10 Best LGBTQ+ Shows of All Time, Ranked

Hollywood has admittedly come a long way when it comes to the representation of LGBTQ+ characters on screen. Moonlight may have been the first openly LGBTQ+ film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but television shows have gotten significantly more progressive in the last few decades. Viewers may have had to once settle for brief references to the LGBTQ+ experience in mainstream shows like Star Trek and I Love Lucy, but now there are many programs that are exclusively about sexuality and relationships.

Many of the greatest drama shows of all time feature prominent LGBTQ+ characters, including Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Twin Peaks, and The Last of Us. However, many strong shows have been more representative of the culture in its entirety that show the diversity of sexuality. Here are the ten best LGBTQ+ shows of all time.

10 ‘Looking’ (2014 – 2016)

Created by Michael Lannan

Lookingwas a deeply sensitive and heartwarming dramedy series that looked at the reality of dating for three gay men living in San Francisco. Although it’s a premise that may once been pitched as a standard network sitcom, Looking succeeded because it felt like a “slice of life” series of escapades that didn’t conform to standard narrative structures. Rarely has a show felt as emotionally authentic, and at times crushingly emotional, as Looking did. Breakout performers like Jonathan Groff and Murray Bartlett were among the show’s standout characters.

The freedom of being broadcast on HBO meant that Looking was able to include the type of intimate LGBTQ+ scenes that would have once been considered too offensive to air. The series was revived in the form of a well-received film spin-off that aired on television in 2016 and received positive reviews.

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9 ‘Tales of the City’ (1993)

Developed by Lauren Morelli

Tales of the City took inspiration from the acclaimed novel of the same name by Armistead Maupin, and presented an anthology narrative centered on various LGBTQ+ characters coming to grips with their identities in San Francisco during the 1970s. The groundbreaking attention to detail in showing intimate relationships on screen made the series ahead of its time; at no point did it feel like Tales of the City was heightening the tragedy of the situation in order to appeal to straight audiences

The success of Tales of the City was highly influential within the television landscape, leading to the development of more LGBTQ-centric shows in the subsequent decades. The series was later rebooted as a critically acclaimed miniseries by Netflix in 2019 that starred the talented Laura Linney, but it would be hard to compare any continuation with the sheer impact that the original classic had upon its initial debut.

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8 ‘It’s A Sin’ (2021)

Created by Russell T Davies

It’s A Sin is perhaps the greatest television program ever made about the AIDS crisis, as it is inherently a coming-of-age story about young people discovering their identity in the midst of a tragic period where disinformation and fear led to the spread of the illness. What’s remarkable about It’s A Sin is that it served as a way of celebrating the importance of LGBTQ+ friendship, yet handled the more dramatic moments with the severity that they required.

It’s A Sin served as the breakthrough work for many young stars, including Olly Alexander, David Carlyle, Nathaniel Curtis, Shaun Dooley, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells, Tracy-Ann Oberman, and Lydia West. While the great Neil Patrick Harris delivered a heartbreaking performance in the pilot episode, the show was smart to put its focus on the adolescent heroes that would represent the LGBTQ+ community moving forward.

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7 ‘Will & Grace’ (1998 – 2020)

Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick

Will & Grace isn’t just a sitcom that was ahead of its time, but often the single funniest show airing on television. Over the course of eleven seasons, Will & Grace explored the dynamic between the gay lawyer Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and his straight best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), allowing viewers across a spectrum of sexuality to connect with the characters. Subsequent seasons included even more prominent supporting characters and guest stars that made the show’s universe feel even more expansive.

Will & Grace was a remarkable show that evolved with the times. While the notion of an LGBTQ+-centric series was itself a novelty when the show began airing in the late 1990s, Will & Grace was able to remain relevant by showing the ways in which the reaction within the community itself changed over the course of the 21st century.

6 ‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013 – 2019)

Created by Jenji Kohan

Orange Is the New Black is one of the most important shows in the history of Netflix, as it was one of the first original programs that the steamer began airing after House of Cards became a phenomenon in early 2013. Set in a women’s prison with an eclectic cast of characters, Orange Is The New Black delivered consistently shocking, hilarious, and heartbreaking twists that kept viewers on the edge of their seats over the course of seven seasons.

