NBC announces new Queer Eye episodes, but cast changes may be afoot

NBC announced Tuesday that new episodes of the hit makeover series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy would begin airing on Bravo on Tuesday, November 18. According to a network press release, the new season will feature the "Fab 5" coming to the aid of "a hippie dad postal worker who dabbles in taxidermy, an ex-marine striving to be both an officer and a gentleman, and a conservative lawyer who is ready to go topless for the first time in 13 years...by losing his toupee." The new shows will also include a Christmas special (on December 16) with holiday-themed "hip tips" and surprise visits by the Fab 5 to the straight guys they helped out on the first season. As Queer Eye continues its reign as a hit TV show--and as the Fab 5 publicly make noises about salary renegotiations--the series' production company may be looking into recasting. The New York Post's Page Six reports that Scout Productions placed an online ad looking for gay men between the ages of 25 and 40 with "terrific personalities as well as a great sense of personal style" for a TV show "building on the success of Queer Eye." The paper quotes comedian and media gadfly Gay Boy Ric, who notes, "This could be a shrewd move on the part of Scout to maintain control of the show. If they develop a pool of available gay talent, they could more quickly replace a griping Fab Fiver."