"It's a Sin" is what happens when queer creators tell queer stories

[@pug_63]

Apparently, according to an Instagram account that I follow, the actress who played Jill’s Mum in the series is actually the real life Jill. Russell included a lot of her story in the show so, when you watch the actress playing Jill, just think “based on true events”.

[@Adeodatus100]

Yes. "Real" Jill is Jill Nalder, who was well known in London in the 80s as an early HIV/AIDS activist. She and RTD are old friends.

[@infjgirl3850]

... I love this series more than ever now 💗

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

The prospect of HIV-related dementia was the thing that scared my late husband the most about his illness...it never came to that, though. His death nearly two years ago was (almost) completely unrelated to HIV, we had his illness managed to the point where no antibodies were detectable in his blood anymore. I will definitely watch "It's A Sin", but I probably will not be able to watch it alone...

[@AmalaFrequents]

Love to you

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

@@AmalaFrequents Thank you! :-)

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

@Rebecca Woolf Thank you for your kind words!

[@tammylt5004]

So sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

@@tammylt5004 Thank you! We have a saying in Germany: "Sorrow shared is sorrow halved." I find this to be very true.

[@hannahgriffith8530]

Jill is the person in It's a Sin who is most closely based off a real life person. The real Jill is a friend of Russel himself and had many gay friends in the 80s who she cared and advocated for. She also visited AIDS patients in hospital who had no family who would visit them

[@taxicab4581]

The moment that Richie is revealed to be dead is heart wrenching for so many reasons. We know he is sick but the optimistic attitude of Richie throughout the episode truly makes us believe that maybe he could be the exception to the death sentence of AIDS. This hope peaks at his mother and Jill's meeting as we are lead to believe she and Roscoe can finally visit him, so that when the reveal is made I immediately assumed she had to be lying and Richie couldn't possibly have died. This denial and anger in the audience is exactly mirrored in Jill's reaction, showing how well written the whole sequence is in putting you in the shoes of Jill, and forcing you to experience the crushing revelation of a beloved friends death alongside her. Testimony to Davies incredible writing, idk how he does it but hats off to him, first time I cried to a piece of media in a long time.

[@ampersandcastle1091]

You put it into words perfectly. When Ritchie says after the protest “I’m going to live” I totally believed it, I thought ‘ah, we’ve seen the horrible fates of Colin and the others and now this is the story of hope’. I never thought that he’d really die. And just like you, when his mother told Jill he died my heart dropped, then I assumed she was lying. Only when they showed his body did I finally accept it. I think that’s the most heartbreaking thing about it. I really thought that he would live.

[@JuriAmari]

I was shattered and so angry. I was already upset with what happened to the other characters up until that point but what happened to Ritchie and Jill broke me. 😢 Gloria/Gregory was the start of the end of the Pink Palace but it wasn’t until Ritchie was gone that it really cemented that it was over

[@nightowl8477]

At the same time as It's a Sin was being broadcast, I watched Children of Earth and rewatched Over the Garden Wall. Fair to say I'm now convinced that the five episode miniseries is the ultimate form of storytelling.

[@nightowl8477]

Better start watching Chernobyl.

[@winterfire1097]

YES! Watch Chernobyl. Its heartbreakingly poignant to how the USSR didn't give a rats ass about the level of radiation for their citizens.

[@winterfire1097]

@Rebecca Woolf Oh I agree watch something fun inbetween for sure. And yes Chernobyl is nightmares fuel no horror monster is anywhere near raditation poisoning effects.

[@CharlestonRat]

Last year, the first man I ever kissed passed away from (as best as I can tell) complications of diabetes. He was HIV positive and depended on his medications to keep himself going. He told me often about how many of his friends he lost during the AIDS crisis. I miss him dearly. :-(

[@Chivaughn13]

Collin's arc was heartbreaking. This show was so well done! I felt that hope and defiance too at the end even with tears in my eyes. This can never happen again!

[@froufroudeluxe]

When Collin was eating with his mom in front of the tv and started talking about France out of nowhere, my heart broke into a million pieces

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

One moment in Episode 5 that fascinated me was when Roscoe reunited with his father, who expresses regret for his past attitude, because he went to Nigeria and saw many injustices done in response to the AIDS epidemic. It was an interesting off-screen redemption that felt earned to me.

[@Adeodatus100]

I'm a year older than the character Ritchie. I lived near London in 80s, and started going out on the gay scene there (timidly - I was only just starting to come out, and so afraid of so many things). IAS was so true, so honest, that it's made me start thinking again about all the unresolved issues I have from that time. I think I have a lot to thank RTD for.

[@nightowl8477]

It's nice that 'proper' representing isn't some hypothetical visage on the horizon now; in debates concerning inclusivity, we finally have a piece of media we can point to and say _"That."_ Also it's a good show. Should have lead with that.

[@hylianyoshi9822]

The character is Ritchie is a total credit to the talents of both the actor and writer. Mishandled, it would have been easy not to like him for knowingly spreading the disease, yet despite that, you understand him and you're desperately sad that the life and soul of the party dies alone. There are loads of amazing elements to this show, but that really stands out for me.

