Neil Patrick Harris' character is ready to start over in his new Netflix series, called Uncoupled. The 8-episode gay rom-com comes from Beverly Hills, 90210 and Emily in Paris creator Darren Star and follows Harris’ recently dumped character starting over with the dating scene for the first time in nearly 20 years. Now the How I Met Your Mother vet is opening up about Netflix’s support of gay content.
Netflix has a wide variety of content, some of which centers on LGBTQ+ characters. Heartstopper was a smash hit, although the recent cancellation of First Kill marked the abrupt end of a show with a lesbian relationship. Neil Patrick Harris discussed Netflix’s support of Uncoupled with ET, praising the streamer for giving the series a platform:
Netflix has been a super supporter of gay content, of giving us the opportunity to tell a story that is both unique and super recognizable and relatable.
Even though Netflix has gained a reputation for cancelling even popular shows after just one season, Neil Patrick Harris had good things to say about the streamer. Uncoupled hasn't yet been officially confirmed for a second season, but it is currently in Netflix's Top 10 TV shows after less than a week's availability.
While Netflix supported the series, Neil Patrick Harris was still worried about how fans would react. There aren’t many shows that depict a gay man of – to quote the actor – "a certain age," but Harris was glad to be part of it:
I was worried that people would only be able to watch this if they were a gay man of a certain age. I thought, 'Is this show too niche?' But in point of fact, I think everyone’s gone through a breakup, or everyone’s terrified of going through [one] or being broken up with, and this show is a comedic take on that idea that also allows you to like get swept away and care about these characters, so I was really pleased to be a part of it.
Harris might have been uncertain about how viewers would react to the series, but Uncoupled is trending on Netflix as of August 3, 2022, so it appears that the show is a hit with subscribers. We can always use more relatable content out there, and with someone like Neil Patrick Harris as the lead, you know that the show is in good hands in front of the camera.
Meanwhile, as Uncoupled has plenty of elements ranging from drama to comedy and just about everything in between, the series also has a decent amount of camp. Ahead of the show’s premiere, Neil Patrick Harris spoke to CinemaBlend about balancing camp with other elements on Uncoupled, and even he was curious about it initially. The actor gave props to the Uncoupled cast, writing staff, Darren Star, and Jeffrey Richmond for the great balance of elements.
It's hard to tell whether Netflix’s support of gay content will continue with another season of Uncoupled, but since the show did just drop, it may be a while until the streamer announces any news. So in the meantime, fans will just have to watch Harris on the new series to keep busy and make sure that it stays on the top of Netflix’s charts.
Watch Uncoupled now on Netflix, and be sure to check out the 2022 Netflix show schedule to see what else to look forward to!
