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Metro
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
'Queer stories in period dramas aren't seen often – everyone was kissing'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meaningful LGBTQ+ representation in the period genre is few and far between, but Apple TV Plus' hit series The Buccaneers is determined to show 'queer people have always existed.' The period drama with a modern twist – based on classic novelist Edith Wharton's unfinished novel of the same name – has returned for a second season after a popular first run. The new episodes will expand on the LGBTQ+ representation we've seen so far, with lead star Josie Totah telling Metro just how much this storyline means to her in a new interview. Set in the late 19th century, the show follows the antics of New York debutantes Conchita (Alisha Boe), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel (Josie), Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) and Nan (Kristine Froseth), who are shipped off to London to find husbands with good status. The first season introduces the audience to Mabel, a single woman who's less interested in getting hitched to the most eligible bachelor and more interested in kissing beautiful women. She meets Honoria (portrayed by Mia Threapleton) and the pair soon strike up a secret relationship, stealing quiet moments of intimacy among the highs and lows of their friends' romantic woes. 'It meant a lot because you don't really get to see those queer stories in the period [genre],' Josie explained. 'There's Portrait of a Lady On Fire, and Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan did Ammonite, but there's not a lot of them, so it's cool to do something that isn't done.' With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! There has been a steady increase in how much LGBTQ+ representation we see in this genre on TV – especially when it comes to women. Shows like Dickinson and Gentleman Jack have previously centred sapphic relationships, while Netflix's huge hit Bridgerton has promised a female love interest for Francesca (although her season likely won't be out for quite a few years yet). The lives of LGBTQ+ people were a matter of public discourse in the late 19th century, an era defined by the works of gay playwright Oscar Wilde and his subsequent trial in 1895 for 'gross indecency' – an act that was passed in 1885. As coined by Wilde's lover, it was the 'love that dares not speak its name'. There are plenty of documented members of the LGBTQ+ community from this era, including Fanny Graham, 22, and Stella Boulton, 21, who were trans women persecuted by the law. In fact, one of Queen Victoria's favourites, Princess Catherine Hilda Duleep Singh, was also known to be living with a female lover, her former governess, Lina, for several years in Germany. This time period saw everything from drag balls to stunning queer literature. However, it's an area ripe for the picking with a richness that is yet to be explored in its entirety on screen. It's a legacy Josie is thrilled to be building on. She continued: 'For queer and gay people who existed back then, they should be seen as well. They were around. Everyone was kissing back then and it's cool to see.' More Trending Her co-star Alisha Boe, who plays budding matchmaker Conchita, echoed: 'Queer and gay people have always existed.' This two-season drama is based on real-life figure Anne Lister and is set in Halifax in 1832 who is determined to 'find herself a wife' when she meets the alluring Ann Walker. Not only do we see Victorian lesbians living their best lives, but it is a great gateway into learning all about the actual Anne Lister's fascinating backstory. Gentleman Jack is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Based on the real-life accounts of famed poet Emily Dickinson, this tongue-in-cheek Apple TV Plus series dares to imagine what exactly was going on between Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert (Ella Hunt). Lifting from her corpus of work and private letters between the pair, as well as outside accounts of Emily's life, this offers a fun and fresh take on this historical figure's life. Dickinson is available to stream on Apple TV Plus. One of the earlier forms of LGBTQ+ representation in period TV dramas is Thomas Barrow's character in ITV series. Although this starts off as an underexplored and often depressing, storyline, with six seasons and two movies (and a third on the way), we see his character go on a journey that ultimately makes it worth the watch. Downton Abbey is available to stream on Netflix. Based on the 1992 movie, the Amazon Prime series set in 1940s America follows an all-female baseball league and, needless to say, plenty of queer shenanigan's ensue. The show is packed with LGBTQ+ relationships in all their shapes and forms as a ragtag baseball team attempts to make their mark on American history and live their true lives. A League of Their Own is available to stream on Amazon Prime. This pirate drama is set in the early 18th century and follows Captain Flint and his crew as they sail the dangerous seas. Along the way, we encounter actual historical figures from the era and, as can be expected for a rambunctious group of seafarers, there's plenty of romance, with several LGBTQ+ relationships and characters taking centre stage. Black Sails is available to stream on Amazon MGM Plus. In the second season we check back in with Mabel and Honoria who must navigate the increased pressures of a heteronormative society and questions around what their futures look like – together and apart. Set in the 1870s, the women must battle societal prejudice, messy love triangles and friendship dramas if they want to survive the high-stakes world of upper-class Victorian England. View More » The Buccaneers season two episode one is out now with episodes airing every Wednesday. Season one is available to stream. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Every single season of The Traitors around the world and how to watch MORE: TV show 'better than Line of Duty' confirms season 7 before fifth is out MORE: I ran a lad's mag – now I've embraced my trans identity
Express Tribune
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
French director found guilty of sexual assault
PARIS: A French court on Monday found French film director Christophe Ruggia guilty of sexually abusing actor Adele Haenel when she was underage, in one of the first #MeToo cases to emerge from French cinema. Ruggia, who had denied the allegations against him, will avoid jail. The court in Paris sentenced him to four years, with a two-year suspended term, and two years with an electronic ankle bracelet. Ruggia's lawyer, Fanny Colin, told reporters that her client maintained his innocence and would appeal the decision. Haenel, 35, a prize-winning actor in movies such as Portrait of a Lady On Fire, had accused Ruggia of repeatedly touching her inappropriately after they met while working on the movie The Devils in 2001, when she was 12 and he was 36. She first publicly accused him in 2019 of exercising undue control over her, isolating her from her family and crewmembers, while also forcing her and co-star Vincent Rottiers into filming gruelling scenes that they were uncomfortable with. Several female stars of French cinema were in the courtroom to hear the verdict, including Judith Godrèche, one of the figureheads of France's #MeToo movement, and director Céline Sciamma, Haenel's ex-partner and the director of Portrait of a Lady On Fire. Godrèche hugged Haenel following the verdict. Haenel is another of the leading figures in the #MeToo movement in France, where the movement has received a much more tepid reaction than in the United States. Haenel recently quit the film industry, citing complacency over suspected sexual predators still working in the business. Haenel had accused Ruggia of abusing her from the age of 12 to 15, during and after the filming of The Devils, which tells the story of two abandoned siblings searching for their home. She told investigators she often went to Ruggia's house, where he would touch her between her legs and caress her chest. She said his actions affected her schoolwork and provoked suicidal thoughts. Reuters