[@dubbingsync]

I couldn’t like him because of it. Mainly because of that “I don’t care” monologue… even if it was an amazing monologue. There was just a touch too much of that “I’m invincible” mindset for me.

[@emmahobbs4552]

*Spoiler* I think the worst moment in the series for me was when both Ritchies Mum and Dad read him children's stories and play music he liked when he was 10 in his last days in an attempt to make up for lost time like they literally have no idea what his interests are or how to connect to this grown gay man. Ritchies parents and their attitudes of wanting to sweep his reality under the rug represent so many of that age in Britain and I love how this story feels properly gay British and a story like that could only be told with the level of research, knowledge and talent that Davies has.

[@91Vault]

SPOILER: ritchies ending truly was the bleakest thing

[@hinasakukimi]

ugh it hurts

[@akalsalleriye]

@@91Vault Honestly, that scene on the promenade I felt the bottom fall out of my stomach. I watched it a month ago and I'm tearing up thinking about it again.

[@helpme2719]

@@akalsalleriye I'd kind of realised it would end the way it did earlier in the episode, but the way in which it was revealed really destroyed me.

[@cronchyskull]

Warning: stupidly personal. I'm going through a lot of gender/sexuality questioning at the moment. This part terrified me too because my familiy is VERY like Ritchie's in terms of how they talk to/treat me at times (to the extent that I live opposite the Isle of Wight where they live). After I finished the series it boiled in my head for weeks. Then I kind of had a meltdown and ended up telling my mum about the last episode, how it made me feel, and how terrified I was that if I ever came out or wasn't the way she thought I should be. And she told me that she didn't give a damn and that she'd always love me no matter what and would always support me. And I sobbed (quite a bit) and we sat for an hour talking about it and doing jigsaws on her iPad together. I just felt so stupid that a scene from a tv show affected me so much but apparently it wasn't stupid at all.

[@martynnotman3467]

I remember the palpable fear in the gay community when i was 16/17 and just coming out in the early 90s. Im very lucky i wasnt a few years older or realistically i would probably not be here. We lost an entire generation of gay men, imagine the music, fashion, art, science we have lost out on. Its a hard watch but im glad i did.

[@Lil-Dragon]

I loved the show, wish there was more episodes, and it was wonderful to see a LGBTQ+ story written by a LGBTQ+ person. Deserves so many awards.

[@pious83]

Callum Howells (Colin) and Keeley Hawes (Valerie) in particular, deserve awards for their portrayals. Hawes' performance in episode 5 carries the entire episode and it's mesmerising.

[@JuriAmari]

I’ve been a fan of Keeley Hawes since Tomb Raider Legend so I’m glad she’s been getting her flowers with this series!

[@harleyhartley3168]

I just realised that the scene when colin comes out to Neil's character is almost identical to how I came out to my gran :')

[@froufroudeluxe]

Colin was one of my favorite characters, he completely broke me

[@dubbingsync]

As a South Wales native myself I instantly latched onto Colin (not in a crush sort of way, just nice to see a Welsh character on screen) … so I felt my heart get stamped on.

[@CulturePhilter]

As usual Davies knocked it our of the park with this drama. So good. Poor sweet Colin.

[@greghawkins59]

Lived experience is also how RTD made such good doctor who, the man's definitely been to different planets

[@OverlyPositiveFanboy]

This, Doctor Who, Torchwood: Children of Earth and Years & Years have cemented Russel T. Davies as one of my favourite writers.

[@Mojjs92]

The mini-series you talk about here made me think of the Swedish mini-series “Don’t ever wipe tears without gloves” from 2012 which is also about the gay community and and the HIV-epidemic. Based on a book series with the same name by Jonas Gardell (Swedish gay icon and well-known author) it is based on the experiences of him and his friends during that time (though some characters are made up and others have gotten new names).

[@Mojjs92]

I have not yet read (or watched) it myself, but I have heard very good things about it.

[@Mojjs92]

@Rebecca Woolf Yes, unfortunately I think it’s difficult to find outside of Sweden. The books might be easier to get your hands on though.

[@GrannyGamer1]

La. Found a bootleg stream. Just finished episode one. It's very painful to remember. We were like baskets of puppies back then. I was in the first Gay pride March in Los Angeles. There were only a few hundred of us. It was hot. Cops and christians were threats. We were so scared that day. But it pulled something loose in us. We were so relieved, so celebratory, so giddy. And THEN, the Pride started. We were like baskets of puppies. And then it came.

[@robynvorsa9283]

It's A Sin was heartbreaking and brilliant. I love Russell T Davies's work. Children Of Earth was really dark though.

[@mcsmaria28]

Goodness, I just binged the rest of the series. I’m in tears. That last episode just broke me. Ritchie’s death scene, his mother comes to check his breathing. That broke me as a parent, I do that with my boys every night when they’re asleep. Jill’s speech to Mrs. Tozier, that broke my heart. The whole series was a sob fest. The mom scenes broke me 💔😢

[@winterfire1097]

Hold up, his last name is Tozier? I'm not gonna be able to watch this without thinking of Richie Tozier from IT now. Still gonna watch it.

