Best TV of 2009

'Glee's openly gay character Kurt in football uniform

It would be tough to beat last year’s lineup of LGBT on TV but 2009 has some decent contenders. Alas, none of them have the same newsy sex appeal as last year’s winner Rachel Maddow but how often does a butch hottie grace our anchor seats?

5 – The sci-fi outbreak of Heroes, Stargate Universe, and Virtuality

Sci-fi can often push the envelope more easily by creating gay metaphors in addition to all the present day issues they address with fictions of possibility. In the past couple years, however, we are getting some actual queer characters. Claire the cheerleader had some sapphic love on Heroes, Stargate Universe features two ongoing gay characters and Virtuality, though unlikely to be picked up featured a gay couple in addition to the hotness of Clea DuVall.

4 – Grey’s Anatomy

Not a big hospital drama fan myself (except for maybe the dramedy antics of House) I am not a regular Grey’s watcher. But the ongoing, adult, and *gasp* healthy relationship between Dr. Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins made GA a sincere representation of contemporary lesbian love. Robbins was also the only lesbian primetime series regular when the Fall 2009 TV season started.

3 – Skins

It may not have been as popular on this side of the pond, and I am not even sure season 3 of the British drama about teenagers whooping it up in Bristol, England, has even aired stateside yet, but the real and racy Skins has a plethora of gay characters. In 2008 they added a lesbian couple to an already adorable gay boy character. Emily (Kathryn Prescott) and Naomi (Lily Loveless) are just like any other televised teenagers, making poor choices about relationships, sex, drugs and partying. Oh those Brits…

2 – The L Word

The 'L Word' series finale

Though we may not have been terribly sad to see the sappy soap-like LA lezzie extravaganza breathe its last breaths one cannot note the television of 2009 without mourning the last season of The L Word just a little bit. The final season was even more absurd than the rest, ending on a particularly frustrating and ridiculous cliffhanger, but the reality is that we no longer have a reason to convene at the E Room and throw french fries at the screen. Jenny you will be missed…

1 – Glee

Once again, the underdogs take the top spot. I’m not sure anyone realized that a show about high school glee club geeks could break out in the way it has, but we have certainly all been charmed by Glee. An out gay high schooler is just the beginning. The song and dance premise of the show is gay enough, but when an entire football team busted out in a Beyonce “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” routine, queer cheers resounded. And the soundtrack is flying off the shelves.

It’s totally worth watching the team take on the dance once more…