Arts & Entertainment
Gayer than ever
Many hit shows return with queer themes and characters

A scene from ‘The McCarthys,’ a new gay-themed CBS sitcom. (Photo courtesy CBS)
Season one of “BoJack Horseman,” Netflix’s first animated original series, is now available. The show focuses on BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), an anthropomorphic horse and former sitcom star (stay with me) trying to recapture his relevance. Amy Sedaris plays his agent, a pink Persian cat. Alison Brie provides the voice of BoJack’s ghostwriter while Aaron Paul voices BoJack’s slack roommate. Stanley Tucci has a minor role as a gay comedian.
“The McCarthys” premieres Oct. 30 at 9:30 p.m. on CBS. The family comedy centers around Ronny McCarthy, a 29-year-old gay Bostonian. Laurie Metcalf plays Ronny’s mother.
“Looking” has recently added Daniel Franzese (Damian, “Mean Girls”) to the cast. Season two returns to HBO in early 2015.
“Dancing with the Stars” season 19 premieres Sept. 15 on ABC. Contestants include Jonathan Bennett (Aaron Samuels, “Mean Girls”), designer Betsey Johnson and Sadie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty.”
“Masters of Sex,” starring Lizzy Caplan (another “Mean Girls” alum) and Michael Sheen, airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime with the second season finale airing Sept. 28. Allison Janney recently won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Margaret Scully, the wife of Beau Bridges’s closeted Provost Barton Scully.
Logo TV’s “Secret Guide to Fabulous” premiered on Sept. 3 at 11 p.m. The show, produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, features four experts in fitness, fashion, entertaining and home design who help people revitalize their lives. Comparisons to “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” are not unfounded.
Seasons one and two of the Netflix juggernauts “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” are both available for streaming. Both shows are queer inclusive, and “Orange’s” Laverne Cox is the first openly trans actress to have been nominated for an Emmy.
Chelsea Handler’s stand-up special “Uganda Be Kidding Me” will be released on Netflix Oct. 10. The special is a live recording from a show on her recent tour of the same name.
HBO will air Beyonce and Jay-Z’s “On the Run Tour” on Sept. 20. The broadcast will feature performances from the musical power couple’s performances in Paris this month.
“The Comeback,” starring Lisa Kudrow, will make a comeback after nine years in November on HBO as six-episode mini-season.
“The Newsroom,” starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer and Jane Fonda, returns for its final season in November on HBO.
“American Horror Story: Freak Show,” created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, premieres on FX on Oct. 8 at 10 p.m. Returning actors include Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett and Francey Conroy, among others. They welcome series newcomers Matt Bomer and Patti LaBelle.
Gustin Grant stars in “The Flash,” premiering Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. on the CW.
Casey Wilson and Ken Marino star in “Marry Me,” which premieres Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. on NBC. The show is loosely based on series creator David Caspe’s (“Happy Endings”) recent marriage to Wilson, also of “Happy Endings” fame.
Jeffrey Tambor and Judith Light star in the Amazon series “Transparent.” Tambor plays a family patriarch who recently came out as a trans woman. The show debuted Feb. 6 and premieres in full this month on Amazon.com.
“How to Get Away With Murder” premieres Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. on ABC, the same night as fellow “Shondaland” juggernauts “Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m.) and “Scandal” (9 p.m.). In “Murder,” Viola Davis stars as Professor Annalise Keating, a lawyer. Jack Falahee plays Connor Walsh, a gay student of Keating’s. The three Thursday night Shonda Rhimes dramas are all prominent, queer-inclusive hits.
“The Walking Dead” returns to AMC on Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. Series creator Robert Kirkman has recently suggested that fan favorite character Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) may be gay, which would make him the show’s first LGBT character.
John Mulaney (“Saturday Night Live”) stars in “Mulaney,” which premieres Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m. on Fox as part of the network’s Sunday night comedy block (along with “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons”). Mulaney may be most known for creating the popular SNL character Stefon, played by Bill Hader.
Season 25 of “The Amazing Race” premieres on Sept. 26 on CBS at 8 p.m., a change from its previous Sunday night time slot. A consistently queer-inclusive program, season 25 features a gay couple competing on a team together.
Emmy magnet “Modern Family” returns to ABC on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m.
The annual CAMP Rehoboth fundraiser, SUNFESTIVAL, was held over Labor Day weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Del. The festival included a massive dance party at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center on Sunday.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)



































Arts & Entertainment
Nominate your favorites for the Blade’s 25th annual Best Of LGBTQ DC Awards
Submit your picks now; top 5 vote getters move to the finals
Nominate your favorites in our Best of LGBTQ DC categories through Sept. 24. The top 5 nominees from each category will become finalists with voting starting Sept. 28. Our 2026 Best of LGBTQ DC winners will be announced at the Best of LGBTQ DC Awards Party on Thursday, Oct. 22 and our special issue will come out on Friday, Oct. 23. One vote per email address per day. Good luck!
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Out & About
Blade Foundation to host fundraiser in Rehoboth on Sept. 12
Mayor-elect Stewart, state Rep. Snyder-Hall to give remarks
The Washington Blade Foundation will host a fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Rehoboth Beach featuring remarks from Rehoboth’s Mayor-elect Susan Stewart and Delaware state Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall.
The Foundation funds fellowships for aspiring queer journalists and enterprise journalism projects.
The event will be held at a private home in Rehoboth. Tickets are $100 and include open bar from Diego’s, catered appetizers from the Blue Moon, entertainment, guest speakers, and an auction. Tickets are available here.
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