Noah's Arc (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a television series. For other uses, see Noah's Ark (disambiguation)
| Noah's Arc | |
|---|---|
 The Cast of Noah's Arc |
|
| Genre | Dramedy |
| Creator(s) | Patrik-Ian Polk |
| Starring | Darryl Stephens, Rodney Chester, Christian Vincent, Doug Spearman, Jensen Atwood |
| Country of origin | Season One produced in the United States. Season Two produced for broadcast in the United States but filmed in Vancouver, Canada |
| No. of episodes | 17 episodes (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 23 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | LOGO |
| Original run | October 19, 2005 – currently on hiatus |
| Links | |
| (season 1)/ IMDb profile | |
Noah's Arc is an American cable television program. Often referred to as a dramedy, the show had integrated socially-relevant issues such as same sex dating, same sex marriage, HIV, sexual curiosity and same sex parenthood. It had parallels to and had been cited as an African-American version of the shows Sex and the City, Queer as Folk and Golden Girls.
Set in Los Angeles, the show features the lives of a small group of African-American homosexual friends dealing with everyday trials, tribulations, triumphs and tragedies. Noah's Arc premiered on October 19, 2005 on the LOGO Television network. The series was Logo's most popular program. Season one was filmed in Los Angeles. Season two was filmed in Vancouver, Canada.
The show arose from humble beginnings. The pilot was produced independently and, to assist in funding each episode, the show was originally envisioned as a DVD subscription series. During the pilot filming, Rodney Chester's (who portrays Alex) truck was used for the actors to have their make-up, hair and wardrobe fittings. Logo pursued the series after the pilot was well-received at film festivals, independent circuits and special screenings. Some scenes from the original pilot were either re-shot or removed for airing on Logo. The original pilot is included in the season one DVD release. The opening credits theme song is "Remember Love" (Samba Mix) by Adriana Evans.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Noah's Arc followed the lives of four African-American men in Los Angeles. Noah, the protagonist of the series, was a struggling screenwriter who falls for Wade, a fellow screenwriter who questions his sexuality. Outspoken HIV counselor Alex had some self-confidence issues and struggled to hold onto his sexy anesthesiologist boyfriend, Trey. Ricky was the promiscuous owner of a clothing store on Melrose Avenue. Economics professor Chance struggled to maintain his sanity after moving in with his new love, Eddie, and Eddie's daughter, Kenya.
[edit] Cast
- Darryl Stephens as Noah Nicholson
- Rodney Chester as Alex Kirby
- Christian Vincent as Ricky Davis
- Doug Spearman as Chance Counter
- Jensen Atwood as Wade Robinson
[edit] Recurring Characters
- Gregory Kieth as Trey Iverson
- Jonathan Julian as Eddie
- Jennia Fredrique as Brandy King
- Dwen Curry as Romeo
- Jeremy Batiste as Raphael
- Jurnee Crapps as Kenya (Season One)
- Sahara Davis as Kenya (Season Two)
- Wilson Cruz as Dr. Junito Vargas
- Benjamin Patterson as Guy
- Keith Hamilton Cobb as Quincy Abraham
- Merwin Mondesir as Dre
[edit] Episodes
- For more details on this topic, see List of Noah's Arc episodes.
[edit] Season 2 Details
- Newcomer Merwin Mondesir portrayed Dre, a new bartender at the gang's favorite hangout, The Study.
- Season two featured guest appearances by former B2K member Raz-B (Demario Thornton) and Keith Hamilton Cobb. Raz-B appeared as an HIV-positive character and Cobb had a recurring role as Quincy Abraham, a pop culture critic and gay activist friend of Dre's.
- Rockmond Dunbar and Victoria Rowell also guest starred in season two. Dunbar appeared as himself, and Rowell played Vonda, a troubled housewife friend of Chance and Eddie.
- Half & Half star Rachel True and UK newcomer Jason Steed also appeared for season two. True's character was Brooklyn, a singer/actress, and Steed was Baby Gat, a closeted rapper and actor.
- Returning guest stars from season one were Jennia Fredrique, Wilson Cruz, Benjamin Patterson, Dwen Curry and Jeremy Batiste.
- On October 4, 2006, Logo aired the special "Noah's Arc: Tales From The Arc Side," which featured interviews by the series cast, crew and included highlights from Season Two.
[edit] Trivia
- The original title was "Hot Chocolate."
- Darryl Stephens, who plays Noah Nicholson, originally read for the part of Ricky Davis.
- Christian Vincent, who plays Ricky Davis, originally read for the part of Noah Nicholson.
- Doug Spearman, who plays Chance Counter, initially read for the part of Ricky Davis.
- Noah's original name was Jermaine.
- Chance's original name was Solomon.
- Doug Spearman met Jonathan Julian, his on screen interest, while filming the hot tub scene from "My One Temptation, Part 2." Spearman had to wear a thong as he arrived on set straight from the airport.
- The first letter from Noah's friends' names spell ARC (Alex, Ricky and Chance).
- Noah's car, a 1965 Chevrolet Corvair convertible, belongs to series creator and executive producer Patrik-Ian Polk.
- The two characters from Wade's movie, which he and Noah watch in "My One Temptation, Part 1", are voiced by Gregory Keith (Trey Iverson) and Benjamin Patterson (Guy).
- DL Thug Lover's address is creator/executive producer Patrik-Ian Polk's childhood street address.
- Dwen Curry, who played Romeo, was also the costume designer for the show for season one.
- The song Alex and the guys lip-sync to in the episode "Don't Make Me Over," is a cover of the disco classic "Lovin' Is Really My Game," sung by Maryann Tatum, a back-up singer for Mariah Carey. The original version is performed by the group Brainstorm.
- The guys' drag number in the episode "Don't Make Me Over" was choreographed by Frank Gatson, the choreographer responsible for Beyoncé's and Destiny's Child's dance moves.
- Jurnee Crapps, who played Kenya in season one, is Rodney Chester's god-daughter.
[edit] DVD releases
Season one was available first on-line on June 19, 2006 and then later available at retail stores on August 8, 2006. The second season will be released on June 19, 2007 as noted on the creator's Patrik-Ian Polk personal MySpace page.
