Outings

Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and Tom Ward have created six episodes of Season One of an appealing, if uneven, gay, �ber-gay, crossed-sexualities, and non-gays British television series, "Outings".

This coterie of gay men, bi-sexual husbands-to-be, mean-spirited women, straight blokes, and older effeminate men, all of whom drink and drug far too much, making it a mish-mash of old-fashioned camp and 21st Century English stereotypes, fitfully amusing, sometimes dull, sometimes outlandish. Its intended audience are clearly under-30 millennials, gay and straight, with little to offer older generations of viewers, except what they may be missing (not much, is the truthful answer).

Kane (Lloyd Eyre-Morgan) has just been dumped by his lover of one year, Thom (Nathan Morris), because Kane is unable to be anally penetrated during sex, so he moves back with his unwilling mother. Kiegan (Tom Ward), one of the more stable characters, is asked by his estranged brother to be his best man at his upcoming wedding. The bride, Kelsey (Amy Jane Ollies), is angry that Kiegan has almost missed her child's christening (yup, brother and fianc� have a child before marriage); Kane is obviously of two minds about the honor.

Tim (Daniel Wallace), friends with all, is conflicted over leaving his gay side behind (in both senses of the word), allowing his love-interest, Lucy (Verity-May Henry), while more understanding that most women would be, liable to be crushed at Tim's inability to actually be partner-material with her.

Add to that a heavy-set, mean-spirited fag-hag (hey, her friends are hag-fags, okay?), Hoppy (Ali Kahn), who picks a major fight with Lucy during a "come as an '80s pop star party." Et cetera.

What to make of this is up to the tastes of the viewer. There's no budget to speak of, which limits where scenes can be played, although the videography of
Adam Shelton does keep the visuals mostly interesting. But the just-above-average scripting and directing doesn't help the acting, although Ward and Eyre-Morgan do have chemistry and don't project their "gayness" in over-the-top moments.

This is a home-grown London-based semi-amateur show, no better or worse than what American Logo series are, but since it lacks any semblance of depth or insight, the three half-hour episodes don't add up to very much. And they're hoping you'll write in to the distributors so there can be a Season Two.