Russell T Davies’ Critically-Acclaimed HBO Miniseries Is Still Worth Revisiting

The Big Picture

• It’s a Sin features a talented ensemble cast who bring depth and diversity to their characters’ experiences during the AIDS crisis.
• The series effectively juxtaposes moments of celebration and joy with the devastating reality of the disease, highlighting the tragedy of lives cut short.
• It’s a Sin serves as both a tribute to the lives lost during the crisis and a call to action, empowering its characters to fight for a better future.

Although showrunner Russell T Davies has a filmography stacked with terrific adaptations, he remains best known for his groundbreaking revitalization of the Doctor Who franchise. By revamping the classical mythology and introducing the world to David Tennant’s Doctor, Davies was able to transform the classic franchise into a modern science fiction phenomenon. Although creating a series based on such beloved source material came with responsibility, Davies took on an even greater challenge with his groundbreaking miniseries It’s a Sin. The series analyzed the devastating ramifications of the AIDS crisis by celebrating the lives of its victims.

‘It’s a Sin’ Features a Great Ensemble of Young Actors

It’s a Sin begins in London in 1981 during the dawn of the HIV/AIDS crisis that claimed the lives of countless men. While crafting a dramatically compelling series about such tragic subject material was a daunting task, Davies was able to explore the extent of the tragedy by utilizing an ensemble cast. The crisis didn’t affect all of its victims the same way, as there was a diversity within their experience based on each character’s background. Although Davies does not seek to generalize or make broad assumptions about the crisis’ origins, he explores the deeply rooted homophobia and social stigma within the United Kingdom during this period in history. The rise of AIDS denialism and conspiracy theories makes it even more difficult for young people to be honest about their experiences with the disease.

Although It’s a Sin features terrific performances from veteran actors, the series puts its emphasis on the young people who were coming of age during this tragic period in history. The first episode of the series explores how the young friends Ritchie (Olly Alexander), Jill (Lydia West), Ash (Nathaniel Curtis), Collin (Callum Scott Howells), and Roscoe (Omari Douglas) come together in London, and each find a place in the vibrant LGBTQ culture. Their experiences wrestling with their identity are not all the same; Colin hides his sexuality from his parents out of fear of their reaction, while Ritchie has confidence in his identity and harbors dreams of becoming an actor. However, Davies highlights why, despite their differences, each of these characters has a place in this community.

While it’s exhilarating to watch this circle of friends form as they feel accepted for the first time, Davies shows a jarring recognition of reality once the danger of the crisis begins to escalate. The death of Henry Coltrane (Neil Patrick Harris), a kindly tailor who gives Colin guidance on expressing his sexuality, serves as a shocking ending to the first episode. Initially, the episode is just as propulsive as one of Davies’ best installment of Doctor Who as it focuses on the formation of the characters’ bonds and the celebration of London’s nightlife. It’s a dream come true for the inhabitants of “The Pink Place” to find an environment that accepts them for who they are. However, the shocking final moments of Coltrane’s diseased being carted away in isolation serves as a haunting reminder that there is nothing fantastical happening.

‘It’s a Sin’ Is a Coming-Of-Age Story Set During a Horrific Period

The shifts in tone are appropriately handled through Davies’ brilliant visual sensibilities. The series rises from exciting highs to crushing lows as the ensemble begins to dwindle. Moments of celebration in London nightclubs grow less frequent as the character deaths begin to escalate; Davies is able to compare these energetic, colorful ensemble set pieces with dimly lit scenes of characters in isolation. While It’s a Sin is certainly intended to leave its viewers with a greater knowledge of the crisis, it operates as a collage of coming-of-age stories that are disrupted by the disease. It’s as Sin focuses on the tragedy of these lives being cut short. It becomes evident that many of the victims had so much life left to live, which makes the tragedy of their demise even more devastating.

It’s a Sin shows that the crisis does not exist within a vacuum, as it focuses on how larger issues like racism and political disinformation were rampant within this period of time. The series focuses on the xenophobia that Roscoe is met with because of his Nigerian background; while Roscoe already felt like an outsider, being judged for his upbringing makes it even more challenging for him to be open about his anxieties. Additionally, a storyline involving Stephen Fry as the closeted conservative politician Arthur Garrison shows how even those that enact dangerous governing policies can be in denial of their identity. The result is a well-rounded series that feels specific to its setting. While Mike Nichols’ equally brilliant HBO series Angels in America examined the AIDS crisis during its American resurgence, It’s a Sin is told from a specifically British point-of-view.

‘It’s a Sin’ Is a Call to Action

It’s a Sin is one of the most underrated miniseries of the past decade, as it is refreshingly unsentimental in its depiction of how homophobia and disinformation escalated the dangers of the AIDS crisis. However, Davies uses the series as a celebration of the activist spirit by showing how the characters learn to take an important role in finding solutions. It’s inspiring to watch Jill grow in her capacity as a champion of disease education; rather than growing dispirited by watching her friends die, Jill is empowered to ensure that she can protect others from the same fate. Similarly, Roscoe’s stand against rulings by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s rulings about AIDS education shows the power of young people to fight for their futures.

Davies is a storyteller who has the ability to draw from the past, whilst never making his material feel irrelevant. Davies’ Doctor Who episodes modernized the franchise, and It’s a Sin serves as both a tribute to lost lives and a warning about the dangers of inaction. By drawing from history and creating instantly engaging characters, Davies created a lived-in universe with more depth than most historical recreations ever reach. It’s impossible to truly account for the devastation of the AIDS crisis, but powerful stories like It’s a Sin ensure that it will not be forgotten.

It’s a Sin is streaming on Max.

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