Creator: Michael Lannan
Starring: Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett
Certificate: 18
The first series of Looking is a short one, with just eight episodes, but it still manages to pack in a lot of sex and drama as we follow a group of men as they deal with the struggles of the gay dating scene.
Patrick (Jonathan Groff, Glee, FROZEN) is working his way from bad date to bad date but, surrounded by his friends (who are far more daring and sexually experienced than he is), he tries to get out into the big wide world and really live in it.
The set-up for each of these episodes is carefully thought out, with one entirely dedicated to just two characters, as they see the sights of San Francisco and learn more about each other. It is a strong concept and works very well. Yet the series links each episode too, with new characters introduced gradually and stories developed piece by piece.
The real beauty of this ensemble is the diversity of ages, personalities and attitudes. Each character brings their own take on life, love and relationships and there is always somebody on hand to encourage or mock – or just to be blunt and say what nobody else has the guts to say!
There’s not a lot this show is too scared to explore, with the sexual content and nudity pretty explicit and the discussions arguably even more so. So if you’re a little squeamish when talking about sex, it might be best to look elsewhere. Otherwise, this entertaining show includes the likes of Russell Tovey (Being Human) and Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) and has set the groundwork well for future episodes. It will be really interesting to see where these characters go in Series Two.
[usr=3] Looking Season 1 is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 12th January 2015
