January 30, 2004
Thanks to some hard work and creativity from fellow QAF-ers Rick and Abisel, there is a brand new Yahoo! group for Harris Allan, who plays Hunter, called "toast and bananas" (hey, don't look at me -- I'm sure it will be the first topic of discussion on the group, ha ha!!!). If you're interested in dishing with other fans about this rising star, head on over and sign up!
Scott Lowell's site has been updated with new pictures from the Sco-Lo Convention in the Gallery, and the February 2004 Q&A. Registrations for the 2004 Sco-Lo Con, taking place October 15-17 2004 in Toronto, are now open as well. Check out the 'interest' page for more information.
January 29, 2004
 In Liz Smith's "Oscar Ruminations" column today, she writes: "SHARON GLESS is the blond bombshell of TV's great 1980s cop series "Cagney & Lacey." She can currently be seen as the super-supportive mom of a gay man on "Queer as Folk." Sharon is always looking for new worlds to conquer. Now that women of a certain age are on the rise again in Hollywood (Helen Mirren and Julie Walters in "Calendar Girls" ... Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give"), Sharon has optioned an unusual, provocative work and hopes to get it written and filmed. She'd star, of course. This is the sensational Jane Juska book, "A Round-Heeled Woman," which we touted months ago. It tells of the active sexual exploits of a lady no longer dewy-eyed. Sharon owns the TV and stage rights as well as movie rights to this hot property."
Of the book, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Contrary to the lurid title (a "round-heeled woman" was once slang for a prostitute), Juska is a semiretired English teacher with refined tastes: Trollope novels , opera and museums. "Before I turn 67-next March," she wrote to the personals column of the New York Review of Books, "I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like." While her adventures meeting these men frame her narrative, she's no geriatric Emmanuelle on a coast-to-coast fling, in spite of proclamations like "I adore penises." It's just that she was raised by repressed Midwesterners and had never managed-given her spiritual and physical bulk-a truly fulfilling love affair. Married to a loveless man, she then spent years in social retreat as a single mom. By the time she emerged from her chrysalis, she realized she'd never had a chance at pleasure, hence the ad and her comic adventures with the assortment of men culled from the daily mail."
The Particles of Truth website has a new "Flash" slideshow on its main page; the latest media update indicates that features in Bust, Flaunt and Glamour magazines are expected later this Spring.
Lori Silverbush's short "Mental Hygiene" (in which Gale Harold has a brief appearance as David Ryan) will air on the Sundance channel next month (see the site for details). Here are the airtimes:
Monday 02.09.2004, 9:20AM
Thursday 02.12.2004, 1:45PM
Tuesday 02.17.2004, 8:15AM
Tuesday 02.17.2004, 4:45PM
 Terri-Lynne Waldron has written an article for Metro Toronto about Harris Allan, who plays Hunter on QAF, entitled, "Allan knows his act" (pdf format):
Eighteen-year-old Vancouver native, Harris Allan, is on the fast track to success. A six-year veteran of episodic TV and films, he recently became a full-fledged cast member on the controversial drama series, Queer As Folk, playing reformed street kid and prostitute, Hunter. His desire to act was fueled after watching a movie starring a former child star. "I remember I was really excited when Home Alone 1 and 2 came out with Macaulay Culkin," he recalls. "I watched them 250 times and acted it out. I kind of wanted to be the (Macauly Culkin) character Kevin Mccallister for probably a year." Brad Pitt, Hal Sparks and Ewan McGregor are amongst some of his favourites today. His mother let him pursue acting on one condition. "She said to me, ‘If you can turn your schooling around then we’ll get you in it’." Needless to say, Allan started to excel at school and his mother held up her end of the bargain. In Grade 7 he began classes at Tarlington Training in Vancouver. After some time spent at both the Gulf Island Film and Television School and The Vancouver Film School, he was ready to seek professional representation. "I got an agency, and then I started auditioning for stuff, he says. Within a year, I got my first part... it was one line in the New Addams Family TV show." Allan’s acting résumé also includes Cold Squad, the Wes Craven TV movie called, Don’t Look Down, Smallville and the movie, Paycheck. He will soon be seen in the independent feature, A Home At The End Of The World, (co-starring Colin Farrell and Sissy Spacek), that premieres in L.A. and New York on July 23. Despite all of his success, he has never forgotten the roots of his good fortune. "With my education...it got me into a place where I learned all the fundamentals, and I kind of had a natural ability, and I just blossomed into this career." The season premiere of Queer As Folk is April 19.
