Ben Aldridge to play gay tective ITV's The Long Call

Contents:

• FLEABAG STAR BEN ALDRIDGE TO PLAY GAY TECTIVE WH DADDY ISSU MAJOR NEW ITV THRILLER
• THE LONG CALL VIEWERS APPLD ITV DRAMA FOR GAY TECTIVE LEAD ROLE: ‘THIS REPRENTATN IS IMPORTANT’
• GAY MURR MYSTERY DETECTIVE BOOKS
• GAY DETECTIV

FLEABAG STAR BEN ALDRIDGE TO PLAY GAY TECTIVE WH DADDY ISSU MAJOR NEW ITV THRILLER

A new ITV crime drama, The Long Call, will be the first to feature a gay, male tective as s lead. Then there’s the hugely popular TV seri, Killg Eve, which saw s leads, Eve (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle (Jodie Comer) adm to romantic feelgs and share a kiss the season three fale, after prevly garnerg accatns of queerbag ntrast, gay male tectiv have been largely absent om Brish televisn, makg Aldridge’s upg performance a signifint step. “As [ was] the UK’s first male gay tective on primetime I was rolute that we should st a gay actor, ” said seri director Lee Haven Jon on his move to st Aldridge.

Ben Aldridge plays gay Detective Inspector Matthew Venn the drama (Picture: Rex)The Long Call viewers have appld the ITV drama for havg a gay tective, a happy and lovg marriage no ls, at the centre of s story.

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn, a gay man played by Ben Aldridge, leads the st. ‘Pl a primetime gay tective and his hband played by two out gay actors. Echog a siar sentiment, another penned: ‘Thanks @AnnCleev a man the posive lead role and happy marriage that’s also gay.

THE LONG CALL VIEWERS APPLD ITV DRAMA FOR GAY TECTIVE LEAD ROLE: ‘THIS REPRENTATN IS IMPORTANT’

Thanks @AnnCleev a man the posive lead role and happy marriage that’s also gay. Gay reprentativ were relegated to the edy character or ill the 70s/80s.

Pl a primetime gay tective and his hband played by two out gay actors. A third said: ”#TheLongCall this is gog to be good – so amazg to have a gay tective (and played by a gay man).

GAY MURR MYSTERY DETECTIVE BOOKS

Director Lee Haven Jon prevly spoke to The Telegraph of the importance of stg a gay actor the part, which saw him land on Fleabag star Aldridge, who me out last year.

‘They uld have hidn his gayns, so ’s great to see gay characters existg here an thentic way, and the drivg force behd the story beg the murr se. (shelved 1 time as gay-murr-mystery-tective). The UK has been pecially strong this regard, mirrorg s mendable rerd of excellent gay cema.

GAY DETECTIV

Followg this creria, programm as diverse as Brishead Revised (1981), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Six Feet Unr (2001-05), The Wire (2002-08), Glee (2009-) and Morn Fay (2009-) don’t make the cut, spe their strong sendary queer characters (the ternatnal succs of Morn Fay particular, broadst untri where homosexualy is still illegal, uld help liberalise attus, followg the marriage of Cameron and Mchell, two of the most popular characters). Will & Grace (1998-2006) was a huge h, but s portrayal of gay men was clichéd and too few of the jok land (although try tellg that to the often hysteril stud dience).