[@thegoldencosmos3221]

What a masterpiece this was. Being able to create such a heartbraking story with so much love, hope & joy intertwined so naturally into it all is what RTD really does best.

[@maurinet2291]

It's a Sin was SO GOOD. Got a very Russell vibe from Ritchie, which was fun. He avoided all the cliches, and what was there was so real. I'm wondering what he would have done with the other three episodes, and I wish they would have let him try.

[@DavidHHH99]

If you Google a bit, Russell has talked a bit about what the final episode would have been about: Jill growing older still working in caring for others, and going back to visit Ritchie's family at home and discovering the history of sexual abuse in the family. Meanwhile, she reconnects with Roscoe, who has caught HIV, but is still alive.

[@spacepenguins8939]

@@DavidHHH99 I’d love for Russell to have another episode to do all that. He probably won’t now (especially since he’s back doing dr who) but I’d love to see the end of their journeys (and maybe more from some of the other characters)

[@Leena79]

I watched It's A Sin as soon as it came out after the Holidays. As a series, it was perfect. It first made me fall in love with the characters, and their joy of living, and made my heart warm. And then, episode by episode, the story felt like a hand squeezing my heart just a little tighter, until it broke into a million pieces. I love A Normal Heart, and in many ways, it tells the story of the HIV crisis just as effectively as this series, and breaks my heart just as badly, but since this was a series, it goes so much deeper into the lives of these characters that it feels more personal. Colin's story was especially hard to watch for me, too, because he was just as shy and socially awkward as I am, and he reminded me of myself. As heartbreaking as this series was, it was also a beautiful story about friendship and chosen family, and about being young and free, and finally being forced to grow up way too early. But I agree that the overall feeling left after watching the series is hope.

[@DJ-lc5wy]

You mean to tell me that we could have had 8 episodes of this series instead of the 5 that we got??? Don't get me wrong, Davis did magic with the limited time that he had. But I'm SO MAD that this masterpiece had to get cut short because nobody wanted it. I'm so glad that I watched it. Hadn't heard of it until your review came out. Thank you for bringing this series to my attention.

[@FragrenceAtMiracleEd]

There's this swedish mini-series about gay men during the AIDS crisis in swedsin written by the gay comedian Jonas Gardell called "torka aldrig tårar utan handskar" (never wipe away tears without gloves) that is a stunning piece on this subject. Don't konw if it's internationally available but if it is I highly recommend it

[@docksider]

I saw this a few years ago, an excellent series, broadcast on UK Terrestrial TV in 2018

[@helpme2719]

I related to Colin a lot, basically everything he did had me shouting "this is me!" at my TV, so the what happened to him really hit hard.

[@sophiem6050]

Not enough people are talking about It's A Sin so I am glad you have watched it. I guess in the UK we have had it before you guys. It's probably one of my favourite show of all times. LA!

[@nicelliott1175]

Wow, talk about serendipitous timing of a video! I binged the series last night, and it is one of the absolute best series that I have ever seen, about anything. It was beautiful and gut-wrenching and so filled with joy in spite of the sadness. I initially assumed that it was an indie creation, and was altogether astonished when I saw "Russell T. Davies" in the credits, simply because it is the first time that I have seen such a potentially controversial show created by someone so well known. Incredible. It is currently available on Amazon Prime (at least in Canada), so if you have that it might be a good place to look.

[@SaintDicc]

I got sucked in by your speaking skills, like you're very good at keeping attention through your pace and cadence alone - moreso than most other youtubers I've come across. Then you manage to compound that with good scripting which all comes together into a gem of a channel

[@JuriAmari]

I haven’t cried so much like I did with It’s a Sin. My uncle was a consultant for this show and he even got interviewed by Omari Douglas (Roscoe). This show was clearly a work of love, devotion, and passion. RTD and the cast and crew should be proud. I’ve been passionate about LGBTQ+ advocacy and media for a long time and this show lit up a fire inside to make sure situations like this never happen again.

[@andrewbowman4611]

It's a Sin is a beautiful piece of work, and one worthy of the plaudits heaped on it. It is a genuinely affecting drama that has both tragic and comic elements. Much like real life. Another drama of a similar nature I urge you to watch is Michaela Coel's riveting I May Destroy You, which was a BBC/HBO co-production. That too is a modern masterpiece based on real events.

[@tonybmw5785]

Smashing review of the most powerful thing I've seen in ages and one that had me in tears more than once.

[@Maria14062]

I watched this series today, and it hits so so close to home for me. I saw my mother in the mother of that guy. That was really hard to watch, her reactions, what she said, how she said it, how she acted, just all of it was what my mum would probably do if I ever came out. I don’t think I will any time soon and it’s just suffocating. Anyway, agree with your every word, great review and happy birthday!

[@lorzl1287]

Wonderfully said, as always ❤ Though the moment you started talking about Colin and teared up, I almost burst out crying! I adored this show, nothing has made me ugly cry so hard I literally couldn't sleep afterwards like that ever.

