The TV revivals continue! Netflix has officially announced it is bringing the beloved miniseries Tales of the City back for a follow-up, 17 years after the third entry from Armistead Maupin's novels was adapted for Showtime. Furthering the good news is that original cast members such as Laura Linney are returning, as well as new-to-the-franchise Ellen Page. Here is what we know about the new installment headed for Netflix.
The 10-episode limited series is set in present-day San Francisco, and the fourth Tales of the City entry will continue chronicling the lives and loves of Mrs. Madrigral's tenants as they embark on new adventures, discovering fresh possibilities for romance. Maupin, who will will return as executive producer, describes the latest adaptation in the Tales of the City series as a "brand-new incarnation."
Now for the returning cast! Olympia Dukakis will return as Anna Madrigal, while Ozark's Laura Linney will reprise her role as Mary Ann Singleton. Linney will also executive produce the new episodes along with author Armistead Maupin. Original cast member Barbara Garrick is also on-board to return as DeDe Halcyon Day. New to the cast is Ellen Page, who will portray Shawna, the daughter of Laura Linney's Mary Ann. Expect some drama!
Now that we know who's back, Tales of the City will follow Mary Ann Singleton as she returns home to San Francisco, reuniting with daughter Shawna and ex-husband Brian, both of whom she'd left behind 20 years ago to pursue her career in New York. It is not long before Mary Ann also reconnects with the residents of 28 Barbary Lane, including the one, the only, Anna Madrigal.
Lauren Morelli will act as showrunner on the series, and she praised Maupin for building a world that gave many in the LGBTQ+ community a chance to see themselves on screen for the first time. As mentioned above, two cast members are already onboard to reprise their roles from the original miniseries, and we can only hope that more will get involved as the wrinkles are ironed out. From the sound of things, Netflix's Tales of the City will start with events from Maupin's 2007 novel Michael Tolliver Lives, the third-to-last book in the series, so expect to hear word on whether Paul Hopkins will return to play Michael, or "Mouse," a role he took on in the second and third miniseries.
Maupin took an 18-year break in between his sixth novel Sure of You and Michael Tolliver Lives, The last book adapted for the small screen was the third installment, Further Tales of the City, which bowed on Showtime in 2001. If Netflix is picking up with Michael Tolliver Lives, it means they are skipping three of the middle novels, though flashbacks and other references could help to fill those gaps. It will not be much longer before we learn how things will play out, as production on the limited series is slated to begin later this year.
Tales of the City is set to debut on Netflix sometime in 2019. To find out what other series are set to arrive on Netflix, check out our guide to all of the new and returning shows set to debut on the streaming service via our 2018 Netflix premiere rundown. As for what else is coming up on TV in general, check out our guides to TV's midseason and summer premieres.
