History Series / Cucumber

* AmbiguousDisorder: Something is ''deeply'' wrong with Daniel, even being called "insane" by one character.

* SpiritualSuccessor: In a way, ''Banana'' is almost like a gay version of ''Series/{{Skins}}'' with each episode focusing on a different character, which also aired on E4 previously.

'''''Cucumber''''' is a 2015 TV series by Creator/RussellTDavies (aired on Creator/ChannelFour) which revolves around an older generation of gay life in Manchester. It acts as a sequel of sorts to Series/QueerAsFolk. The main characters are a settled cohabiting couple, Lance (played by Cyril Nri) and Henry (Vincent Franklin) who have a terrible date night in the first episode.

* SharedUniverse: Both exist within the same setting as Russell T. Davies' prior series, ''Series/QueerAsFolk''.

* ContinuityCameo: [[spoiler:Hazel Tyler]] from ''Series/QueerAsFolk''.

* DeathBySex: [[spoiler: Daniel only kills Lance after he attempts to reciprocate oral sex on him.]]

* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler: Lance.]]
* MrFanservice: Freddie, without a doubt --- and he ''knows'' it.
* NoBisexuals: Averted, mostly with Freddie.

* SpiritualSuccessor: In a way, ''Banana'' is almost like a gay version of ''Series/{{Skins}}'' with each episode focusing on a different character, which also aired on E4 previously.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler: Lance's death provides lots of anguish for Henry to deal with, even if they were separated when it happened.]]

* HomophobicHateCrime: In episode 6, Lance Sullivan, the protagonist's love interest is violently killed by having his head smashed with a golf club. The motive was homophobia.

* PassingTheTorch: A meta-example; Helen's episode features Julie Hesmondhalgh, famous for portraying {{Transgender}} woman Hayley Cropper for 16 years in ''Series/CoronationStreet'', acting alongside Bethany Black, the first trans woman to play a trans woman on UK TV.

* TheCasanova: Young and beautiful Freddie has many partners, [[BiTheWay both male and female]].

* BiTheWay: Cliff [[spoiler: sleeps with Cleo]], suggesting he's not flat-out gay like most of the other characters.

* NobodyOver50IsGay: Averted. Many of the cast are in their 30s and 40s, some even pushing 50.

* CerberusSyndrome: There's a ''colossal'' shift in tone starting with the sixth episode, after [[spoiler: Lance is killed by Daniel]].

* PassingTheTorch: A meta-example; Helen's episode features Julie Hesmondhalgh, famous for portraying UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} woman Hayley Cropper for 16 years in ''Series/CoronationStreet'', acting alongside Bethany Black, the first trans woman to play a trans woman on UK TV.

** Tomas is also a little questionable. [[spoiler: Freddie]] claims to have fucked him in the finale, but Henry counters that in saying [[spoiler: Tomas has since fled Manchester to become a [[PoliticalStereotype Republican mouthpiece]] in Boston and was {{con|Man}}ning them the entire time]].

[[caption-width-right:300:This ''{{d|oesThisRemindYouOfAnything}}efinitely'' [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything reminds me]] of [[FreudWasRight something...]]]]

'''''Cucumber''''' is a 2015 TV series by Creator/RussellTDavies (aired on Creator/ChannelFour) which revolves around an older generation of gay life in Manchester. It acts as a sequel of sorts to QueerAsFolk. The main characters are a settled cohabiting couple, Lance (played by Cyril Nri) and Henry (Vincent Franklin) who have a terrible date night in the first episode.

''Cucumber'' is a 2015 TV series by Creator/RussellTDavies (aired on Creator/ChannelFour) which revolves around an older generation of gay life in Manchester. It acts as a sequel of sorts to QueerAsFolk. The main characters are a settled cohabiting couple, Lance (played by Cyril Nri) and Henry (Vincent Franklin) who have a terrible date night in the first episode.

** Tomas is also a little questionable. [[spoiler: Freddie]] claims to have fucked him in the finale, but Harry counters that in saying [[spoiler: Tomas has since fled Manchester to become a [[PoliticalStereotype Republican mouthpiece]] in Boston and was {{con|Man}}ning them the entire time]].

