Netflix just found a way to keep me hooked on their streaming site. Mike Schur, the genius behind Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is producing Q-Force, an animated series about LGBTQ super-spies, alongside Will and Grace‘s Sean Hayes. Joining the staff is comedian Gabe Liedman, who has written for shows like Pen15 and Broad City, is writing and showrunning the series.
Hayes is rumored to also be voicing the lead character, who according to Vulture is “a handsome secret agent and his team of fellow LGBTQ superspies. Constantly underestimated by their colleagues, the members of Q-Force have to prove themselves time and again as they embark on extraordinary professional (and personal) adventures.”
As a queer woman, I am excited beyond belief for this show. It would be fantastic to have characters from all parts of the LGBTQ community, not just one token character whose identity is the sole focus of their character. By having a team of LGBTQ heroes who will get to not only be kickass spies but deal with their own identities, it will be a step ahead of most shows where queerness is a one character thing.
Given that Schur and Liedman have both worked on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where Captain Holt stands apart from the crowd as one of the best gay characters out there, I’m feeling fairly confident that the show won’t fall into a trope-y mess. I also hope the writers’ room is packed with LGBTQ writers since this is a show that would really benefit from having the writers being able to put a personal touch on the stories.
It’s also important that this show be as inclusive as possible. This series can’t just be about white, cis, able-bodied gay men with a token queer woman thrown in. This has to represent as much of the community as possible, and that means including queer people of color, queer women, and trans characters. Let the show reflect more of the community than just one type of person, and it will really stand out as something special.
Overall, I’m really thrilled about this series. I love Schur and Hayes, and now I need to binge watch Liedman’s episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This could be an excellent, inclusive series and I look forward to seeing it develop.
(via Vulture, image: NBC)
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