Tales Of The City

Lost so much of the funniest stuff in the book.

[quote]Lost so much of the funniest stuff in the book.

Maupin is credited as having co-written the tv script, so there must have been a reason.

But they were working on a PBS budget, so maybe there wasn't a lot of time/money.

Fuck it Beecham, the baby's Chinese!

Spoken one-liners do not have any impact on the budget or schedule.

I saw the three series of this. It was amusing. That said I've also read most of the books.

I loved all the books and ordered the series on DVD after watching the recent documentary about Armistead Maupin. It’ll be fun to watch again.

Back in the summer, there was news that Netflix was developing a new version of it, but I haven't heard anything since.

I read the books way back in the late 1980s/early '90s. I found the last couple of book disappointing because they seemed to become less compelling, and IIRC Maryann turned into a real shallow asshole in the last book.

The first season, this one, is all you really need to see. Funnily enough, the first, eighth and ninth books are the ones I recommend to people. And Anna does die at the end of the last book. But it's written so guardedly it took me like five times to figure it out.

Maupin joked one time that his newspaper editor said that if a certain percentage of the characters in the column became gay, the column would be cut.

I think in it's time, it was only a fun little story for San Francisco people. I think it became a huge success afterwards because people tapped into the 1970s vibe of the story.

I agree with other in that the stories become less interesting after the original. As they move into the 1980s, they aren't interesting. So maybe the stories are more a celebration of youth rather than 1970s culture.

I didn't have a problem with Maryanne becoming a shallow bitch (all the ingredients were there from the beginning) but I did have a problem with her return. Nothing about that seems plausible after the way she dumped them to go to NYC, and even before.

Was it even possible for a secretary to become a tv show personality?

The first miniseries was the best one. The other two had pluses and minuses, but the first one was brilliant.

I was surprised Linney didn’t get Emmy love for these considering she’s later won 4 emmys.

PBS just aired a new documentary on Amistead Maupin for their "Independent Lens" series. I highly recommend catching a rerun of it. I had no idea how likable he is, or what an interesting life he's lived. He also gives some details about his friendship with Rock Hudson.

I was surprised to see that he's not wealthy at all from his books or TV show and now lives in a small SF apartment with his partner. He used to own a nice home in SF, so I wonder what happened? I guess his money ran out from living in such an expensive city.

It came out as a daily in the San Francisco newspaper. An old queen would read it out loud to us during break. We all were breathless for the next installment. Such fun times.

Wow R9! What kind of dick reveals who dies in the last book?

"He used to own a nice home in SF, so I wonder what happened? I guess his money ran out from living in such an expensive city."

I think he sold the place, moved to Santa Fe (or somewhere like that), then moved back. By the time he moved back, San Francisco real estate had skyrocketed, so even if he had all the money from the first place, he wouldn't be able to buy it again. Also, while his books sold well, i doubt he ever made THAT much, and given that I don't think he kept another job beyond writing, it's pretty easy to spend most of that just on normal living expenses over time. I do find him charming, so I hope he can live comfortably.

Didn't they try to do a musical from the books?

I remember Josh Kilmer-Kilmer-Kilmer-Purcell name dropping about being with AM while he was preparing for the premiere.

Tales of the Shitty

That Independent Lens documentary is really good. Lots of grainy footage of 70s San Francisco; captures the exact feel of that time.

IIRC Jake Shears had something to do with the musical that never made it to Broadway.

If you have a gay teen (15-19) in your life who likes to read, give him or her the first book in the series. I read them as a broke, closeted, miserable college student stuck in the dreary and oppressive Midwest. In a way, the books changed my life to know that there was a world of gayness out there that was worth pursuing.

Now I’m old fat and jaded but I’m glad that I read the books when I did . I saw the movies but they don’t compare to the experience of reading the books.

I came late to the books. They were recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed the first, but grew increasingly bored by them. I don't recall how far into the series I got.

