Reeling: Clapham Junction

Commissioned by groundbreaking British Channel 4 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the U.K., the controversial drama Clapham Junction is anything but a G-rated gay pride celebration. With quite a bit of sweaty—and often violent sex—involved, it follows the interconnected lives of a group of contemporary gay men in London. From a civil partnership ceremony for two upper-crust gay men to married men cavorting in public restrooms to glory holes and gay bashing, this gripping drama touches on a range of homosexual complexities, suggesting that urban gay acceptance is surface thin with issues of self-acceptance threatening to bubble up through the cracks.