{"id":74286,"date":"2018-10-16T12:25:38","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T16:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/netflixs-new-tales-of-the-city-will-bring-us-diverse-queer-and-trans-stories-in-2019\/"},"modified":"2018-10-16T12:25:38","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T16:25:38","slug":"netflixs-new-tales-of-the-city-will-bring-us-diverse-queer-and-trans-stories-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/netflixs-new-tales-of-the-city-will-bring-us-diverse-queer-and-trans-stories-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Netflix’s new “Tales of the City” will bring us diverse queer and trans stories in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Netflix’s new “Tales of the City” will bring us diverse queer and trans<\/a> stories in 2019<\/b><\/p>\n

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\"\"Today Netflix\u00a0announced even more queer talent involved with the upcoming\u00a0series\u00a0Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City<\/a>,<\/u><\/em>\u00a0including\u00a0Murray Bartlett\u00a0<\/strong>(Looking<\/em>),\u00a0Jen Richards\u00a0<\/strong>(Mrs. Fletcher<\/em>,\u00a0Her Story<\/em>),\u00a0Daniela Vega\u00a0<\/strong>(A Fantastic Woman<\/em>), and\u00a0RuPaul’s Drag Race\u00a0<\/em>winner\u00a0Caldwell Tidicue aka Bob the Drag Queen<\/strong>. They join previously announced out actress\u00a0Ellen Page\u00a0<\/strong>and a host of LGBTQ newcomers. Showrunner, Executive Producer, and writer\u00a0Lauren Morelli\u00a0<\/strong>and Producing Director, Executive Producer\u00a0Alan Poul<\/strong>, who are both part of the LGBTQ community, have assembled an entirely queer writing team and brought in several queer directors for the 10-episode series.<\/p>\n

\"\"Armistead Maupin’s much-beloved novel,\u00a0Tales of the City<\/em>, first came to television on PBS in January, 1994. Set in Mrs. Madrigal’s bohemian San Francisco home\u00a0at\u00a028 Barbary Lane, the series centered LGBTQ stories and characters in a way that was completely unheard of for the time. (Showtime’s\u00a0Queer as Folk\u00a0<\/em>didn’t premiere until December, 2000.)\u00a0Tales of the City\u00a0<\/em>won a Peabody Award, garnered multiple Emmy nominations, and received a GLAAD Media Award. But\u00a0anti-LGBTQ activists mobilized<\/a><\/u>\u00a0against it, sending a 12-minute clip reel to conservative members of Congress and creating a flyer that said “Your Tax Dollars Used to Air Pornographic, Profane, Homosexual TV Series.” PBS\u00a0caved to anti-LGBTQ pressure<\/a><\/u>, backing out of its commitment to fund and air the sequels. Thankfully Showtime stepped in and aired\u00a0More Tales of the City<\/em>and\u00a0Further Tales of the City\u00a0<\/em>in 1998 and 2001.<\/p>\n

The new Netflix series is inspired by the Maupin novels, but will bring us entirely new stories set in present-day San Francisco. Netflix already announced that queer fave Ellen Page will be playing Shawna, the estranged daughter of Mary Ann Singleton, played once again by the brilliant\u00a0Laura Linney<\/strong>. They will be joined by other cast members from the original series including\u00a0Olympia Dukakis\u00a0<\/strong>returning as transgender landlady, Anna Madrigal, and\u00a0Barbara Garrick\u00a0<\/strong>who plays heiress DeDe Halycon Day.<\/p>\n

T\"\"oday, Netflix announced that Murray Bartlett, a fave from HBO’s\u00a0Looking<\/em>, will be playing Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, and that\u00a0Chicago Fire<\/em>‘s\u00a0Charlie Barnett\u00a0<\/strong>will be playing his (much younger) boyfriend, Ben.<\/p>\n

Among the new residents living at Barbary Lane,\u00a0Josiah Victoria\u00a0<\/strong>Garcia\u00a0<\/strong>will be playing Jake Rodriguez, a character first introduced in Maupin’s 2007 novel\u00a0Michael Tolliver Lives<\/em>. Jake is a transgender man<\/a> and a caregiver for Anna Madrigal.\u00a0May Hong\u00a0<\/strong>will play Jake’s long-term girlfriend<\/a>, Margot Park.<\/p>\n

\"\"Recurring queer characters will include Jen Richards (Mrs. Fletcher,\u00a0<\/em>Her Story<\/em>) playing a young Anna Madrigal; Daniela Vega (A Fantastic Woman<\/em>) as Ysela, a trans<\/a> woman<\/a> who plays a pivotal role in Anna’s life; Caldwell Tidicue aka Bob the Drag Queen as Ida Best the manager of a burlesque club where Shawna and Margot work;\u00a0Matthew Risch\u00a0<\/strong>(Looking<\/em>,\u00a0Modern Family<\/em>) as Mouse’s ex-boyfriend Harrison;\u00a0Dickie Hearts\u00a0<\/strong>(Grace & Frankie<\/em>) playing Mateo, DeDe’s housekeeper;\u00a0Benjamin Thys\u00a0<\/strong>(The Meyerowitz Stories<\/em>) and\u00a0Samantha Soule\u00a0<\/strong>(Godless<\/em>) as a queer polyamorous married couple<\/a>; and\u00a0Juan Castano\u00a0<\/strong>(The OA<\/em>) as Flaco Ramirez, one of Ben’s co-workers.<\/p>\n

\"\"The all-queer writing team that Morelli and Poul assembled is comprised of Andy Parker, Patricia Resnick, Marcus Gardley, Jen Silverman, Hansol Jung, and Thomas Page McBee;\u00a0while the directors who are part of the LGBTQ community including Silas Howard, Sydney Freeland, Stacie Passon and Kyle Alvarez.<\/p>\n

Since the series features two prominent trans<\/a> characters, Morelli and Poul included trans<\/a> creators\u00a0behind-the-scenes to help tell their stories.\u00a0Trans people involved in the production include Josiah Victoria Garcia, a non-binary trans<\/a> actor who uses they\/them pronouns and the name Garcia in daily life; Jen Richards, a trans<\/a> woman<\/a> who starred in and was a writer and producer on the Emmy-nominated web series\u00a0Her Story<\/em>, about dating as a trans<\/a> woman<\/a>; Daniela Vega, a trans<\/a> woman<\/a> and the star of the Academy Award-winning film\u00a0A Fantastic Woman<\/em>; writer Thomas Page McBee; and directors Silas Howard and Sydney Freeland.<\/p>\n

\"\"Netflix also announced that\u00a0Paul Gross\u00a0<\/strong>(Due South<\/em>,\u00a0Slings & Arrows<\/em>) will be returning to reprise his role as Brian, Mary Ann Singleton’s ex-husband. He will be joined by newcomers\u00a0Michelle Buteau\u00a0<\/strong>(First Wives Club<\/em>) as Wren, Brian’s no-nonsense best friend;\u00a0Ashley Park\u00a0<\/strong>(Broadway’s Mean Girls<\/em>) and\u00a0Christopher Larkin\u00a0<\/strong>(The 100<\/em>) as twins Ani and Raven who are newer residents of Barbary Lane, and Michael Park<\/strong> (Dear Evan Hansen<\/em>) as Mary Ann’s husband Robert.<\/p>\n

When it premieres next year, this diverse LGBTQ cast and creative team will bring new queer and trans<\/a> stories to 28 Barbary Lane, and introduce younger generations of LGBTQ people to Michael Tolliver, Anna Madrigal, and Mary Ann Singleton. Is it 2019 yet?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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October 16, 2018<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Issues:\u00a0<\/div>\n