Best Gay TV Shows of All Time

1. My So-Called Life

Is there anything better than angsty teens in the 90s? After watching My So-Called Life, you’ll probably agree that there isn’t.

Despite My So-Called Life’s short run of just two seasons, it was beloved by critics and fans alike. The show follows Angela Chase (Claire Danes) and her group of close friends (one being a gay 15 year-old) through their emotional coming of age in suburban Pittsburgh.

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2. The L Word

Showtime’s The L Word follows an ensemble of charismatic friends (both gay and bisexual) through the trials and tribulations of their always-entertaining Los Angeles love lives.

The show has soap-opera style bombshells and cliff-hangers, but high quality writing and directing from Hollywood’s best LGBT showrunners.

Photo by Carole Segal/Showtime/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock 

3. The Real L Word

After the The L Word ended, Showtime realized that the entertaining characters they had created weren’t far off from real high-profile lesbians in LA.

In 2010 they created The Real L Word, a reality series that played similar to the drama: high-profile LA and New York lesbians juggling successful careers, family, and relationships.

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4. Will and Grace

Another classic LGBT show is Will and Grace. Eric McCormack plays Will, a handsome Manhattan lawyer who’s looking for love, and Debra Messing plays Grace, a neurotic interior decorator who ditches her marriage at the altar. The two move into an apartment together, which sounds like the beginning of a classic love story, but there’s a catch: Will is gay.

Image courtesy of NBC

5. Transparent

Mort (Jeffrey Tambor), the patriarch of the dysfunctional Pfefferman family, is divorced, girlfriendless, and father of three. He shocks his narscissistic family when he reveals his true identity as a woman. In the time that follows, secret after secret is revealed about each member of the family.

Image courtesy of Amazon Video

6. Queer as Folk

While some LGBT shows air on the side of lightheartedness, Queer as Folk looks at the world through a more realistic lens. The show is set in Pittsburgh, and follows a group of gay men and women as they raise children, work, and go about their lives.

But don’t worry – there’s still a healthy dose of sex and romance to keep you entertained.

Image courtesy of Showtime

7. Ellen (Original)

Before Ellen DeGeneres was a talk show mogul, she played a Seinfeld-type version of herself in Ellen. The show features laugh-out-loud situational humor, Ellen’s distinct charm, and of course a ton of 90s nostalgia.

There’s also several noteworthy celeb appearances throughout the show such as Martha Stewart, Carrie Fisher, Jeremy Piven, and Kathy Griffin.

Image courtesy of ABC

8. Glee

Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) leads New Directions, the charismatic glee club at McKinley High, in Fox’s heart-warming and critically acclaimed musical drama Glee. The club becomes home to a group of outcasts including Kurt, a gay singer struggling with his sexuality.

One of the show’s most memorable characters is Sue (hilariously played by Jane Lynch), the narcissistic, conniving cheer coach who’s dead-set on crushing the glee club.

Image courtesy of Fox

9. Orange is the New Black

When Piper Chapman’s (Taylor Schilling) past unexpectedly catches up to her, she’s forced to abandon her executive job and fiance for prison oranges and hard inmates. Adjusting to prison isn’t easy for the Brooklynite, but she soon learns to navigate the politics – and romances – of life in the can.

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10. Modern Family

Arguably the best gay couple on TV is Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) on Modern Family. Cam’s country background and stereotypical flamboyance is contrasted by Mitchell’s urban pessimism and wittiness, creating a one-of-a-kind chemistry. The show also regularly uses the duo to explore LGBT issues in a smart, funny way.

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