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 Post subject: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:04 pm 
Ok so I admit it. I adore Armistead Maupin and his wonderfully queer, funny, HUMAN cast of characters. I swore when I first saw the series on PBS that I would go straight for Billy Campbell and Marcus D'Amico (the first Michael Tolliver). Tales of the City was the first television show that showed openly gay characters through their ups and downs, their joys and sorrows. I was envious because I wanted to have friends like Mouse and Mona and a cool landlady like Mrs. Madrigal.



Ruth and I were discussing the show this afternoon and I found that I was getting all nostalgic. Thus, this thread was born. Please, worshippers of TOTC share your stories, your observations both good and bad. And let the loving of one of the few decent queer shows begin.



Cheers!

Toni :glasses


Time flies by when the Devil drives.

Edited by: Kieli at: 4/10/03 8:11:19 pm


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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 4:52 am 
I caught Tales of the City when it was repeated late night on Channel 4 in the UK. I had no idea what it was, I thought it was a film, but it looked good, so twenty minutes into watching it, I set the video and went to bed...



I decided that my sister would probably fancy Michael (Marcus D'Amico). It turned out when we watched the video that he was a British actor who had been on a UK series and already knew him and really fancied him! (the TV series was Murder Most Horrid. My sister tends to go for very obscure actors)



A couple of years later, my sister got cast in a small part in a play at the local theatre. She dropped out after a while because there were too many rehearsals. Then she read some publicity in the newspaper for said play. She said to me as she was reading it, "Linda, who's Marcus D'Amico?" His name was listed on the cast list in the newspaper.



I (who have a memory for such crap as actors my sister fancies) replied: "Oh, he's that actor, off Tales of the City, that you really fancy?"



My sister said "Doh!" It turned out the lead actor in the play she had dropped out of (a production of "Vertigo") was indeed Marcus D'Amico. She said he had referred to himself as "Marc" or "Marcus" but he had had a beard and longer hair and hadn't really looked like his normal hunky self! So she hadn't recognised him! But he had been very nice to her and after she dropped out he saw her around the theatre and told her she was missed!



Being part of the youth theatre attached to the theatre we managed to get free tickets to the play, and there was Mr. D'Amico in all his clean-shaven, scrubbed glory, and I could hear the sound of my sister kicking herself as we watched quite a good production, minus her!



I've read all the Tales of the City books now, they did go downhill a bit towards the end (and for me, there was nowhere near enough time given to the lesbian characters!), but they're good fun and so different to everything else out there. I really loved the first series, I bought the videos (only £5 each in an HMV sale), but I felt the cast and script weren't as strong for the second series.



Do any UK kitties know if Further Tales of the City has aired on Channel 4 yet? I am pretty sure it has aired in the US but not here. I wonder if there are any plans for Channel 4 to show it?



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:00 am 
I'm usually one of those people who likes movies/television versions of books better then the original books. (I know, I know, barbaric isn't it?) But the Tales of the City series is the exception. It isn't that I don't like the the miniseries on TV; it's just that I LOVE the books.



I believe that the first books (the ones with the words "Tales of the City" in their titles) were actually collected from a serial narrative that was originally in a San Francisco newspaper. That helps explain some of the difference in tone and flow between those and the other books, which were written novels all at once. Another factor is AIDS. There is a distinct change of tone starting with Babycakes. The first three were written/serialized during the Sexual Revolution of the 70's while the other three were written during the AIDS Crisis of the 80's. The first three are more fun while the others are more sad and nostalgic. I tend to see them as two three-book sets. I love both sets equally, but there is a definate difference.



Actually, I think they have done a pretty good job bringing them to the screen, though I do agree that the first one was better then the second. I also agree that the first Michael was much better the the second. the second guy just bugged me with his almost-constant smile. Laura Linney (did I get her name right?) seems a little better put together emotionally then I felt Maryann really was at that point in her life, but I think she will portray older-Maryann very well, assuming that she is still involved in the project!! That's also assuming that they are going to do them all! Does anyone know if they will? I'm looking forward to seeing more.



My favorite is actor Olympia Dukakis. I thought that Mrs. Madrigal would be the most difficult character to cast, but OD does a great job of bringing her to life without having her be over-the-top as she certainly could have been given that she is literally a flamboyant pothead, transsexual, daughter/former son of a whore. OD really brings out the gentle, generous, big-hearted humanity which is, I feel, the real essence of that character.



I bought all 6 books in a set about 15 years ago, and bring them out every once in a while to read them. I think I'll go get them out now. You have me wanting my TotC fix!





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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:02 pm 
I love these books. On the strength of watching the first mini-series, I went out and bought the lot. I only wish they'd continued making the rest of the books into mini-series because the characters' lives just got more and more interesting the further down the storylines we got.



Mona was cute, though. Her and D'or. Heh. Olympia Dukakis made it for me though; she's got such grace in her performance as Anna. Truly wonderful.



I was being patient, but it took too long. I mean, I miss Buffy, I do. But life shouldn't just stop because she's gone.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 1:43 pm 
As far as I know, the next two groups of the series More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City (the newest rendition) extend the series further. I've got both the box sets and have not as yet viewed them. I'm still stuck on the first set ;)



Olympia Dukakis simply had me all to pieces. She did credit to the role; by turns warm and funny then sad and contemplative. Her own struggles with keeping herself together are worth watching in and of themselves. Billy Campbell impressed me too as he returned to reprise his role in all of the series and it hasn't hurt his career one bit. Talk about a man comfortable with his sexuality :shock The liner notes for the DVD tell of the director's and producer's admiration for him as an actor and their joy in working with him and the others. Thomas Gibson (Greg from the "Dharma and Greg" series) is delightful as a straight up cad while Parker Posey had me both laughing and crying for her.



