Director: Tom Kingsley
Middlesbrough gets its own drag scene spotlight in Smoggie Queens, a 2024 British comedy about a chosen family who refuse to tone anything down.
What is Smoggie Queens about?
Set among a tight circle of drag performers and their friends in Middlesbrough, Smoggie Queens follows a household bound less by blood than by loyalty, glitter, and a shared refusal to be quiet about who they are. Big brunches turn into bigger arguments, dressing-room chaos spills into everyday life, and every character gets pulled into somebody else's drama whether they like it or not. The comedy leans into overlapping voices and quick-fire bickering rather than a single driving plot, letting the show's warmth come through in how fiercely this group looks out for each other even mid-fight. Tom Kingsley directs the series with an eye for regional detail, grounding the humor in a specific corner of northern England rather than a generic city backdrop.
Cast & crew
Phil Dunning and Mark Benton lead an ensemble that thrives on chemistry rather than a single star turn, trading lines with the rhythm of people who have shared a kitchen table for years. Alexandra Mardell and Patsy Lowe round out the group, each carving distinct personalities into a cast that spends most of its screen time crammed into small rooms and louder arguments.
Context & significance
Smoggie Queens draws its title from the local nickname for Middlesbrough residents, tying its comedy directly to a specific British setting rather than a generalized drag-scene story. The show carries a strong regional identity, favoring local slang and a distinctly northern sense of humor over broader references. Audiences responded well on release in 2024, and the series holds a 7.7 rating on IMDb, a strong showing for a half-hour comedy built on ensemble chaos rather than plot twists.
Where & how to watch
Smoggie Queens is available on K-Time with Farsi dubbing and Farsi subtitles, letting viewers follow its rapid-fire dialogue comfortably in their own language. Browsing this page requires no login, and watching only needs a free K-Time account, with a Farsi interface built for the Iranian diaspora audience wherever they are.