, Part 1 premieres May 16 on Netflix. (Part 2 will premiere June 13)

"We Are Lady Parts" Season 2

This fierce, diverse show following Muslim punk band Lady Parts is back with the musicians riding the high of their first UK tour, only to be faced with a rival band that threatens the delicate state of their success. This season's music is bigger, with bolder covers and "more wild original tunes," as well as an overarching question of what success looks like. Creator Nida Manzoor says this season interrogates the "uncomfortable tension between art and commerce, [asking] how much compromise is too much. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether 'making it big' is really what they wanted." We can't wait to find out.

"We Are Lady Parts" Season 2 premieres May 30 on Peacock.


by Andrea Marks Joseph

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