You already know what Stranger Things is—that doesn’t mean that you have any interest in watching it. Yes, you know that Gilmore Girls is a classic, but even the stress of breaking up with your partner isn’t going to spur you into dedicating yourself to a 153 episode series. Your weird roommate who’s been wearing the same “the truth is out there” sweatshirt for six years keeps telling you to watch the X-Files; at this rate, holding out on clicking “play” on Mulder and Scully’s saga is really a spite thing.
And now Netflix’s services rates increased? Is anything sacred?
What you need is a binge list full of shows that you have most likely never heard of. And that’s what I’m delivering today: obscure binges to watch and enjoy. I’ve tried to vary the genre of each so that there’s something for everyone. Everything listed is available on YouTube as well; no need to worry about not being able to access anything based on your preferred streaming service (or lack thereof). And best of all, all of these series have an LGBTQ+ edge to them: what more could you ask for?
Happy watching!
1. Cybersix
(Originally posted by vampirenaomi)
Male-identified literature teacher Adrian Seidelman by day and female-identified, leather-clad superheroine Cybersix by night, this Argentinian animated series follows a genderqueer character navigating a sci-fi driven world filled with evil mutated goons, ungodly experiments, and preparation for their next English class (all in heels, no less)! While it’s unfortunately one of those queer series that relies mainly on subtext, the fact remains that Cybersix is fast-paced and beautifully animated while still retaining the slightly awkward dialogue and absolute ridiculousness of your average Saturday morning cartoon. It’s only thirteen episodes long, all of which can be found on YouTube here.
2. Gayle
(Originally posted by shadowoftheeveningsun)
When the first shot of this Chris Fleming series is our main character cocaine-snorting a row of Kashi Go Lean, you have an idea of the type of humor to expect from this YouTube series of shorts. Follow “average” suburban mom Gayle Waters-Waters as she goes to Whole Foods, buys new cheese knives, and occasionally cuts a few brake lines. And because each episode is so short, it’s fairly easily to tell whether or not this is a series you’ll like! As for the LGBTQ+ representation: while Chris Fleming themself has never explicitly stated how they identify, they have often said in interviews that they “aren’t into gender at all”, which is pretty clear from their other comedy routines. All 41 episodes, most of which are under ten minutes but increase in length as the series goes on, can be found here.
3. Queer Ghost Hunters
(Originally posted by Psychic Punk)
Doesn’t it seem weird to you that on every mainstream ghost hunting TV show (that you claim you’re too smart to watch, but you totally watch), every ghost is presumed to be heterosexual? No? Yes? Enter the Queer Ghost Hunters, who intentionally enter spaces where they believe gay spirits reside—think nunneries and defunct insane asylums—and make contact in the hopes of understanding what life was like for LGBTQ+ people as long as one hundred years ago. Definitely silly in some places (there’s an entire episode dedicated to the hunters’ team leader flirting with the spirit of a lesbian nun, who apparently really likes her hair), it’s certainly a unique way to look into queer history. Each episode is about under ten minutes long, and can be found on YouTube starting here.
4. Bee and Puppycat
(Originally posted by mintone-arrow)
This series follows the loveable characters of Bee—a young, unemployed, plucky young adult—and Puppycat—her cattish, doggish, magical companion, and also a space prince. Together, the two take intergalactic temp jobs that take them to places like a planet inhabited only by cats, a fishbowl that floats in space, and a farm out of a horror movie. Their dialogue is as quirky and surreal as their surroundings, which are absolutely adorable and pleasant on the eyes. There is a noticeable art shift from the introductory episode to future ones, but if the humor and aesthetics appeal to you, this is definitely a series to stick with. Honestly, there’s nothing explicitly gay about this series (other than the fact that its creator, Natasha Allegri, has been nominated for GLAAD awards in the past), but it’s still fun and light. With only seven episodes released to YouTube, and three more on their way soon, this is a quick and worthwhile binge.
The introduction episode can be found here, and the rest of the episodes can be found here.
5. The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
(Originally posted by Orotoundmutt)
Written by queer people, for queer people, Caleb Gallo is pretty much everything you could ask for in an LGBTQ+ series. The characters represent a wide range of LGBTQ+ identities, from a genderfluid main character, to bi-curious men, to complex polyamorous relationships. This is done with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor that, because it is written by people with different LGBTQ+ identities, does not feel rude or biting. And most importantly, at risk of giving too much of my own personal opinion, it’s funny as hell. After all, it’s where that “sometimes things that are expensive are worse” meme from several months ago originated from.
If you like what you see, and are bummed out by how few episodes there are (only five, frowny face), here are two bits of good news: one, this series has been picked up to become serialized at some point, and two, in the meantime, you can enjoy short skits with the series’ characters on the creator’s channel. They have great names like “What it’s like calculating the tip when you are gay and also super dumb and don’t know math”, and follow the same type of humor that the series does.
All five episodes can be found here.
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