New Netflix Series of Maupin’s “Tales of the City” To Open San Francisco Film Fest on April 10th

Star Laura Linney and author Armistead Maupin, pictured here from San Francisco Pride Parade circa…the early 90s, reunite for an all-new “Tales of The City” series on Netflix for 2019.

For the many, many devoted fans of Armistead Maupin’s series of “Tales of the City” books which details the lives of a group of  gay, straight and everything in between friends living in San Francisco over the course of several decades and nine novels, the news a couple years back that Netflix was ready to produce a brand new television series featuring the “Tales” characters, was very welcome news. 

The first three novels in the series chronicling their lives in the late 1970s were produced and aired by PBS/Channel 4 (UK) for the first book/series and by Showtime for the second two books. There have been hopes that the subsequent novels would be produced for television, but nothing came to fruition until the era of streaming television came into play and the news that Netflix was ready to do a modern day series catching up with the lives of the characters in a very different 21st century San Francisco.

There’s been no news when the new series, which began filming in the fall of 2018, would air but today the San Francisco Film Festival announced that the first episode of the new Netflix Original Series Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City would open their 2019 annual festival on April 10th with a gala event at the Castro Theater in the heart of San Francisco’s gay neighborhood. Author and one of the producers of the new show, Armistead Maupin is expected to attend with show runner Lauren Morelli, director/producer Alan Poul and star/executive producer Laura Linney are all scheduled to attend the screening with a party to follow at the Regency Center. 

Tickets are currently on sale for members of the San Francisco Film Festival (note this is not Frameline, the city’s annual LGBTQ film festival which happens in June). The public can begin buying tickets Wednesday, February 13th at 10am. Go HERE to try and snag them.

Here’s the refresher on the plot for those of you who haven’t experienced “Tales” or for those of you who haven’t heard about this new version:

Inspired by the books of Armistead Maupin, Netflix Original Series Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City begins a new chapter in the beloved story. Mary Ann (Laura Linney) returns to present-day San Francisco and is reunited with her daughter Shawna (Ellen Page) and ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross), 20 years after leaving them behind to pursue her career. Fleeing the midlife crisis that her picture-perfect Connecticut life created, Mary Ann is quickly drawn back into the orbit of Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis) and her chosen family, the residents of 28 Barbary Lane.

One thing that still puzzles us…the time lapse. The original books from the late 70s featured the majority of the cast as about 25 or so in 1976, thus they’d be in their late 60s for anything set circa “present day”. The very lovely leading lady, Laura Linney is only 55 (and looks more like 45). I guess we’ll need to:

SUSPEND OUR DISBELIEF!!!

This event also answers some questions we’ve had about the new show. Looks like the 10 episodes will be hour long ones. And, the announcement also indicates the show will debut on Netflix in the summer, so we’re GUESSING it’ll be around Pride time in June.