"As they move into the 1980s, they aren't interesting. "

Alas, just reflecting the truth of the times. The '80s were not as interesting as the '70s.

AM has tried to move away several times, but he always returns to SF...

I did Mouse.

You can watch the entire Maupin documentary here. It's a must-see if you love the Tales of the City books, or have a fascination with 1970s San Francisco.

Thanks R26

Which Mouse, R25? The hot one or the second one?

I saw the Musical "Tales" at its premiere in SF. Music by Jake Shears. Sorry, but it was dreadful. 2 hours in and they were just getting into the "Mother Mucca" plot with Mona. Groan.

Did they do 3 Tales or just two? The first (pictured above) and the scend with Paul Hopkins as the Permed Mouse (with subplot about going to the Diomedes with pilot Lea DeLaria) and the third was....?

Sometimes the dream ends. Mary Ann moved to SF to begin a new life for herself. After 13 years, she followed her dream to go to New York; Mona dropped her friends a lot earlier and moved to Seattle then England.

I think the first two books are the best. They have the same feel and one just flows to the next like it's a single work. After that the returns greatly diminish though there are still things I like about them. I only ever read the original 6 in the series so I don't know how the more recent books measure up. I have such good memories of reading those books in my 20s I think I worry the newer books might spoil my nostalgia.

This was shown in the UK on Channel 4, who co-produced and co-financed it. It was the most colourful and unashamedly joyous thing I'd ever seen on TV and Billiam Campbell was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. When the series finished I went to the library and started reading the the books and got through the first 5 in a week and then had to wait 3 weeks for the 6th one to come in.

Olympia Dukakis was nominated for a BAFTA but lost to Helen Mirren for Prime Suspect 3, the one with the rent boys.

If Netflix (or anyone else) did film a series, would they be pressured into casting a trans woman as Anna Madrigal or just a great actress?

Marcus D'Amico, R28. The hottest little fuckmuffin that ever came out of God's oven.

Damn, R25. He was hot. Care to share any details?

This was when Parker Posey was in a lot of back-to-back independent movies filmed around the world, and showing up here made it seem like she really was in everything.

I used to think Marcus was hot until the resemblance to Andy Cohen was called to my attention.

I was 14 and delivered the Chronicle when they started serializing Tales of the City. I cut out every new entry and put it into a scrapbook as I imagined how I would enter my own version of Barbary Lane. Herb Caen dropped "Brick Oldcar" as a hint toward the identity of the gay star past his movie prime. Of course this was before Rock Hudson died of AIDS and the Castro went into twilight, which is when it became part of my real world.

Sure R33 ! Met him in the locker room of the Chelsea Gym, took him to my cheap-o guesthouse on 14th Street, did everything you'd want do to him, he grinded me like a dog, reared up and shot in my mouth. Got up, said something like "Cheers, mate," and flashed that sex-on-a-stick grin as he left.

Don Lemon is Mona Season 4!

" did everything you'd want do to him,"

my god, you married him??

Whenever I saw Marcus D'Amico on stage, his weird little waddley walk made him a lot less sexy.

If you could get sex all day every day before the show, you'd walk that way too.

I haven't liked AM since he tried to prevent Lily Tomlin from doing the narration for The Celluloid Closet because she wasn't 'out' enough for him and then he said she dropped out of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues because she was scared to play a lesbian, but the real reason was Tomlin read the script and it was a piece of shit. He seemed to have a vendetta against her for a while, and he doesn't have the talent to go after Tomlin. So FUCK Armisted and his overrated books.

Tomlin was going to come out when she did the narration for The Celluloid Closet. It was with that understanding that she was chosen to narrate the film. Then she changed her mind.

It really was not right for a still closeted public figure to narrate a documentary history of gays in film. I am sorry that offends you, but AM was really right about that. Having a closeted performer narrate that film was a disgrace.

