‘That was all secret’: the ‘gay mole’ who fought the BBC to show the first queer kiss on kids’ TV
Everyone thinks Byker Grove broke the taboo in 1994, but another teen drama got there first. Here’s the astonishing story of Two of Us, which put a gay relationship on...
By Scott Bryan · The Guardian Culture
Everyone thinks Byker Grove broke the taboo in 1994, but another teen drama got there first. Here’s the astonishing story of Two of Us, which put a gay relationship on UK screens – and was the original Heartstopper When I started looking for anything queer aimed at kids on TV from around the time I was born in 1989, I came across a children’s drama called Two of Us. Directed by Roger Tonge and written by Leslie Stewart, it was surprisingly akin to the 2020s series Heartstopper , both in its plot and in the way it makes you feel. But the reaction at the time couldn’t have been more different. Both feature one character who realises he likes both boys and girls, who falls in love with another guy. Both are set at a comprehensive school. Both have characters who face homophobia and stigma but manage to find a way through because of their love and support for each other. Continue reading...