* DivorceAssetsConflict: Lance ultimately gets to keep his and Harry's house, forcing the latter to move in with Dean and Freddie. [[spoiler: After Lance dies, his sister struggles to relinquish ownership of the house.]]

* EatingTheEyeCandy: Harry is '''massively''' guilty of this, usually with Freddie.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Harry is introduced in the first episode [[AllMenArePerverts obsessing over the different types of erections men can have while in the grocery store]].

* ILetGwenStacyDie: [[spoiler: Vehemently averted by Harry, who (understandably and justifiably) refuses to let people guilt him into thinking he's the reason Lance was killed.]]

* OhAndXDies: [[spoiler: Episode 6 opens with Lance taking Harry's [[OncePerEpisode usual role in the supermarket]] ... and nonchalantly revealing he'll die in the episode.]]
* OpeningNarration: Most episodes open with Harry setting up plot threads of the upcoming episode to the audience, while shopping for groceries.
* ShaggyDogStory: Harry considers his CharacterDevelopment over the entire series to be this in the finale.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler: Lance's death provides lots of anguish for Harry to deal with, even if they were separated when it happened.]]
* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler: Regardless of whether or not Freddie actually consented to his relationship with Gregory at the time, it still counted as statutory rape and Harry calls Gregory out on that]].

* TitleDrop: Harry outlines the three ([[ForScience scientifically-identified]]) types of erection in the opening scene of the first episode: cucumber, banana, and tofu.

* [[spoiler: BlackDudeDiesFirst / BuryYourGays: The only primary character who dies during the series is Lance.]]

* OpeningNarration / TheTeaser: Most episodes open with Harry setting up plot threads of the upcoming episode to the audience, while shopping for groceries.

[[caption-width-right:300:This ''[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything definitely]]'' [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything reminds me]] of [[FreudWasRight something...]]]]

** Daniel's insistent GayBravado and [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday constant reminding of his heterosexuality]] suggest he isn't ''exactly'' straight. [[spoiler: His later interactions with Lance and some other people seem to confirm it, even if he adamantly refuses]].

** Tomas is also a little questionable. [[spoiler: Freddie]] claims to have fucked him in the finale, but Harry counters that in saying [[spoiler: Tomas has since fled Manchester to become a [[PoliticalStereotype Republican mouthpiece]] in Boston and was [[ConMan conning]] them the entire time]].

* ArmouredClosetGay: [[spoiler: All signs point to Daniel being this]].
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Daniel kills Lance with a golf club to the head while in a manic state over his GayPanic]].

* [[spoiler: BlackDudeDiesFirst / BuryYourGays: The only primary character who dies during the series is Lance]].

* ContinuityCameo: [[spoiler:Hazel Tyler]] from ''QueerAsFolk''.

* DeathBySex: [[spoiler: Daniel only kills Lance after he attempts to reciprocate oral sex on him]].

* DivorceAssetsConflict: Lance ultimately gets to keep his and Harry's house, forcing the latter to move in with Dean and Freddie. [[spoiler: After Lance dies, his sister struggles to relinquish ownership of the house]].
* [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped a Bridge on Her:]] [[spoiler: Hazel (from ''Queer As Folk'') is revealed to have died since that series ended when she appears to Lance on Canal Street]].

* {{Ephebophile}}: [[spoiler: Freddie's high school teacher, with whom he entered a sexual relationship that still affects him years after the fact]].

* TheGhost: Christopher, someone of relevance in Freddie's past who's never seen or heard from. [[spoiler: Turns out Christopher is Freddie's [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] older brother]].
* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler: Lance dies while smiling, [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes recalling his life]]]].
* ILetGwenStacyDie: [[spoiler: Vehemently averted by Harry, who (understandably and justifiably) refuses to let people guilt him into thinking he's the reason Lance was killed]].
* InsanityDefense: [[spoiler: Daniel (unsuccessfully) pleads the GayPanic defense over killing Lance]].
* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler: Lance]].

