25 best queer shows of 2025 ranked, from Stranger Things to Heated Rivalry
The 25 best queer TV shows of 2025, ranked. (BBC/Prime Video/Netflix/HBO/Canva)
The 25 best queer TV shows of 2025, ranked. (BBC/Prime Video/Netflix/HBO/Canva)
It’s fair to say it’s been a strange old year as far as LGBTQ+ TV goes. Some of the year’s most critically-lauded and hotly anticipated shows – Boots, Clean Slate, Mid–Century Modern – were miserably axed after one measly season.
Others – The Hunting Wives, Heated Rivalry – seemed to come out of nowhere, and set the internet ablaze. The fifth episode of the latter has just become the second highest-rated TV episode in history.
There were TV firsts – the first trans man on I Kissed A Boy, the first drag king reality series in King of Drag –and TV lasts, as Andor, And Just Like That… and Stranger Things disappeared from our screens for good. There are reasons to be hopeful, as GLAAD revealed that there were more LGBTQ+ characters on screen over the last year than the previous year, but also reasons to be frustrated, as the media monitoring organisation confirmed that four in ten of those won’t return to screens next year.
Thankfully, next year is already shaping up to be an exciting one for LGBTQ+ TV, such as both Euphoria and Interview With the Vampire (finally) getting their third seasons. Until then, here are the 2025 best queer-inclusive TV shows of 2025.
25. Doctor Who
We thought we had more time with Ncuti Gatwa’s iteration of the Time Lord, but sadly it wasn’t to be. The Sex Education star departed the BBC/Disney+ show earlier this year in what was a shock exit for many after only two seasons.
After the conclusion of the latest season, updates about the show’s future weren’t terribly inspiring, but in October we got the news we were hoping for – the show is coming back!
And with the unexpected appearance of Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler in the very last moments, and the ensuing debate over whether the former Doctor’s assistant is now the new Doctor, we’re keen for answers.
24. Andor
The second season of the Disney+ limited Star Wars series was TV at its best. Combining political intrigue with daring action and a good helping of political and social commentary, Andor is an example of fantastic storytelling.
Introduced in season one, Vel (Faye Marsay) and Cinta (Varada Sethu) sadly didn’t get to live out a happy ending. Though given both were part of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the tyrannical Galactic Empire the chances of survival were never more than slim.
Star Wars has sorely lacked when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation in the past so to see two queer characters get to share intimate moments and time together on screen, even if one dies (Vel is still alive as Andor’s credits roll), marks steps in the right direction.
23. Wednesday
Coming back for a second highly anticipated season, Netflix’s Wednesday gave us another spooky mystery to unravel. Plunging deeper into the Addams family history Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) unearthed new revelations while trying to stop her best friend, Enid (Emma Myers) from dying.
While she was successful, Enid is now out in the wild on her own with Wednesday in pursuit. We know a third season is coming and we also know that bad things come in threes, meaning trouble lies ahead for our young protagonist.
There’s also more to come for Tyler Galpin/Hyde (Hunter Doohan) as season two ended with him walking off with Billie Piper’s Isadora Capri. It followed a further exploration of his inner turmoil with hope of a potentially better future on the horizon.
22. Mid-Century Modern
Despite being a hit with critics and audiences the show was axed in September. Featuring a plethora of queer and queer-adjacent guest stars such as Zane Phillips (Fire Island), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Billie Lourd (Scream Queens), Mid-Century Modern was a charming show while it lasted.
21. Hazbin Hotel
You might not think curse-laden sex jokes and Broadway quality songs go hand-in-hand, but opposites attract it seems when it comes to Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano’s popular adult animation, Hazbin Hotel.
The second season dropped on Prime Video in October and, following the events of season one, sees Charlie’s hotel packed out with sinners – although most aren’t there for the right reasons – whilst the Vees, and power hungry Vox, seek to capitalise on tensions with Heaven for their own power grab.
The show’s sophomore series was just as queer as ever, filled with earworm music and set the stage for an increasingly expanded universe in the already-confirmed third and fourth seasons.
20. Big Brother
Both ITV’s Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother were very queer this year. First, we had Celebrity Big Brother which featured among its cast JoJo Siwa, who discussed her sexuality openly on the show and also got into a new relationship with Chris Hughes because of the show.
Then we had regular Big Brother which included Zelah Glasson, the trans personal trainer from South London and a fan favourite, as well as a smattering of other queer housemates.
Here, again, we saw important conversations had, whether intentional or not, on national TV hopefully going someway to educating people on the issues facing queer people in the UK today.
19. The Ultimatium: Queer Love
Nothing unites people like toxic relationship drama that is not your own. That is especially true for Netflix’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love because I can’t remember seeing the sapphic community unite over a reality show like they did with this one.
After a drama-packed first season – ‘fingergate’, anyone? – the show’s second season and its fresh line-up of couples was just as much of a trainwreck, and we loved every second of it. Sadly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, in October it was announced it had been cancelled. It seems the gays can’t have nice things, or even toxic things.
