(opening Netflix theme)
(calming music)
- At the minute our lesbian TV fix
is "Gentleman Jack".
- Gentleman Jack.
- Genkleman. (laughing)
Genkleman Jack.
- I'm Jess.
- I'm Sophie.
And together we are.
(both laughing)
- We live in Margate.
- Cute little seaside town.
Been here for about 18 months with my dogs.
- I moved in February.
I came down for Pride last August
and got absolutely obsessed with it.
And we matched on her.
I'm from Manchester, specifically Bury.
Home of the black pudding.
- And I lived in like, a village south of Leicester.
Which is like, a population of like
a thousand people or something.
And none of them were gay.
There were actually two lesbians, two.
They were together, obviously.
(both laughing)
- I think I was really lucky actually,
growing up in Manchester.
Literally walk up and down Canal Street
thinking I was like, in "Queer As Folk".
- I spent so long grappling with my sexuality,
and I was engaged to a guy for about five years.
If my boyfriend was out, I'd just go and like,
sit on the sofa, put my pajamas on.
And I'd be like, "Oh, it's my time!"
(both laughing)
And I would literally just put "The L Word" on,
and watch all of it religiously.
Every single episode.
There's Jenny, and she's dating a guy
and she moves in with him.
I think I felt quite a big connection with Jenny,
only because I just related to her so much.
In that first series where she starts to like,
dabble in queer culture, and she just kinda found
this little group that accepted her for who she was.
And I was like, "That's what I need to do."
It really helped to just normalize my feelings.
Show me that the life that I wanted for myself
could still exist if I was gay.
- So, do you think I'm more like Bette than Jenny?
- You're not like Jenny.
- I just felt like. - You're quite Shane.
(both laughing)
(police siren wailing)
- I would religiously watch "Bad Girls".
That was like the ultimate like, Top Dog.
I also kinda liked Sylvia, as well.
That weird little Nana police woman.
- In what, "Bad Girls"? - Yeah.
And Shell Dockley, obviously.
I wouldn't mind being banged up with them.
(both laughing)
- Yeah we watched "Orange Is the New Black".
That was really good. - I mean, literally
rammed full of lesbians, "Orange Is the New Black".
(laughing)
Also I loved "Sugar Rush".
They were more, not my age 'cause I was still quite young.
But, it felt more like, I could relate to it,
'cause they were teenagers.
And I was like, I could run away to Brighton.
Maybe that's why I've ended up in Margate.
Trying to live my "Sugar Rush" seaside dreams.
- "Coronation Street", Sophie Webster, gay icon.
(both giggling)
No, that was, I think that was 'cause my family
have always watched "Coronation Street".
It's something that I even watch now.
Like, oh you hate it.
- Ugh, absolutely sucked. - But I find,
I know this is gonna sound really weird,
but I think "Coronation Street" grounds me.
We loved "Special",
we really loved "Special". - "Special" was so pure.
- We devoured that.
- It wasn't just about him being gay.
- No. - That wasn't the main
like, crux of the show.
Which I think is quite rare.
Like, it was just about him as a character.
- It was quite a brave show, really.
'Cause it was, I mean. - Yeah.
- It showed disability and he never let it hold him back.
It was really nice and really well-represented.
- I think that's one of the best shows
that I've watched recently. - Yeah.
It's really reassuring to see
queer characters living normally.
That's what I think we need more of.
Because the representation is mainly of sex.
Like, "Blue Is the Warmest Color" for instance.
I loved that film.
But the only thing people were talking
about in it was the sex.
That's what it always focuses on in TV
and film and everything.
Apart from "The L Word" and things like that.
But that still was super over-sexualized,
I thought in some parts.
- That's why we loved it,
obviously. - Yeah, obviously.
- Kind of a bit obsessed with Clare Balding.
Probably the most famous lesbian TV presenter.
- For Jess' 30th Birthday, we had a huge party.
I turned up with a lifesize cardboard cutout
of Clare Balding.
Someone else turned up with loads of Clare Balding masks.
We didn't really know what to do with them,
so we put them in the spare bedroom.
- In the window, like facing outwards.
And the neighbor came 'round and said,
"Can you take the cutout of Princess Diana
"out of your window? (laughing)
"It's really freaking my wife out."
We were like, "What?
Oh, Clare."
(laughing) - Oh, Clare, yeah.
TV, film, can have such a bigger impact on gay people.
Everything's made for heterosexual couples.
It's so inbred in our culture,
that when you're gay you have to kinda reach
for something else.
So, I think when you see it on TV,
it is much more powerful for gay people.
It just gives you a sense of belonging.
(calming music)