LGBTQIA+ Pride 2025: Vicious

In a cozy Covent Garden flat lives Freddie Thornhill (Ian McKellen), a once aspiring actor now coasting on occasional gigs and old royalties, and his longtime partner Stuart Bixby (Derek Jacobi), a former bartender turned devoted homemaker. After nearly fifty years together, their relationship is defined by sharp-witted bickering, cutting insults, and theatrical flair and yet beneath the “vicious” banter lies deep tenderness. Their daily routine includes entertaining their inner circle of friends which includes, the vivacious friend Violet Crosby (Frances de la Tour), forgetful Penelope (Marcia Warren), grumpy Mason (Philip Voss), and the charming and good-looking upstairs neighbor Ash (Iwan Rheon) who just recently moved into the building. Across two seasons, plus a Christmas special and a final farewell episode, the pair used biting humor, wit and sarcasm to get through life often poking fun at aging, straight society norms, and long long-term loving relationships.

Vicious is a British television sitcom on ITV which premiered on April 29, 2013.  The show was developed by British playwright Mark Ravenhill, but was written by an American, Gary Janetti who worked on Will & Grace and Family Guy.  The series received mixed reviews from the critics with the majority being generally positive.  The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 80% “Fresh” rating based on ten reviews and Keith Watson of Metro calling it “nostalgic fun”.  With the cast being praised for their performances, most of the detractors felt that the sitcom style was tiring and reminiscent of the old 1970s series format.  They also note that the scripts felt flat or lazy.  Morgan Jeffery of Digital Spy who gave it a mixed review found the series to be an “uncomfortable blend of coarse humor and ’70s sitcom-style coziness” and thought the show couldn’t “decide if it wants to be edgy and rude or traditional fun for all the family”.

I absolutely love this show and have loved it since I first saw it in 2013.  I do understand some of the other critics’ objections.  Freddie and Stuart aren’t necessarily nice people, but they aren’t bad either and if handled by different actors I might have thought this just a mean-spirited series with unlikeable characters.  But in the hands of screen and stage legends like Jacobi and McKellen, we don’t just like these characters, we love them.  The nuance in their performances is staggering.  Yes! They are over the top at times and even Freddie mentions that he isn’t sure when he has gone too far, but there is love under all that bickering that shines through, often in just meaningful looks and glances, but it is felt deeply by the audience.  The supporting cast is stellar as well.  With Frances de la Tour’s Violet who is constantly looking for love and most of the time in the wrong places with the wrong person.  I especially love Penelope, played by Marcia Warren who is suffering from senile dementia, causing her to forget or get confused by where she is or why she is there.  There is gentle elegance to her performance and perfect comic timing.  I found the scripts witty with biting humor and full of sharp one liners.  Maybe it is because I grew up in the 1970s with wonderfully funny farcical sitcoms that I don’t mind the format and think that it perfectly suits the show.  In short, Vicious is a sharp tongued, theatrical comedy that explores long-term love through a playful lens of sarcasm, aging, and acceptance—anchored by two legendary actors and supported by an amazing cast.