20 excellent LGBTQ+ shows to binge while Apple TV+ is free this weekend!
| 12/31/24
rachiepants
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Courtesy of Apple TV+
New year, new binge? Listen, if you are a New Year’s resolution girlie, we support and applaud you. But not all of us want to pretend this year we’re finally going to complete that novel or go to the gym every day. So why not set a realistic goal of finally catching up on those shows you missed?
And with Apple TV+ offering up all their originals forfree the first weekend of 2025 (January 3-5), now is the perfect time to do just that.
Despite having some of the most consistently excellent programming, Apple TV+ is currently the eighth most popular streaming service, according to public data. So there's a good chance you've missed out on some of their relatively hidden gems. Seriously, folks, this is some great gay stuff.
Not sure where to start? No worries, we’ve got you covered with our list of 20 queer shows on Apple TV+ to binge. Pop that popcorn and get into it.
January 3-5
All film and series descriptions are courtesy of Apple TV+.
Synopsis: In Severance, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself. In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
Why you need to binge it: Not only is this series a compelling mystery told with incredible style it also features one of the sweetest late-in-life gay love stories ever.
Synopsis:Dickinson is a half-hour comedy series that audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of the rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson. Set in the 19th century, the series is a coming-of-age story that finds Emily to be the unexpected hero for our millennial generation.
Why you need to binge it: Emily Dickinson gets the queer, angsty, comedy we never knew we needed for her. Just be prepared to be down bad for Hailee Stenfield afterwards, if you weren’t already.
Synopsis:Shrinking follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives … including his own.
Why you need to binge it: While this show is genuinely hilarious and achingly emotional, we’re really here for the Michael Urie of it all.
Synopsis: The Buccaneers are the daughters of America’s new rich — beautiful and untameable, despite the best efforts of England’s finest governesses, they are on their way to London to snare themselves an aristocrat, low in funds but high in class, to make a perfect match.
Why you need to binge it: Lesbian yearning. So much yearning.
Synopsis: What happens when the people you trust to tell the truth prove themselves to be dishonest? The Morning Show follows the free fall of an early morning newscast in the wake of a scandal, and its struggle to survive in an era when news arrives in the palm of your hand.
Why you need to binge it: Well for one thing Holland Taylor. But also in season 2 Reese Witherspoon’s Bradly Jackson gets a sapphic paramour.
Synopsis: Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of Jax losing custody to Roki’s grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham), the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world while at the mercy of a failed justice system. Gladstone stars alongside Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, and Crystle Lightning, with Audrey Wasilewski and Whigham.
Why you need to binge it: Lily Gladstone is not only queer in this role they are incredible in it. Get ready to feel all the feelings.
Synopsis: In Loot, billionaire Molly Novak (Rudolph) has a dream life, complete with private jets, a sprawling mansion, and a gigayacht — anything her heart desires. But when her husband of 20 years betrays her, she spirals publicly, becoming fuel for tabloid fodder. She's reaching rock bottom when she learns, to her surprise, that she has a charity foundation run by the no-nonsense Sofia Salinas (Rodriguez), who pleads with Molly to stop generating bad press. With her devoted assistant Nicholas (Kim Booster) by her side, and with the help of Sofia and team — including mild-mannered accountant Arthur (Faxon) and her optimistic, pop-culture-loving cousin Howard (Funches) — Molly embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Giving back to others might be what she needs to get back to herself.
Why you need to binge it: I mean, just look at the cast. You already know it's going to be camp, hilarious, and gay AF.
Synopsis: A parody of iconic Golden Age musicals, Schmigadoon! stars Strong and Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship who discover a magical town living in a 1940s musical. They then learn that they can’t leave until they find “true love.” Synopsis: A parody of iconic Golden Age musicals, Schmigadoon! stars Strong and Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship who discover a magical town living in a 1940s musical. They then learn that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”
Why you need to binge it: I'm sorry but again, did you see this cast? Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada, and Martin Short guest star – and that's just the FIRST season.
Synopsis: Bad Sisters season two returns to follow the lives of the Garvey sisters played by Sharon Horgan as Eva, Anne-Marie Duff as Grace, Eva Birthistle as Ursula, Sarah Greene as Bibi, and Eve Hewson as Becka. Two years after the “accidental death” of Grace’s abusive husband, the close-knit Garvey sisters may have moved on, but when past truths resurface, the ladies are thrust back into the spotlight, suspicions are at an all-time high, lies are told, secrets revealed and the sisters are forced to work out who they can trust.
Why you need to binge it: If you like your humor dark and hilarious this is the one for you, plus one of those “bad sisters” is, you guessed it, a big ol’ lezzie.
