Noah Galvin, center, stars in ‘The Real O’Neals,’ a new gay-themed ABC sitcom. (Photo courtesy ABC)
Chelsea Handler’s documentary series dropped on Netflix Jan. 23. “Chelsea Does” has four 90-minute episodes that each address a different topic, including marriage, drugs, technology and race. In the marriage episode, Handler examines a broad spectrum of relationships, including gay partnerships, Vegas weddings and her own failed romances.
Shonda Rhimes continues to dominate Thursday night television on ABC with “Grey’s Anatomy” at 8 p.m., “Scandal” at 9 p.m., and “How To Get Away With Murder” at 10 p.m. Rhimes’ shows are known for their diverse casts and prominent LGBT actors, characters and plots.
The first season of “The Shannara Chronicles” ended March 1. The MTV fantasy drama is based on the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Ivana Baquero, who is best known for playing Ofelia in Pan’s Labyrinth, stars as Eretria, who is bisexual.
Openly gay cast member Kate McKinnon continues to be one of the most memorable on “Saturday Night Live,” which airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. She took over the role of Hillary Clinton, once played by Amy Poehler. Ariana Grande will pull double duty as the host and musical guest on March 12.
Season eight of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” kicks off on March 7 on LOGO. Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews and Carson Kressley all return to the judge’s table.
YouTube star Tyler Oakley is a contestant in season 28 of “The Amazing Race,” which airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on CBS. Oakley and his teammate have consistently been finishing each leg of the race in the top two. Each team this season is made up of at least one internet celebrity, including popular YouTube, Vine and Instagram stars.
Rachel Bloom stars in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Mondays at 8 p.m. on the CW. The characters White Josh and Darryl Whitefeather are gay and bisexual, respectively. Bloom recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role in the musical comedy.
Ken Jeong stars in “Dr. Ken,” a sitcom inspired by Jeong’s experience as a doctor before becoming a stand-up comedian. Openly gay actor Jonathan Slavin plays a supporting role in the show, which airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
Martha Plimpton stars in “The Real O’Neals,” airing Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. Openly gay actor Noah Galvin plays Plimpton’s son, who reveals to his Catholic family that he is gay. The Family Research Council has called for a boycott of the series, which is produced by Dan Savage.
“Legends of Tomorrow” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on the CW. Gay actors Victor Garber and Wentworth Miller star in the superhero show, which is a spinoff of “Arrow” and “The Flash.” The show includes the recurring “Arrow” character Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), who is bisexual.
Rob Lowe stars in “You, Me, and the Apocalypse,” which airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. Several interwoven storylines connect an ensemble cast who attempt to stop a world-ending asteroid from hitting earth. Two of the main characters are in a gay partnership. The British-American series originally aired in the UK last fall.
Daniel Franzese stars in “Recovery Road” on Freeform, the new name for ABC Family. The show follows a teenage girl going through rehab in a sober living facility. It airs Mondays at 9 p.m.
“Shadowhunters” airs on Freeform on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. This fantasy series is based on “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare. Matthew Daddario and Harry Shum, Jr.’s characters are gay and bisexual, respectively.
Jennifer Lopez stars in “Shades of Blue,” who plays an NYPD detective caught up in an anti-corruption probe. The show airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC and was renewed for a second season.
“Empire” returns to Fox on Wednesday, March 30 at 9 p.m. Lee Daniels, who is openly gay, created the series, which includes several LGBT cast members and characters. A central conflict of the show is the tension between homophobic patriarch Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and his gay son Jamal (Jussie Smollett, who is also gay).
“Live at 9:30” is an upcoming public access show, which will premiere in April. The music variety show will be filmed at the 9:30 Club and will feature performances by Tove Lo, Jess Glynne, Garbage and more.
Coming to Netflix:
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright return to Netflix on March 4 in season four of “House of Cards.” Spacey plays the bisexual, Machiavellian president in the D.C.-based drama.
Season two of “Marvel’s Daredevil” drops on Netflix on March 18. Charlie Cox plays the title superhero, a blind vigilante who defends Hell’s Kitchen. Prominent LGBT ally Rosario Dawson plays a supporting role in the series.
Also entering its second season is “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” The Tina Fey-created series stars her “30 Rock” co-star Jane Krakowski and Titus Burgess. Netflix renewed the show for a third season.
Season two of “Grace and Frankie” premieres on Netflix on May 6. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda star as two women who, despite decades of disliking each other, form a close friendship when their husbands (Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen) divorce them for each other.
In more renewal news, Netflix renewed “Orange Is the New Black” for three addition seasons beyond the upcoming fourth season, which premieres June 17. The series has been lauded for featuring a racially diverse cast and giving significant screen time to trans, lesbian and bisexual characters and actors.
