Like HBO’s Looking or Girls, but set in Memphis, Tennessee. That’s how creator Morgan Jon Fox characterises Feral, a Dekkoo.com original TV series that debuts October 6th.

In Feral, Fox (who also serves as the series writer and director), weaves a tale of survival as a group of gay 20-something’s learn about love, loss and friendship while living in the vibrant, artistic queer community of Memphis. The storyline revolves around the lives of Billy and Daniel, two best friends sharing a comfortably broken in bungalow in the diverse neighbourhood of Midtown. It begins when the two are forced to kick out their third roommate, after discovering his heroin addiction.

Known for gritty southern stories about characters on the fringe, Fox describes his protagonists as, “…kids who are left on their own, whether it’s financially, whether it’s identity, or whether their lovers are deceased. Whatever that is, they’re left to their own devices to carve their own way. They’re ‘Feral’ beings.”

While shows like Looking and Girls may have provided the template, Fox believes the Middle America Memphis setting and vibe is what sets Feral refreshingly apart from its predecessors. “You won’t see the gay stereotypes you see in shows set on the West or East Coast,” promises Fox. “Now, my characters have their issues, but I didn’t want them to be based in cynicism. I wanted their motives and struggles to be pure and honest in a way that wasn’t just, ‘I’m a spoiled rich person without meaning in my life…’

“There are so many stories that are set in New York or L.A., but I feel that we have a story to tell that is uniquely southern. Memphis is a big city, but because we are in a sense living off the grid, in the Bible Belt, and without the supportive institutions that exist in big coastal cities, we have created our own community, and I think that’s what’s so beautiful about coming up in Memphis.”

Fox has directed four feature films including, Blue Citrus Hearts, OMG/HaHaHa and This Is What Love In Action Looks Like – all informed by his painful coming out as a gay man in the conservative south – and has been called one of the originators of the ‘Memphis Style’ of filmmaking, known for strong, authentic performances, improvised scripts and tight editing. Filmmaker Magazine named him as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film”.

Feral with debut exclusively on Dekkoo.com on October 6th, 2016. Dekkoo (pronounced ‘DECK-koo’) is a subscription-based streaming service dedicated to gay men. It provides the largest streaming collection of gay-centric entertainment available, boasting a larger selection than Netflix or Amazon Video. Dekkoo is available via iTunes, Google Play, AppleTV and Roku. Feral marks its first foray into original programming. [Read more…]