The team behind the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe is turning its attention to another side of queer life, with a new docuseries following five Asian gay men navigating love, sex, jealousy and chosen family together.
Forget the traditional couple — World of Wonder is introducing viewers to The Polycule.
The upcoming unscripted series from WOW Presents Plus follows Eric Wong, Hamilton “Milty” Du, James “JJ” Lee, Jonathan “JC” Chien and Michael Li, five men in the San Francisco Bay Area who are all part of the same consensual polyamorous relationship.
The group are already known online as The Cule Kids, where they share candid conversations about what it means to be gay, Asian and polyamorous through videos, podcasts and social media.
Their new series will take that openness further.
According to World of Wonder, The Polycule will explore everything from communication and jealousy to sex, intimacy, family expectations and the everyday logistics of maintaining a relationship involving five people.
And yes, that apparently includes the very practical question of finding a bed big enough for everyone.
More than just a five-way relationship
While the premise is guaranteed to grab attention, the men themselves have already spent considerable time talking about their relationship as something more complex than simply a five-way romance.
On their existing Cule Kids podcast, they describe themselves as a five-person polycule and discuss subjects including jealousy, family, coming out, body image, sex and navigating relationships outside the group.
World of Wonder co-founder Fenton Bailey says the new series will give audiences an insight into a family structure they may never have encountered personally.
“The Polycule gives audiences a window into a family dynamic that many people may not have experienced firsthand,” Bailey said.
His fellow World of Wonder co-founder Randy Barbato says the series is ultimately less about breaking relationship rules than figuring out how to build something that works for the people involved.
“At its core, this is a series about love, connection, communication, and figuring out how to make a chosen family work — even when you don’t follow the traditional rules,” he said.
Queer relationships outside the couple
For LGBTQ+ viewers, The Polycule also brings a relationship structure rarely centred in mainstream reality television into the spotlight.
Polyamory generally refers to consensual relationships in which people may have more than one romantic or intimate partner, with the knowledge and agreement of those involved.
The Cule Kids have described their relationship as a consensual polycule, and their existing content has focused as much on communication, boundaries and family as it has on sex.
The group’s history also predates the television series. JJ and JC began dating years before the full polycule formed, with Eric, Milty and Michael later becoming part of the relationship. By 2023, the five had formalised themselves as a polycule.
When can we watch The Polycule?
A first-look teaser has now been released, but WOW Presents Plus has not yet announced a premiere date.
For now, the platform is simply promising that The Polycule is “coming soon”.
Whenever it arrives, expect less “who’s dating who?” and more “how exactly do five boyfriends make this work?”
