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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2000)
October 20.2000 * just out 4g tionships aplenty, including the incendiary one between Chris Keller (Chris Meloni) and Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen). o not adjust your set— you’re not imagining things— television this fall is a lot more lav ender. The new season has begun, and the video hearth is brightly awash with gays, les bians, bisexuals and even a transsexual or two. Although Ellen DeGeneres rammed the barricades with her sitcom Ellen, the Emmy- winning, high-rated Will & Grace has a lot more to do with the current crop of television shows turning more gay-friendly. S o does the fact that more gays and lesbians are climbing to the top of the Hollywood heap, earning dis tinction as writers, directors and producers. N ot all is rosy, however, because the vast majority of queer entertainers— be they actors, talk show hostesses or comedians— still stub bornly cling to the confines of the closet. Ironi cally, most gay and lesbian roles are played by heterosexuals, who often find themselves thrust into the political spotlight, willingly or not. This day-by-day guide will give you a rundown on most of the queer-themed characters and shows on television and shine a spotlight on those folks who bat for their own team. With the ex ception of Saturday, every day of the week offers a veritable cathode-ray cornucopia of queemess. T hursday • Friends (8 p.m., N B C ) Look for Ross’ lesbian ex-wife, Carol Wylick (Jane Sibbett), and her spouse, Susan Bunch (Jessica H echt), to reappear during this season. M onday Airy fairy aipwaves • The Hughleys (9 p.m., U P N ) T he next-door neighbor has an Asian Am erican daughter who came out last season. Joanie Park (Am y H ill) is a recurring character, and publicists promise she will reappear. We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re beaming into your grandmother’s living room by A ndy M angels Tuesday W ednesday • Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (8 p.m., W B) A s seen already this season, the relationship between young witches Willow (Alyson Han- nigan) and Tara (Am ber Benson) is continuing strong and is now well-known by everyone in town. A recent episode featured the hilarious voice-over reading of Buffy’s naive younger sis ter’s diary: “ I told M om one time I wished they’d teach me some of the things they do together, and then she got really quiet and made me go upstairs. Huh. I guess her genera tion isn’t really cool with witchcraft.” • Angel (9 p.m., W B) Buffy’s com panion show just introduced a friendly psychic green-faced karaoke-singing demon— T he Host (Andy H allett)— who has made more than a few comm ents about how sexy A ngel (David Boreanaz) is. • Dark Angel (9 p.m., Fox) A kick-ass female superhero who’s really a genetically engineered escapee and bike messen ger? Besides an intriguing futuristic premise that plays heavily on moral/political themes, the show features as one of its main characters a fel low messenger/best friend in Original Cindy (Valarie Rae Miller). A Fox publicist says Cindy continues to be an up-front dyke in future epi sodes and notes that she is expected to be the “breakout supporting character." Certainly in the first few episodes, she’s made no bones about her sexuality, constantly teasing the straight people. •N Y P D Blue (10 p.m., A B C ) Although the show doesn’t return until Jan uary, and openly gay co-producer/director Paris Barclay is gone, gay receptionist John Irvin (openly gay actor Bill Brochtrup) will continue to be a part of the proceedings and might get his own relationship this season. • Beggars and Choosers (10 p.m., Showtime) T his comedy set at a fictional television network features M alcolm Laffley (Tuc W atkins) as a gay casting director. New episodes will begin in January. • Dawson’s Creek (8 p.m., W B) Although he got to kiss his first boy last sea son— and experience heartbreak when he found out his crush already had a boyfriend— Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) will continue to be Cape- side High’s most famous gay football player.. .and he might find more romance. The season dehut also featured openly gay Real World star Jason Daniel Roberts as a straight French tourist. Out gay producer and director Greg Berlanti will write several episodes. • Bette (8 p.m., C B S ) A s if the prospect of Bette Midler in her first sitcom wasn’t enough of a draw for gay fans, the series also has a gay character: her accompanist, Oscar (openly gay actor James Dreyfus). C om parisons to NOT-openly gay Midler accompa nist Barry Manilow are welcome, although O scar more likely is a stand-in for her longtime musical sidekick Marc Shaiman, who also co writes the nasty South Park ditties. The first episode featured a gay joke within the first few minutes: Midler, strapped into