[@susym5494]

It's UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE that someone as accomplished as Davies had such a hard time getting financing for this project! Do you have to win a Nobel first before it gets easier??? 😠 I don't keep up with the who's who of the televison and movie worlds, so I had no idea it was THIS F'ED UP.

[@bigboymedia453]

This series really effected me. Colin's death was heart breaking and i think i need a few days to recover.

[@lucypreece7581]

The scene that really had an impact on me was the one where Ash the character who becomes a teacher is at the dinner table and he goes on about how he was tasked with going though all the books in the school library and told to remove anything linked to LGBT people or topics due to Section 28. This was a shocking and common practice in the UK at that time. The fight for LGBTQ topics to be taught in schools is still going on eve now and there were protests about it in Birmingham. Even now we are feeling the effects of Section 28 and it was repealed in 2003. nearly two decades later it still affects us. I am glad this scene was included and this issue was touched upon. Thatcher caused a lot of damage. But Ash's rant is exactly how we all feel about this subject.

[@silverdoe3658]

Thank you so much for explaining that in more detail.

[@lucypreece7581]

@@silverdoe3658 and for more context Section 28 was a piece of legislation implemented in the 1988 by Margaret Thatcher and it was a ban on anything that "promoted the homosexual lifestyle" that meant that schools and local libraries were not allowed to have any books or materials about LGBTQ topics or people and teaching about LGBTQ people in schools was also banned and teachers were also banned from helping students who were LGBTQ and teachers were not allowed to be out either. It was a shocking and awful legislation. It was repealed and gotten rid of in 2003 but the effects of it are still very prevalent. New legislation has come in recently that now means that LGBTQ topics will be taught in schools in sex and relationship education classes as well as books with more diversity are to be put into school libraries. There were groups of people who didn't want this to happen and they protested in Birmingham about it but the new rules were implemented in September 2019 and are now to be a permanent fixture in the school curriculum. Progress at least.

[@melanierhianna]

@@lucypreece7581 For LGB people, the Tories still haven't moved on with Trans people.

[@lucypreece7581]

@@melanierhianna that is the sad truth. We need Boris and the Tories out.

[@thearchive1132]

I re watched this show over the weekend. It just gets better. Heart breaking but also, at times, funny and, above all very human.

[@orilliavail1380]

I remember thinking the beginning of the last episode was rushed because of the tow massive time jumps but is the number of episodes was cut from eight to five that makes sense

[@tammylt5004]

You sharing your experience of it almost had me in tears. And when I'm up for a cry, I will certainly support this mini series

[@WhoTookMyMirr]

I have yet to watch this series because I'm swamped with homework but "It's a Sin" is one of my absolute favorite songs. Easily in my top ten. Davies did a damn good job with selecting the song for telling a story like this. I highly recommend giving the original Petshop Boys song a listen, as well as the more recent cover by Ghost.

[@TheCagedCorvid]

I know this is an old video, and this is totally unrelated, but I wanted to tell you how much I love the aesthetic and colour scheme you wore in this. You look wonderful😊. With regards to the show, I haven't seen it, and on reflection I don't think I'm in a headspace to watch it, yet... but it's now on my list for when I am.

[@CEP73]

Amazing amazing review. You summed that fantastic series in such an amazing way. Could listen to you all day x tons of love from U.K.

[@Ryeven]

Cried so bad during this video , I’m gonna go ahead n watch this immediately ! Thank you so much for making this :D !

[@Merlingrimm]

This show made me cry at the end. It’s rare for a show to do that. But it is so fantastic! I agree, no darkness just hope!

[@danieloneal7137]

I hate to admit it, but I only just got around to watching “It’s a Sin” last month and it completely captivated me. Heartbreaking, obviously, but also - in RTD’s signature way - a profound celebration of queer joy and of found families. I’m exactly 10 years younger than the characters in the show would be (also not British) but so much of this story resonates with me. I was only a little kid during the initial confusion and panic surrounding the virus during the early 80s, but by the time I came out at age ~18, the fear and stigma were definitely still there. I can’t think of any other tv show that has moved me to this extent. btw, the moment that really broke me was when Colin says to his mum, “I’m not dirty.” The idea that you’d feel the need to apologize for your very existence at the moment you’re diagnosed with an incurable illness is just devastating. That scene was the linchpin for the entire show, in my opinion. Thank you so much for making this video.

[@A1ml33y]

I need to see this 😥 this is something I think everyday. Because I haven't came out to my Family. Because of how religious they all are ...so I am still in the closet about it all. Vera this Review is making me cry .

[@mcsmaria28]

I’ve only been able to watch episode one and the spoilers are making me cry. This series is going to break my heart. I have a two year old son and a new baby son who is almost a month old. Listening to you talk about the mother/son relationships, I know I’ll watch those episodes and see my little boys in those characters, even though they’re both so young. I’m going to go give them the biggest hugs.

[@jamesjackson8292]

Outside of his sci-fi work Russel T. Davies has always been great at showing working class gay men.

[@nekusakura6748]

He's better at doing that than Ryan Murphy That's for sure.