Orange Is The New Black was difficult to classify by any standard metrics, as the Primetime Emmy Awards even changed its qualifications so it would compete in the drama, and not comedy, categories. Some viewers may have been disappointed by the way that the series wrapped up in its final season, but the sheer amount of great character arcs on Orange Is the New Black made it an overall rewarding experience.

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5 ‘Angels in America’ (2003)

Directed by Mike Nichols

Angels in America changed the way HBO releases its prestige projects forever, as it wrangled together a cast and crew that was worthy of a major Hollywood spectacle. Based on the acclaimed stage play by Tony Kushner, the six-part miniseries from legendary director Mike Nichols chronicled the AIDS crisis from the perspective of various activists, politicians, and victims involved.

Angels in America is one of the most celebrated programs in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, as it took home trophies for Best Miniseries, Best Actor (Al Pacino), Best Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Supporting Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actress (Mary Louise-Parker), Best Director, and Best Writing among several others. While the gripping subject material ensures that it is by no means an easy watch, Angels in America tells an important chapter in American history that should not easily be forgotten.

4 ‘Six Feet Under’ (2001 – 2005)

Created by Alan Ball

Six Feet Under features one of the greatest LGBTQ+ characters of all-time in David Fisher (Michael C. Hall), a gay man who operates his family’s funeral home. While Six Feet Under has one of the greatest ensembles in any drama show, the focus on how David admits his sexuality to his family and gains their acceptance served as one of the show’s most impactful storylines.

Six Feet Under is one of the rare LGBTQ+ shows that gives its characters a happy ending, as David ends up falling in love with his boyfriend Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick) and starting a family with adopted children. It may seem odd that a show about death would feel so inspiring, but Six Feet Under examined the importance of celebrating the time people have left. Darkly amusing, deeply emotional, and surprising in all the best ways, Six Feet Under is a masterpiece of drama that every serious television fan needs to watch at one point in their life.

3 ‘Queer as Folk’ (2000-2005)

Created by Stephen Dunn

Queer as Folk was another sign of the genius of Russell T. Davies, the celebrated British showrunner who was renowned for his work on the Doctor Who franchise in the early 21st century. While many other LGBTQ+-centric shows at the time were specifically aimed at exploring the consequences of the AIDS crisis and the tragic loss of life, Queer as Folk was successful in exploring the positive side of intimate relationships. The realistic story of life in urban areas was one that many audience members could relate to. Queer as Folk served as a breakout project for many beloved performers, including Charlie Hunnam, Aiden Gillen, and Craig Kelly. While the original series is still a highly rewatchable form of intimate drama, the recent American reboot was able to modernize the show’s mythology by addressing modern issues relating to the predominance of gun violence.

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2 ‘Pose’ (2018-2021)

Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals

Pose was a fresh new take on the emergence of ball culture in the late 20th century in New York City that gave Ryan Murphy the chance to prove that he valued putting LGBTQ+ characters in the spotlight. It’s unfortunate that many of the historical shows about the LGBTQ+ community are based on tragedy, but Pose was legitimately celebratory of this unique culture and the joy that it inspired. The celebration of period-accurate aesthetic details made Pose one of the most technically impressive programs on television.

Pose received significant acclaim for its performances, with Bill Porter’s incredible work earning numerous accolades over the course of the show’s three seasons. Nonetheless, Pose was a series that celebrated the diversity of its ensemble, as Evan Peters, James Van Der Beek, Kata Mara, and Angelica Ross among others helped to flesh out the excellent supporting cast of characters.

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1 ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ (2009-)

Presented by RuPaul

RuPaul’s Drag Race is perhaps the most prominent reality program of the 21st century, as the show has shown no signs of slowing down after sixteen seasons. While the show has gone through many technical changes and swapped different networks, it remains as trailblazing and immersive as it always was. RuPaul’s Drag Race started its own empire, with several popular spin-off shows released in the aftermath of its debut.

RuPaul’s Drag Race remains one of the best methods of identifying new LGBTQ+ stars, as the series has created a safe environment that celebrates flamboyant and camp. As impressive as it is that the series has managed to retain its consistency of quality for well over a decade, the continued Emmy nominations and praise from the LGBTQ+ community for RuPaul’s Drag Race indicates that its best days are still ahead of it.

NEXT: The Best LGBTQ+ Movies of All Time, Ranked