This was all complicated because Tomlin was a friend of Vito Russo. Many at the time felt that she fucked him over by her last minute decision not to come out, since that was the centerpiece of the marketing for the film.

Many saw this as a complete betrayal of her friends memory and I am sure AM did too.

[Quote]One learns a lot in orgy rooms. Camaraderie. Patience. Humour. Being gentle and generous with strangers. It’s not all the depravity it’s cracked up to be. Just a lot of frightened children being sweet to one another in the dark.[/quote]

I enjoyed the early Tales, but Maupin lays it on a little thick with this Babycakes quote.

Maupin adresses Lily Tomlin, and others in the closet, in the documentary at R26's link.

Maupin talks about outing Rock and Lily at the 55:00 mark. He makes a strong point, but I can see the other side, as well.

Didn't he out Jodie Foster, too?

Although I agree he wasn’t as effective as the original (who was perfectly cast) the actor who played the second Mouse was quite attractive in his own right.

When I read the first book, I always envisioned young Steve Gutenberg as Mouse.

The original Michael Tolliver (Marcus D'Amico) today.

D'Amico asking Zod to put his daddy down in Superman II...

r50 - was that the kid with the British accent? I remember seeing Superman II in the theatre as a kid and thinking at the time why a child in a small southern town had a UK accent. Also, I always thought it was a tomboy.

r49 - he has aged really bad. I looked for a recent photo of Paul Hopkins (Mouse 2)...this was on IMDB but I couldn’t tell when it was taken.

R18. They did produce a musical which never went to broadway. I saw it in SF during it's short run. It was terrible. My friend and I left at intermission.

I been having a think about who could play Mrs Madrigal an up and coming remake (also featuring full frontal male nudity)

Requirements: must be in late 50s/early 60s and be able to conjure up an air of mystery with a deep dark secret. I've gone with white actresses on the assumption that Mona will also be played by a white woman.

Options:

Hoping for Emmys:

Annette Bening - very transympathetic, might even get Warren along to play Edgar Halcyon Alison Janney Tilda Swinton Emma Thompson Patricia Clarkson

Hoping for strong word of mouth:

Joan Cusack Marcia Gay Harden Elizabeth Perkins Jennifer Jason Leigh Mare Winningham

Hoping for any word of mouth:

Julian Sands Fiona Shaw Rupert Everett Madonna

Totally Useless Trivia: My first husband was the inspiration for a character in the original Tales of the City newspaper serial and book. He was mercilessly skewered by Maupin as "Carson Callas." He is the nasty society columnist who discovers that Dede's baby was fathered by the Chinese grocery delivery boy. The real "Carson" was my boyfriend at the time. He was furious and wanted to sue Maupin, but I persuaded him to let it go. I continued to follow the serial, but surreptitiously for fear of upsetting him.

I later met Army at the TV station where I worked and found him to be is a genuinely nice man. I only wish I'd listened to what he said about "Carson Callas" and not married the guy, because my ex really was an obnoxious boor. Maupin was a more astute judge of character than I was.

1) Apparently, the new Netflix show is still in the works. When Maupin was in Seattle this fall he said it seemed likely to happen.

2) The first series was great; the other two not so much...too Canadian.

3) Maupin had a right to have issues with Lily Tomlin....many of us have some issues with her. Yeah, Lily IS great but she really did hedge her 'coming out' and played it safe faaaaaaaar longer than she needed to. And, the fact she now acts like she's ALWAYS been out, is a bit much to take since she never really officially did so.

R54: Can you tell us your first husband's name? Was he a columnist or otherwise notable (else how would Army know of him)?

Loved the TV series, particularly the first season.

I saw it when it first aired in Oz, when I was 13 or 14. It was my thing, no one else seemed to watch it at school. It seemed like it was a call that there was a more interesting life out there if you were 'different', you just needed to get out there and find it, or let it find you.