January 28, 2004
 From today's Windy City Times' Deep Inside Hollywood article by Romeo San Vicente: Paige Turns to Movies
"Queer as Folk’s Peter Paige doesn’t hop a plane back to sunny L.A. every time the camera stops rolling on his show’s Toronto set. He’s currently sticking around to co-star in a new Canadian film called Childstar, directed by Thirty-two Short Films About Glenn Gould scribe and established indie filmmaker Don McKellar. The movie revolves around an obnoxious child actor from the States who, while filming a movie about the U.S. president’s son wreaking havoc with the military, goes AWOL in Canada, suddenly causing real-life trouble everwhere around him. (Does Romeo smell an American foreign-policy metaphor?) Canadian kid actor Mark Rendall (best known as the voice of beloved animated aardvark Arthur), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eric Stoltz, and Dave Foley all lend their talents to the comedy. It’s still filming, so look for it sometime in the coming year. [picture]
 I've redesigned the Gale Harold page to include a more complete listing of his acting credits to date, with links to most of the projects, including a write-up for the new Showtime movie "Fathers and Sons" airing later this year, in which Gale plays a Jewish doctor, and some tidibts about "The Indian Queen", a controversial play from earlier in Gale's career.
A few new pictures have been added to the Dean Armstrong photo gallery at Dean's official site.
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology in Ontario will double as the school where Ben teaches in Season 4. Bobby Gant and Michelle Clunie were recently spotted on location, filming exterior scenes at the Seneca@York campus. Word from the crew is that they will be using a few of the public areas inside the school as well.
January 21, 2004
 Great news for Canadian fans... it's OFFICIAL! The Showcase network in Canada will begin airing All New Episodes of QAF on Monday, April 19th, 2004. Since Showtime's premiere date is the 18th of April, that means Canada will be only ONE DAY behind the States, and not *weeks* behind as in past years!
 Robin Thomas (seen at right) is set to appear in a five-episode arc on the show's upcoming fourth season. He'll play a love interest for one of the lead characters.
RainbowNetwork.com says "Queer As Folk USA, Series 3 is a must-have for the today’s faithful fans and anyone who wants to check out a selection of today’s most exciting artists! To celebrate it’s release we’ve managed to get our hands on five copies to give away and all you have to do is answer the easy question below." You must register to enter the contest at the RainbowNetwork website, but it's free and only takes a minute. Good luck!
From Dean-Armstrong.com: "the armstrong acting studio will begin its six-week winter semester next monday, january 26, at its new location at 9 davies avenue in toronto. this semester will feature many great actors, producers, and directors as instructors, with guest appearances by dean.
dean wanted to let everyone know how much he enjoyed meeting with fans at the recent qaf convention. if you have any pictures or stories about meeting dean you'd like to share, please email the webmaster or visit the submissions page on the fansite with your contribution."
January 19, 2004
Wheee! Carlo Rota (Gardner Vance) answered my post on his message board. I had complimented him on his performance in the film "Countdown", as well as on "Street Time" and of course "Queer As Folk", opposite our beloved Gale Harold. I asked him if they had ever considered doing stage work together, given what I consider to be their electric chemistry. His reply:
Subject: "Me n Gale Harold"
"Thanks for the lovely comments. The chance of doing stage work with Mr. Harold is remote but let us never say never because its a funny old life and you never know what tomorrow may hold. Hope you enjoyed Countdown. It is by far the my most fav. short film. I send you my very best and thanks for being a watcher who notices.
Carlo"
I try not to gush too often on the news page, but I have to say, his note just made my day! ;) In another post, Carlo mentions the freezing temperatures in Toronto, saying "it is minus 22 degress C in this burg and those of us with them have frozen testicles." LOL!!
