As we posted at the end of March HBO shot a pilot for a new Queer boy dramedy recently around the Castro and City. Word comes now that the award winning cable giant has optioned the still as yet unnamed series for eight more episodes. The pilot written by Michael Lannan, Interior Leather Bar, was directed by Andrew Haigh who made the highly acclaimed film, Weekend, and stars Glee regular Jonathan Groff, New York stage actor, Frankie J. Alvarez, and former Guiding Light soap hunk, Australian, Murray Bartlett, playing the three principles. Other particulars about the series, according to the Hollywood Reporter:

The pilot is based on Michael Lannan's feature script Lorimer. Haigh will executive produce alongside Bored to Death's Sarah Condon and Brothers and Sisters' David Marshall Grant, with Lannan receiving a co-EP credit. The untitled entry revolves around the three friends in San Francisco who explore the fun and sometimes overwhelming options available to a new generation of Gay men.  Production will begin in the fall in San Francisco for a 2014 premiere.

This is a good news for a number of reasons. The new series will help raise the number of LGBT themed shows-or shows with principle Gay characters-on television from its current level. It was recently announced that both The New Normal and Happy Endings would be cancelled at the end of the 2013 television season.. The loss of both shows has been claimed as victories by the neo-conservative and notoriously anti-Gay group, One Million Moms, a branch of the American Family Assoc., who've made it their mission to eradicate anything Queer off of the telly to 'save the children'. Keeping Queer themed work available on television helps dismantle religious led bigotry and societal prejudice against the LGBT community by providing glimpses into our lives. It can provide isolated Queer youth with valuable visual confirmation that they are not alone in this world.

Additionally revenue brought in by the HBO shoot will help feed the always hungry local economy, lift the City's star power another notch attracting even more lucrative television and film company's to bring upcoming projects to town and provides work for SF actors, artisans, production and film workers. Concerns have been leveled in countless blog comment sections-including this one-that the show will just be another all white male production unrepresentative of the City's true LGBT population. Producers has been sensitive to that reality and cast an array of actors from multiple communities and set a Latino among it's leading men. Other commenters have expressed disdain at the idea that this will be a Queer version of Friends or Sex in the City. Time will tell if their criticism holds true, but for now, keep your eyes peeled for the production and it's crew working around the Castro and City. via Towleroad