How Lost Boys and Fairies changed the landscape for queer TV storytelling

Think of gay-themed telly and you automatically picture the work of Russell T Davies, who leads the genre — and long may this continue. But we’re always on the lookout for his spiritual descendants. Step forward, fellow Welshman Daf James, writer of Lost Boys and Fairies, an emotional three-parter about a gay couple’s adoption journey, which debuted on the BBC to huge acclaim this spring. From its depiction of wild partying to domestic bliss — and the uncomfortable tension between the two — the show vibrates with lived-in authenticity.

For some of us, culture itself plays a parental role, whether in helping us accept ourselves, leading us to healthier choices or by helping us escape from our pain. For these reasons, Lost Boys and Fairies is the obvious winner of the Television Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar.

Starring Fra Fee and Sion Young, it pinpoints with exceptional clarity the transitional stage in a gay man’s life when, at the end of an extended adolescence, you think: ‘What’s next?’ In main character Gabriel’s case, this question brings up traumas old and new, but he finds his way to his own personal Neverland in the end. Chatting to Attitude during a set visit in 2023, James, who has adopted three children, reflected on the show’s themes of found family. “If you’re interested, parenting should be for anyone,” he told us. “Whether or not you’re single, in a couple, gay, straight, what your sexuality is. I’m obviously an extraordinary advocate for adoption, having gone through this process. There are so many kids out there who need love and too many homes, and if anyone has the capacity to share love, then there are kids in need.”

If you want proof of the show’s influence on this front, look no further than Fee (previously known for his work on stage in Cabaret), who told us that the story had made him reconsider his stance on becoming a parent in the future.

“If two men or two women are prepared to invite a kid into their lives, a kid that really needs support and the chance to live a full life with love and support and everything, then I think it’s worth the fight, if it’s difficult. It certainly hasn’t put me off — quite the opposite. I think it’s food for thought. ‘Oh my God — do I want to do this?’ I hadn’t thought it was my destiny,” said Fee.

This is an excerpt from an interview in the Attitude Awards issue 2024. To read the full interview, order your copy now or check out the Attitude app.