HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN

Thanks to returning favourites such as Heartstopper, Good Omens and the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, as well as new shows like Fellow Travelers, Glamorous and I Kissed a Boy, 2023 was undeniably one of the best (and most authentic) on record for LGBTQIA+ characters and narratives. Because queers can’t have nice things, however, several championed dramas with L’s, G’s, B’s, T’s and Q’s have been unceremoniously axed over the past year to pandemonium online. Fan pages… are shutting down. Change.org petitions… are being drafted. Viewers… are outside Netflix headquarters with pitchforks. If, like us, you can’t keep up with the small-screen’s current LGBTQIA+ purge, then read ahead. Warning: may make thee full of rage.

1899 (2022)

Cast: Emily Beecham, Aneurin Barnard, Andreas Pietschmann, Miguel Bernardeau, José Pimentão, Isabella Wei, Gabby Wong, Yann Gael, Mathilde Olliver, Jonas Bloquet, Rosalie Craig, Maciej Musial, Clara Rosager, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Maria Erwolter, Alexandre Willaume, Tino Mewes, Isaak Dentler, Fflyn Edwards, Anton Lesser

Released in November 2022 to acclaim, 1899 secured the runner-up position on Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 list with almost 80 million hours viewed in just four days. Despite the aforementioned success, series creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar confirmed via social media that 1899 has been cancelled. The German duo, who previously collaborated with Netflix on Dark, one of the most lauded dramas of the 21st century, wrote on Instagram: “We would have loved to finish this incredible journey with a 2nd and 3rd season as we did with Dark. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. That’s life. We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there.” Set in 1899, the series follows a group of immigrants aboard a steamship named Kerberos to start new lives in New York City, where they’re faced with a series of kooky and inexplicable events.

Batwoman (2019-2022)

Cast: Ruby Rose, Javicia Leslie, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang, Camrus Johnson, Elizabeth Anweis, Dougray Scott, Victoria Cartagena, Robin Givens, Nick Creegan

Following the controversial departure of Ruby Rose as the crime-fighting cousin of Batman slash Bruce Wayne, Javicia Leslie memorably made history as the first-ever Black – and bisexual – iteration of Batwoman. Although all three seasons of the action drama received highly positive reviews from critics, particularly for its authentic LGBTQIA+ representation, The CW cancelled the series – during Lesbian Visibility Week, we should add! – to enormous backlash from viewers. Caroline Dries, showrunner, revealed the news on social media, saying she was “bummed, but full of gratitude”.