When you watch the teaser for the upcoming Netflix limited series “Tales of the City,” you may just think this is another star-studded prestige drama coming to the streaming service. It looks great, has an incredible cast, and is probably expertly made. But you might not realize, if you’re not familiar with the source material, that Netflix’s upcoming “Tales of the City” is actually a sequel.
That being said, you shouldn’t be terribly concerned about jumping into this new batch of episodes. As you might gather from the teaser, “Tales of the City” is very much about a city, and a neighborhood in particular, which features some of the most diverse, colorful folks you’ll find anywhere. Their stories (uhh, tales, I suppose) are what create the various plots that will crossover and intersect throughout the series.
However, this is not just a sequel, but the fourth miniseries to be adapted from Armistead Maupin’s classic novel series of the same name. Debuting initially in 1993, with some of the same actors, “Tales of the City” debuted and was such a success that two more installments were produced in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Now, Netflix is keeping the stories alive with a new take (with some of the same actors, yet again).
The series stars Laura Linney, Ellen Page, Zosia Mamet, and Olympia Dukakis.
“Tales of the City” hits Netflix on June 7.
Here’s the synopsis:
Inspired by the books of Armistead Maupin, Netflix Original Limited 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), twenty 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), her chosen family and a new generation of queer young residents living at 28 Barbary Lane.