Hal Sparks reports that the cast will soon learn where they will be appearing for the 2004 DVD promo tour. He will post the info to Hal's Lair when he has it (and I will post it here as soon as I know, too).
The Queer As Fans website is being given a new facelift; photo galleries and a message forum will be up soon. In the meantime, here are a few tidbits from the Convention this past weekend which I have pilfered from various and sundry emails (thanks to all who reported in!):
Shawn Postoff, the Executive Story Editor, informed fans that the upcoming season would present some rocky times! While he couldn't give away major spoilers, he hinted at some relationship troubles for Melanie and Lindsay. He also described the writing process, which begins with an outline, and ends with the final edit by CowLip. He admitted that it can sometimes be very frustrating, but he loves writing for the show, and will pen about three episodes himself this season. Several of the short films he has written are being shown at the Gay/Lesbian film festival, and he hopes to continue to branch out. Shawn said that things look very good for QAF returning for Season 5. (happy dance!!!)
Michael A. Perlmutter and Scot McFadyen, Music Supervisors, explained that there is a long and extensive process for choosing the music that eventually gets used on the show. As with any production without an original score, the show must purchase the music they want to use for each episode. However, given the popularity of QAF and the fact that it is now starting its 4th season, the fact is that many newer artists are more than willing to pay QAF to use their songs.
Dean Armstrong spoke about performing in "Rent" on Broadway, and said he was looking forward to being in several episodes of QAF this season. He enjoys teaching acting, and works as an on-set coach for QAF and other shows. And, according to those who witnessed it, he enjoys doing an impromptu 'can-can' as well (great gams, Dean!)
Hal Sparks talked about his audition for QAF and how it was very trying, because they were trying to decide between three different actors, Hal being one of them. On the day he told his agent to tell QAF that he was pulling out of the project, they called and said he had the job. Hal says he clicked with Gale Harold, which was very important. He talked about his band and the "I Love the 80's" show he did for VH1.
Robert Gant was asked how he felt coming in after the "Dr. Dave" era. He alluded to the tension between Hal and Chris Potter, but said that he (Bobby) and Hal have a great working relationship. He also spoke about coming out publicly, and said his agent had encouraged him to do it. So far, he says, it hasn't affected him getting work... of course, he is rather busy with QAF! He mentioned that Michael and Ben's apartment will be getting a makeover in Season 4.
Harris Allan was sweet and funny, very personable with the fans, and seemed generally happy to be there. When one fan accidentally stepped on his foot while taking a photo with her, he just smiled and said it was alright. hee!
At various points throughout the weekend, fans were able to take pictures with the actors, with proceeds going to Casey House, and get autographs as well. The auction of QAF items raised $5000.00 for Casey House. There were autographed books, posters, scripts, etc.
January 17, 2004
Established in 1988, the University of Southern California (USC) Scripter® Award is an honor bestowed annually by the Friends of the USC Libraries in recognition of the best film adaptation of a book or novella, and is given to both the author and screenwriter. By honoring the literary artistry and collaborative process of turning a book into a screenplay and ultimately into a film, this unique award acknowledges the full spectrum of the writers' creative process. This year, for the first time in the 16-year history of the USC Scripter® Award, two films have tied for the best film adaptation of a book or novella. The writers of Mystic River and Seabiscuit received an equal number of votes in the Scripter selection committee balloting. A runoff vote will determine this year’s winning film, with the final results to be announced on Thursday, January 22. The annual black-tie dinner honoring the winning collaboration will be held on Sunday, February 15, in the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the USC campus. Actress Sharon Gless will serve as master of ceremonies and Hal Kanter will return as grand master of ceremonies.
The online store 10percent.com is having an 'inventory blowout' sale, and most of the QAF items are selling for about half price. Get your posters, t-shirts, bags, etc. now before they sell out. Sale ends Monday, January 19th.
Erin has updated her Mercury Rising fan fiction site with a new design and additions to the ongoing series "21" (be sure to bring ice!) as well as a few miscellaneous short stories. Great job, Erin!