OMG! What happened to Charles Busch? He looks scary as hell in that documentary.

If they do a remake of "Tales of the City" they have to cast an Anna Madrigal that has some trace of once being a man. When the original came out, some queen I knew said, "Oh, Elizabeth Taylor would have been great for that role." I said, "No, Elizabeth Taylor was all woman and there's no way you would ever think she had been a man."

I hope they don't cast Helen Hunt as Madrigal. She can't act. Maybe Kathleen Turner, Tyne Daly, Frances McDormand or Kristen Johnston could play Anna.

Others I could see as AM: Whoopi, Sandra Bernhard, Judy Davis, Chloe Webb, Cherry Jones, Imelda Staunton, Ann Magnuson, Kathy Najimy, Holly Hunter, Megan Mullally, Sean Young, Catherine Keener, Patricia Clarkson, Elizabeth Perkins.

r26, thanks so much for linking the documentary, It's wonderful.

I just watched that documentary. Maupin lived a more interesting life than I realized.

Totally agree with R43

Kathy Bates would be perfect as Anna Madrigal.

R60 - from your list I could see Patricia Clarkson in the role.

Has anyone met Maupin's younger husband? He seems like a nice guy, but his occupation is a little sleazy. I'm guessing they have an open relationship.

After all the nonsense about casting for Transparent, they are going to have a difficult time if they don't cast an untalented transgender to play Mrs. Madrigal.

[quote]What happened to Charles Busch?

He looks as if he's had a hair transplant.

I liked Olympia, but her voice was too high.

Only one person can play Mrs. Madrigal in 2018. Moi.

I love all the books - except “Michael Tolliver Lives,” which is painfully obviously autobiographical.

I ran into Armistead at the grocery store a few years ago - we had a nice little chat, but he was stoned out his mind, bless his heart.

I recently read that his property in Markleeville (or “Pinyon City”) is for sale.

I always assumed that the character of Carson Callas was based on Herb Cain.

Should be Herb Caen

I didn't know that the Barbary Lane apartment house depicted in the books actually existed. Maupin tours it in the documentary at the 44:00 mark. It's fascinating to see.

Can anyone go see it, or is it private property?

[quote]I ran into Armistead at the grocery store a few years ago - we had a nice little chat, but he was stoned out his mind,

Oh maybe he was just a bit stunned that you hit him with your car and then wanted to chat rather than calling an ambulance.

When the first one aired on PBS, was there more nudity, drug use, etc. than what appears on the version that is available now? I've got the 20th anniversary edition on DVD and it seems like a few of the scenes are a bit shorter, or edited down from what they showed in 1994 on TV. The one scene where I found myself thinking about this was when Mouse and Mona went to what looks a lot like Baker Beach, it seems like I recall seeing even more male flesh in the background when it first aired. Unfortunately Mouse didn't get completely nude, but he looked very good in his speedo for that scene.

Patricia Clarkson would be a great Anna Madrigal.

I'm sure the trans will be screaming if Laverne Cox or similar isn't cast.

[quote]If they do a remake of "Tales of the City" they have to cast an Anna Madrigal that has some trace of once being a man.

Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis are on board to revive the characters they played in Showtime and PBS adaptations of the landmark LGBT-themed novel series in the 1990s.

I wish Armistead confronted the rumors of Marcus D'Amico's firing after Season One of TOTC.

Laura really wanted to keep playing Mary Ann and was disappointed the last three original books were never adapted, so I think is her substitute for that... but I think a new version of the series would be a better idea than adapting Maupin’s recent books or creating a new story for the middle aged Mary Ann.

I'm afraid Kathleen Turner is much too perfect as a trans woman to play Anna Madrigal. People who don't know will figure it out too quickly and those who already know will be laughing their asses off from the get-go.

Those of you who enjoyed the documentary would probably also like his new memoir. A little uneven, but very moving at times...

