comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
which ran on HBO from January 19, 2014, to July 23, 2016. Created by
Murray Bartlett
Murray Bartlett (born 20 March 1971) is an Australian actor. His roles include Dominic "Dom" Basaluzzo in the HBO comedy-drama series '' Looking'', Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the Netflix revival of ''Tales of the City'', and Armond in the HBO s ...
Raúl Castillo
Raúl Castillo Jr. (born August 30, 1977) is an American actor and playwright. He is known for his acting roles in '' Amexicano'' and '' Cold Weather'' and his role as Richie Donado Ventura in the HBO series '' Looking'' and its subsequent ser ...
. The show follows the experiences of Patrick, Agustín, and Dom, three gay friends who live and work in modern-day
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
. It was the network's first series centered around the lives of gay men.
''Looking'' was critically acclaimed for its writing, direction, the performances of the ensemble and its fresh take on an LGBT-centric narrative. With ten of the show's eighteen episodes directed by Andrew Haigh, the show's naturalistic shooting style drew comparisons to Haigh's 2011 film '' Weekend'' and to the
mumblecore
Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent filmHoberman, J. (August 14, 2007).It's Mumblecore!. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.Lim, Dennis (August 19, 2007)Mumblecore – The New Talkies: Generation DIY ''The New York Times''. Ret ...
genre of independent film.
Despite its critical praise, its ratings never met network expectations, with just 298,000 viewers tuning in for its second-season finale. The low ratings led to the show's cancellation after its second season. HBO ordered a one-time
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
, '' Looking: The Movie'', to serve as the series' finale, which premiered at the Frameline Film Festival on June 26, 2016, and aired on July 23, 2016, in the U.S. on HBO and on August 2, 2016, in the UK on
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HB ...
.
In 2019, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' named ''Looking'' one of the "100 Greatest TV shows of the 21st century". In 2022, ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' ranked ''Looking'' #21 on the list of "The Best HBO Series of All Time".
Premise
Patrick Murray, a 29-year-old video game designer, lives in San Francisco with his friends—aspiring restaurateur Dom and artist's assistant Agustín. Patrick has a tendency to be
naïve
Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...
and has been generally unlucky in love, but things in Patrick's life change upon meeting handsome yet humble Mission barber Richie and the arrival of his new boss, the attractive but partnered Kevin. Dom pursues his goal of opening his own restaurant with the support of his roommate, Doris, and the unexpected help of the successful and older San Francisco entrepreneur Lynn. Agustín struggles domesticating with his long-term boyfriend Frank and his stalling art career, as well as his penchant for recreational substance abuse.
The three men navigate life, relationships, family, and careers in modern-day San Francisco.
Cast and characters
Main
* Jonathan Groff as Patrick Murray, a 29-year-old video game designer who grew up in suburban
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
in a rather conservative family who initially had a hard time accepting his sexuality when he came out to them on Thanksgiving back in 2005 while in his second year of college.
* Frankie J. Alvarez as Agustín Lanuez, 31, an artist's assistant and Patrick's best friend since their college days at The University of California, Berkeley. Agustín is from
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248.
Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...
, outside
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, and grew up in an affluent
Cuban American
Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or ...
household from which he is estranged due to the emotional and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his alcoholic father as a child.
*
Murray Bartlett
Murray Bartlett (born 20 March 1971) is an Australian actor. His roles include Dominic "Dom" Basaluzzo in the HBO comedy-drama series '' Looking'', Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the Netflix revival of ''Tales of the City'', and Armond in the HBO s ...
as Dom Basaluzzo, 39, a sommelier in a gastronomic restaurant. Dom was raised by a single father who died when Dom was in his early twenties.
* Lauren Weedman as Doris, Dom's best friend since their high school days in
Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
and former partner, who works as a nurse (season 2, recurring season 1). Doris grew up with a father who was very loving as well as a mother who was
emotionally abusive
Psychological abuse, often called emotional abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another person to a behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumati ...
due to mental illness.
* Russell Tovey as Kevin Matheson, Patrick's boss, a "video-game wunderkind." Kevin has feelings for Patrick—though he is in a long-term relationship with Jon. In season two, Kevin becomes Patrick's new love interest. (season 2, recurring season 1)
*
Raúl Castillo
Raúl Castillo Jr. (born August 30, 1977) is an American actor and playwright. He is known for his acting roles in '' Amexicano'' and '' Cold Weather'' and his role as Richie Donado Ventura in the HBO series '' Looking'' and its subsequent ser ...
as Ricardo "Richie" Donado Ventura, a
barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
and Patrick's part-time romantic interest. (season 2, recurring season 1) Richie grew up in a large
working class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
Mexican-American family in San Leandro just outside of San Francisco and is currently estranged from his father due to his father's refusal to accept his sexuality.
Recurring
*
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on '' Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantu ...
as Lynn, an entrepreneur who strikes a connection with Dom
*
O. T. Fagbenle
O is the fifteenth letter of the modern Latin alphabet.
O may also refer to:
Letters
* Օ օ, (Unicode: U+0555, U+0585) a letter in the Armenian alphabet
* Ο ο, Omicron, (Greek), a letter in the Greek alphabet
* O (Cyrillic), a letter of the ...
as Frank, Agustín's long-term boyfriend
* Andrew Law as Owen, Patrick's co-worker
*
Ptolemy Slocum
Ptolemy Slocum (born 20 November 1975) is an American actor, known for his role as Sylvester in ''Westworld''.
