TELEVISION

Compiled by Blase DiStefano

BRAVO’S GOT A QUEER EYE

Five gay men. Out to make over the world. One straight guy at a time.

Photo by Craig Blackenhorn/Bravo Network

Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez, collectively known as “The Fab Five,” are a team of gay men, all experts in their respective fields of food and wine, grooming, interior design, fashion, and culture. Their weekly mission: Employ all the tools of their trade to cultivate a better straight man.

A one-hour guide to “building a better straight man,” Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is a “make-better” series designed for guys who want to get the gal, the job, or just the look. Leveraging the expertise and personalities of “The Fab Five,” the makeover unfolds with a playful deconstruction of the subject’s current lifestyle and continues on as a savagely funny showcase for the hottest styles and trends. After the team imparts their invaluable tips, wit, and wisdom to the subject and viewers, each hour culminates with the reveal of an empowered, stylishly complete straight man with a “queer eye stamp of approval.”

The unscripted series was created by David Collins, a gay man, and developed by David Metzler, a straight man—a union of sensibilities that gives the show its depth, humor, and edge.

Premieres on Bravo, Tuesday, July 15, at 9 p.m., followed by a second first-run episode at 10 p.m. The series will then begin its regular run with a premiere episode every Tuesday at 9 p.m.

BRAVO’S BOYS

Hosted by Dani Behr (Extra), Boy Meets Boy centers on a handsome leading man who spends eight days in a luxurious location with 15 potential soul “mates.” The suitors vie for his affections by participating in group activities and going on one-on-one dates, while the leading man, with the advice of his best girlfriend, who is also on hand, whittles down the dating pool as he eliminates guys at the end of each episode. The series culminates with the leading man making his final choice.

Adding to the suspense is an element of surprise—midway through the series, the leading man discovers that some of the soul “mates” are actually straight, a twist that allows for numerous avenues of social exploration that challenge preconceived notions of what is considered gay and straight behavior.

“We hope to open up the hearts and minds of gay and straight viewers as they experience both the romantic journey of our leading man and the adventure of the straight mates having to walk a mile in a gay man’s shoes,” says co-creator/executive producer Douglas Ross.

At press time, Boy Meets Boy was scheduled to premiere on Bravo (www.bravotv.com) in late July.

PBS GOES 90 MILES

Juan Carlos Zaldívar’s 90 Miles is a personal memoir that offers a rare glimpse into Cuba, a country as mythologized by Americans as the United States is by the rest of the world. The openly gay Cuban-born filmmaker recounts the strange fate that brought him as a teenage communist to exile in Miami in 1980 during the dramatic Mariel boatlift. Zaldívar uses news clips, family photos, and home movies to depict the emotional journey of an immigrant father and son struggling to understand the historical and individual forces shaping their relationships and identities in a new country.

Airs Tuesday, July 29, 10 p.m., on Houston’s KUHT, as part of PBS’s P.O.V. series. • For more info: www.pbs.org.

SUNDANCE GETS AMBIGUOUS

One in every 2,000 babies develops ambiguous genitalia, a condition now generally defined as being born intersexed. Hoping that their own stories may change the way the medical community and society regards and treats children born with some sort of intersex condition, four British women speak candidly about their lives and the secrecy surrounding their situation in Gender Trouble. Roz Mortimer directs this thought-provoking and moving 2002 documentary.

Airs on Sundance Channel, July 25 at 2:30 p.m. (repeat airing July 28 at 5:30 p.m.). To confirm schedule: www.sundancechannel.com.

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