an exercise machine, noted, “It’s like a i< n i l . ' ; I! I ' l l ! unit :! ’ ! two-drink minimum.” • Normal, Ohio (8:30 p.m., Fox) John Goodman goes out on a flimsy limb and plays William “Butch” Gamble, a gay man who returns from Los Angeles to live with his family in Ohio. His father finds his lifestyle “unnatur al,” his mother thinks he’s going through a very long phase, and his nephew wor ries that the orientation is hereditary. Lest you be con cerned that all the charac ters are anti-gay, Ellen refugee Joely Fisher plays Pamela, Butch’s rough and - « fiM H aft a H H H sexy sister, who’s quite accepting of his life— good thing, because he moves in with her. Add in a grown son, Butch’s ex-wife (played by the very dykey Mo Gaffney) and her new husband, and you’ve got an overcrowded show that will stand or fall on Goodman’s capable shoulders. The series debuts Nov. 1. • Will & Grace (9 p.m., N B C ) After winning a handful of Emmy Awards this year, expect more fearlessness from this ultrapopular sitcom. G ay lawyer Will Truman (Eric M cCorm ack) might find love, and supergay best friend Jack M cFarland (Sean Hayes) will end his marriage o f convenience and move in across the hall. Executive pro- ducer/co-creator David Kohan promises, “We are really hoping to find some exciting people for Will to date.” O ut bisexual actress M egan Mullaley will continue to swill m artinis and toss bitchy barbs as Karen, and queer icon Jo an C ollins will reappear several times. G ay com edian Jason Stuart will appear in a N ovem ber episode. Co-creator/producer M ax M utchnik is also openly gay, as he made clear while accepting his Emmy for best comedy. • ER (10 p.m., N B C ) Network publicity has a firm “no comm ent,” but Dr. Weaver (Laura Innes) is rumored to have her first relationship with a woman this season— although through the Novem ber story lines, she still is involved with the male Dr. Kovac. Also, gay nurse Yosh Takata (Gedde W atanabe) might be seen again. T he Oct. 19 episode featured a lesbian-themed plot as a woman was unable to medically help her long term partner for legal reasons. Out gay director Paris Barclay will helm several episodes. Friday • Felicity (9 p.m., W B) The happily committed (to another man) Javier (lan Gomez) is more integral to the series this year; not only is he still Felicity’s boss at the coffeehouse, but now he’s also a college fresh man! His husband, Samuel (Austin Tichenor), will be recurring, especially as an upcoming sto ryline will see them wanting to start a family. Will Felicity act as their surrogate mother, will they adopt, or do they have another option? • Spin City (9:30 p.m., A B C ) One of television’s longest-running gay sup porting characters, Carter Heywood (Michael Boatman), continues as the New York City mayor’s director of minority affairs. Look for sparks to fly between him and new bad-boy cast addition Charlie Sheen. • South Park (10 p.m., Com edy Central) Although new episodes are scattered throughout the year, we already have seen Big Gay Al, Sparky the Gay Dog, the lovable Satan (and his love triangle with Sad dam Hussein and the boring Chris) and even the revela tion that most of the adult males of South Park have masturbated together. In this small mountain town, anything gay goes. • Grosse Pointe (8:30 p.m., W B) O ut gay producer/creator Darren Star spoofs nighttime soaps in this behind-the-scenes com edy, with many episodes directed by openly gay Andrew Fleming. O n the series, older star Richard Towers (M ichael H itchcock) lusts for hunky young television “son” Johnny Bishop (A l San tos), buying him a wet suit in the debut so he can watch him try it on! • Popular (9 p.m., W B) The first season saw high schooler Lily (Tama ra Mello) questioning her sexual orientation as well as the introduction of Harrison John’s lesbian mom, Robin (Alley Mills); out gay teacher Mr. Colin Bennett (openly gay actor Mitchell Ander son); and transsexual shop teacher Mr. Don/Ms. Debbie (Liuis Mustillo). So far this season, none of those characters has reappeared— although a publicist says some are likely to— but a new regu lar character, ambiguously gendered teacher Bobbi Glass (Diane Delano)— who characters often re fer to as “sir"— has been introduced. Creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy is openly gay. • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1 0 p.m ., N B C ) Although no cast member on the series has been revealed as gay, the show has dealt sur prisingly well with gay-themed crimes and the prejudice surrounding them. Look for more queer storylines later in the season. Saturday • O z (10 p.m., H BO ) With a new season set to start in January’, this prison drama is Kith horrifying and homoeroticr with gay rela-.. . Com e on, you can find something else to do one night o f the week! O f course, if you do find . ................................... Continued on Page 50 4 «
