ATTENTION – NEW PREMIERE DATE AND TRAILER RELEASED
EIGHT-PART SHORT FILM SERIES, CURATED AND DIRECTED BY MARK GATISS, STARS ALAN CUMMING, BEN WHISHAW, AMONG OTHER AWARD WINNING ACTORS
WATCH ALL EIGHT FILMS IN BBCA’S ONLINE PRESS SCREENING ROOM
- BBC AMERICA’s Queers sees eight new writers respond to the 50thanniversary of The Sexual Offences Act which partially decriminalized homosexual acts between men in the UK, will air throughout the day on October 11. All eight films will be available on October 12 on VOD, at com and on the BBC AMERICA App.
- Curated and directed by Mark Gatiss(Sherlock), the films star award winners Alan Cumming (Battle of the Sexes), Ben Whishaw (London Spy), Rebecca Front (Humans), Russell Tovey (Quantico), Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones), Ian Gelder (Game of Thrones), Kadiff Kirwan (Black Mirror) and Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk).
- The films are written by Matthew Baldwin, Jon Bradfield, Michael Dennis, Keith Jarrett, and Gareth McLean, who are writing for television for the first time, alongside established screenwriters Jackie Clune, Brian Fillis and Gatiss himself.
- Taking in 1957’s Wolfenden Report, the HIV crisis and the 1967 Sexual Offence Act itself, the eight monologues will explore some of the most poignant, funny, tragic and riotous moments of British gay history and the very personal rites-of-passage of British gay men through the last one hundred years.
- The series is produced by BBC Studios Pacific Quay Productions and is a co-production of BBC and BBC AMERICA.
SCHEDULE AND SYNOPSES
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
10:00AM ET
FILM ONE – A GRAND DAY OUT
- As the government votes on lowering the age of male homosexual consent, 17-year-old Andrew comes to London for the first time – with unexpected results. Starring Fionn Whiteheadand written by Michael Dennis.
3:00PM ET
FILM TWO – SAFEST SPOT IN TOWN
As the Blitz hits London, Fredrick is grateful that he survived in a very unlikely place of refuge. Starring Kadiff Kirwan and written by Keith Jarrett.
6:30PM ET
FILM THREE – THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN
Bobby is a swaggering man about town. But Bobby has a secret. Can it survive when it really matters? Starring Gemma Whelan and written by Jackie Clune.
10:00PM – 11:15PM ET
FILM FOUR – SOMETHING BORROWED
Steve, a groom to be, anxiously prepares his wedding speech. But now the big day is here, what has been won and what has been lost? Starring Alan Cumming and written by Gareth McLean.
FILM FIVE – THE MAN ON THE PLATFORM
A young man returning from the trenches of the First World War recollects a love that dared not speak its name. Starring Ben Whishaw and written and directed by Mark Gatiss.
FILM SIX – MISSING ALICE
Alice and her husband share a secret but with the publication of the Wolfenden Report in 1957 it may not need to be a secret anymore. Starring Rebecca Front and written by Jon Bradfield.
2:15AM – 3AM
FILM SEVEN – MORE ANGER
Actors can easily feel typecast. But it’s 1987 and with AIDS hitting the headlines a promising new part looks like a game-changer for Phil. Starring Russell Tovey and written by Brian Fillis.
FILM EIGHT – I MISS THE WAR
The 1967 Sexual Offences Act will revolutionise everything, won’t it? Well, perhaps not as far as dapper gent Jackie is concerned… Starring Ian Gelder and written by Matthew Baldwin.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Twitter: @BBCAMERICA Hashtag: #QueersBBCA
BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming including the Emmy®-winning Planet Earth II, top-rated science-fiction phenomenon Doctor Who, fan-favorite Orphan Black, ground-breaking unscripted series Top Gear, buzzy and wildly bizarre Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency starring Elijah Wood, as well as the upcoming series Killing Eve from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Planet Earth: Blue Planet II, the next chapter in the epic story of our planet. A joint venture between BBC Worldwide (the commercial arm of the BBC) and AMC Networks, BBCA’s influential shows have attracted critical acclaim and earned Emmy® Awards, Peabody Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globes®. Created in 1998, the irrepressible network has garnered one of cable’s most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Available through cable, satellite TV and streaming services, BBC AMERICA broadcasts in both standard and high-definition. Get caught up, BBCA offers full episodes On Demand across all major digital platforms, BBC AMERICA app and bbcamerica.com. Find out more by visiting press.bbcamerica.com and follow @bbcamerica.