[@91Vault]

i love how not only is there a reference to dr who but they actually make it look suuuuper authentic to the time (same with the cheesy drama Ritchies crush was in, i had to do a double take to see it wasn’t an actual show from the time)

[@jamesstewart7736]

Episode 3 was the one that got me too. Council of Geeks, your review of this is so heartfelt. Great content as always. Thank you for all your hard work and putting yourself out their with authenticity and sincerity. Really enjoy it when you collaborate with Stubagful too. Another one of my favourites 🙌🏻👍🏻✊🏻🌈

[@jayanderson9375]

Wry well said. I just watched this series a few days ago. It’s poignant grim and uplifting.

[@lordbeniel]

I'm still not over it, its been a week. Colin & his mom were fkin adorable

[@ract46]

This series was fun, warm and uplifting, and heartbreaking. And I loved every minute of it. I do wonder what kind of emotional wreck I would be if RTD had been able to make the eight episodes he originally had planned.

[@rubberlover666]

I really liked this series but...oof, it was rough. “Portent “ was putting it mildly. It was like getting attached to the camp counselors in a Friday the 13th movie.

[@dubbingsync]

That’s why I tried not to get attached to much to anyone. Ritchie signed his death warrant on the first boat trip and I was just waiting for that to catch up with him.

[@GrannyGamer1]

Thanks for this. I lived through that. It wold be health to watch something honest about the issue. Off to find a bootleg. ..

[@silverdoe3658]

I thought I was going to hate NPH in this but he was fantastic.

[@dubbingsync]

One of those characters that could have easily been “too much” if he wasn’t handled with care.

[@bits68]

Thank you, I always I try to thank you for your incites, but this time, you are so right! I was there, I knew several of the 'real people' he took inspiration from and its wonderful. Only someone who experiences a moment, can truly recreate, especially as fiction, not only the general atmosphere, the realistic narrative. but a "collective unspoken" amongst all the characters, meaning, they were all living in that moment and showed it as appose to telling us they were! Seeing this I have to agree with you, the way it took be back was more real than nostalgic, not something you experience often, had this story been told by a different, "straight", younger or whatever writer, it would not of been the same or as good (lucky RTD and Jill N were school chums) I guess you are so right, stories should be told by those creators with the real life experience and the 'talent' to express the experience, it really makes a difference. ❤ side note, I wish I'd been as angry then as I was watching it now, if anything as a community since then. we have learnt, who we are (kind of) and to focus the power of shared anger and experience, thank the Goddesses' xx

[@philriversider3563]

So glad you watched this. Thought it was fantastic.

[@nightowl8477]

14:24 I'd be careful with your wording there. The whole virus was unfair, and in many ways justified the beliefs of homophobes and hard religious groups, as far as they saw it. It isn't however, unfair that Collin contracted AIDs and Rosco didn't. That's a worrying reading. You shouldn't be punished for liberating your own sexuality. Rosco's guilt reflects the guilt of all gay men, even the proud and open: that it's wrong, that it's shaming. Of course this isn't true, but it's there, as a nagging, shaming guilt.

[@seto749]

I beg your pardon; all?

[@nightowl8477]

@@seto749 - yes, all. It's what we're taught from the day we're born, sorry

[@seto749]

@@nightowl8477 Not I, dear. I beat all that when I defeated conversion therapy decades ago.

[@Ben-vf5gk]

I think it's less that Rosco or anyone else deserves AIDs more but the story, from what I hear (still need to see it) is creating a kind of a sense of unfairness with Collin's death. I imagine like you say it's about capturing that feeling of shame and also the survivor's guilt that more promiscuous gay men may have felt at the time if they survived but less sexually active amongst them died.

[@nightowl8477]

@@Ben-vf5gk - not so much, Collin's death simply isn't as unfair as anyone else's, it's just a way if showing that the disease is less discriminatory than people would make out. It had no agenda.

[@aleciaregister162]

I haven't finished watching the video yet, but I love your makeup today. (I have makeup envy, I've never had any that didn't make my face itch after 30 minutes to an hour.) The lashes are everything.

[@aleciaregister162]

I wish I did have HBO max for this, hopefully it gets a dvd release that I can purchase later. Your description brought me to tears though, so not holding out hope that the original doesn't reduce me to a sobbing wreck. It'll be worth it.

[@aleciaregister162]

@Rebecca Woolf I will, thank you.

[@jesscitrus698]

I loved this series, I was in tears by the last episode

[@dunaruiditos7620]

This video is really really beautiful. In a lot of important ways. Thank you 💝

[@carakiriyama1602]

Colin is beautifully autistic and this is 100% a hill I'm willing to die on

[@homebody13]

Your review makes me want to get HBO Max. This sounds amazing. Have you seen Angels in America? This was done in the early 2000’s and touches upon a similar theme (and includes others). It is an extremely lyrical piece with elements of myth and fantasy. The ‘cocteau scene’ in the first episode is magical, imo. 🖖🏼

[@homebody13]

@Rebecca Woolf Ah! Didn’t know that, thx.