18. King of Drag
Reality competition TV broke new ground in 2025 with Revry’s King of Drag, as the show became the first of its kind to feature a cast full of drag kings.
Chock full of kooky, left-field performers, a slate of very ‘gay famous’ gay people, and some of the wildest challenges of any drag show to come before it, King of Drag proved that there is space on screen for all in the drag scene.
It was a little scrappy, but that was all part of the fun: it felt like TV by and for the queer community specifically.
17. I Love LA
The creation of Bottoms’ Rachel Sennott, I Love LA has proven so popular that it has already been renewed for season two by HBO despite receiving mixed reviews following its debut in November. Much like Adults, the series is aimed at the millennial young-adults and Gen-Z, with there being plenty of cultural references for both age groups to enjoy.
As Maia Sennott plays a struggling talent agent who grabs an opportunity for progression when her influencer friend, Tallulah (Odessa A’zion) pulls into town. Along for the ride are Maia’s boyfriend, Dylan (Josh Hutcherson) as well as Charlie (Jordan Firstman).
16. The Last of Us Part II
The second season of the hit HBO drama, based on the popular video game series, packed an emotional wallop early on when it delivered on the second game’s famously divisive twist.
And while that shocked plenty, it was balanced out with the development of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) romance with Dina (Isabela Merced), with both characters being played by queer actors too.
15. I Kissed A Boy
The BBC’s I Kissed A Boy (and its bi-annual counterpart, I Kissed A Girl) remains the most genuine LGBTQ+ dating show on TV. This season saw a gaggle of men, including the show’s first ever trans man, kiss upon their first meeting, and grapple with romances as they bloomed and withered in the Italian masseria.
The drama was mild but real and nourishing (for us at home, at least) and the boys covered large ground from graceful and genial (XX and XX) to the gloriously misguided (XX and XX). Dannii Minogue as ‘Cupid’ (read: host) also managed to whack a few points on gay icon scorecard, as she does every season.
14. 9-1-1
2025 was a big year for LA’s first responders. As well as the developing relationship between Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman), the 118 saw the loss of their beloved captain, Bobby (Peter Krause) and then Athena (Angela Bassett) and Hen (Aisha Hinds) get stuck in space. Nothing is simple for the crew of the 118!
And season nine of the long-running ABC series has plenty more is to come. And it looks like it’s good new for ‘Buddie’ fans as Buck and Eddie as Stark has teased that there could be more happening in that department. We’d love to see it!
13. Clean Slate
It was a balm to see Laverne Cox captivate in a leading TV role once again in Prime Video’s frequently funny, heartwarming sitcom. Laverne played Desiree Slate, a trans woman who reunites with her father Harry (George Wallace) having not been in touch since her pre-transition days. It was an antidote to an otherwise rough year for the trans community, and it’s a crying shame that it was axed – along with so many other queer shows this year – after just one season.
12. Stranger Things
The fifth and final season of Netflix’s popular sci-fi series renewed the discourse around Will’s (Noah Schnapp) sexuality and made it very clear that it’s, well, exactly what we all thought it was. After indicating his feelings for Mike in season four, Will’s journey to self-acceptance as a gay man has been key, in the fifth season so far, to his contributing in the fight against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
The mid-season finale ended with Will taking control of his dormant abilities, unlocking them with some help and encouragement from Robin (Maya Hawke) to defend his friends and family from the Demagorgons. It’s a great metaphor for what it can be like as a queer person, being able to realise your full potential once you accept yourself and embrace that.
We’ve also had more of Robin and her developing relationship with Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) and so it looks like Stranger Things season five is giving us everything it’s got before we say goodbye to Hawkins one more time.
11. Adults
A show about a bunch of twenty-something navigating life and love around New York, it’s not hard to understand why FX’s Adults is seen by some as the modern day Friends. Though, with Owen Thiele, also of Overcompensating, playing Anton, a gay person of colour and core group member from the beginning, it was noticeably more evolved than its predecessor.
But the show’s queerness didn’t stop there as Jack Innanen’s Paul Baker also got his own LGBTQ+ storyline when he married Anton so he, a Canadian, could stay in the United States. With the show getting a second season the queerness is sure to continue as well as the other hijinks and mayhem from the first.
10. Pluribus
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan! A troubled and complex romance writer who is also a lesbian heroine! A post-apocalyptic romp about surviving a mind virus! All of these things alone would have us sat, sitting and seated, but the fact that Apple TV series Pluribus is actually very good – like, critically-acclaimed, award-nominated, 98 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes good – is lovely added bonus.
The show follows Rhea Seehorn as aforementioned lesbian author Carol Sturka, who is one of just 13 people globally who are immune to the “Joining”, a virus that has forced every other human on earth into becoming part of a hive mind. It’s a bold, enthralling, and surprising watch.
