Tuned In: Friday, December 5

WE CAN BE HEROES

A queer caped crusader lands at Showtime

By Dan Avery

Home to larger-than-life gay drama since Queer as Folk, Showtime is teaming up with comic book superstar Stan Lee to produce a new series about a gay superhero, based on Perry Moore’s Lambda Award-winning novel Hero. “It’s not campy…it’s not ‘The Gayest American Hero,’” Moore told New York magazine. “He just happens to be gay. ” Moore’s no Johnny-come-lately either: In addition to penning Hero, he executive produced The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and is directing the upcoming Sissy Spacek drama Lake City. It turns out Lee has experience with do-gooder homos too. His Sci Fi Channel reality show, Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, featured gay heroes in both of its two seasons.

SENIOR MOMENT
For a guy who didn’t come out until he was old enough to cash his social security check, Uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin) on Brothers & Sisters sure is getting a lot of play. Dave Foley (NewsRadio, Kids in the Hall) made a recent cameo as a mismatched blind date, and now it seems out actor John Glover (Smallville, Love, Valor, Compassion) is coming on board as Saul’s latest love interest. “They work through their difficulties, but it’s only an arc so I don’t think it can last for long,” Glover told EW.com.

CIAO ITALIA
Italian transsexual Vladimir Luxuria can probably afford those size EEE Manolos she’s no doubt been eying. An actress and former member of the Italian parliament, Luxuria recently took home $128,000 as the winner of Celebrity Island, a European Survivor type reality series. She definitely outplayed her competitors: Ivana Trump’s soon-to-be-ex-husband Rossano Rubicondi got voted off the island after Luxuria gabbed that he was sleeping with another contestant, Argentine model Belen Rodriguez.

QUEER TV HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday, December 6
East Side Story (6pm, Logo):
A closeted Latino falls for his new Anglo neighbor in East L.A.

Sunday, December 7
Brothers & Sisters
(10pm, ABC): A medical emergency reveals a Walker family secret.

Monday, December 8
Privileged (9pm, CW): Gay chef Marco gets Sage to admit her true feelings for Luis.

Tuesday, December 9
Kiss the Bride (6pm, here!): A gay man tries to stop his old boyfriend from marrying a woman (Tori Spelling, pictured).

Wednesday, December 10
Law & Order (10pm, NBC): The detectives investigate the death of a gender-bending JT Leroy-like memoirist.

Thursday, December 11
Ugly Betty (8pm, ABC): Ignacio gets a job working for Betty’s old classmate Kimmie (Lindsay Lohan).

Friday, December 12
Alien Boot Camp (10pm, Logo): Catch an eclectic mix of queer animated shorts, plus gay-friendly sci-fi, horror and comic news.

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