Finally a gay orientated series that is not just about laughs and witty sassy remarks. The Horizon web series is amazing show that focuses on the many issues that many gay men face today. The web series premiered in 2009 and has quite the following. I have high hope for the show and it is absolutely addictive!!!
The show is currently on its 5th season which only goes to show how popular it has become. Many webseries do not last beyond season 1, they are lucky if they get pass the first few episodes! I first heard about Horizon back in 2013 when I was working with ACON, a health promotion organisation that focuses on HIV/AIDS based in Sydney. ACON is one of their sponsors and plays a role in the story. Honestly, I was too busy with uni work to actually sit down and watch the show. But now that I have actually started watching the show I am hooked!
About the series
In the first few series, each episode was only about 7 minutes long which kept me wanting more. The more recent series have bumped it up to 10 minutes per episode, I know still not long enough but those 3 extra minutes are so juicy! The show is based in Sydney and occasionally shows the oh so famous Oxford street.
The main characters are Jake, a country town boy that makes the move to Sydney because of an online relationship with AJ, the bad boy. During his first hours in Sydney, Jake meets the fabulous Wilma Bumhurt aka Dennis. Wilma is a fabulous drag queen who is very opinionated, sassy and oh so loveable. As the series progressed more main characters were introduced such as Millie, Jake's bestie from home and Mickey, a closeted guy also from Jake's home town.
The series focuses on real life problems that many gay men face. Such as coming out, self acceptance, drugs, STIs and relationships. The way the series is played makes it relatable and I often find myself reflecting on the times I experienced some of the events myself.
Relevance to the gay community
As I have mentioned earlier, the show focuses on the real life problems that many gay men experience. Yes the show is based in Sydney, a major city, but there are elements shown that I feel a lot of gay men can relate to. One of the first issues the show tackled is coming out. The series showcased a variety of ways people come out and the different reactions that the people around them have. It also showed how some of the characters dealt with it.
Another issue that I really felt connected with was the online dating! The show used Manhunt to showcase this. It showed that some people are actually looking for love on websites like these and not just hookups. It also showed the problem of dating someone you've met online, they have a hard time letting go!
Relationship problems is also one of the topics discussed. Like any relationship, one will experience trials in each relationship. The series showed REAL relationships with everyday real problems! From boyfriends, friends, parents and family. It showed the different problems many gay men face.
Being safe was another point of the show. The whole keep your eye on your drinks while at a club thing came up. I won't give out any spoilers, you guys must watch the show for yourselves to find out more about what I am talking about!
Having protected sex is another message that the show really focused on later on in the series. It is so important to practice safe sex, especially these days! Sex has never been easier these days and with that the rise in sexually transmitted diseases/infections including HIV. A lot of gay men are into unprotected sex it is crazy! The show displayed different types of guys you might meet out there and I guess it kind of helps to know what kind of guys are out there so you can have a rehearsed line in your head that you only want safe sex if you decide to do so.
Sticking to the topic of HIV. One of the characters (again I won't say which) is diagnosed with HIV and the series shows the difficulties he experienced coming to terms with his diagnosis. The series showed the different services that are available to him and information about HIV/AIDS. I am glad they incorporated it in the series in a way that was informative yet not intrusive.
Overall
I absolutely love the series! It is by far one of the best gay focused series I have ever seen. I love how it is very real and serious. Yes there are hot gay sex scenes in the show but they do not focus on it. They just show it because it is part of life, sex is involved! The actors are good looking so for those of you that like a little eye candy you can definitely count on the series to deliver on that. I highly recommend that you guys check it!
Season 1-4 - http://www.thehorizon.tv
Seasons 5 - http://www.fortiersmedia.com/frontiers-tv
Also check them out on their social media
https://www.facebook.com/thehorizonseries
https://twitter.com/HorizonSeries
Instagram - thehorizonseries
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