...It’s a Sin, takes place in 1980s London ... Writing from his experience as a young gay man in Margaret Thatcher’s U.K., Davies invents luminous, lovable young adults and then smites them. We watch, over five episodes, as AIDS evolves from rumor to devastating reality. We watch the stages of grief unfold among characters as if by some checklist. We watch as straight society—families, medical professionals, governments—stigmatizes and mistreats the victims. Since premiering on Channel 4 in January (and then being released stateside on HBO), this chronicle of tragedy has earned strong reviews and expectation-busting ratings.