Looking for news from the Queer As Fans convention this weekend? Well, the QAFans 2004 site has moved to conventionadventures.com. Due to a conflicting professional committment, Peter MacNeill is unable to attend the convention this weekend and sends his regrets.
January 16, 2004
 The official Dean Armstrong website has a brand new look, with lots of new features, so head on over and take a peek! According to the latest updates, Dean is currently in Pittsburgh (the real one, that is, not the fictional gay mecca, LOL) working on a children's musical entitled "Light Under the Door", which he is directing. It will premiere later this Spring. In the meantime, Dean is splitting his time between L.A and Toronto, where he is doing on-set coaching for various television shows, including Queer As Folk.
According to indystar.com, Showtime is backing off its motto "no limits." Robert Greenblatt, the premium channel's president of entertainment says, "It's gradually going to be replaced by something I think will suit the programming as it changes. It served Showtime well in the last five years. 'Queer as Folk' is the best example of it. But once it was defined by something that pushed the envelope so far, it was hard to keep coming up with things like that."
From The Desert Sun comes an article by Marc Thomson regarding a panel discussion on queer cinema, to take place this Saturday, January 17th at 12 noon at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He writes, "Directors and speakers are chomping at the bit for a lively discussion... Panelists will discuss queer cinema and ask: 'Is there any sting left in queer cinema given that gay and lesbian voices are now a part of the mainstream media with television shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ellen, Queer as Folk and Will and Grace?" The resounding answer appears to be 'yes,' but there is some debate over the validity of the question.
Better late than never... Pridevision TV is holding a contest until this Saturday morning, January 17th, to win a pair of tickets to this weekend's Queer as Fans 2004 convention in Toronto. The value is $350 US for the pair. Send your name, phone number and email where you can be reached on Friday morning to: contests@pridevisiontv.com. Entries must be received before 6:00 am, January 17th (Eastern Standard Time). Proceeds from this event will go to Toronto's Casey House, a hospice providing compassionate, palliative and supportive care for people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto.
January 15, 2004
Last May, Bobby Gant was cast in the independent film, ""Marie and Bruce," starring Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick, and directed by Tom Cairns. The movie is being screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, this Sunday, January 18th and Monday, January 19th. Based on a play by Wallace Shawn, the film is a dark but comical glimpse at one day in the breakdown of a marriage.
Canadian television network CTV is holding its blockbuster " Lives of the Saints" until this spring. That's when it will air the miniseries, based on novelist Nino Ricci's trilogy [view the Press Kit]. A co-production with an Italian broadcaster, it stars Sophia Loren, Kris Kristofferson and Fabrizio Filippo (ex-Ethan Gold, QAF). According to CTV, the sprawling family saga is about "the consequences of pride, the violence of war, the disorientation of emigration and the promise and power of love."
Says director Jerry Ciccoritti: "Fabrizio Filippo understands the nature of the Vittorio’s character; a young man whose personal dramatic crisis is that he feels he has no place in the world. He’s struggling to find out where he belongs – either in Canada or Italy. This crisis is expressed through a life of guilt and shame. Vittorio doesn’t know who to love because he can’t love anybody properly until he learns to love and accept himself. Aside from being a great actor, Fabrizio’s personal experience as an Italian-Canadian gives him an insight into the character that goes beyond research and from reading the script. And, he’s as handsome as all get out!"
Filippo interjects, "I don’t think a lot of movies are going to come my way that explore the Italian Canadian immigrant experience. This is very personal to me as I can draw off my parents’ experiences. Vitorrio is the soul of the piece. He’s a young man born into a kind of shame and guilt that’s intrinsic to the culture. He pushes it away from himself and ignores who he is until he can longer do it any more. And when his culture hits him, it hits him like a Mac Truck. He has to burn his way through it and come out the other side, a whole person. It’s a coming of age story and he’s the guy coming of age."
January 14, 2004
The DVD version of Bang, Bang, You're Dead (featuring Randy Harrison) is scheduled to be released on January 27th. You can preorder the movie from various online sites like Amazon.com.
From Robert Hall, posting on Hal's Lair: "Lightning Bug" (in which Hal Sparks plays Deputy Dale) will be shown in the American Independents competition of the 13th annual Philadelphia Film Festival), to be held April 8-21.
