Tales of the Tales

“Tales of the City” will live on (and on and on and on and on) as one of the seminal gay book and television series in American history. The original miniseries aired in 1993 on PBS and could be considered the first-ever gay soap opera. So the question is now how does a 90s soap grow into a relevant 2019 story? Well, Netflix is about to find out with its continuation of “Armistead Maupin’s Tales of The City.”

What I can remember from the original series and books is it was overwhelmingly white and male in regards to its gay storylines. But a new, out female showrunner in “Orange I sthe New Black” writer (and Samira Wiley’s wife) Lauren Morelli could help change that.



The new “Tales of the City” is a continuation, not a reboot, of the original. Considering the show has already had an original run, and two subsequent sequels (in 1998 and 2001, respectively). This return to the fictitious shenanigans of Barbary Lane comes 20 years after formerly naïve and wide-eyed Ohio girl Mary Ann (Laura Linney) left to pursue her best life. She returns to celebrate the 90th birthday of her old landlady Anna Madrigal (played by a returning Olympia Dukakis) and reunite with her daughter Shawna (played by Ellen Page who is new to the series, but not Netflix shows (see: The Umbrella Academy).

The new cast features “Looking” daddy Murray Bartlett as Mary Ann’s loveable BFF “Mouse” (who was played by two different actors in the original miniseries and its two previous sequels) and Zosia Mamet of “Girls” fame as someone who sits cross-legged on top of tables and stares deeply into Ellen Page’s eyes. Also she’s a documentary filmmaker who is obviously gonna hook up with our girl Shawna. The show also cast nonbinary actor Garcia who plays Anna’s trans/nonbinary caregiver. There is a lot more diverse LGBTQ talent in-front and behind the camera as well, which is a relief.

Here’s hoping for good things from this show that was one of the first to explain what our chosen families means in the LGBTQ community. Which is, you know, just about everything.