I can’t be the only one who feels like 2021 is merely an extension of 2020. Sure, several days in, I’m still struggling to remember to date my files “21” instead of “20,” just as I have in years past, but with the COVID-19 pandemic still in full effect, right-wing terrorists attempting a political coup, and a new season of Drag Race currently airing, this hardly feels like a new year at all.
In fact, the only thing that really feels like it has changed is my to-watch list on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Max. Most notably, I’ve had to adjust to continuing my Gossip Girl rewatch on HBO Max instead of its longtime streaming home of Netflix, where it left at the end of last month. But I’ve also enjoyed revisiting Oscar-nominated classics like Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.
Of course, sometimes you want something new, which is why I’ve been diving into Fate: The Winx Saga, a live-action update on the popular Nickelodeon animated series, and The Bling Empire, Netflix’s reality TV answer to the question “What would happen if you combined Crazy Rich Asians with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?” I similarly flew through the fourth season of millennial mystery satire Search Party and gobbled up Pretend It’s a City, the Scorsese-directed docuseries about Fran Leibowitz’s irreverent takes on everything New York. But in the end, few things are more exciting than the series premiere of new network sitcom Call Your Mother. (Save for the upcoming Jules-centric special Euphoria episode, of course.)
The Color Purple: January 1 on HBO Max
On its surface, The Color Purple is a harrowing story about one woman’s journey through an endless cycle of sexual assault and emotional abuse. But on a deeper level, Steven Spielberg’s Golden Globe-winning film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, is an empowering tale about that same woman’s ability to find inner-strength through the loving admiration she harbors for another woman — one who’s significantly more confident, brave, and self-assured than she. Clocking in at almost 2.5 hours, there’s no debate that this 1985 classic, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah, and Danny Glover, is considered epic — but in the skillful hands of Spielberg, who was nominated for Best Picture at the 1986 Oscars, this at-times difficult work of Black trauma rises above the shock-value of its central tale of lecherous men and defenseless women to become something much more moving.
Gossip Girl, Seasons 1-6: January 1 on HBO Max
There’s no word yet on when the new (and much more queer) reboot of Gossip Girl will debut, but with a pretty solid confirmation that it’s coming sometime this year, there’s never been a better time to revisit the show that started it all. Airing from 2007 to 2012, this highly bingeable series, about extremely privileged teenagers living on New York’s Upper East Side, centered on the on-again-off-again friendship between central characters Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen. But there were plenty of queer stories, too, from Eric van der Woodsen’s various relationships to Blair’s father’s relationship with hunky model Roman Garrel in the series’ token Christmas episode “Roman Holiday.” (Bonus: while you’re binging, get to know the new cast.)
Like a Boss: January 1 on Prime Video and Hulu
Any movie starring Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Coolidge, and Salma Hayek would already be an instant gay classic — but add in thee gay icon Billy Porter himself and you have a recipe for a gay super-classic. One of the undersung comedy highlights of 2020, Like a Boss stars Haddish and Byrne as dual owners of a fledgling cosmetics company, who are forced to go into business with Hayek when they incur almost $500,000 of debt. As they attempt to maintain their independence while working underneath the know-it-all cosmetics empire guru, the pair predictably find themselves butting heads with their new boss, eventually leading to the question: Can sheer talent (and some sneaky strategy) help them win back their business?
Mulholland Drive: January 1 on HBO Max
Mulholland Drive is one of my favorite films of all time. The 2001 David Lynch classic is widely respected as a work of cinematic genius, but too often, it’s ignored as a work of queer cinematic genius. An almost inscrutable story about two women who meet by chance after one is hit by a car, the film follows as the other, an aspiring Hollywood starlet, takes her in. Together, they attempt to solve the mystery behind her crash — but in the process, the pair strike up a sexual relationship as they bond over shared trauma. As gorgeous as it is spellbinding (things aren’t described as “Lynchian” for nothing), the film earned Lynch a well-deserved Best Director Oscar nomination — even if he did, ultimately, lose unfairly to A Beautiful Mind’s Ron Howard. But hey, at least he won Best Director at Cannes!
Pretend It’s a City: January 8 on Netflix
Is there any personality more “New York” than Fran Leibowitz? And is there any director more “New York” than Martin Scorsese? The answer to those questions are, of course, absolutely not — and for that reason, it’s no surprise that Pretend It’s a City feels as quintessentially Manhattan as it does. Directed by Scorsese, the seven-part docuseries mixes brand new interviews with found footage from Leibowitz’s illustrious path as the famed author (hilariously) talks about the history of her adopted home of New York City — offering her unfiltered opinions on the arts, driverless cars, the illegalization of indoor smoking, crazy cab drivers, bad real estate decisions, the futility of “wellness,” and the unattractiveness of rolled-up yoga mats.
