Iconic LGBTQ series “Noah’s Arc” returns tonight with a special scripted episode to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the show’s premiere and the impact that the show has had on Black LGBTQ media images. Following “Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles,” Entertainment Weekly will present a post-show Q&A moderated by Karamo Brown and streaming on EW.com
You can RSVP to watch “Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles” here and watch on GLAAD’s Facebook page tonight.
Patrik-Ian Polk Entertainment will air “Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles,” presented by Gilead Sciences, Inc., on Sunday, July 5 at 8PM ET/5PM PT. The reunion episode will stream on Entertainment Weekly, GLAAD, Logo and Patrik-Ian Polk Entertainment’s Facebook pages, as well as on Patrik-Ian Polk Entertainment’s YouTube. The virtual reunion experience will kick off with a pre-show tailgate party featuring clips from the series and testimonial videos from fans presented & hosted by MOBI (Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative), followed by the reunion episode written and directed by the show’s creator Patrik-Ian Polk. The virtual event will raise funds for several non-profits that support Black LGBTQ people.
Wanda Sykes, Tituss Burgess, Wilson Cruz, Jennia Fredrique and Richard Brooks will guest star in the scripted episode alongside original cast members Darryl Stephens, Jensen Atwood, Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman, and Christian Vincent.
The new scripted episode reunites beloved characters including Noah, Alex, Ricky, and Chance from the wildly groundbreaking Black gay television series, “Noah’s Arc,” which ran on Logo from 2005 to 2007. The show wrapped up with the award-winning 2008 feature film, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” which received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited release. Now, ten years after the wedding, “The ‘Rona Chronicles” finds Noah and pals in the middle of a worldwide public health crisis and global social justice movement.
Gilead serves as title sponsor for the reunion. Entertainment Weekly and Impulse Live are presenting partners and GLAAD, Impulse DC, and MOBI are supporting partners. Polk (P-Valley, Being Mary Jane, Blackbird) created “Noah’s Arc” to shine a light on the largely untold stories of the Black gay community. The series was the first on American television to feature an all-Black and gay cast of characters. For many Black LGBTQ men, this was their first time seeing any version of themselves on TV– and the series’ impact is still celebrated today.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t get messages, tweets, DM’s and emails from the huge Noah’s Arc fanbase saying how much they love & miss the show and begging for a reboot,” says Polk. “While we’ve all struggled to stay sane during these stressful and trying times, the cast and I wanted to do something special to show our appreciation for all the love we continue to receive from the fans.”
“Noah’s Arc” creator Patrik-Ian Polk is an Independent Spirit Award and six-time NAACP Image Award nominee. His feature film credits include Blackbird, Punks & The Skinny. He served as Co-Exec Producer of BET’s Being Mary Jane, writing and producing the popular series’ 2019 two-hour finale, and P-Valley, which premieres July 12th on Starz. Recognizing that in these trying times many LGBTQ non-profits are struggling financially, Polk is proud to announce that this event will also raise money for a host of Black LGBTQ non-profit organizations providing vital services to their communities.
The non-profit organizations supported by the “Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles” fundraiser are:
- Birmingham AIDS Outreach, Alabama’s oldest AIDS service organization, was founded as a “grass-roots” response to the devastating and fatal impact HIV/AIDS was having on the Birmingham community. The 35-year-old org provides free services to over 800 HIV positive individuals.
- CASA Ruby is the only LGBTQ bilingual and multicultural organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that provides social services and programs catering to LGBTQ populations. Casa Ruby provides more than 30,000 social and human services to more than 6,000 people each year.
- G.L.I.T.S (Gays & Lesbians Living In a Transgender Society) is a New York based group who provides housing, health care and asylum services to transgender sex workers across the US and abroad.
- In The Meantime Men’s Group has provided holistic wellness services for intergenerational, Black, gay, same gender-loving and bi-sexual men in Los Angeles County for over twenty years.
- LGBT Detroit has worked over two decades supporting and advocating for Detroit’s LGBT community. They offer 15 programs, events and activities serving over 800 community members annually.
- Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) curates a series of events for gay men of color, promoting community, wellness and personal development. The signature events are MOBItalks, a personal and professional development series, and MOBIfest, celebrating Black Queer voices in fashion and media.
- The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center was opened in 2017 and provides social, educational & holistic health-related programs, services and activities for Oakland’s gay community.
Major Nesby, a co-creator of GLAAD’s NEON series, recently spoke with “Noah’s Arc” cast member Rodney Chester on GLAAD’s Instagram.
GLAAD also hosted an Instagram chat with “Noah’s Arc” star Darryl Stephens, who spoke with Rodney LoveJones, the owner of byLOVEJONES.com. Watch below and tune in for “Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles” tonight at 8PM ET/5PM PT on GLAAD’s Facebook page.