It's 2023, people! Why is representation in TV shows for the LGBTQ+ communities still so minimal?
Over the past 10 years media has welcomed shows and films that advocate and show LGBTQ+ relationships and with more and more shows representing these relationships, it makes you question why are these shows only get 1 or 2 seasons, even though their ratings are through the roof.
Listed below are some fan-favorite shows that were axed before they could hit their prime.
The Wilds (2020-2022)
When a plane of 8 teenage girls 'crash' lands on a deserted island they must fight for survival whilst also trying to figure out how they got there. season 1 was quickly renewed and the all-female cast was brought back with the addition of a boy's island. Three months after the highly anticipated season 2 dropped on Prime, Deadline confirmed that the show will not be returning for a season 3, The show was nominated for GLAAD Media Awards and gained over 881.2 million views on TikTok, so fans were confused about why the show was cancelled, The show offered LGBTQ+ reputation within the main characters whilst also offering the much loved found family troupe, despite the change.org petition with over 39,000 signatures and counting, the show will not be returning for a season 3.
First Kill (2022)
After being watched over 30 million hours in its first three days on Netflix, surely it was a shoo-in for renewal? Wrong, two months after their initial release the show was cancelled. The show followed Juliette, a teenage vampire who needs to make her 'first kill' However it is never that simple is it? She finds herself falling for classmate and vampire hunter Calliope (Scandalous, I know). Although the show didn't receive raving reviews for the plot it was beloved amongst queer women and led to the #Cancelnetflix trend and all of Twitter was filled with outrage towards Netflix for their constant cancelation of queer-led tv shows.
Warrior Nun (2020- 2022)
Viewers tuned into season 2 to watch the will they/won't they romance between 2 of the female leads. However, the Netflix show will not be receiving a season 3. The action-packed fantasy show was a hit scoring 100% from critics and 99% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, breaking records for a Netflix original series. Netflix has yet to confirm why exactly the show has been cancelled however speculation is that simply the numbers just didn't cut it.
Love, Victor (2020-2022)
Following the hit film Love, Simon, the Disney plus series spin-off focuses on a new student, Victor. The show was renewed for a season 3 however shortly after as part of Hulus TCA's presentation that the third season would be the last for the show. Fans of the show believed that it was cancelled too soon, with some fans saying it was their villain origin story.
One of us is lying (2021-2022)
Unfortunately for fans of this show, season 2 was left on a major cliffhanger! The show focused on a group of students from Bayview high who in season 1 are framed for murder, season 2 focuses on more mystery, and whilst going through all this the student of Bayview still face the challenges of teenagers such as relationships. With over 450 million views on TikTok, the show was praised for its inclusivity as two of the main characters (Copper and Janae) are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Other shows which have LGBTQ+ representation that have unfortunately been axed are...
Q-Force (2021-2022), Queer as Folk (2022), Uncoupled (2022), Vampire Academy (2022), Work in Progress (2019-2022), Gossip Girl (2021-2023), and many more!
Although some of these shows had more than one season it is still shocking that so many shows with LGBTQ+ representation get canceled in the early stages of their development, some of the shows listed above broke records, yet that wasn't enough. Representation is key for progression and as society becomes more progressive and accepting, this is when representation matters. Hopefully, for the future of streaming services, fans will get what they deserve and see their favourite LGBTQ+ characters for longer than a season.
Unfortunately, the shows mentioned above are all cancelled but do watch and enjoy them! And if you want some more shows which are ongoing or finished with LGBTQ + representation check out Heartstopper, Young royals, Atypical, Heartbreak high, and Elite.