January 13, 2004
 It has just been announced that Bobby Gant will attend the Queer As Fans convention this weekend, along with already-confirmed guests Hal Sparks, Dean Armstrong, Harris Allan, Peter MacNeill and writer Shawn Postoff (each will be in attendance at varying times throughout the weekend; you can check the itinerary for details). Bobby will join the fun on Sunday, January 18th.
Following on the heels of "Every Nine Seconds" and "Never Tear Us Apart" comes "Always Have, Always Will", the third in a series of QAF novels written by Joseph/Quinn Brockton and published by Pocket Books. The release date is June 1, 2004, but you can preorder from a number of sources online. Amazon.com is selling the paperback for $10.40 USD.
USA TODAY features an article "Coming out good for Gant" by Robert Bianco, who writes:
No actor, perhaps, has been more affected personally by the success of Queer as Folk than Robert Gant, who came out as a gay actor after being cast in the Showtime series. He came out, he says, because the show "was so much about telling the truth," and he would have felt like a hypocrite if he had lied about his own life. Still, he was afraid of what his action would do to his career, which had been built on playing husbands and fathers. "All I heard was that the last thing I should do is come out. Instead, I think the interest has never been stronger. The phone definitely rings more than it ever has, and I think things were good before." Things also seem to be good in his now-public personal life. Gant, 35, has recently been linked with Kyan Douglas, the hunky hairdresser from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Are they a couple? "Kyan is an amazing guy. I'd say that we're friends and very much enjoying getting to know each other."
Amy Lawrence of FilmJerk.com informs readers of a new character on QAF this season, Drew Boyd, who is a closeted football player. Casting calls for this character include sides (script excerpts) from episodes 409 and 410.
In the Business section of today's Montreal Gazette is an article about Electronic musicians in Canada who are ready to take their place on the global stage. "It's time for us to recognize that electronic music is a globally absorbed sector of the Canadian music business," said Jean Nicolas Dupere, managing director of Someonelse, a company specializing in international sales support and the president of the Canadian Association for Electronic Music. "It's been sorely overlooked as a significant contributor to overall Canadian music in the last two years." Those overlooked musicians include Luke McKeehan, founder of Vancouver-based label Nordic Trax. The 33-year-old entrepreneur, originally from Stratford, Ont., started DJing in Toronto warehouses as a hobby in the '80s. After deciding he wanted to make a career of it, he founded the label in 1997 and started building his business based on export sales. He'd save up cash, and then travel to places like Spain or France and find shops to carry his music. "You could write a book on how hard it is to compete and figure out how that world works," said McKeehan from his label's office in Vancouver's trendy Gastown. But almost immediately he started seeing returns. His current No. 1 market is San Francisco and some of Nordic Trax's 35 releases have been featured on the Queer As Folk TV series, Puschkin Vodka ads and Denys Arcand's film Stardom. Now he's looking to drum up more business for Nordic Trax. [Read the full story]
From a column by Rich Watson, contributing editor to UnderGroundOnline, about Tim Fish's Cavalcade of Comics:
Tim Fish is one of the brightest new talents in gay comics. Fish is the creator of several different titles, including the webcomic anthology Young Bottoms in Love, which appears at PopImage, and the print comic Cavalcade of Boys. His stories primarily deal with young gay men dating, falling in and out of love, partying, and living their lives. His work is often compared to the television show Queer As Folk in that sense.
Fish says his gay readers always see characters that remind them of people they know in real life. "That's the most common bit of feedback I get from gay people. They're guys who you could meet in any gay mecca, and probably have. While I know 'everyone' is unique, a lot of people share common experiences, traits and qualities. It's the things in common people recognize." [visit Tim's website]
January 12, 2004
 Viacom, one of the largest media companies in the world, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health information and research, have announced that their multimedia campaign KNOW HIV/AIDS will launch its second year on Super Bowl Sunday. Building on the momentum of the 2003 campaign, which delivered HIV awareness and prevention messages to millions of people across the United States, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, KNOW HIV/AIDS will premiere new public service announcements (PSAs), television programming and online content throughout 2004.
