AMERICAN IDOL FINALE:WILL YOUNG
Wednesday, Sept. 4
FOX, 7 p.m.
The most important reason to watch the AMERICAN IDOL finale isn't Kelly or Justin...it's Will Young, the openly gay winner of Britain's POP IDOL series, who is flying in from London to perform. Young came out the week after his first U.K. single Anything is Possible / Evergreen went straight to No. 1. Idol judge and creator Simon Cowell said that "people were outraged" when Will Young won in the U.K., and that he himself was unimpressed. "So I made the runner-up Gareth Gates a bigger star." ( The straight, spiky-haired Gates has also had a No. 1 hit ) . There is a happy ending, though: Gay Will and Straight Gareth will release their first duet, "The Long and Winding Road," in the U.K. Sept. 23 ... sigh!
ALSO THIS WEEK:
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4
MY WIFE AND KIDS ( ABC, 7 p.m. ) Repeat: Out gay comedian Jason Stuart guest stars. The Kyles go to a marriage counselor ( Stuart ) , after Jay complains that Michael ( Damon Wayans ) just plops himself down in front of his favorite video game after work. But the counselor is a fan of the same video game!
BIG BROTHER 3 ( CBS, 8 p.m. ) Gay Marcellas has just betrayed his best friend Amy and nominated her for eviction this week! BIG BROTHER also airs Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.
GAY WEDDINGS ( BRAVO, 9 p.m. ) Sonja and Lupe overcome tension before their backyard wedding. Dan plans a special surprise for Gregg. Dale and Eve have a bridal shower and choose a cake. Dan and Gregg host a lavish rehearsal dinner. Newlyweds Lupe and Sonja honeymoon by the Pacific Ocean. Repeats at midnight.
LAW AND ORDER ( NBC, 9 p.m. ) Fran Lebowitz guest stars as a judge.
UNDRESSED ( 10 p.m., MTV ) Nightly teen/collegiate soap with frequent GL storylines.
SO GRAHAM NORTON ( 10 p.m., 1 a.m., BBC AMERICA ) . Britain's over-the-top gay talk show host now airs every weeknight.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
WILL AND GRACE ( NBC, 8 p.m. ) Repeat: Michael Douglas as a gay cop on the streets of New York hitting on Will.
GAY WEDDINGS ( BRAVO, 9 p.m. ) Finale: Dan and Gregg get married in a grand-scale ceremony. Scott and Harley fly to Puerto Vallarta for their wedding. Finale: Scott and Harley host a party featuring drag queens. Dale and Eve tie the knot. Repeats at midnight.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS ( COM, 8:30 p.m. ) Lesbian comedians Judy Gold and Sabrina Matthews. Repeats Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT ( NBC, 9 p.m. ) Repeat: A priest ( Eric Stoltz ) is accused of sexual abuse.
SON OF THE BEACH ( FOX, 10 p.m. ) "Penetration Island" Richard Hatch guest stars in an episode spoofing reality shows. Repeats Sunday at 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
SEX AND THE CITY ( HBO, 8 p.m. ) Season finale: On a club night out, Carrie is amazed to learn that her old friend Bobby Fine ( Nathan Lane ) , a flamboyant singer, is finally getting married...and to a woman!
THE WIRE ( 9 p.m., HBO ) Season finale: Lesbian narcotics detective Shakima Greggs ( Sonja Sohn ) is in such critical condition after being shot that she's no longer even on the cast list! Also features gay drug dealer Omar ( Michael K. Williams ) . Repeats Tuesday at 10:30 p.m.
IN THE LIFE ( Ch. 11, midnight ) . Gay life in L.A: directors Mark Christopher ( 54 ) , Alan Ball ( American Beauty, Six Feet Under ) and Paris Barclay ( NYPD Blue ) . Also: the ONE Institute & Archives in California, one of the largest LGBT archives in the world; Rue and Jewel Thais-Williams, life partners and activists in L.A.'s South Central neighborhood; Project 10, the nation's first public school program dedicated to providing onsite educational support to LGBTQ kids; and firefighter Michele Kammerer.
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
BREAKING NEWS ( Bravo, 2 p.m. ) Repeat: Jamie gets enmeshed in a hate-crime debate when she covers the murder of a gay man.
Gay Boy Ric is a comedian and pop singer based in L.A. To receive free GTV E-Mail Alerts, e-mail gayboyric@yahoo.com .