Too bad the rest of the series was not shown here in the States. At least not that I know of.


Time flies by when the Devil drives.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 5:32 pm 
I enjoyed Tales of the City. I remember being on vacation and asking my mother to tape the shows on PBS... that was interesting :lol ! As for the actors I really enjoyed the first actress who played Mona (can't remember her name), loved the first Michael (sigh Mouse), and I thought Olympia Dukakis was wonderful as Mrs. Madrigal.



I also saw the other two series (More Tales and Further Tales of the City) on Showtime, and though enjoyable they didn't live up (grab me) like the first series IMHO. That being said I just loved the change in the character of De Dee. Or in other words, her transformation from shrill house-wife to activist lesbian, where she becomes involved with D'or (though in truth More and Further Tales didn't focus much time on their relationship during the run on Showtime), dealing with the after-affects of being involved with a cult (especially the toll of her children being kidnapped), really grabbed my attention.



Never read the books, but I might purchase them if I can find the time to actually read them :) .

Edited by: VampNo12  at: 4/11/03 4:49:39 pm


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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 8:25 pm 
You know, I'd almost forgotten how many cameos there were in this series. Sir Ian McKellen shows up as a snitty rich queen with his court of other rich gay men, Janeane Garofaolo shows up briefly as a hard assed chick Brian tries to pick up at a bar, Fr. Guido Sarducci is in the background stealing from the Salvation Army plate on the corner and Rod Steiger is the owner of Mrs. Madrigal's old bookstore. I must've been BLIND before :shock


Time flies by when the Devil drives.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 6:27 am 
Chloe Webb played Mona. I have to say, the only other thing I've noticeably seen her in was Twins. I think I preferred her in Tales... to be honest. Ahem. ;)



I was being patient, but it took too long. I mean, I miss Buffy, I do. But life shouldn't just stop because she's gone.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 4:21 pm 
I remember watching the first series on TV years ago and enjoying it. I also worked my way through the books, but its been a while now. I do remember thinking that they definitely went downhill. Also, by the end, Maupin seemed to HATE MaryAnn - she was a right bitch by the last book I think. (Can't properly remember, but the storylines got really bizzare I think.)



Never did get round to seeing the second series on tele.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 10:48 pm 
I loved the books and because I read them right after the other I have them all jumbled. When I was done reading I was a bit sad 'cause I just loved all the characters. D'or and Dee Dee were who I was most interested in and in one of the books their relationship is explored more. There's this plot with a music festival and they bring the twins and theirs infidelity and reconciliation and I loved every part with them. The TV versions, I've seen the first one and I really loved it. By the by, Chloe Webb who played Mona, also has a small part as the bartender in Bound.

dear God, I'm here..I'm here.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:31 pm 
ukxenafan wrote:

Quote:
I also worked my way through the books, but its been a while now. I do remember thinking that they definitely went downhill. Also, by the end, Maupin seemed to HATE MaryAnn - she was a right bitch by the last book I think. (Can't properly remember, but the storylines got really bizzare I think.)


LOL You mean you think that the storylines in the later books were more bizzare then the child pornographer/private investigater snooping on the transsexual pot smoking landlady? I thought they became a little (though very little) bit more realistic later on. But then again Jonestown wasn't made up. That was reall life. Sometimes truth is stranger then fiction.



As for MaryAnn, I don't think Maupin hated her exactly. I do think that MaryAnn was always a reflection of middle America. After all, she did come from Cleveland. And I think that by the mid-to-late 80's when the last book was written, American culture (if we can be said to even have such a thing) seemed even more superficial and soulless then usual. Also, I think Maupin was determined that this would be the last book, so I guess he thought that it would be best to end with MaryAnn leaving as he had begun with her coming to town. But, yeah, I agree with your basic assesment of her as a bitch at the end.



Consolata, the book you're refering to is Significant Other and it is my favorite also. Probably as much because it was the first gay/lesbian themed book I ever read as because it focuses on DeeDee and D'or. When I went back to read the first ones, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't as much about them, but the humor and the humanity of the other characters made up for it.



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 Post subject: Re: The Tales of the City Support Thread
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 2:59 am 
Quote:
As for MaryAnn, I don't think Maupin hated her exactly. I do think that MaryAnn was always a reflection of middle America. After all, she did come from Cleveland. And I think that by the mid-to-late 80's when the last book was written, American culture (if we can be said to even have such a thing) seemed even more superficial and soulless then usual. Also, I think Maupin was determined that this would be the last book, so I guess he thought that it would be best to end with MaryAnn leaving as he had begun with her coming to town. But, yeah, I agree with your basic assesment of her as a bitch at the end.




Yeah, I think that Mary Ann, for me anyway, was the "Everyman" character in the series. As someone who neither lives in the US nor has any knowledge of San Francisco, I think she served a really useful purpose in helping the reader empathise with that "outsider" feeling. It was as though we were looking in on these people's lives through her eyes, and experiencing the ongoings of American culture using her as our means of discovery. I love the way Maupin does that; it certainly helped me identify (originally, at least) with one character from the get go, whilst the others slowly grew on me as I continued reading. Good writing, you know? Just really bloody good writing.



I was being patient, but it took too long. I mean, I miss Buffy, I do. But life shouldn't just stop because she's gone.



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