Call Your Mother, Season 1 Premiere: January 14 on Hulu
Each season, one new network sitcom rises to the top of the heap to prove that it’s worth your time. Enter Call Your Mother, Spring 2021’s entry, which stars The Closer’s Golden Globe-winning Kyra Sedgwick as an empty-nest mother who packs up everything to move to L.A. to be closer to her children, played by Liv and Maddie’s Joey Bragg and rising comedienne Rachel Sennott (the star of Shiva Baby, one of our favorite films of 2020). That cast alone warrants your undivided attention, but with the addition of openly gay Daybreak actor Austin Crute as Sennott’s gay best friend, it’s almost impossible for this new sitcom to fail.
Search Party, Season 4: January 14 on HBO Max
After three seasons proving itself uniquely adept at bridging compelling mystery with hilarious satire about the self-absorption of millennials, Search Party continues to raise the bar in season four. Now kidnapped by an obsessed fan, Dory (queer actress Alia Shawkat) tries to escape while her best friends Drew, Portia, and Elliot do everything in their power to find her. As always, the cast is in top form — especially comedian John Early as gay best friend Elliot, who sells his soul to become a famous political commentator at a conservative Fox News-like network — but for this fourth go-round, creators Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss step it up with a who’s who list of A-List guest stars. (I won’t spoil them for you, but you won’t be disappointed.)
Bling Empire, Season 1: January 15 on Netflix
As part of its grand scheme to occupy all facets of television, Netflix is ready to break into Real Housewives-style reality TV with Bling Empire. The drama-filled series follows a group of exorbitantly wealthy Asian-Americans living across Los Angeles (but mostly in Beverly Hills) as they throw parties, shop, eat at fancy restaurants, and hop on private jets to fly to other countries where they throw parties, shop, and eat at fancy restaurants. The show is every bit as manfuctared and trashy as you’d expect, but with its carefully-curated cast of TV-made personalities — like Kane, the extravagant gay son of oil magnates — it’s also tons of fun.
Wish You: Your Melody In My Heart: January 15 on Netflix
If you’re on the hunt for quality queer content, I recommend combing through Netflix’s extensive library of Korean films and TV shows. The latest entry to the catalogue is Wish You: Your Melody In My Heart, which tells the story of a struggling singer who is discovered on YouTube by a big-name record label executive. When the executive invites the aspiring artist to come live with him in his label’s residences, the pair slowly realize that they may be connected by more than just a mutual love for music. Described as a “story filled with music and love,” this South Korean production promises to be steamy, romantic, and delightful to listen to.
Fate: The Winx Saga: January 22 on Netflix
During its early-aughts run on Nickelodeon, Winx Club, an animated series about fairies and other mythical creatures, became a national sensation. Now, Netflix is premiering its live-action adaptation, Fate: The Winx Saga, a fun, noticeably more grown-up update. Still centered on a group of five fairies enrolled at the magic-filled Alfea School, The Winx Saga follows the teens as they fine-tune their powers while fighting against a deathly threat posed by the dangerous and terrifying-looking “Burned Ones.” As with any good modern-day teen show, The Winx Saga features steamy romances, prolific drug use, and even a three-dimensional queer character in Dane, an incoming freshman who develops a small crush on one of the older boys in his class.
So My Grandma’s a Lesbian: January 22 on Netflix
In terms of queer narratives, the elder market is inexcusably underserved. Which is what makes me so excited for So My Grandma’s A Lesbian, a farce about two women in their 70s who spark chaos and controversy amongst their respective families when they decide to come out and announce their upcoming marriage. Their forthcoming nuptials only incite more drama when their wedding threatens to derail the upcoming wedding of one of their granddaughters, who is expectedly not too keen on having her spotlight stolen from underneath her. Alternatively titled Salir Del Ropero, this Spanish-language comedy promises laughs and gasps in equal measure.
Euphoria, Special Episode Pt. II: January 24 on HBO Max
Last month, HBO aired the first of its two special “bridge” episodes for Euphoria, the Emmy-winning teen series about high school, queer love, and overcoming addiction. “Trouble Don’t Last Always” spotlighted main character Rue as she met with her pseudo-sponsor in a diner to discuss the recent relapse she succumbed to in the season one finale. But in this second installment, the camera is turned over to Jules, the trans character played by model/activist/actress Hunter Schafer, who co-wrote the episode with series creator and frequent director Sam Levinson. Titled “F*ck Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob,” HBO says the episode “follows Jules over the Christmas holiday as she reflects on the year.”
Bonding, Season 2: January 27 on Netflix
With its 15-minute episodes, the first season of Bonding helped usher in Netflix’s new crop of “short-form” content. Starring Palo Alto’s Zoe Levin as a part-time psychology grad student, part-time dominatrix, and queer actor Brendan Scannell (of the ill-fated Heathers TV show) as her former gay best friend-cum-new assistant, Bonding was a quick-moving comedy about the ups and downs of sex work. Following the odd-couple pair as they reconnect in New York after years of post-high school estrangement, the series was both clever and insightful. Fingers crossed for more hilarious, sex-filled excursions in season two.
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