R51, yeah, that's the little british kid that inexplicably lives in East Houston, Idaho in Superman II. Guess Richard Lester thought it was enjoyable weird and didn't dub him over. D'Amico was raised in the UK so that's essentially is natural accent. Interesting side note...one of the deleted scenes restored for the ABC TV Version has Jack O' Halloran's Non character kill D'Amico's character after he decides to get go get help. At the 1:50 mark:

Thanks, r83. I remember the year before Superman II came out, in every DC comic there was an ad for a contest to be in the next Superman movie. I never entered but always guessed that the little annoying British girl was the actual winner!

Whatever happened to co-ed baths? They seemed to die out before gay baths did. I wonder if they were as free as they are portrayed in the show? The ones I've read about in NYC, women were able to do what they wanted but the men had to be restricted. For example, I was reading about one in NYC and they had an orgy room, but the rule was that men couldn't enter the orgy room without a woman.

Plato's Retreat! That was very popular for about a minute in 1977-78.

[quote}Plato's Retreat! That was very popular for about a minute in 1977-78.

Gals don't like crowds

Plato's Retreat sounds creepy.

I always imagine that 99% of the women would prefer not to be there and are just trying to please their disgusting husbands.

[quote] Plato's Retreat sounds creepy.

There was actually a documentary about it. They interviewed one woman who would always sit by the pool. All the men would swim around her. She sounded like she would have sex with whoever wanted her. So I think women with low self-esteem probably went there to be cuddled and had to put up with average guys banging them to get some human affection.

Olympia Dukakis is 86. I hope they're not waiting too long to get the ball rolling on this.

If they decide to just start over it would be interesting to have Linney in the Anna Madrigal role.

We already know she can play a trans woman, so maybe Felicity Huffman as Anna Madrigal.

Tyne Daly for Mrs. Madrigal!

It can only be G.

i saw it on PBS while in college and just coming out. I found the book in the library and devoured them. It was a great comfort during my coming out process.

R56, R72 and R73, it wasn't Herb Caen. It was the Examiner's society columnist, Al Morch. Army wanted to call him "Moe Leach," which I thought was hilarious because Al took advantage of his position to milk the freebies. But the Chronicle wouldn't let him because it was too close to Al's real name.

I wouldn't share this information if Al were still alive, but he's been dead for a few years now and even in San Francisco, I don't think too many people still remember him. During his heyday he had a daily column with his photo at the top. After our divorce, I took great pleasure in cutting out those pages and putting his face at the bottom of my bird cage.

Will Joan Osborne be reappearing?

Why blow the budget in craft services r93.

I enjoyed the series when it debuted on PBS but honestly, none of the characters were relatable.

I liked the books. The series not so much. Neither "Mouse" matched the picture I'd always had in my head, something close to Aaron Tveit, who, of course, had not even been born when I read the books.

For me, the one piece of casting that was really off in the 1st season was the Canadian actor who played Brian....Paul something? Not a bad actor but without the douche bro vibe that I had imagined in Brian.

When I read the books I imagined Brian Kerwin (as he looked in the 1970s).

Wasn’t Pat Montandon the basis for the broad who held the “let’s rap about rape” scene? She used to have those afternoon lunches in her penthouse in that 60s high rise up on Green St. All the society broads would moisten up to be invited. A chick I knew once went. Pretentious old rich hags discussing the blight of the poor.

I want to say I thought of Brian Buzzini as Brian when I read the books, but he wasn't in Playgirl until 1985, by which time four of the books had come out. Instead, I'll say when I first saw Brian Buzzini, I thought of Brian in TOTC.

[quote]For me, the one piece of casting that was really off in the 1st season was the Canadian actor who played Brian....Paul something? Not a bad actor but without the douche bro vibe that I had imagined in Brian.