* OhAndXDies: [[spoiler: Episode 6 opens with Lance taking Harry's [[OncePerEpisode usual role in the supermarket]] ... and nonchalantly revealing he'll die in the episode]].

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler: Lance's death provides lots of anguish for Harry to deal with, even if they were separated when it happened]].

* SpiritAdvisor: [[spoiler: Hazel appears to Lance and warns him not to go home with Daniel that night; he doesn't listen, and [[CuriosityKilledTheCast is killed by Daniel because of it]]]].

* WhamEpisode: Episode 6 --- [[spoiler: Daniel kills Lance]].

* PassingTheTorch: A meta-example; Helen's episode features Julie Hesmondhalgh, famous for portraying {{Transgender}} woman Hayley Cropper for 16 years in ''CoronationStreet'', acting alongside Bethany Black, the first trans woman to play a trans woman on UK TV.

** Adam is a confusing case. He makes a name for himself vlogging [[HoYay homoerotic videos]] of [[GayBravado gay chicken]] with Tomas and doesn't ''seem'' to be getting any gratification from it ... but later, they ostensibly enter a [[ThreesomeSubtext polygamous relationship]] with the same girl, and he seems noticeably upset watching Tomas flirt with a waiter at [[spoiler: Lance's funeral]]. He's ultimately revealed to be [[spoiler: dating a girl after the TimeSkip in the finale, but that doesn't necessarily prove anything...]].

* TheDanza: Freddie ''Baxter'' is played by Freddie ''Fox''.

* FakeNationality: It's implied that [[spoiler: Tomas isn't actually Polish but rather, putting on an act]].

* ADayInTheLimelight: Episode 3 is largely told from Freddie's perspective, [[spoiler: while Episode 6 is about [[ADeathInTheLimelight Lance]]]].

* StalkerWithACrush: Scotty's episode is about this; Helen's ex Eddie also counts

** Adam is a confusing case. He makes a name for himself vlogging [[HoYay homoerotic videos]] of [[GayBravado gay chicken]] with Tomas and doesn't ''seem'' to be getting any gratification from it ... but later, he ostensibly enters a [[ThreesomeSubtext polygamous relationship]] with the same girl Tomas claims to be dating, and seems noticably upset watching Tomas flirt with a waiter at [[spoiler: Lance's funeral]]. He's ultimately revealed to be [[spoiler: dating a girl after the TimeSkip in the finale, but that doesn't necessarily prove anything...]].

''Cucumber'' is a 2015 TV series by Creator/RussellTDavies which revolves around an older generation of gay life in Manchester. It acts as a sequel of sorts to QueerAsFolk. The main characters are a settled cohabiting couple, Lance (played by Cyril Nri) and Henry (Vincent Franklin) who have a terrible date night in the first episode.

It has two companion shows. ''Banana'' is a series of one-off episodes featuring minor characters from Cucumber, and Tofu features the actors and members of the public discussing sex, usually with an LGBT focus.

!!Cucumber contains examples of:
* ArmouredClosetGay: [[spoiler:Daniel]]
* CastFullOfGay: The show revolves around gay characters, though there are some bisexuals and heterosexuals
* ContinuityCameo: [[spoiler:Hazel Tyler]] from QueerAsFolk
* {{Gayborhood}}: Manchester's Canal Street features in the show, though the older cast tend to spend time in the quieter trendy bars of the Northern Quarter
* NobodyOver50IsGay: The cast are older than QueerAsFolk, but still in their 30s and 40s
* SpeedSex: Dean suffers with this, to his partners' frustration
* TheCasanova: Young and beautiful Freddie has many partners, both male and female
* TheTwink: Most of the young men in the squat
* WhamEpisode: Episode 6.

!!Tofu contains examples of:
* PassingTheTorch: A meta-example; Helen's episode features Julie Hesmondhalgh, famous for portraying {{Transgender}} woman Hayley Cropper for 16 years in CoronationStreet, acting alongside Bethany Black, the first trans woman to play a trans woman on UK TV.

* Gayborhood: Manchester's Canal Street features in the show, though the older cast tend to spend time in the quieter trendy bars of the Northern Quarter

!!Tofu contains examples of: