The Most Influential LGBT TV Shows of All Time
A list of groundbreaking TV shows that have prominently featured LGBT characters over the years.
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- CreatorRoseanne BarrMatt WilliamsStarsRoseanne BarrJohn GoodmanLaurie MetcalfA revival of the popular 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
- CreatorCarol BlackNeal MarlensDavid S. RosenthalStarsEllen DeGeneresDavid Anthony HigginsJoely FisherEllen Morgan is a neurotic bookstore owner who deals with life through comedy and extensive rambling.
- CreatorWinnie HolzmanStarsBess ArmstrongWilson CruzClaire DanesA 15-year-old girl and her trials and tribulations of being a teenager and dealing with friends, guys, parents, and school.
- StarsSusan RomanJill FrappierKatie GriffinThe magical action-adventures of a teenage girl who learns of her destiny as the legendary warrior Sailor Moon and must band together with the other Sailor Scouts to defend the Earth and Galaxy.
- CreatorSam RaimiJohn SchulianR.J. StewartStarsLucy LawlessRenée O'ConnorTed RaimiXena, a mighty Warrior Princess with a dark past, sets out to redeem herself. She is joined by small town bard, Gabrielle. Together they journey the ancient world and fight for the greater good against ruthless Warlords and Gods.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganA young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
- CreatorTom FontanaStarsErnie HudsonJ.K. SimmonsLee TergesenA series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.
- CreatorDavid KohanMax MutchnickStarsEric McCormackDebra MessingMegan MullallyGay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.
- CreatorRussell T. DaviesStarsAidan GillenCraig KellyCharlie HunnamA groundbreaking gay adult drama which chronicles the lives of Stuart and Vince, as well as 15-year-old Nathan, who is in love with Stuart.
- CreatorRon CowenDaniel LipmanRussell T. DaviesStarsGale HaroldHal SparksRandy HarrisonBrash humor and genuine emotion make up this series revolving around the lives, loves, ambitions, careers and friendships of a group of gay men and women living on Liberty Avenue in contemporary Pittsburgh, PA.
- CreatorAlan BallStarsPeter KrauseMichael C. HallFrances ConroyA chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
- CreatorKit HoodYan MooreLinda SchuylerStarsStefan BrogrenAislinn PaulMelinda ShankarThe lives of the kids at Degrassi Community School dealing with the serious and sometimes taboo issues that plague teenagers.
- CreatorDavid CollinsStarsTed AllenCarson KressleyKyan DouglasFive gay men try to improve the lives and confidence of straight men by giving them makeovers and advice.
- StarsAl PacinoMeryl StreepEmma ThompsonSeveral disparate but connected individuals go through the AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s.
- CreatorEllen DeGeneresStarsEllen DeGeneresStephen BossAndy LassnerA mix of celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience participation games, and segments spotlighting real people with extraordinary stories and talents.
- StarsAnderson CooperRandi KayeJeffrey ToobinA 360° look at the latest news by Anderson Cooper.
- CreatorTom CampbellStarsJames GetzlaffDani BehrWes CulwellAn American reality television show in which a gay man meets and chooses a mate from a group of 15 potential male suitors. The twist is that the "leading man" does not know the mix of suitors includes both gay and heterosexual men.
- CreatorMichele AbbottIlene ChaikenKathy GreenbergStarsJennifer BealsLeisha HaileyLaurel HollomanFollows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbian women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.
- DirectorPatrik-Ian PolkStarsAlistair AbellNate AdamsJennia Fredrique AponteFour gay friends live in L.A. and deal with today's issues, boyfriends, aids, your boyfriend's children, making it in the movie biz, etc.
- CreatorMarc CherryStarsTeri HatcherFelicity HuffmanMarcia CrossSecrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood after the mysterious suicide of a neighbor.
- CreatorMichael CostanzaStarsWilliam Gregory LeeGregory MichaelTracy ScogginsA young gay couple must overcome dark, mystical forces conspiring against them, starting with a vengeful 19th century witch and her cheating warlock fiance.
- CreatorShonda RhimesStarsEllen PompeoChandra WilsonJames Pickens Jr.A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.
- CreatorTommy LynchStarsGabrielle ChristianMandy MusgraveMatt CohenA family moves from Ohio to Los Angeles, where they realize they are unprepared for the city's fast pace and the overcrowded public school that the three teenagers will attend.
- CreatorJon Robin BaitzStarsDave AnnableCalista FlockhartRachel GriffithsThe story of the drama surrounding a family's adult siblings.
- CreatorRussell T. DaviesStarsJohn BarrowmanEve MylesKai OwenThe members of the Torchwood Institute, a secret organization founded by the British Crown, fight to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats.
- CreatorJamie BrittainBryan ElsleyStarsKaya ScodelarioNicholas HoultJoe DempsieThe story of a group of British teens who are trying to grow up and find love and happiness despite questionable parenting and teachers who would rather be friends (and lovers) than authority figures.
