It's a Sin

Brought 1980s queer history to a new generation with unflinching heart.

Why it matters

Episode guide

5 episodes across 1 seasons — titles, air dates, and synopses.

At a glance

Friends in 1980s London live, love, and face the AIDS epidemic together — joy first, then devastation with open eyes. Russell T Davies's Channel 4/HBO Max limited series makes chosen family the point before history closes the door. Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells, and Lydia West light up cheap flats and club nights. The tone refuses misery tourism without blinking at loss. It brought queer 1980s history to a new generation with unflinching heart.

Network & studio

• Channel 4 — broadcast network
• Max — streamer network
• Red Production Company — production studio

Why watch now

For ensemble chemistry that makes the tragedy land harder and Davies at full emotional clarity. Five episodes you will carry.

Cultural impact

It's a Sin became a global talking point about AIDS memory, government failure, and queer joy as resistance. It swept U.K. awards attention and streaming discovery. A generation that didn't live the crisis felt it in their friend group.

Creators

Russell T Davies

Key cast

• Olly Alexander as Ritchie Tozer
• Nathaniel Curtis as Ash Mukherjee
• Omari Douglas as Roscoe Babatunde
• Lydia West as Jill Baxter

Flash facts

• Created by Russell T Davies; Channel 4 premiere January 22, 2021 (HBO Max in the U.S.).
• Five-part limited series.
• Ensemble of young friends in London across the 1980s AIDS crisis.
• Major critical acclaim in the U.K. and internationally.
• Part of Davies's long project of queer British television storytelling.

FAQ

Back to the decade

More from the 2020s — Fragmented Empire. All shows.