I can see your point. But in the 1970s, young men were feminized. They didn't have that douche bro vibe. In the 70s, Alan Alda was one of the most high profile, respected actors because he made women feel that he was in touch with his emotions. And that's why Woody Allen owned that decade. None of his movies had an ounce of masculinity. 70s men were all intellectual and touchy-feely.

Plus I think the douche bro aspect was already covered by the Beauchamp character.

R101 The Canadian actor in Tales ... is Paul Gross. More likely he's better known as the Mountie in Due South.

I was so disappointed when Marcus D'Amico left after the first season. I thought he was so cute.

Thanks for the link to the PBS documentary. It made my day. (This is why I keep coming to DL.)

Paul Gross was also in the excellent "Slings and Arrows" playing the Artistic Director of a Canadian Shakespeare Theatre.

Frau Blucher at R96: Any idea who Army used as the models for the "A Gays" he lampooned in his early books? Harry de Wildt? Wilkes Bashford?

Morch obit. You would never know he was gay.

R108, I'm sorry, I don't know. I only met Army briefly. I do know that DeDe Halcyon-Day was based on Dede Traina (now Wilsey). I'm not sure who Beauchamp Day was based on. It could have been de Wildt or Bashford or a composite of the many bisexual society figures Army must have known or heard of.

R109, Al Morch was straight. At least as far as I know. We were together for eight years. He was fascinated by kinky sex, though, talked about sex all the time and was very proud of his generous endowment. He was also a heavy drinker. He told me that once when he was drunk, he took it out in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel.

the show was so so. it was a fairly fun view of frisco in that time period, but the casting was sketchy.

never dreamed the blonde girl lead would go on to fame, seemd awful vanilla.

the books are great fun. armie is an extremely fun sweet guy, is a historian of all things frisco...

Brian wasn't a bro -- he was an early, nice version of a SJW.

I hope they don't remake it. The first was too perfect and has aged beautifully. Now it's a period piece about a period piece. And the original stars are still very prominent. But if they can get most of the original cast and film one of the later novels that hadn't been done, that's another story. I'd definitely watch that.

I'm confused if they're just going to film the later novels, or start the whole thing over from the beginning.

R16 At least he didn't reveal that Anna was a tranny and also Mona's father, oops.

I love Maupin even more after watching this. His husband is dreamy. I love the story of Laura Linney and Maupin on the parade float, both in despair, and he starts laughing. These books changed me in the year 2000 when I first read them. I couldn't get enough of them.

From what he has said, it sounds like the new show would be its own thing. It would feature Mrs. Madrigal and Mary Anne (since Olympia and Laura are back) and "new young characters". Not sure if that means some of the younger characters he featured in the last three books, or all new characters created specifically for this project. The way he has talked about it, it's not really going to be the that final trilogy (Michael Tolliver Lives/Mary Anne in Autumn/Days and Nights of Anna Madrigal).

And, if they have "Mouse" who is going to play him? Obviously not D'amico...would they bring back Paul Hopkins or recast?

Also raises the question, if the show is going to be contemporary, that means that the original characters would be QUITE old...which would be fine for Olympia Dukasis, but Mary Anne and Mouse were boomers so they would be late 60s in 2018. Linney is only 53.

Can you believe it's 15 years between Tales being published as a novel (1978) and Tales airing on TV (1993) and 25 years since Tales airing on TV and, like, literally, NOW?

That's like a total of FORTY YEARS!

Tales is like literally the same age as JAMES CORDEN!

Well, that was quick....went to Armistead's FB and found this interview he did just before Xmas.

It's NEW stories, not based on any books and modern. Set at Barbary Lane so in this version, apparently Madrigal hasn't sold out and moved like in the last trilogy. The trans character from the trilogy is going to be in it. And, Paul Gross will be back (probably) as Brian.

Gross didn't really look like the Brian in the book but he did an excellent job in the part. He's a good actor.

Paul Gross as seen in Alias Grace

dumb books, impossibly stupid.