Kaiser also held briefings last fall for entertainment shows that are produced by Viacom companies. As a result, a number of shows have incorporated HIV/AIDS themes in upcoming episodes. QAF will air several episodes on the impact of HIV/AIDS on friends and family. Currently several characters in the Novotny family circle are inflicted with HIV: Michael's uncle Vic and his partner Rodney; Michael's boyfriend Ben, and Hunter, the hustler that Ben and Michael took in last season.
To find out more about the KNOW HIV/AIDS campaign, its partners, planned programming, PSAs, etc. on a timeline for 2004 (including episodes of QAF on Showtime) visit the Campaign Overview page.
 From today's New York Daily News: "GLESS sees gay progress"
HOLLYWOOD - Times have certainly changed. Just ask Sharon Gless, star of Showtime's "Queer as Folk," who recalled that back in the 1980s there was speculation that characters she and Tyne Daly played in the CBS cop series "Cagney & Lacey" were gay. "When Tyne and I were accused of being lesbians," Gless told writers at the Television Critics Association semi-annual gathering here. "I always thought, 'They say that like it's a bad thing.... "I fought for my character to be as tough as she ewas. Because I came in as the blonde, and I sort of hand to live that down." It's ironic that now, decades later, Gless plays a key role in a show built around a group of homosexuals living in Pittsburgh. Back when "Cagney & Lacey" was a hit, a character's sexuality was not as open as it often is today. "So I said, 'Tyne, I think we have a problem here, and I think we have to establish who our characters are,' " Gless recalled. "So I ended up being John Wayne, and it worked out very well. She was the mother and the Mother Earth, and I was the tough one that wore pink."
From Robert Bianco of USA Today.com:
"On premium cable, hit men and gay boys can both prosper."
Though vastly different thematically, HBO's The Sopranos and Showtime's Queer as Folk have a few important things in common. Each is the signature series of its network, each demolished standard laws of TV decorum, and each starts a new season this spring: Sopranos on March 7 (9 p.m. ET/PT) and Folk in April (10 p.m. ET/PT).
[The article discusses The Sopranos, and creator David Chase talks about giving cable subscribers more 'bang for their buck']
That "added value" philosophy also drives Queer as Folk. Now entering its fourth season, Folk was at the vanguard of gay-themed programming, and producer Daniel Lipman says it continues to treat gay life with a candor possible only on pay cable. "We're proud of the fact that we were probably the only show on TV, and maybe even remain that way, where we have characters who are sexualized. It's still a very audacious show."
It's not, however, the same show it was when it started. The characters, Lipman says, have "evolved. They're now in their early 30s, and they're dealing with things that are very different than where they were four years ago."
This season, those things include Brian's efforts to rebuild his shattered career, and Michael and Ben's attempt to get custody of a runaway gay teen. The show will also deal with current social issues, from gay bashing to gay marriage, "all fodder for our show."
[Read the full article]
January 10, 2004
Avery Saltzman, age 47, is a verteran of Toronto Stage West. He's had a great run as a character actor, and is currently starring as the crusading watchdog Melvin P. Thorpe in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, playing through February 15 at Stage West Dinner Theatre in Mississauga (Ontario). Rita Zekas writes about him in today's Toronto Star. How does he look in drag? she asks. "I don't know yet," he hedges. "I had my first fitting and they were building Edna on me. I had a great set of 44 D's — I nearly fell backward." He had an initiation in drag in episode 208 of Queer As Folk, called "Love for Sale". "I played Ida (Pearlstein), a yenta, a friend of Sharon Gless's character. Michael (Hal Sparks) lost his boyfriend and could I fix him up? I wore no makeup but had a big Carol Channing wig." Read the full story.
 And the photos just keep on coming...
Gale Harold, Peter Paige, Hal Sparks, Michelle Clunie and Sharon Gless are among those featured in the slew of pictures which have been posted to WireImage.com and FilmMagic.com from the The Television Critic's Association event at the Renaissance Hotel last night in Hollywood. Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks, Matthew C. Blank, posed with actors from the various series. Not that they aren't all beautiful and glowing as always, but Sharon Gless looks absolutely fabulous! See a selection of images below.