[@pollystye3270]

This comment section is utterly lovely

[@TheShadowchiefstudio]

I absolutely love this show, it brought joy and heartbreak. The only moment I was ever taken out of it was when I recognized a street (The little Russia dance clip from Richie's montage was definitely filmed in tge Northern Quarter of Central Manchester). I do hope this opens discussions, not just about our past but maybe our present, because some people do need their eyes opening to how members of the LGBTQ+ communities are treated. Midway through watching it with my mother we had a discussion about how she was so unaware of what was depicted and how a lot of this is and was supressed by the authorities, and how in some ways it still is or the practices are being employed elsewhere, especially in the UK unfortunately. I hope that this keeps people talking. This may be not only one of RTDs most well-done work, but honestly his most important.

[@natsmith303]

If you haven't seen it, I also recommend Angels In America. Course, you should probably take a break before you get to it because covering two miniseries on this particular subject in close proximity could easily break someone.

[@sopranophantomista]

I adore Angels in America. The whole structure of the role swapping holds a subtext in and of itself, and becomes quite meta outside of the narrative scope.

[@Seal0626]

I'm only a couple of episodes in, but I don’t consider hearing about major character deaths to be spoilers and how fucked up is that? One thing that hit me, right at the beginning, was the early instance of the loss of an older, more experienced mentor. Or at least, someone who should have been one; it was like a microcosm of one of the devastating effects of the AIDS atrocity, the severance of history and culture not being taught to the next generation because _the teachers are all fucking dead._ What hit me more personally, from the start, is having been on the periphery of a group of friends like that; young, driven, overflowing with creativity and love of life, and knowing that they're all happy and moderately successful adults now. From the start, it feels like this is _supposed_ to be a goofy, light hearted coming of age story and it keeps trying to be that, trying to defy fate, defy tragedy, be itself as it should be but it's fighting a losing battle. The tragedy cannot be prevented. It's too big and too powerful and it will devour the cheeky youth comedy/drama by killing the _dramatis personae._ And that’s really impressive writing.

[@mwilso2]

Thanks for the content Nathaniel. The Saturday videos just get better. When Jake Glenyenhall did Brokeback Mountain, he said Ang Lee required he & Ledger to do research before doing the movie which is what made the film so well regarded & authentic. With how people now feel about straight actors doing gay roles people may not feel the same way about that film now. That & the ‘more openly gay one’ dies at the end which may put it on Nathaniel’s s$!t list.

[@ammieloris]

Loved this episode. Also, Happy Birthday!!!!!

[@mccorama]

I'm only a couple of years younger than RTD so this broke my heart

[@mccorama]

Agree with everything about it being unmissable, wonderful work

[@somthingbrutal]

if you want to see an early representation of life as a gay man in the 1930's and 40's in London you should check out the amazing The Naked Civil Servant filmed in 1975 starring John hurt as a young Quentin Crisp. it was the first time i saw anything with an out gay man where the word homosexual was used as british tv comedy was full of very camp characters who as an adult you realised were gay but as a kid in the 70's you had no clue. i credit the naked civil servant as the reason i supported/support gay rights from a young age

[@nick5661]

I cried so much throughout the series it was so good.

[@Ali94749]

I watched It's a Sin a month ago and it still haunts me and I have troubles sleeping since :( it broke me

[@angel_vii]

More reasons to love Russell T Davies

[@AlmostYearly]

Queer as Folk was 22 years ago.

[@katieusbrownius]

Jill was a nod to a real person, because Jill is a real person. Colin's story was absolutely heartbreaking because he was the kindest, most innocent character in that cast... that poor lad did not deserve any of that. I will say, the SWITCH between the dynamic with Ritchie's parents was insanely powerful to me. The way his father had always been the hard knock patriarch of the family, yet became the loving, supportive father at the very, very end when his son was dying; you can almost feel the regret coming through the screen. As opposed to his mother who went from idolising her golden boy, to ice cold in the space of an episode. The way she spoke to Jill was disgusting.

[@thunder_heads]

Colin BROKE me

[@Seal0626]

Having now finished the series(and done a lot of ugly sobbing, who gave them the right to use "Who Wants To Live Forever"?), I am left with a couple more thoughts. There really was a full gamut of mothers in there, wasn't there? From Colin's mum who was an unquestioning ally to his landlady shrieking that there's no way her son is one of _those_ and then the tragically complex Mrs. Tozer in the middle(and how surreal was it to see Keeley Hawes back in 1982 again? She hasn't been then for 13 years), the mothers who tried to do their best and the mothers who couldn't get over their own prejudices and social conditioning, every one of them rang true and you could just see their backstories and motivations with barely a word spoken. Knowing the context going in, I had a very suspicious eye on the skinniest actors purely on the basis that they could play emaciated the easiest. Knowing tv tropes and a few unconscious biases that tend to worm their way into everything, I also had my suspicions as to who was most likely to be killed on the basis of skin colour - so I was surprised and relieved that Roscoe survived. And that his story further defied expectations by having him reconcile with his family, after his father's request for forgiveness. And I am left wondering, for the second time, if a supposedly non-biographical character is an homage to a specific person, because he's shown up multiple times in different works. Of course it's probably a coincidence, but might there have been a Marcus in the social circle of certain tv writers who died, and was then paid homage to in both this and Ashes to Ashes? The other one I'm curious about is the young photographer from Bromley who came to London in the early 80s thinking he was straight, got swept up into a group of gay friends and then came out. In Taboo, he was Billy James; in Pride, Joe Cooper. I mean, it's probably a coincidence, but I can't help wondering.