R121 dumb response, impossibly stupid

Go lick “army’s” bullfrog chins if you love him so much

I thought Henry Czerny was incredibly sexy as Luke (the Jim Jones character) in Further Tales. That was also my favorite book in the series.

Is any of the San Francisco that Maupin wrote about left, even a little bit somewhere? I mean the vibe, the looseness, the fun, before it became one of the most expensive cities in the US.

Any why did Maupin move back from Santa Fe? I don’t have time to watch the doc.

I loved the first few books but thought the series was strange. It skipped a lot of good material from the books and something about it was off, like the pacing. Subtle but off putting. Redoing the adaption well would be great, its due.

[quote]I loved the first few books but thought the series was strange. It skipped a lot of good material from the books and something about it was off, like the pacing. Subtle but off putting.

I never loved anything about the series, particularly the cast, none of whom I enjoyed except Olympia, Billy Campbell, and Laura Linney. I hated one of the Mouses, in particular, and Chloe Webb's voice makes me want to run.

Why even bother setting Tales of the City in shitty modern-day San Francisco? The 1970s setting was the whole charm of the story.

Where should they shoot it now, R127?

R125: I lived in San Francisco 1996-2017. Some neighborhoods are unchanged (North Beach, Chinatown, the Sunset); the natural suuroundings are magnificent (Angel Island, the Presidio, Golden Gate Park) However, the "looseness and vibe" you describe may be found in just a few spots: in the much-lampooned Folsom Street (leather) Fair and a few Men's Gatherings, but on the whole, I believe it's gone. Castro is a shell of its former self.

The new SF is best exemplified by the shiny new Salesforce Tower (the tallest building west of the Mississippi. And yes, SF is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Great food balanced by a massive homeless problem.

Armistead moved back from Santa Fe becaue the husband got bored there (all those lesbian potters!)

R121 is angry that the only Jewish character had happily escaped and buried his sullied roots.

If you want serious fiction, read Proust or Gide. Tales of the City is light-hearted fun.

I love this series!! Mouse is my fav, of course. I was hoping they would film the rest of the books but it doesn't seem to be.

[quote]Is any of the San Francisco that Maupin wrote about left, even a little bit somewhere? I mean the vibe, the looseness, the fun, before it became one of the most expensive cities in the US.

Maupin addresses that question at the very end of the documentary at the 1:21 mark. His response also applies to anyone getting older and longing for the good ol' days. It's hard to accept that things change over time and will never be the exact same way that we remember them in our idyllic youths.

They won't do any of the other books in the first series because MaryAnn turns into a cunt after book three and abandons the gang, starting with Mrs Madrigal when she stops allowing Shawna to visit their former landlady.

Laura Linney probably doesn't want to turn into a heavy.

Maupin was so right when he said things change in life and that is true with San Francisco. It is no longer the wild west but is built in some of the most beautiful geography in the world. Life changes and we all must move on.

Those of you who watched the first miniseries might not know or recall this: although a few well-known exteriors were filmed in SF, for budget reasons, most of it was filmed in Vancouver "cheating" as San Francisco. So they might do the same.

Also, I've read most of the books except for possibly the last two: although Mary Ann's character was continually diminished, turned nasty, and written off, she was eventually brought back, reunited with "Michael" who forgave her, and became quite prominent again. I don't remember which, but one of the later books in particular chronicled this storyline.

Trivia question- what is the anagram for the name Anna Madrigal?

Maryann became forgiven and prominent again in the second of the three new books.

Straight women feel entitled to gay people's forgiveness and time.

Anna Madrigal = "a man and a girl"

Henry Czerny is ALWAYS incredibly sexy, R124...

Laura Linney lost a Tony playing a heavy in The Little Foxes last year so I'm not certain what her feelings her on that matter.

