POOF PIECE No. 12: IG to TV …What, Like It’s Hard?

Internet culture is living proof that “niche” is becoming mainstream and therefore mainstream is becoming interesting. The quirky queers are screaming from the dance floor because thanks to the gayification of Renee Rapp’s Regina George, Lesbian mid-western princess Chappel Roan, Kehlani, Lil Nas X, and Charli + Troye’s sweaty discography, it’s a fabulous time to have a limp wrist. But, I fear Australia has yet to understand that to be online is to be relevant.

I began working in entertainment with the sole purpose of eventually being able to make my own projects but, I understood early on that I couldn’t “just” be a “tv producer”, I needed to be a “writer, actor, model and content creator” to make this happen. I  needed to come at it from all angles so that people will have to take notice…eventually. 

Currently, I’m pitching my first scripted television drama around town and overseas and the experience so far has ignited a thought and now, I feel compelled to investigate further. My glasses are on and they’re fogging up by the sheer audacity of myself. Firstly, I’m very lucky as my series is yet to be scrunched up and thrown out the window but what isn’t surprising is that straight men over 50 don’t seem to understand what it is people want when making a LGBTQIA+ series. That just because it’s queer, does not mean that those who are straight won’t relate. Now, it’s important to note that it’s #notallmen, but, it is some. It’s not new news that cis straight men have power, so we can unclutch our pearls, lower our shoulders and take another drag of our cigarette and pretend we’re in Marseille circa 1999. 

As someone who is young,  exists beyond the binary and works within the industry, it’s safe to say I have a pretty clear understanding of what it is people want to see as I spend so much of my time observing behaviours for my own safety. 

I remember reading about one of my favourite trans creatives being interviewed by a magazine a few years ago discussing her life and how she’s “pitching her show” to networks. Discussing how it’s “in development” and it “should be greenlit soon”. I used to think, “wow, that’s so impressive! Good for her!”. What people don’t discuss is that yes, although impressive,  when there’s meetings and it’s “in development”, unfortunately it doesn’t mean anything. It certainly doesn’t mean you can gracefully change gears to neutral and turn off the ignition to release a gratifying sigh. What it actually means is that you’ve passed level one and now have 10 more to complete whilst trying to avoid being KO'd. 

In 2023, 481 scripted US television series were produced and released. This was far lower than previous years due to the writer and actors strikes that occurred. In 2021 and 2022, there were 600 series made. That’s a lot of content and a whole lot of money. Because of this, we are well and truly within the digital era in the way we consume, digest and critique content. It has fast moved in a direction that in my opinion is both exhausting and exciting. Yes, we binge tv shows that took years to make in 48 hours but, I also adore the love affair we have with these characters and their worlds which takes over us for weeks at a time and inspires us for longer. 

Now, when we discuss primetime television shows in the US (ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC), there were 454 series regulars in 2023 and of those, there were only 39 LGBTQIA+ characters which is 31 less than the year prior, which had 70. Primetime television is dying. It’s sad but it’s true. I think of primetime television like my great uncle; at his core, he’s lovely. Does he have questionable views? Yes. Will he die soon? Yes. When he dies, we’ll of course be sad and will remember him for the fun stories he shared but we’ll always wish he would have learnt from past mistakes and have joined us in the 21st century. What’s so irritating is that much like my great uncle, primetime television has the opportunity to sit down and listen. What Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z’s want isn’t a storyline that we’ve seen a hundred times over, what we want is change. We want something new and fresh! No wonder streaming services are booming with the success of such shows like “The Perfect Couple, Nobody Wants This, Gen V, White Lotus, Pose and Euphoria” and Australia’s own “Heartbreak High, Deadloch and Strife”. What do these shows have in common? They’re led by interesting women, both queer and straight, that share lived experiences with us. We feel seen, we laugh, we cry and we subconsciously face our demons or feel better about them as we no longer feel alone. 

It is so clear to me.  

In terms of comedies, there’s always been a trend with who are given the opportunity to make their own series and for the longest time, it’s been stars who’ve found their fame on sketch comedy shows like Australia’s Fast Forward and Full Frontal which birthed icons Gina Riley and Jane Turner who created arguably our greatest show, ‘Kath and Kim”. Across the pond in the states, SNL birthed Tina Fey who went on to create “30 Rock”, Amy Poehler with “Parks and Recreation” and most recently Aidy Bryant who’s “Shrill” remains one of my favourite shows of 2019. There’s an obvious formula here that works and continues to work. Every creative person whether they excel in comedy or otherwise have a story to tell and a tv show to create. So, tell me why here in Australia it seems that this ready-made formula is dying? I fear I have the answer! It’s because the “Sketch show” has moved from television to our phones with content creators creating skits and building worlds that captivate more eyes and views than most Australian programs could hope for. But, even though content creators have proved time and time again that they’re a part of a lucrative business, they’re consistently looked down upon as foolish. The only thing foolish about this situation is sleeping on them.

In the states, content creators are now gaining trust and receiving recognition with their television shows being ordered to series. Most of these creators are also queer (take note, Australia). We have Benito Skinner whose show “Overcompensating”, which has just wrapped filming with Amazon Prime and is being produced by A24 with our girl Charli XCX executive producing the music. Owen Theile, who stars in “Overcompensating” has his own show being ordered to series with Amazon Prime. There’s Brian Jordan Alvarez whose initial youtube show “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo” was on repeat for me in 2016 and inturn helped me in a strange way come to terms with my own identity with one of the characters played ridiculously yet expertly by Freckle. Since then, he’s built a loyal internet following with his song “sitting” accidentally going viral last year. Now, has his first television show, “English Teacher” streaming on Disney+ and my word, it's good. Finally we have my current obsession and overall IT GIRL Rachel Sennot whose new series which is currently untitled being picked up by HBO and is tapped to be the next “Girls”. These creators have had to work hard. These are creatives who were previously overlooked because of their “niche” so, took to their social media and built a following that forced others to take notice. 

There’s an obvious need for new content to be made and at a faster rate than ever before and with the success of our content creators, I just know they’re our missing puzzle piece. We don’t need to hear from the same six actors that have been on high rotation for the past twenty years. With the likes of Sean Szeps, Milo Hartill, Maddy MacRea, Kath Ebbs and dare I say, myself who all come from performance backgrounds and know exactly how to tell a story. It’s time for ours to be told.  

So, what have I come to learn about the pitching process? It’s that you need to trust yourself, your vision and your voice. Who knows where my show will go, I’ll just need to remember who it is I’m making it for. Yes, it’s for myself, queers and women but, it’s also for straight men too. Because truthfully,  It's them who need to see it the most.