The top 18 gay-positive tv comedies: aliens, vampires, a Christian pastor, a ghost, a teenager named after meat, and a hung Phung

When I was a kid, my parents permitted only comedy television, and it is still my preferred genre.  Who wants to watch a detective who doesn't play by the rules solve yet another murder, or some doctors trying to cure the disease of the week?  Give me classic sitcoms, adult animation, parodies, satires, and contemporary dramedies with season-long plot arcs.    

These are my 18 favorite television series with gay characters or subtexts, at least those that I've reviewed here or on the G-rated site. 

Only from 2016-2026.  If I went earlier, the list would include: Absolutely Fabulous, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, The Real O'Neals, Red Dwarf, Roseanne, Schitt's Creek, Ugly Betty, The War at Home...

Kim's Convenience (2016).  Korean-Canadian family in Toronto, with no gay characters until the daughter finally comes out as bi, but there's a lot of  buddy-bonding and beefcake. Simu Liu (left) takes off his shirt a lot, and buddy Andrew Phung goes on to play a chunk in the gay-friendly Running the Burbs

Big Mouth (2017).  Animated middle schoolers negotiate puberty, with the help of individually-assigned hormone monsters and other supernatural beings.  The gay guy, Matthew (Andrew Rannells),  eventually gets his own plotlines, coming out to his parents, dating the bi guy, and learning about sexting.

The Other Two (2019). A young teen achieves sudden fame, which disconcerts the Other Two, his sister and brother (who is gay). By the third season, they've all become successful, but there are still a lot of gay-romance plotlines and bare butts.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019).  Vampire roommates on Staten Island have more and more overtly gay plotlines as the series progresses. With out actor Harvey Guillén as their increasingly out assistant.

The Righteous Gemstones (2019) An absurdly wealthy family of Southern preachers negotiate threats.  I'm not sure I should include this one since, in retrospect, it was a little annoying.  Endless queer codes involving Gideon, Eli, and Pontius, with no resolution, just "crumbs."  And it took forever for Kelvin and Keefe to become canon.  They should have kissed at the end of Season 1.  

Solar Opposites (2020).  Aliens crash-land on Earth, try to adjust to human life, become boyfriends and finally marry.  Plus a spin-off episode with Kieran Culkin and Skyler Gisondo in a strong gay subtext human-alien romance.

Ghosts (American Version).  (2021). A houseful of wacky ghosts, including a hunky stock broker who died without his pants, and a Revolutionary War soldier who comes out and nearly marries the guy he accidentally killed.  Other gay characters appear on occasion.

The Great North (2021). A quirky family in a small town in Alaska, with a gay son who gets a boyfriend, and eventually a horny lesbian aunt.

Run the Burbs (2022): A queer daughter, a gay jerk, and a hung Phung.  What else do you need?

That 90s Show (2023): A sequel to That 70s Show, with too much graphc s*xual content for my tastes (these were teenagers), but who couold resist the sweetly out and proud Ozzie?

Wellmania (2023): Australian comedy about a train-wreck lady coming home for redemption, and her gay brother's wedding.

English Teacher (2024). Brian Jordan Alvarez plays an old-school gay guy who is perplexed by modern bi//pan grey demi nonbinary identities of his high school students as he tries to fight the micro-hassles of a "nobody cares if you like dudes" world.



Running Point (2025): Drew Tarver from The Other Two and Scott MacArthur from The Righteous Gemstones play brothers in charge of a basketball team. A lot of beefcake, gay plotlines, and Fabrizio Guido.

Deli Boys (2025).  Pakistani-American brothers discover that their late dad's deli was a front for drug running.  With a lot of gay guys and some Pakistani dicks.

Chad Powers.  (2025). A washed-up a-hole baseball player (Glen Powell) pretends to be a college prodigy to get back into the game.  Sounds awful, but just wait: He doesn't get a girlfriend.  And he has a strong gay subtext romance with Danny, the team mascot who helps him with the ruse.

North of North (2025). An Inuit lady, her gay bestie, some Inuit culture, and a lot of beefcake.

Rooster (2026). Steve Carrel as a hard-boiled novelist who takes a job as writer in residence at a snooty Ivy League college.  Gay subtexts and a lot of beefcake, including Jonah Beckett and Evan Jachelski.

Big Mistakes (2026). Dan Levy of Schitt's Creek as a semi-closeted gay pastor who makes a lot of big mistakes.  This isn't one of them.