- StarsDavid ShaeColton FordBrian NolanThe Lair is a private gay club run by vampires, who use the club as a source for attractive young men to feed from. Thom, a local journalist in the small island town begins digging into the anonymous bodies turning up drained of blood, endangering his boyfriend and coming to the attention of the head vampire, Damian, who sees Thom as the reincarnation of his own dead lover. The Lair is an original series, from US specialty channel Here Tv, with a first season of six 27-minute episodes.
- CreatorStephanie SavageJosh SchwartzStarsBlake LivelyLeighton MeesterPenn BadgleyPrivileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching.
- CreatorAlan BallStarsAnna PaquinStephen MoyerSam TrammellTelepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsEd O'NeillSofía VergaraJulie BowenThree different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
- StarsRuPaulMichelle VisageRoss MathewsRuPaul searches for America's next drag superstar.
- CreatorIan BrennanBrad FalchukRyan MurphyStarsLea MicheleJane LynchMatthew MorrisonA group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.
- CreatorDiablo CodyStarsToni ColletteJohn CorbettRosemarie DeWittA woman struggles to find a balance between her dissociative identity disorder and raising a dysfunctional family.
- CreatorMichelle LovrettaStarsAnna SilkKris Holden-RiedZoie PalmerWhen a succubus finds it difficult to adapt with her unusual traits inspite of being born in a human family, she sets off on a journey to find out the truth of her origin.
- CreatorPaul AbbottJohn WellsStarsEmmy RossumWilliam H. MacyEthan CutkoskyA scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.
- CreatorAli AdlerRyan MurphyKatherine ShafferStarsJustin BarthaAndrew RannellsGeorgia KingA single mother's life after she accepts the offer to be a surrogate mother for a gay couple.
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsTaylor SchillingDanielle BrooksTaryn ManningConvicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
- CreatorBradley BredewegPeter PaigeStarsTeri PoloSherri SaumHayden ByerlyTeenager Callie Jacob is placed in a foster home with a lesbian couple and their blend of biological, adoptive, and foster children.
- CreatorKim CoghillAndrew De AngelisJeff DetskyStarsTatiana MaslanyDylan BruceJordan GavarisA streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
- StarsJosh ThomasThomas WardJohnTwenty something Josh is going through a number of big changes as he navigates his first decade of adulthood. After being dumped by his girlfriend, he comes to the realization that he is gay.
- CreatorMichael LannanStarsJonathan GroffFrankie J. AlvarezMurray BartlettThree best friends living in San Francisco share the nuances and complexities of contemporary gay relationships as they explore a variety of options, both in love and in life.
- CreatorJoey SolowayStarsJeffrey TamborAmy LandeckerGaby HoffmannAn L.A. family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.
- CreatorCarter CovingtonDana GoodmanJulia Lea WolovStarsRita VolkKatie StevensGregg SulkinAfter numerous attempts of trying to be popular two best friends decide to come out as lesbians, which launches them to instant celebrity status. Seduced by their newfound fame, Karma and Amy decide to keep up their romantic ruse.
- StarsElise BaumanNatasha NegovanlisAnnie BriggsLittle Laura Hollis has just moved in to attend Silas College. When her missing roommate is replaced without explanation, Laura vows to find out what is happening on campus.
- CreatorPeter NowalkStarsViola DavisBilly BrownJack FalaheeA group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.
- CreatorJason RothenbergStarsEliza TaylorBob MorleyMarie AvgeropoulosSet 97 years after a nuclear war destroyed civilization, when a spaceship housing humanity's lone survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth, hoping to repopulate the planet.
- CreatorLee DanielsDanny StrongStarsTerrence HowardTaraji P. HensonJussie SmollettA hip-hop mogul must choose a successor among his three sons who are battling for control over his multi-million dollar company, while his ex-wife schemes to reclaim what is hers.
- CreatorJ. Michael StraczynskiLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsBae DoonaJamie ClaytonTina DesaiA group of people around the world are suddenly linked mentally, and must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world's order.
- StarsVincent FranklinJulie HesmondhalghJames MurrayModern gay life in Manchester.
- CreatorRussell T. DaviesStarsFisayo AkinadeFreddie FoxVincent FranklinCelebrate love without labels; join eight different couples on their journey of love, heartbreak, sex, and drama.
- CreatorJulie KlausnerStarsJulie KlausnerBilly EichnerJames UrbaniakJulie and Billy, two jaded aspiring comedians who live together in New York City, navigate through their thirties while dealing with their individual careers and personal relationships.
- CreatorCasey JohnsonJoshua SterninJennifer VentimiliaStarsMartha PlimptonJay R. FergusonNoah GalvinA family's bond is strengthened when the youngest son tells his parents that he's gay.