I grew up in a working-class, Evangelical household where tv was the only permitted form of entertainment, so it was on all the time. I still watch an hour or two almost every day, mostly to check for gay texts or subtexts. That's a lot of tv programs. Most fade into oblivion, but some are memorable due to their intriguing premises, interesting settings, gay subtexts, or beefcake -- or all four. These are the top 25 gay-coded, beefcake-heavy shows of the last decade, premiering 2016 to 2025.
2016
The Crown. The life of Queen Elizabeth, with the glamour, glitz, and soap opera shenanigans of the royal family. No gay characters, but future Doctor Who Matt Smith plays Prince Philip.
Kim's Convenience. Korean-Canadian family in Toronto, with no gay characters after the first episode, but a lot of buddy-bonding and beefcake.
2017
Big Mouth. Middle schoolers negotiate puberty, with the help of individually-assigned hormone monsters and other supernatural beings. The gay guy eventually gets his own plotlines, coming out to his parents, dating the bi guy, and learning about sexting.
Britannia. Romans vs. Celts in 43 AD, with creepy Druids, some possible paranormal, muscular soldiers, and some gay subtexts.
2018
Disenchantment: A parody of Medieval fantasy. Disappointing in the first season: my review calls it "gay free." But showrunners often postpone the queer characters: they think all viewers are homophobic, and will run away screaming unless they become invested in the show before the queer characters show up. Later seasons become immensely gay-friendly.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The teen witch of Archie comics with dark comedy plotlines, a same-sex romance, and a lot of hunk. ranging from Ross Lynch as regular boyfriend Harvey to Moses Thiessen as the pizza delivery guy.
2019
The Righteous Gemstones. An absurdly wealthy family of Southern televangelists 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.
But I spent two years arguing about, researching, and posting about the show. And I found some cute gay actors...who haven't posted on social media since the series ended, grr.
2020
Panchayat. Engineering grad Abhishek is talked into a civil service job in a remote village, where there are so many queer codes that I could swear they were deliberate. And he doesn't meet The Girl!
More after the break