Gayes, are ya'll ready for this tea? The hit drama series "Noah’s Arc", is officially reuniting for a special anniversary episode titled, "The Rona Chronicles".
The infamous cast, Darryl Stephens (Noah), Rodney Chester (Alex), Christian Vincent (Ricky) and Doug Spearman (Chance), will all be returning for the reunion. Last we heard from the group of four, the series ended with the movie, "Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom", which featured a weekend getaway to celebrate Noah and Wade getting married in Martha’s Vineyard. It was this movie that won them a GLAAD Media Award and is still praised today as the first American TV series that featured an all Black gay cast of characters.
Sponsored by GILEAD and GLAAD 12 years later, the team will reunite for an hour-long special that will take place in the middle of the pandemic as well as the fight against the current social injustices plaguing our world.
The creator, Patrik-Ian Polk, who also serves as co-executive producer of the forthcoming "P-Valley" on Starz, will be streaming the special reunion on both his YouTube and Facebook page on Sunday, July 5 at 8PM EDT/ 5PM PDT. This event will also act as a fundraiser for a number of Black LGBTQ non-profit organizations.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t get messages, tweets, DMs and emails from the hugeNoah’s Arcfanbase saying how much they love & miss the show and begging for a reboot,” said Polk in a press release announcing the reunion. “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.”
Polk has set the fundraising goal on GoFundMe for $100,000, which will be split evenly among Birmingham AIDS Outreach, CASA Ruby, G.L.I.T.S (Gays & Lesbians Living In a Transgender Society), In The Meantime Men’s Group, LGBT Detroit, Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) and The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, according to Deadline. Donate here.
If you didn't have the luxury of watching the show back when it aired in 2005, the series follows four gay men who share their lives in the city of Los Angeles. The main character Noah, played by Darryl Stephens, is a struggling screenwriter who has started a brand new relationship with Wade (Jensen Atwood), a "straight" man.
Though Noah's friends in the show live a life of their own, they’re all quite skeptical of Noah’s new man and keep a close eye to make sure their friend doesn’t get hurt. Regardless of the red flags, Noah's feelings for Wade grows immensely and he has no intention of letting his new relationship fall apart.
For anyone who may need a refresher of the show before the special hits the screens, it may be in your best interest to watch sooner rather than later, as for a fan already spotted the crew filming at a recent Black Lives Matter rally, according to Love B. Scott.
According to the fan, the actors were“trying to be incognito, but they were clearly being directed and moved around as though they were shooting something.”
Jensen Atwood is seen in a video at the rally leading a chant with the rest of the protesters.
Watch the Video Below:
Earlier today Darryl Stephens took to Instagram to share a photo of him and his cast-mates.
“Noah’s Arc: The Rona Chronicles… coming soon. No. Seriously. It’s in Deadline Today. (The camo cap in last week’s throwback was foreshadowing.)
Rodney Chester also chose to join in on the celebration stating, “It’s time to reunite with the characters of the wildly popular, groundbreaking Black gay television series, NOAH’S ARC. After a 12 year hiatus, Noah, Alex, Ricky & Chance will finally reunite in NOAH’S ARC: THE ‘RONA CHRONICLES…” (Read the full post here.)
Since the announcement was made, the support has been overwhelming! Instagram user @actor_cordae_omarie writes, “I’m so excited!!! This show was the only representation of what successful black lgbtq men looked like for me growing into adulthood. It also encouraged me to pursue acting”.
Another user @leel.anothony writes, “My prayers have been answered”.
Gayes, we urge you tune in and to please donate towards this great initiative. Let’s be sure to have the popcorn ready and a glass of wine handy!