[@_TeethFarm_]

The fact that actual good representation like this show is sort of pushed under the rug in favour of bare minimum representatio by companies like Disney is just so insane.

[@pious83]

13:21 Yep. Episode 3 got me too.

[@Zaddy-Lu]

I was a kid when the AIDS crisis began. I remember when they thought it might be airborne, or in saliva, etc. I remember a news story, with a man who looked like a skeleton to me, but was alive. I remember being told that AIDS was a punishment from god for very wicked sinners. I was 5 years old the first time she told me that, and I heard it consistently til I escaped at 20yo. Oh yeah; I'm a genderfluid lesbian, it was terrifying thinking that it I followed how I felt, I would be cursed.

[@dualipastan]

Curious as to what this will address but still excited!

[@blepblop6256]

Its rare for me to watch a review that actually makes me want to watch something. Usually I use it as a way to know about it without the time and effort. But damn does this sound good

[@dubbingsync]

This miniseries made me actually want to rewatch Angels in America again, it was a bit too much for me when I first watched it but I think I can handle it with a more matured mindset now.

[@sadfaery]

Children of Earth broke me too. Halfway through episode 3 is where it got me. The rest after that was just compounding the horror.

[@sara_sah-raezzat5086]

La! Yes, It's a Sin is frelling spectacular. There is one thing I bounce off, not exactly criticize in the writing, but think bares some thought and that's the characterization of Jill. Don't get me wrong she is a wonderful character, but her entire existence is loving and caring for the men. I know Davies based her off a friend of his (who plays her mother in the show) and of course this has always been a thing in qveer spaces. There's some unpleasant names for these women (the nicer one my friends used to use for me was "fruit fly") so this comes from a real place. But she still has a bit of the "written by a man" syndrome where she doesn't feel entirely developed, a written from the outside in quality. I hope it doesn't come across like I'm saying I want more focus on the (we assume) straight character in a qveer story. She actually got quite a lot of focus, it's the way that time was used. My issue I think is that writing a woman character who's entirely about the men in her life is still a concern, even if her relationship to those men isn't romantic. She's also a character of colour and most of the men she cares for are not, which is also a thing. Like I said, still absolutely spectacular, just wish we maybe could have had a bit more nuance with Jill.

[@pious83]

I actually noted myself that Jill and Ash are very underdeveloped, in comparison to everyone else. I can only imagine the original episode count might have addressed this directly.

[@testosteronic]

Yeah I was hoping to see Jill having a personal life of her own. And for some lesbians at some point, yes AIDS effected gay men the most, but lesbians were present, there was already gay and lesbian solidarity before the AIDS crisis. I'm guessing those were the sorts of things that had to be cut to be able to tell the main story in less episodes :/ It also felt weird that we didn't see much of Ash as an individual outside of Richie

[@sara_sah-raezzat5086]

@@testosteronicapparently the lawyer was based on a lesbian, but if it's not said in the text it doesn't matter. Honestly, I think my fix would be in the first episode when Ritchie tells Jill he's bi out of denial, just have her say she actually is bi and then give her a date to the party. And yeah, more Ash would have been lovely.

[@oldwebshooter]

Has anybody else noticed that posts about this series in general non-LGBT news have almost only women commenting?

[@YoungMovieReviews]

When people say "Only gay actors should play gay roles etc, etc" I don't agree with that statement. The definition of acting is playing someone that you are not. So saying that only gay actors should play gay roles, it's changing the definition to playing someone that you are? I think you can do both. you can people who are gay for example playing these roles but you can have someone playing a non-gay person playing the same roles

[@pious83]

As long as your portrayal doesn't consist of parodying stereotypes, an actor can play anything. I remember a film called 'I Love You Man'. In that film there is a clichéd gay character. But there is also the brother of one of the lead characters, who just happens to be gay. Without it defining his characterisation. His portrayal has more sincerity to it, due to that.

[@YoungMovieReviews]

@@pious83 ​ @pious83 I think the gay stereotype comes from is from the old saying "do what you know" and if you been to the HOLLYWOOD side of L.A. 8 times out of 10. it's nothing but gay stereotypes

[@pious83]

@@YoungMovieReviews There is that too. Some people, even in 2021, do insist on being defined by these outdated stereotypes. It always comes across as fake to me though. I'd rather be judged on my own merit than as a token.