9. Hacks
With the knowledge that the fifth season will be its last, we’re going to take very opportunity we can to savour and relish in the glory that is HBO’s Hacks. Led by stellar performances from Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, this comedy about a young writer and an older comedian teaming up and becoming unlikely friends has warmed our hearts and kept us laughing since 2021.
The show has barely dipped below a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes since it started, a testament to the writers and actors. With an ensemble that also includes talents such as Megan Stalter, Christina Hendricks, and Paul W. Downs (also a writer on the show) this is one series you’ll want to watch if you haven’t already.
8. The Four Seasons
An adaptation of the 1981 Carol Burnett comedy film of the same name, The Four Seasons follows three well-off couples in their fifties – all lifelong friends – who embark on multiple weekends away together every year. Yet when one of the couples file for divorce, their friendship dynamic is shaken up.
Featuring an all star cast including a ‘revelatory’ Colman Domingo as well as Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte, and Marco Calvani this Netflix series is a (mostly) light-hearted romp and a reimagined and updated story.
Despite some drama towards the end of the series, we’re happy to hear that a second season is being worked on as we speak.
7. The Hunting Wives
Now, a show about MAGA-coded lesbians that is full of murder plots, scandals, secret affairs, and more was not one we had on our 2025 bingo car. But we are glad that The Hunting Wives is in our lives (or will be, in the UK, from 27 December on ITV).
This hit series gave everyone plenty to talk about earlier this year and with news that the show is coming back in 2026, we can bet it’s going to happen again! Led by Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, this surprise hit of 2025 is a worthy inclusion on this list.
6. The Celebrity Traitors
We don’t think anyone expected Alan Carr to make it to the end of The Celebrity Traitors, let alone win the damn thing. Even Carr expressed his doubts about making it prior to entering Ardross Castle. But he did, and he became even more of a national treasure in the process!
Also making it to the final was queer singer-songwriter Cat Burns, a fellow traitor of Carr’s from the beginning. The first series of The Celebrity Traitors also featured Clare Balding, Stephen Fry, and Tom Daley, so was positively brimming with queer talent.
We hope the next series, which we know is in the works, will do the same!
5. Overcompensating
From the mind of Benito Skinner aka Benny Drama, Prime Video’s Overcompensating perfectly encapsulates noughties college life as well as what it’s like trying to come out of the closet.
With great performances from Skinner and his best friend Mary Beth Barone, as well as Wally Baram, Rish Shah, and Adam DiMarco the show brings to life awkward college experiences, growing pains, and sibling squabbles.
The news that work has begun on season two already is music to our ears and we can’t wait for another semester at Yates University.
4. Boots
This entry is a sadder one to write than we’d hoped: The Netflix military drama starring Miles Heizer and Max Parker was unfortunately cancelled earlier this month despite it getting a 90 per cent critic and fan approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Based on Greg Cope’s 2016 memoir The Pink Marine the series was set in the 1990s, the show followed Cameron’s experience as a queer recruit at a time when being gay in the US military was illegal.
And while the show attracted outrage from the White House and its occupants, the show found a legion of fans and cemented itself as a part of 2025 popular culture, with several publications listing it as one of the best TV shows of the year.
3. Big Boys
Jack Rooke’s comedy-drama came to an end with the third season airing early this year. As was typical of the Channel 4 series, Big Boys came with a lot of laughs as well as some fairly emotional gut-punches right until the end.
As whole the series charted the semi-autobiographical version of Jack played by Dylan Llewellyn through his time at Brent University. This involved dealing with mental health, coming to terms with his sexuality, experiencing gay sex, and all the other trials facing younf adults as they prepare to enter ‘the real world’.
Consistently praised as one of the best comedies of its generation, this is one we’ll be re-watching for some time.
2. Heated Rivalry
A late release in 2025, Heated Rivalry has become an instant obsession of many on the internet. An adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Game Changer novel series, the TV show primarily follows the story of Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), two rival ice hockey pros engaging in a secret love affair.
The six-part series has been brimming with explicit and steamy sex scenes and crackling with chemistry between the two leads. Additionally, the series has taken time away from the main story to incorporate other stories from the Game Changer novels, such as that of Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie GK) in episode three, which is based on the first novel in Reid’s series.
There’s no doubt Heated Rivalry has been an instant hit – and that’s sure to be replicated in the UK when it arrives on Sky on 10 January 2026.
1. What It Feels Like For A Girl
This BBC Three series, based on Paris Lees’ memoir of the same name, gave us an important dose of trans representation this year while remaining a funny and powerful breath of fresh air amid the culture wars taking place IRL.
Telling the gritty story of Byron (played brilliantly by newcomer Ellis Howard) the show followed the lives of several queer teens and young adults in noughties-era Nottingham. With a cast that also includes Laquarn Lewis, Hannah Jones, Alex Thomas-Smith, and Adam Ali, the show brought to life a powerful story of identity, self-acceptance, and love.
Described as “visceral, essential viewing” in PinkNews’ review, all episodes of this must-watch series are available to stream on the BBC iPlayer now.
