Gay.com Column: Now this you should watch: "Cambridge Spies"

The British really do some things better. From the depictions of homosexual sex, to the comfort of the male leads with their naked bodies, "Cambridge Spies" achieves a level of gay frankness not even "Brothers and Sisters" can get away with.

Made in 2003, the BBC miniseries fictionalizes the infamous 'Cambridge Four', British spies who betrayed their country during World War II and beyond. If all that history sounds boring in print, you'll have to trust me that it's not so on screen.

That's because, rather than focus on the world-changing events, the miniseries instead concentrates on the four men's relationships. Although two are gay and the other two straight, and each has a distinctly different temperament, the miniseries-makers apply the same scrupulous attention to all. And if some storylines seem rushed and cramped, the actors go a long way towards excusing that.

Between Toby Stephens, Samuel West, Rupert Penry-Jones and Tom Hollander, there's a man to suit every stripe, and each actor brings his considerable talent to bear on his meaty role. Stephens's Kim Philby is a rough-and-ready Englishman, Penry-Jones's Donald Maclean is a pretty-but-straight scholar, and West's Anthony Blunt is the gentleman who holds the four together.

But the breakout star of this enterprise is undoubtedly Tom Hollander. Probably most famous stateside as the evil Lord Beckett in "Pirates of the Caribbean", here Hollander plays the role of the exuberantly gay Guy Burgess. Always ready with a witty quip, and never failing to command admiration, Hollander's Burgess is like the kid in school who did and got away with everything (and almost everyone).

But if Hollander's the one most likely to appeal to a wide swath of gay viewers, each of the other actors also deserves no less accolades. Together they elevate the miniseries from mere eye-candy to arresting, whether it's Blunt showing the strains of leadership in the group, or Penry-Jones struggling to decide whether to confess to his wife.

Also, in most other series the cheesecake sex scenes would be the shows' whole purpose, but here they are only the icing on an already substantial cake. In other words, you won't have to feel too guilty when you rewatch certain segments - over and over again.

So if you'd like to learn some history while watching gorgeous men, the four-part "Cambridge Spies" is likely to hit both spots at once. Add to that the British accents that say sexy in every syllable, and how can you actually refuse to watch this show?

"Cambridge Spies" is available on Netflix.