Annie has updated ScottLowell.com with new photos in the Gallery, as well as with new wallpapers and new icons in the Downloads section. Take a peek at Scott and Dean having fun with their fans in Toronto.
January 9, 2004
Screening times for the Santa Barbara Film Festival have been announced. Particles of Truth will be shown Thursday, February 5th at 1pm and on Saturday, February 7th at 3:30pm.
Liz has new updates posted to Intense; specifically some wonderful icons made from Showtime's newly released pictures.
In a new article from reuters.com entitled, "Showtime Plays It Straight with Gay Dramas" (Andrew Wallenstein, January 8), Robert Greenblatt, head of Programming, talks about establishing the new Showtime series "The 'L' Word" as well as the returning "Queer As Folk" in order to sustain viewership. "I don't want to look to next year to launch a whole new slate," Greenblatt said. "You need carryover and stability." The article goes on to say that QAF originally had a $10 million promotional budget, but that as the hype and ratings waned, the marketing expenditure was cut for seasons 2 and 3. The upcoming season will feature more story lines highlighting the maturation of the characters, shifting focus from the perils of promiscuity to the complexities of relationships. Showtime will support QAF with a new marketing campaign that will spend millions more than it did last season. To hear Showtime tell it, writes Wallenstein, the changes are not an intentional outreach to a broader audience but an organic outgrowth of the "Folk" narrative. But Greenblatt acknowledged that less clubbing and more cuddling will appeal to more viewers. Ron Cowen says, "I'm hoping the stories will be seen as a bit more universal. A lot of people look at the show and think it's a crazy, gay sex club show, but it's not." Greenblatt adds, "'Folk' will still be sexy and audacious. We're not turning into 'The Brady Bunch.'"
January 8, 2004
  Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!
Ron, Dan, Bobby, Hal, Michelle and Peter showed up at Book Soup last night and were in top form! (Unfortunately, Thea could not make it as previously reported). Their antics were caught on film by Getty Images and by WireImage.com. Looks like they really 'stacked up'.
Want more pics? There are screen caps available on sparksfan.com of Hal Sparks on the Wayne Brady Show yesterday, where he spoke about the Vanity Fair photo shoot and sang for the audience.
From tvbarn.com: This week ESPN announced the start of production of its third original, made-for-television movie, "3: The Dale Earnhardt Story," an ESPN Original Entertainment production based on the storied life and career of the late auto racing legend. The movie is set to premiere later this summer. Russell Mulcahy (whose impressive list of credits includes episodes 1-3, 1-18 and 1-20 of QAF) will direct from a screenplay by TV writer-producer Robert Eisele. Side note: In November, QAF Addiction reported that on ESPN's "Playmakers", Thad Guerwitcz, the gay receiver who was blackmailed by Cougars owner Gene Wilbanks into going on injured reserve after being outed on the practice field by his lover, returned to the team. Wilbanks was played by none other than Bruce Gray, ex-George Schickel (Emmett's partner) on QAF.
January 7, 2004
 Showtime has given us a sneak peek at Season 4 with some fabulous new pictures from the first six episodes, along with a few behind-the-scenes shots as well. To make for easier viewing, and for those who cannot access the Showtime site outside of the USA, I've uploaded the pictures here and have them all linked from one page: Season 4 Images. Enjoy!
Another guest has been confirmed for the Queer As Fans convention which is coming up very soon. Peter MacNeill (Detective Carl Horvath) will join the gang next weekend (Jan. 16, 17, 18) for fun times in Toronto. The actor is currently a semi-regular on QAF, as well as CTV's The Eleventh Hour, and has two feature films coming out, possibly this spring. He's also returning to theatre this winter in a Halifax production of Death of a Salesman.
Good news for Canadians... it looks like the Season 4 premiere of QAF on Showcase may not be as far behind the Showtime kick-off as it has been in past years. According to one of the organizers of the QAFans Convention, the event program features a Showcase advertisement which announces the show's premiere in April, 2004 (the Showtime premiere is April 18th). Let's keep our fingers crossed!