[@Brynwyn123]

Gay/bi people should play gay/bi people when the story is about being gay/bi. A random character who happens to be gay? Sure, cast a straight, though they never get the chemistry right

[@DavidHHH99]

Ultimately, I think that it comes down to authenticity, as Russell himself says. In much the same way that Russell has a uniquely authentic point of view that comes across in every line he wrote here. It's the difference between writing that is mostly research and writing that comes from lived experience. I'm sure that there are plenty of straight actors that could have played Richie or Roscoe. And they'd have had to do lots of research to understand these characters enough to portray them properly. And these actors didn't. They either lived it themselves or had friends all around them who did. They absolutely INHABIT these rules with an authenticity that can't be denied. As Russell himself has said about this: the results speak for themselves. Also, his reasoning here is also about representation and about balancing the scales a bit. Let's face it, LGBTQ actors are so often not given the opportunities to play straight characters. The studios look to high profile straight actors to play the best LGBTQ roles and to give the awards to. And there are very few meaty LGBTQ roles out there for the LGBTQ actors to play. This helps balance the scales just a bit. Ask yourself this: can you name an LGBTQ actor who's won major awards for their portrayal of an LGBTQ character? You might be able to think of one or two, but they're few and far between. Hopefully, some of these talented actors will help change that!

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

I agree I thought this show was absolutely brilliant. Very powerful stuff. Btw Russell T. Davies is actually Welsh, not English.

[@thewhitewolf1156]

I really enjoyed the show, actually watched all episodes in one day, and before that, when I've seen the trailer and what it is about, just HAD to watch it. Maybe I should mention, I am straight, non-British, 26 year old male and let's say, I am more "traditional" in terms of most aspects. Despite that, I never had anything agains gays, even back when I wasn't as informed on the subject of homosexuality, it wasn't a big deal for me. I think the big part in my initial interest of wanting to see the show was Freddie Mercury, I got into Queen and Freddie in 2019, but, of course, I've known about him and listened to Queen before, my earliest memory of Queen and Freddie is from around 2003. I remember that I was going out to buy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets VHS, while my mother was watching a documentary about Freddie, what I remember the most (I actually regret and cringe because of that) is saying that I want to have HIV... Look, I was a stupid 8 year old back then, you have to forgive me for that... In 2019, I actually started talking with my mother about Freddie, she really got interested in him, while I mostly listened to his music, she was mainly read about Freddie, she told me about how AIDS presents itself and how it affected Freddie, so I feel that made me interested in the subject. Also, there isn't a good drama representation of Freddie's story, only documentaries and books. Bohemian Rhapsody isn't good, fine film, but they made changes to Freddie, which I just can't get over, look at the charisma real Freddie presents in interviews and look at BR movie. They also took out both Freddie's early life, before he moved to England and his later life and death, (Please read all of what I'm gonna write now, before you may or may not accuse me of homophobia, it is bit hard for me to explain, but trust me.) I actually feel that Freddie may not have been born gay and all the sex and partying may be result of a trauma, like Freddie mostly going after specific type of men, how he had to travel for days ALONE at the age of 7-11. Actually he may have been Bi, or Pansexual, because he apparently had no issues with dating women, while also dating men, mainly later in life. Apparently SOMETHING happened in the school in the youth, which made him interested in specific type of men (I mean, we all have a type, I do have a specific types of females I am attracted to and I believe it came from somewhere.) Am I saying that you become gay? No. I am not an expert, but no, I guess if someone is ALREADY interested in men, such as is Bi, or Pan, then some events may flip the interest to one side or the other and I believe that regardless of orientation, certain events will influence your taste, like one type of females I gravitate toward, is the type my first huge crush was, when I was 13, since then, I find the traits that remind me of her attractive, when I see them in other girls, same may have been the case with Freddie, that he was Bi and just had a type, a gender specific type. With me, being underwhelmed by a movie about Freddie, I started subconsciously looking for a movie or show that would fill in the gaps in some way, it wasn't too long after the show Chernobyl, so I wanted similar about AIDS, because the subject started to interest me. So yeah, that's why I got exited over It's a Sin. I also love Britain, 1980s and Britain in 1980s, I also like drama, good stories based on real events, so this was a great show for me, despite not being gay and I don't believe you have to be gay to like it, but you need empathy, it's a good drama, a story about a community that was frowned upon by too many, for too long. It is a foremost a good story, regardless of what it is about, if it's good, I will enjoy it. But watching it in current climate, did make some scenes interesting, I mean the scenes where people are dismissing AIDS, do remind me of SOMETHING that has been happening not too long ago...

[@heartsteme8329]

I need to know where you got those lashes from, they're amazing!

[@CouncilofGeeks]

They were a gift and sadly I lost the box.

[@pacisparrae]

This show made me so happy and so depressed at the same time

[@thegabrielhyde]

If you're interested in a more critical take on the show/its politics, particularly Colin's storyline, there's a piece by Brian Mullin (HIV+ playwright) called "How'd You Get It/Such A Shame" that I'd heavily recommend.

[@JBealslover]

Thank you, I will give this a look when I can. I don't have HBOMax. Did you ever receive the Wonder Woman apron & the tiny hoop earrings (didn't know they were so small) I sent you last year for your birthday? It was at the hight of the Pandemic Shutdown & I didn't see them in the packages you opened in videos. But I will try again this year, you are awesome. & I am already a Patron.😘

[@kinocrone7275]

They had so much fun. Remember that

[@Allison_XypprZ]

One of the best max ORIGINALS

[@YoungButRetro]

Best Channel 4 program of the past decade imho