Rating: 
Summary: puts US version to shame
Review: I was living in England when this series came out (so to speak), and I simply loved it. When I learned of the American version, I was excited, but after intital viewings, felt it to be a disappointment. Perhaps because I spent time in England, the British version is much better in my eyes. I prefer the Brit actors, and the manner of storytelling, which is less.. uh.. Americanish. I find the British Vince character to be adorable, while his US counterpart is, at best, a bit irritating. For an anglophile and/or fans of British movies and films, this is sure to please.
Rating: 
Summary: no more
Review: I love american version of QAF. british one is horrible. same story but UGLY actors /most of them/ can not even act! no special future on this OVERPRICED dvd. the best thing from this double dvd set is probably commercial for tv station. lol
Rating:
Summary: Manchester Mayhem
Review: If you are not ready for some gritty British "tellie" and some thick Manchester accents, pass this one by and instead buy the American Queer as Folk. But if you dare, it is great. If you've already viewed the American version, you'll find it was quite true to this original British version, though the characters in the original seem to be more edgy, darker. Also, the characters are not as developed and the entire project was not done with as high of a budget. However, it was a superb and ground-breaking project. It's very British and not as sweet as its American counterpart. It's raw and intense. My sister and others who have visited and love England cannot STAND the USA version of Queer as Folk, but think the UK version is brilliant. I like both.
Rating: 
Summary: U.S. version much better
Review: I finally saw the original British version of QAF and I must say that I am a little disappointed. From what I had heard and read, I was expecting it to be far superior to the U.S. version. Well, it's not. I was surprized at how closely the U.S. version follows the British one, right down to Brian's (Stuart in the UK) apartment, which is almost a duplicate. But the physical similarity ends there. The U.S. production is much more stylish and better acted and I hate to sound shallow, but the actors are far more attractive. As for the sex scenes, they are steamier in the U.S. version. I was really disturbed at how the British QAF handled the death scene of one of the characters. Frankly, it was appalling.
Rating: 
Summary: Get the Australian Version @ only 14.13 US !!!
Review: Yes, that's right! Because the exchange rate is almost 2 to one in the US's favor, you can get a GREAT DEAL!!!!28.26 for the entire first season of the UK version is a STEAL!!! The only drawback is that you MUST have a multi-region or region selectable DVD player for it to work. (I have a modified APEX-1500 and it works great! ....
Rating: 
Summary: very good - but check out the US version
Review: I first bought this British version because it was available in my local DVD store. I really enjoyed it, and appreciated the producers breaking ground and presenting this type of show as a TV series.
Then I bought the American version through Amazon, and am totally blown away by it. The acting in the UK version is okay, but in the US version is much superior. The characters are more attractive, and I think their personalities are better developed. The sex is much more explicit. It's better all the way around. You've gotta buy the US version - you won't regret it!!!
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Original
Review: I had seen 'Queer As Folk' in its original cut in the U.K., and I was dutifully impressed by how realistic, breezily fun and uncompromising this series was. As sexy, glitzy and prettily-cast the American version is, it doesn't have the heart or depth of the British original.
One of the most obvious things the U.K. version develops better is its characters. The non-chalant and irresponsible Stuart is not as cut and dry as his American counterpart (though I personally find the American Brian to be more attractive), and the multi-dimensional character is served by a more interesting actor. The hapless character of Vince, with his babbling unease, obsession with 'Doctor Who' and endearing modesty is never hard to watch, and he is played with absolute earnest by Craig Kelly. Nathan, as played by Charlie Hunnam (late of Fox's 'Undeclared') is a fresh-faced and honest character with a well developed transformation from innocent boy to more worldly young man.
Without the need to stretch stories out for whole seasons at a time, this miniseries is able to spend just enough time on all the fun and serious moments which comprise the plots of these 8 episodes. While this series isn't as graphic or as dependent on sex as the Showtime version, it certainly has more than its fair share of controversial situations and characters, and as a result it is a far more daring and relevant production.
The DVDs are a bare-bones presentation of the series, condensing all 8 episodes into 4, and editing some scenes while severely altering the soundtrack into basically a series of generic (read: cheap) dance tracks. While the original score is left largely untouched, there is no 'Sexy Boy' or 'It's Raining Men' for instance in the C1 version, which is disappointing to say the least, as the songs chosen for the original soundtrack added so much. There are no extra features of any kind on the DVD - a scene selection menu and subtitles would have been in order at least.
In the end, this is a must-see miniseries, a triumph for television and a tribute not only to the gay lifestyle, but to good old-fashioned smart dialogue and honest characterization. The skeleton DVD and the annoying C1 edits may diminish things slightly, but not to those who have never seen it before - it's such a compelling and sincerely fun series. Gritty, frank and unapologetic, the British 'Queer As Folk' is a testament to truth and realism, obscuring nothing but serving to open many eyes.
Rating:
Summary: So close to reality its scary!
Review: I watched these DVDs right through in one sitting - all 4 hours. These characters are REAL. I have met all of them several times over in the course of the past 15 years or so. These characters aren't offensive stereotypes, as some people have noted. You can see them prowling around every gay bar around, or sitting quietly in the corner of the cocktail bar upstairs. The dialogue is fabulous - its great to see writing that knows its intended audience has a brain, and treats them like adults. And of course, the acting is first-rate, with believable sex scenes that are there for a purpose, not just for the 'cheap thrill'.
Rating:
Summary: Buy the PAL version and have it converted to NTSC
Review: I also have the privilege of being able to watch the TRUE original version from the UK. Whilst, in essence, this is indeed the same series, I have noticed that the Canadian/US version does not have the original soundtrack and has deleted some of the scenes for content. This was truly disappointing. My personal recommendation would be to order the UK DVD and have it converted over to US DVD for around US$30 or have it converted to VHS for US$10. It's well worth the expense. Believe me.
Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets
Review: It was very intersting to see this import DVD series. As good as the Showtime version was, this is so much better. Why? The guys are not as attractive, but the dialog and acting are so much better. I thought the whole series that I saw was so realistic, no fancy sets, no contrived situations, no Hollywood sets, and so on. This was not a musical from the 50's, this was the 90's. (...)
A very realistic series, and slightly better than Showtime's QAS.
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