“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” is back and ready to push boundaries once again.
The reality TV series, which ran on Bravo from 2003 to 2007, returns to Netflix next month in a hotly anticipated reboot. Simply called “Queer Eye,” the new version aims to please fans of the original by helping straight men refine their wardrobes, cultural pursuits and home décor once more.
This time, however, the action takes place in Atlanta (which, the producers are quick to tout, is in the red state of Georgia) rather than New York. In keeping with the times, the new version is taking extra steps to be socially conscious, with nods to the LGBTQ community’s recent advances (and setbacks), the Black Lives Matter movement and more.
The queer men leading the makeovers are: Antoni Porowski (food & wine), Bobby Berk (interior design), Karamo Brown (culture), Jonathan Van Ness (grooming) and Tan France (fashion).
Series creator David Collins told Entertainment Weekly in December that he is excited for a new generation of viewers to discover “Queer Eye.”
“The millennials don’t remember the old show,” he said. “It’s got such a great heart and soul and humor to it, so I’m excited for a new audience.”
As to how “Queer Eye” will differ from its Emmy-winning predecessor, he added, “If the original round was about tolerance, this time it is about acceptance.”
Queer Eyehits Netflix Feb. 7.