Rating 4.4 out of 5: You might have missed it, this series is a must watch!

What is it about?

Richie, Roscoe and Colin arrive in London in 1981. The young men will begin their adult lives with a new virus spreading through the gay community. This is the story of their friends, their lovers and their families.

It’s a Sin, a TV series created by Russell T Davies and directed by Peter Hoare

who is he with

because it’s a sin Russell T. Davis Surrounded by Olly Alexander, former frontman of Years & Years, played by Richie. The artist stars alongside Lydia West, Omar Douglas, Calum Scott Howells and Nathaniel Curtis. Together they play the group of friends, the core of the series, and stand out as real revelations.

As for the supporting characters, viewers will recognize Keeley Hawes, the very famous British TV actor Stephen Fry, as well as Neil Patrick Harris – the only American in the cast – who appears in the first episode.

Is it worth checking out?

Many papers have dealt with the AIDS epidemic. In France, among others, there was Cyril Collard’s autobiographical film, Les Nuits fauves, and the combative 120 Battements par minute by Robin Campillo, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Two big successes.

In the United States, it is impossible not to mention Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning Philadelphia, which largely democratized the subject. but also the adaptation of plays Angels in America and normal heartBoth air on HBO.

Among the long list of films and series on the subject, none have yet told the spread of the virus from a British perspective. With It’s a Sin, Russell T. Davies corrects this mistake and turns things around.

The screenwriter, best known for his work on Doctor Who and Years and Years, is one of the leading figures in LGBT+ representation on screen. In 1999, he created the cult series Queer as Folk – later adapted in America – and in 2015 he wrote the lesser-known Cucumber.

It’s a Sin, which borrows its title from a Pet Shop Boys song, explores the years of AIDS, a subject he has long and deliberately put off in his career. It follows the fortunes of a group of friends who lived in London for more than a decade, from 1981 to 1991.

A celebration of the strength and courage of those who fought, the series never falls into the trap of pathos and gross morbidness. It is in moments of intense joy that the band takes the audience on board to better seduce them.

“I see no point in remembering people except after death. We must remember life and celebrate it“, – says Russell T. Davis during a round table among several journalists. In 1981, he was the age of his heroes and also discovered “gay cancer” (a term that in the early years referred to AIDS).

It is necessary not to forget

It is a sin Not a niche program. On the contrary, it is aimed at all types of viewers and all generations. Those who experienced the outbreak, but also those who discovered the extent of the damage years later.

“Sometimes you just have to look back to learn“, slips the creator. In this sense, telling this story today is necessary to restore the ostracism, stigmatization and shame experienced by these men who returned to their parents to die out of sight.

Highlighted by an original soundtrack of iconic titles from the era, the series recreates ’80s England with lavish costumes and sets, not to mention David Katz Nelson’s stunning photography.

It’s a Sin also owes its strength to its young cast, from Olly Alexander to Callum Scott Howells, including Lydia West, the only girl in the group. She plays Jill, an ally who stands at the patient’s bedside. Her character is inspired by real-life activist Jill Nalder, who plays her on-screen mother.

It has impressed with its dystopian and political story for years and years, Russell T Davies hits even harder. It is a sin, a necessary, fair and romantic series. The creator brings brave, endearing characters to life and a beautiful tribute to the victims and survivors. substantive.

It is a sinThis Monday, March 18 on France 2.