Noam Ash and Austin Bening’s web series My Gay Roommate has gathered a huge following on Youtube, thanks to the fun it has with its culture clash between gay and straight, and often oddly surreal touches. However, while we haven’t had any new episodes for a while (following the end of the third season), Ash and co. have big plans.
They’re hoping to reimagine and expand the show from 10-minute snippets into a half-hour sitcom format. In this new incarnation, ‘Nick and Max are roommates at Tuffet University, a classic liberal arts college complete with battalions of student groups, over-achieving freshmen, upperclassmen burnouts and the self-righteous indignation that characterizes Northeastern academia.
Nick Cohen is a newly out Jewish boy with OCD tendencies, while his roommate Max Finnegan is a broad-shouldered slob who may or may not have peaked in high school. Our unlikely duo takes on a freshman year full of firsts with a rascally band of suitemates: Rupert (an effeminate ladies man), his roommate Dom (the star linebacker) and Ernie (a techie Japanophile). They are joined by Sloane, Max’s no-bullshit upperclassman love interest, and her misanthropic roommate Mildred who become part of the crew.
‘The world of My Gay Roommate flips the social paradigm: being gay is not an issue, the football players are the underdogs while the a capella singers are the popular kids, the frat boys are the tame and rule-abiding students while the Women’s Rugby Team is the drug dealing muscle.
‘In this way, the show moves past the cliche gay-best-friend-side-kick and homophobic-straight-man relationship we see so often. My Gay Roommate presents a way of life that’s a little more 2016 – where a gay guy and straight guy are just friends. Best friends.’
A Kickstarter has been launched hoping to raise $65,000 to fund the pilot of the show, which they’re hoping will be the first of 10 new episodes. Take a look at the promo video below, and if you like what you see, head over to Kickstarter. You can also find find episodes of the web series by clicking here. [Read more…]
I have to say I suspected that My Gay Roommate would go off the boil with Season 3, mainly as Nick getting a new roommate seemed to be a major change that could have easily ruined things. Instead though it’s been better than it ever has, with plenty of wit, wonderful surreal moments and an often surprisingly smart take on modern gay/straight life.
My Gay Roommate is great fun, with this latest season following Nick (Noam Ash) and his new roomie, Ed. However that’s not all, as the slightly surreal show has also had a cowboy coming out and getting into bed with our plucky hero.