Bravo focuses on more 'Queer Eye'

That "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" became a hit on Bravo — a cable network that had never had any kind of breakthrough hit — was surprising. That "Queer Eye" episodes repeated on Bravo's parent network, NBC, became a mainstream success was, perhaps, more surprising still.

And not just for network executives, but for the people who produce the show.

"We are surprised at the impact that the show has had and are both thrilled and humbled by it," said David Metzler, who co-created the show with his fellow executive producer, David Collins. "It's been an amazing thing to watch."

And not necessarily what people were expecting. "Queer Eye" is essentially a good-natured — even sweet — makeover show in the "Trading Spaces"/"What Not to Wear" vein, with the Fab Five gay guys (Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez) genuinely bonding with their straight-guy counterpart as they teach him about food and hair care and clothes and decorating as they help him prepare for an event like a party for his wife or a marriage proposal.

The show grew out of Metzler's "gay guy-straight guy best friends" relationship.

"We started with this idea that the two cultures are different . . . and then through the journey of the show realized how similar they are. So that was very deliberate," Metzler said. "After watching an episode, you realize they're really much more the same than they are different, except for who's wearing the best shoes, I would suppose."

Specifically, "Queer Eye" grew out of a real-life incident Metzler and Collins witnessed.

"A woman had been kind of publicly berating her husband about his looks at an art gallery one Sunday afternoon, and a group of guys came to his defense and rescue," Metzler said. "And it was kind of at that moment that you saw the gay and straight worlds come together there in a way that was very supportive."

The show has entered mainstream pop culture after only 11 episodes, which have repeated endlessly on Bravo in addition to the NBC scheduling. Tonight's second-season premiere (8 p.m., Bravo) is the first of seven new episodes. And an additional 40 episodes will begin airing in 2004.

There are also plans for a holiday special that will revisit some of the straight guys on earlier episodes to see "if they've maintained the 'Queer Eye' regimen, so to speak," Metzler said.

And they're working on a "Straight Eye for the Queer Guy" special. While details are sketchy, Metzler said, "It's done in a fun spirit, in a campy spirit, in a way that allows the straight guys to have a little fun with the Fab Five."

And, with the Fab Five having gotten a nice raise (from $3,000 to $9,000 an episode), it's a big, happy family as the show goes into production overdrive.

"We're thrilled. We're having a ball," Metzler said.

---

E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com