Gay Army
| Gay Army | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality |
| Developed by |
David Sidebotham Karsten Bartholin |
| Starring | Tony Rosenbum |
| Country of origin | Denmark |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | n/a (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
David Sidebotham Karsten Bartholin |
| Production company(s) | Babyfoot |
| Release | |
| Original network | Kanal 5 |
| Original release | April 27, 2006 |
Gay Army is a Danish[1] comedy reality television series created by executive producers David Sidebotham and Karsten Bartholin, as part of Babyfoot. The series centers around nine effeminate gay men put into the hands of a drill sergeant, who puts them through military training exercises. The series was first broadcast in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The series has also been sold to Italy, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Poland, although protests led to the show being cancelled in the latter country before it aired.[1] The rights to the series is currently owned by SBS Broadcasting Group, and is distributed by Zodiak Media.
Synopsis
In each episode, the homosexual recruits face new training missions featuring stereotypically masculine tasks, in order to prepare them for a mock military operation. Contestants are treated to nights of partying and other rewards if missions are accomplished.
Reception
Some LGBT rights activists protested the show's stereotyping premise. A Swedish organization called the 'Homo-, Bi-, and Transsexuals in the Armed Forces' (informally associated with the Swedish Armed Forces) met with the production director to ask for the network not to air it.[2] Despite this, the show has been very popular with audiences. The show has been nominated for awards at the Rose d'Or as well as the 2006 Danish TV Awards.
References
- 1 2 'Gay Army' TV Series Axed in Poland Before Being Screened
- ↑ Rautiainen, Riina "Portraying Gays on Reality TV: Case Gay Army and Its Reception", http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/sqs/sqs1_08/sqs12008rautiainen.pdf