Synopsis: Told through the lives of NASA astronauts, engineers, and their families, For All Mankind presents an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams.
Why you need to binge it: Because lesbians in space (and STEM).
Synopsis: Palm Royale is a true underdog story that follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, “Palm Royale” asks the same question that still baffles us today: “How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?” Set during the powder keg year of 1969, “Palm Royale” is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.
Why you need to binge it: If the camp factor or ‘60s styling wasn’t enough to recommend it the inclusion of Ricky Martin and forever Sapphic fave Leslie Bibb is.
Synopsis: This emotionally thrilling series reveals the shocking story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, and Cristóbal Balenciaga, navigated the horrors of World War II and launched modern fashion.
Why you need to binge it: Ben Mendelsohn will make your heart break with his portrayal of queer fashion designer Christian Dior. And the looks. The LEWKS.
Synopsis: Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, “Physical” is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne), a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband’s bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She’s also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image… that is until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics. Season two found Byrne having successfully launched her first fitness video only to encounter some new and bigger obstacles on her path. She is torn between loyalty to her husband (Rory Scovel) and the values he represents, and a dangerous attraction to someone else. And since she’s no longer the only game in town, she finds herself having to outrun some fierce new competitors on the road to building a full-fledged fitness empire.
Why you need to binge it: Four words: Murray. Bartlett. Short. Shorts.
Synopsis:Acapulco tells the story of 20-something Máximo Gallardo (Enrique Arrizon), whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco. He soon realizes the job is far more complicated than he ever imagined and in order to succeed, he must learn to navigate a demanding clientele, a mercurial mentor, and a complicated home life, without losing his way to shortcuts or temptations. The series, which is told in both Spanish and English, takes place in 1984, with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character, Máximo Gallardo.
Why you need to binge it: Because there are never enough sweet coming-of-age lesbian love stories in the world. Never. Enough.
Synopsis: From Academy Award winners Chris Miller and Phil Lord, each episode of The Afterparty explores a different character’s account of one fateful evening, all told through the lens of popular film genres and unique visuals to match the storyteller’s perspective. In season two, a wedding is ruined when the groom is murdered and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner (Haddish) returns to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers, and business partners, and hearing each suspect’s retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style.
Why you need to binge it: While season one is a blast, season 2 is where it gets super gay with a queer romance at its center featuring the always delightful Poppy Liu.
Synopsis:Land of Women is a dramedy starring Eva Longoria as Gala, a well-to-do New Yorker, who has her life turned upside down when her husband fails to repay a debt to the wrong people. With dangerous criminals searching for her family and now vanished husband, Gala is forced to leave the city with her aging mother Julia (Carmen Maura) and teenage daughter Kate (Victoria Bazúa) to her mother’s hometown in northern Spain — a place that Julia fled 50 years ago — to start life anew and hope their identities remain hidden. But gossip in the charming wine town quickly spreads, unraveling their deepest family secrets and truths.
Why you need to binge it: The trans inclusion and storyline in this show are a breath of fresh air!
Synopsis: Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game.
Why you need to binge it: Season two introduces a sapphic love story and honestly we just feel seen by these queer gamer—or make that gaymer — girls.
Synopsis: Based on the book The Princess and the Pony by New York Times bestselling author Kate Beaton and hailing from DreamWorks, “Pinecone & Pony” is an eight-episode animated comedy for kids and families about a young warrior-in-training and her best friend Pony, who, by helping each other, learn to challenge their expectations and break the mold. After all, when you keep an open mind and an open heart, you’ll discover that nothing is ever as it first appears, the world is full of possibilities, and life can be a fun-filled adventure if you let it.
Why you need to binge it: Looking for something to scratch that Steven Universe itch? This show has got you, not only is it scoring high on the queerness factor it also features the kind of body diversity we need to see more of.
Synopsis: Sunny stars Rashida Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash. As “consolation” she’s given Sunny, one of a new class of domestic robots made by her husband’s electronics company. Though at first, Suzie resents Sunny’s attempts to fill the void in her life, gradually they develop an unexpected friendship. Together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family and become dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed.
Why you need to binge it: So you can crush hard on Sunny’s lesbian bestie/sidekick Mixxy (Annie the Clumsy) right along with us.
Synopsis:Visible: Out on Television investigates the importance of TV as an intimate medium that has shaped the American conscience, and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television. Combining archival footage with interviews with key players from the movement and the screen, the docuseries is narrated by Janet Mock, Margaret Cho, Asia Kate Dillon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Lena Waithe. Each hour-long episode will explore themes such as invisibility, homophobia, the evolution of the LGBTQ character, and coming out in the television industry.
Why you need to binge it: Because our history is powerful.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.