Help me out here: Why is Mary Ann considered a bitch who abandons the gang, when Mona did the same thing much earlier in the series? Mona left for Seattle after the first few books "because it's the 80's" while Mary Ann stayed for 13 years (in "Tales" time), and helped nurse Jon through his final illness. She left because she got a great job offer in NY - was Mary Ann supposed to stay in SF forever?

Haven't any of you had a friend who left the nest for a new start/job offer/love? Do you consider them betrayers?

Mary anne's attitude changed before she left --she became a social climber who mistreated her old friends.

Mona just left for fun and with no hard feelings, but when the situation didn't turn out well, she stopped talking to them out of shame about herself rather than Maryanne's sense of shame about having such motley friends

Also, R143, Mary Ann abandoned her adopted child. Another thread of the storyline dealt with in the second to last book.

I LOATHED Linney in the part of Maryann.

Parker Posey was perfect as Connie Bradshaw.

The plot line featuring Jim Jones and the twins was genius.

And I LOVED the part when DeDe's mother Franny goes to Pinus!!

I really love Maupin after watching this. Makes me also long for a San Fran and time I didn't even know.

Maupin is full of......Well, so full.

Looks worse than Trump.

No he doesn’t, r149. I just saw him a few days ago.

The series was enjoyable, but it was far more fun waiting for the Chron' to read the serial each day.

D'Amico seems so perfect, sweet and appealing as Mouse.

I've been looking on line for some reason why he didn't continue in the following seasons but it is all so ambiguous.

Does anyone know the real reason? He didn't want to be pigeon holed as that character? He didn't want a reputation for playing gay characters?

I was beginning to wonder if the guy is straight but from an early poster apparently not.

As if anyone looks worse than Trump....

Didn't Maupin have some connection to the Zodiac killer in some way?

Maupin needs neck lifts, tummy tucks 10X over.

He's too fat.

R152: The reason D"Amico didn't reappear as Mouse in the second Tales? Depending on which version you believe:

1. D"Amico was out and proud when lobbying for the part, which suited Maupin, because he wanted an out gay actor to play Mouse (a rare quantity in 1992, admittedly). Once D'Amico got the role, he started playing coy about his sexuality and retreated into the closet, which pissed of Maupin and kept D"Amico from reprising the role.

2. D'Amico refused Maupin's advances.

I believ #1 has more legitimacy. And you are right, D"Amico was so sweet and appealing as Mouse, much more than Paul Hopkins, who played Mouse with a smirk and leer.

Most like Hopkins better as Michael Tolliver; he's got 70s mustache going and blue-eyed charisma.

Mauphin seems likable enough in the doc, but also a bit of an asshole. he comes from a "good" Southern family and I suspect he never lost that. The BF's current life is a bit vague. I suspect that Mauphin really had nothing more to write beyond Tales... The most recent installment seemed awful.---we read it in my gay book club.

The new characters were not as compelling as the originals.

He's bloated!

I wonder what the PBS announcement was referring to—

"the material in the show is from a different era and doesn't reflect modern culture."

[quote] "the material in the show is from a different era and doesn't reflect modern culture."

It was first broadcast in the 90s, so it was gay sex and drug use. People were still nervous about AIDS and showing multiple sex partners, especially in the gay community, was not the cultural message of the times. And we had just been through drugs with Bill Clinton's "I didn't inhale" lie.

I loved season one. The recasting in season two was atrocious, but I watched just because it was Tales Of The City,

Has D'Amico ever done full frontal?

I just started watching More Tales after watching Tales last year, which was fabulous. But 2 episodes into More Tales and I think I'm tapped out. This is HORRIBLE. Like, amateur hour production/direction/acting...

He's too fat.

I rewatched the original on Acorn TV a few days ago and found More Tales on YouTube. I like Paul Hopkins's impish take on Mouse, but Nina Siemaszko is just terrible and wooden as Mona. It's like they found some rando on the street and asked her, "Hi there, rando on the street, how would you like to act on a TV show?" And, as with QAF US, the supporting actors' Canadian accents are distracting.