Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s new TV show Pose could be the most important thing to land on screens this year
The first trailer is here for Ryan Murphy’s very queer new series Pose.
The out screenwriter is the prolific creator of successful TV shows – including musical series Glee and anthology shows American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud.
He has another show coming this summer though – and it sounds like his most important creation yet.
Upcoming show Pose is set in 1980s New York, and portrays life in the city’s iconic queer ballroom culture, as most famously portrayed in the film Paris is Burning.
A trailer landed today ahead of the show’s hotly-anticipated premiere on FX on June 3, showing off the cast – which features the most transgender actors of any TV show in recent history.
In a first for TV, the show has championed diversity both in front of and behind the camera – with a diverse range of directors and writers.
The trailer serves as a ballroom 101, explaining: “There’s so much you can say about the ballroom scene, but simply, it’s a way of life.
“We took dance from mainstream and posing in magazines and created vogue.”
The characters explain: “It’s a place you can live out a fantasy you could never live before.
“At the core of it, it’s community.
“It’s about being alone, and then finding people that are just like you.
“It’s about determination. You have to step out on that runway like you own everything.”
MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross, all of whom are transgender, lead the diverse cast.
The show will also feature Kinky Boots star Billy Porter, as well as frequent Ryan Murphy collaborators Kate Mara and Evan Peters, both of American Horror Story.
Trans activists Janet Mock and Our Lady J are writing for the series, while the show will also work to bring through transgender directors through Murphy’s Directing Mentorship Program.
As well as the ballrooms scene, Pose also tackles other segments of New York society, juxtaposing the ballroom scene with the city’s creative hub and high-flying luxury business world.
Murphy said: “Along with being a dance musical and an affirming look at American life in the 1980s, I’m so proud that Pose and FX has made history right from the beginning by featuring the most trans series regular actors ever in an American television production.
“Additionally, the first season Pose will feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters — a record in American television history. I can’t wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast.”
FX boss John Landgraf said: “In the 15 years we’ve worked with Ryan, he has demonstrated time and again that every person’s story is joyful, illuminating, and must to be told.
“With Pose, Ryan, and his producing partners Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, introduce us to a new group of characters whose talent, life force, and self-made community is greater than the daunting obstacles created by a society that can be threatened by their native identities.
Dana Walden and Gary Newman of Fox Television Group added: “A decade ago, Ryan brought us the groundbreaking pilot script for Glee, a show that celebrated underdogs, proudly showcased a completely diverse cast of unknown actors and led the way for new norms of inclusion and diversity on television
“In Pose, Ryan has again, with his gifted collaborators, placed a spotlight on people who have been marginalised in society, bringing together emotional stories and a hugely talented cast in an inspirational series.”
It is believed to be that Pose will be the last original series from Murphy prior to a golden handcuffs deal that will see him develop new shows exclusively for Netflix.
Murphy – whose existing shows air on Fox-owned networks – announced a new deal with Netflix earlier this year, promising that his upcoming shows for the streaming giant will continue to “champion LGBTQ heroes and heroines.”
Murphy said: “The history of this moment is not lost on me.
“I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallised and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me.
“I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honoured and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”
Pose, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud will continue to air on their existing networks under the deal.
