OG ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’ Returns to Bravo for a 20th Anniversary Marathon
The 2003 reality series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy set the Bravo network on fire and to celebrate its fabulousness, Bravo will replay a 20th anniversary marathon of the series on Thursday, July 13.
The Emmy Award-winning series launches a supersized marathon from 6 AM – 9 PM ET/PT on Thursday, July 13.
The all-day event will feature fan-favorite episodes from the beginning and culminate with its 10-year reunion special, according to Bravo.
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy aired on Bravo from 2003-2007 and followed the original “Fab Five” – Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez – as they performed a “make-better” on someone by upgrading their wardrobe, renovating their home, and offering lifestyle advice.
‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’ put Bravo on the map
Bravo was a LGBTQ friendly cable channel when Queer Eye debuted in 2003. The groundbreaking series was one of the first to assemble a group of gay men who have very different personalities and come from different backgrounds. The concept for the show was simple: find a lumpy straight guy and give him an all-over makeover. From hair to wardrobe and style and food, the “Fab Five” made good use of their hour and the transformations were remarkable.
The show was an overnight success. Design guru Thom Filicia reflected on what made the show so magical. “We didn’t know if it was just because at that time it was a new idea,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet in 2021. “So we didn’t know if people were responding to us or this kind of really crazy, new, fresh concept. And I think what’s really interesting is that it was a crazy, fresh new concept that was really cool and interesting.”
The snarky humor also fueled ‘Queer Eye’
Filicia believed that the brand of kindness mixed with sarcasm the group hurled at one another was another reason why the series worked.
“But I do think that there was a sort of magic and this sort of serendipity in our coming together as five people and the wackiness and spontaneity,” Filicia said. “And I think it was kind of like a perfect mix. And I think it’s the way that we riff off of one another. I think it has a certain energy and sort of freshness to it that I think clearly still exists, which is cool.”
‘Queer Eye’ producers wanted the cast to be authentic
Jai Rodriguez, known as the king of culture in the series, was the youngest member of the cast. He was 23 when he auditioned – an age that didn’t fit with the group’s age ranges. Rodriguez recalled being quizzed about his age.
“She said ‘How old are you,’ and I said ’23.’ And she said ‘You’re 27. Where did you go to school?’ I was like, ‘I didn’t graduate.’ She said, ‘You graduated. Give NBC Bravo the same answers tomorrow,’” he recounted on the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast.
He arrived at the audition and had to read with two other men.
“I did not know my purpose being there was a chemistry test with two existing cast members, Carson [Kressley] and Ted [Allen]. No one told me that,” he shared. “So I left like, these guys were upstaging me, there was scene stealing. So in the middle of the audition, once I felt that I was like, I’m just gonna be comedic and funny and quick-witted so NBC will consider me for a sitcom of the future.”
“That was my logic. I call my agent practically in tears and said, don’t ever send me for anything like that ever again. I was humiliated,” Rodriguez recalled.
“An hour later, he calls back and says, guess you didn’t do that bad. You start Monday,” he said. “And that was it. Like there was no great and then I remember you know, the first couple episodes struggling to find my way.”
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy supersized marathon kicks off at 6 AM – 9 PM ET/PT on Thursday, July 13 on Bravo.