January 5, 2004
 You can now pre-order the QAF Season 3 DVD or VHS box set for $109.98 USD at ShoShop, the Showtime online store. The run time is 673 Minutes, and the set includes over 3 hours of specially-produced bonus features, including:
Behind the Camera: With Cast & Crew, With The Directors (listen to the cast and producer commentary);
Hot Summer Days (go on summer vacation with the actors and find out what a normal day is like for them);
Wrap Party Reel (watch hilarious outtakes);
Enter Babylon: Los Angeles (go inside the Babylon Tour and meet Grammy® award-winning DJ Peter Rauhofer);
Music Video: Some Lovin' by Kristine W. (dance to the full screen music video that premiered at #1 on the Billboard Charts);
Quotes, Folks and Notes (bio info and quips);
Animated Photo Gallery (pictures of your favorites); and
Season 4 Sneak Peek (what's in store for the gang?).
Inserted in each special foil collector's edition box set is a "Party in the Box" Interactive CD-ROM containing personalized invitations, posters, name tags, trivia games and signs to host your very own QAF party.
The S3 set is also available from BarnesandNoble.com for $98.98 USD. Canadians can order the set (as an import) through Amazon.ca for $100.60 CDN.
As announced previously, the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place in three separate ceremonies to be held in Los Angeles on March 27, 2004 at the Kodak Theatre; in New York on April 12 at the New York Marriott Marquis; and in San Francisco on June 5 at the Westin St. Francis. Queer As Folk has been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Rufus Wainwright, whose music has been featured on the show, is nominated for Outstanding Music Artist; and Bobby Gant's real-life beau, Kyan Douglas, is nominated along with the rest of the crew from Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" for Outstanding Reality Program.
January 4, 2004
 I've added two new stories to the Addiction Fiction page. One is a short Christmas piece featuring Cynthia (Brian's assistant) called Electric Barbarella, and the other is a longer Brian and Justin story called Renaissance.
Q&A #2 is posted at Hal's Lair, where Hal Sparks answers questions from fans. Also, please note this date correction: Hal's appearance on the Wayne Brady Show is being taped on the 6th, but will actually air on the 7th of January (Wednesday).
The Thea Gill website has been updated with her appearance at Book Soup this Wednesday.
January 1, 2004
 Check out the Alumni page from the Forestburgh Playhouse summer theater in New York State's Catskill Mountain resort area (north of New York City). Famous as a training ground for attracting young up-and-coming actors, it currently features Randy Harrison and Kathy Brier. (Thanks to Mark for the heads up on this one!)
Speaking of Mr. Harrison... the National Post reported that one weekend last November, Randy was seen making the rounds in the biography section of Indigo at the Manulife Centre before heading up to a matinee of Something's Gotta Give.
Looks like the Gotham Gazette caught up with a few of the celebs and politicians at the recent "Coffee, Dessert & Comedy" fundraiser for Howard Dean in New York City which was attended by a few of the QAF gang as well. When asked "What Will Be The Big Stories in 2004 in NYC?" Gale Harold replied, "The Republicans will stage a big event at Ground Zero for the 2004 convention in a display of unfortunate opportunism."
More good news for those planning to attend the Queer As Fans 2004 convention: Dean Armstrong has been confirmed as another celebrity guest. According to the organizers, he is driving in from Pittsburgh, PA and will join the fun on January 17.
Hal Sparks has a new message for fans at Hal's Lair, with Happy New Year's wishes and some appearance dates. He will be on the Wayne Brady Show on January 6th to promote the QAF book, and then at the Book Soup signing the next day along with fellow castmates. The Hal Sparks Band will perform on the Mike Bullard show on February 19th, 2004, their first television gig.
Aya has a beautiful new site that features her digital fan art, from QAF and Gilmore Girls as well.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Viacom plans to revive preparations for a 24-hour cable channel aimed at gays, after putting them on hold in July over concerns about a weak economy. The channel, known so far as Outlet, will operate under MTV Networks, a division of Viacom. It has been speculated that the channel's launch will coincide with next June's Gay Pride celebrations, but details are sketchy at this point.
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