Before Will and Grace and before Ellen, some executives at comedy central decided to do something that had never been done before; produce a stand up show of all gay comics. It was 1993 and at the time there were no gay characters on sitcoms, so this was actually a very bold programming step. Out There was Comedy Centrals top rated special that year; with cameos by Bea Arthur and Patrick Stewart the show introduced American Audiences to gay humor by showcasing the top working gay comedians then working in the US. Both by quality and by ratings, the show paved the way for the Industry as gay comedy did what they wanted; it made money. There were two sequels; Out there two and three came out in subsequent years, hosted by Amanda Bearse, from Married with Children and Scott Thomspon from Kids in the Hall, respectively. The shows might seem slightly dated now, (in general stand up comedy doesn't age well, due to the topical nature of the form,) but its' important to note that when you see that gay character on a TV show that is no longer a big deal; these shows and the comedians performing in them pioneered the field.
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