Netflix’s reality dating show library just got bigger with the announcement of a groundbreaking new series called The Boyfriend. The world’s best streaming service is a trailblazer when it comes to dating shows with the likes of Love Is Blind and Too Hot to Handle.
But The Boyfriend particularly stands out from the rest as it’s Japan’s first same-sex romance reality series. Premiering on July 9, the show sees nine men live and work together in a beach house, while working shifts at a peppermint green coffee truck, to try and find love. Netflix promises that it will be a “rollercoaster of emotions”.
The release of the teaser trailer (see above) for The Boyfriend has coincided perfectly with Pride Month and what a better way to celebrate the occasion than streaming the best-rated LGBTQ+ TV shows on Netflix? Here are four rated 90% and higher on Rotten Tomatoes to watch while you wait for The Boyfriend to be released.
Heartstopper
Heartstopper won a place in everyone’s hearts and went down as one of the best Netflix shows in recent years for its touching love story between two high school students.
Based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series of the same name, Heartstopper is a coming-of-age series that follows gentle schoolboy Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and rugby fanatic Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), who strike up an unlikely friendship. They soon realize that there could be something more between them as they navigate school, love and discover who they really are.
Heartstopper is a tale about young love and queerness. It’s like a warm hug for your soul, so it’s no surprise that there’s now a season three in the works.
Smiley
Smiley is a Spanish romantic comedy based on the play of the same name by Guillem Clua. It’s about heartbroken bartender Alex (Carlos Cuevas), who has an embarrassing moment when he mistakenly sends a voicemail to a stranger called Bruno (Miki Esparbé) instead of his ex. Little do they know, this mishap is about to lead to a budding romance.
The series has been praised for its diverse LGBTQ+ cast, so fans were understandably disappointed when Netflix cancelled the second season. Although Alex and Bruno’s story may have come to an end in season one, there’s no reason why you can’t still indulge while it’s on Netflix.
Queer Eye
Queer Eye has become a huge success when it comes to reality TV reboots. More than ten years after the original series aired, Netflix rebooted the Queer Eye franchise with an all-new ‘Fab Five’ who travel the US and forge relationships with people that have different beliefs.
Mixing style advice with social commentary, it has cemented itself as one of the best queer shows on Netflix and has won a slew of awards over the years, including a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program.
With eight seasons and two spinoffs, including Queer Eye: We’re in Japan!, it’s perfect if you’re looking for something to binge watch.
Special
Special is a semi-autobiographical series based on Ryan O’Connell’s memoir I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. O’Connell stars as Ryan, a gay man with cerebral palsy who spreads his wings and goes after the life he wants.
The series is an honest and sweet portrayal of independence, disability and sexuality. It’s a story with a heart of gold and you will have no problem getting stuck into two seasons of the drama.
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