After becoming a smash hit reality television series for Bravo in 2003 that lasted for five seasons, “Queer Eye” is returning after having halted production more than a decade ago.
The new edition features a whole new cast of experts. As was the case during the program’s original run, the crew provides makeovers to the entire lives of individuals who fail at being fashion forward. The subjects of each episode are recipients of updates to their wardrobes, home decor, and grooming, and they also learn how to prepare high-quality food and drinks.
Reflecting a trend that has taken over television programming since the original run of “Queer Eye” on Bravo, the new season can be found on demand on Netflix. The eight episodes available for streaming are all set in Atlanta.
While the format of the show has broadly remained the same, “Queer Eye” goes out of its way to acknowledge that times have changed in the fifteen years since the original run first began airing. A reference is made in the show’s trailer that the series originally focused on furthering tolerance of homosexuality, while this time the show’s stars seek to expand acceptance of their lifestyle.
Nearly every episode of the Bravo edition was set in and around New York City. Moving the setting in the Netflix version to Atlanta aligns well with the show’s purpose of demonstrating increased acceptance of non-straight people all across the United States.
Similar to the original seasons of “Queer Eye,” each Netflix episode tends to show a transformation of its subject that goes beyond the superficial. These people get makeovers that not only cause them to seem better in terms of appearance, but they usually express feeling happier as a result.
During the first few Bravo years, the show was called “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” but the title was shortened to account for the fact that its subjects could represent a variety of walks of life. Similarly, while the Netflix season often targets straight men for makeovers, a lot of diversity is represented.
Due to the surprising popularity of the show in the early part of last decade, it seems likely that Netflix is betting on the reboot being successful given the extent to which culture has progressed since then.
Time will tell if the new “Queer Eye” will be a smash hit, and if any of its stars can transcend the show.