Slocum was born in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. He was named after the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy and has been active as an actor ...
as Hugo, Dom's co-worker (season 1)
* Joseph Williamson as Jon, Kevin's boyfriend
*
Daniel Franzese
Daniel Franzese (born May 9, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, and activist best known for his roles in director Larry Clark's ''Bully'' and as Damian in Tina Fey's 2004 feature film ''Mean Girls''. Franzese is the creator of several live come ...
as Eddie, Agustín's love interest who volunteers at a homeless shelter for LGBT youth (season 2)
*
Chris Perfetti
Chris Perfetti (born December 12, 1988) is an American actor. He currently portrays Jacob Hill on the ABC comedy ''Abbott Elementary'', for which he was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award. His other roles include Tim Fletch on the NBC series ...
as Brady Richie's new boyfriend in the 2nd season. (season 2)
* Bashir Salahuddin as Malik, Doris's love interest (season 2)
Production
HBO ordered an eight-episode first season of ''Looking'' on May 14, 2013. The pilot was written by
Michael Lannan
Michael Lannan is an American screenwriter and producer. He is known as a creator and producer of the HBO series ''Looking''.Andrew Haigh. Filming began in the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
on September 16, 2013, and ended on November 7, 2013. The first season premiered on January 19, 2014.
Creator Michael Lannan announced in an interview in February 2014 that the writers were already thinking of new material for a second season, should it come. His comment was quickly backed up by Nick Hall, director of comedy for HBO, who stated that the "initial one airing audience" isn't their main goal and that they BO"look at it for the week, we look at it On Demand, we look at HBO Go," and that each of the episodes were doing "nicely".
On February 26, 2014, HBO announced that ''Looking'' was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered on January 11, 2015.
HBO cancelled the series after the second season citing the sharp decline in ratings. Afterwards, an online petition was started to continue the series. HBO eventually planned to air a movie to wrap up the storyline. Alvarez revealed in an interview with ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' that filming was to start in September 2015 and that the length of the finale would be 2 hours. The movie premiered on June 2, 2016, at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and aired on July 23, 2016.
Episodes
Reception
Critical response
Throughout its run ''Looking'' received acclaim from critics who hailed it as a fresh take on gay-themed drama and acclaimed the performances of its actors in particular of Groff and Tovey. Review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
reports that 90% of critics gave the first season a positive review based on 37 reviews, with an average score of 7.6/10. The site's consensus states: "Funny without being obnoxious, ''Looking'' provides authentic situations that feel universal with its subtle details and top-notch performances." On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the first season holds an average of 73% based on 27 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. The second season received an aggregate score of 77% on Metacritic and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Since ''Looking'' was announced it has been referred to by both the community and early critics as the "gay version" of ''
Girls
A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
'' and ''
Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
''. After watching the pilot,
Emily St. James
Emily St. James (formerly Emily Nicole VanDerWerff; born November 30, 1982) is an American critic, journalist, podcaster, and author. She primarily writes about television. She has written for '' Vox'', ''The A.V. Club'', ''The Guardian'', the ' ...
of '' The A.V. Club'' said that "differences between the two series go beyond the surface" and one of the show's lead actors, Jonathan Groff, went on to say that "to be in the same breath as those shows is exciting ..but the tone and writing and the style of the show is very different. And people will notice that when they see it."
Keith Uhlich, writing for the BBC, opined that ''Looking'' "is one of the most revolutionary depictions of gay life ever on TV – and that’s because it makes it totally ordinary." Sonia Saraiya of ''Variety'' described the finale film as "moving and beautiful", and Jon Frosch of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called it "essential viewing".
In 2019, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' ranked ''Looking'' amongst the "100 Greatest TV shows of the 21st century". In 2022, ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' ranked ''Looking'' #21 on the list of "The Best HBO Series of All Time", stating, "The series never gained a massive audience, but its reverberations are still being felt."
Ratings
''Looking'' was reported to have debuted to a "slow start" by ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' with a premiere audience of 338,000, although it went on to gain an audience of 606,000 when the encore's ratings were included. However, ratings improved as the season progressed. Ratings reached a series high in the sixth episode, attracting 519,000 viewers, up by 50% compared to the premiere episode. As of February 23, 2014, ''Looking'' had averaged 2million weekly viewers.
Accolades
Broadcast
''Looking'' premiered on
HBO Canada
HBO (previously known as HBO Canada, and still referred to as such on social media) is a Canadian premium television network from Crave (formerly The Movie Network), which is owned by Bell Media. The channel is primarily devoted to original pro ...
at the same time as the United States, with Australia's Showcase premiering the series on January 20, 2014. In New Zealand,
SoHo
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was deve ...
premiered the series on January 23, 2014.
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HB ...
in the United Kingdom and Ireland premiered it on January 27, 2014, opening to 0.067million viewers, with the highest rated episode attracting 0.129million for episode three. The second season premiered on February 5, 2015. The series premiered on May 6, 2014, on M-Net in South Africa.