This year marks the 20th anniversary of the TV series Noah's Arc (2005), which first aired on the cable channel Logo, a spin-off of the MTV network. Logo was a channel dedicated to programming for LGBTQ+ audiences. It followed Here TV, which was arguably the first LGBTQ cable channel. Noah's Arc was the first scripted television series to center a group of Black and Latino gay or same-gender-loving men. With the exception of Here TV's The DL Chronicles (2007) and FX's Pose (2018), there really hasn't been a scripted TV program about BIPOC queer men, especially one in a contemporary setting and that doesn't center trauma in the narrative. The pitch was basically what if Sex and the City (1998) but takes place in Los Angeles and instead of four white, heterosexual women, it's four queer guys of color, mainly black.
The series only ran for two seasons. Each season was only eight episodes, which meant only 16 half-hour episodes were created. It got canceled on a cliffhanger, but Logo re-ran the episodes a lot and the DVD release helped to create a cult following. It didn't take long for a feature to be produced called Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (2008), which did get a limited, theatrical release, only playing in 9 theaters nationwide. It didn't ever reach mainstream status, only really known to its niche audience. Yet, because nothing like it exists, even after 20 years, it does sit in rarefied air. Yes, a lot of online or Internet web series have followed in the footsteps of Noah's Arc creator, Patrik-Ian Polk, but Polk's series is the only one to get the rare opportunity to get backing from a major Hollywood studio, which is why it was great when Polk took the time to comment and even criticize Hollywood in his series. Unfortunately, there isn't really any commentary in this feature, though no commentary could be commentary in itself, but it would have been interesting to hear Polk's thoughts on Moonlight (2016), the first film about a black gay man, arguably, winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards, as well as his thoughts on Colman Domingo, the first black gay man to be nominated for Best Actor, or Cynthia Erivo, being the first queer black woman to be nominated for Best Actress.
Darryl Stephens (Boy Culture and B Positive) stars as Noah Nicholson, an aspiring screenwriter who wants to work in Hollywood. He's basically the Carrie Bradshaw of this show. Stephens' performance is not that far flung from Sarah Jessica Parker's performance in Sex and the City. He's more of the hopeless romantic. It's because he likes to write, which also adds to his desire to be self-sufficient, but obviously he wants a partner. He found one and trying to navigate that relationship over issues like sexuality, gender roles, finances, lifestyles and friendships have been what the core of the show was. Noah is also an optimist who generally tries to see the good in people. He's dated various suitors, a few really amazing Black men, but he's found what he thinks is his soulmate.
Jensen Atwood (Velvet Jesus and Dante's Cove) co-stars as Wade Robinson, a former screenwriter who met Noah while they were working on the same Hollywood film and quickly fell in love. He's bisexual. When he met Noah, he was not out of the closet, but quickly got there and had to be educated in gay culture and had to adjust to Noah's more effeminate side. A lot of the push-and-pull in the series was about Wade figuring out his place in Noah's world, including amongst his very protective friend group. Of course, Noah has to learn to be accepting of Wade who might not seem like a natural fit either.
What's interesting is that there's a little bit of a role reversal. This film follows the 2008 feature where Noah and Wade got married. Now, the two are planning to have children. In fact, they already have a surrogate who is probably eight months pregnant. Both are excited to become fathers, but, as it progresses, it seems as if Wade is more the maternal one, despite Noah being the more effeminate of the two. Polk only explores this really in one scene as a joke. After that, the idea that Noah and Wade might have different parenting styles gets abandoned. The concept of diving into how two gay men, specifically how two gay Black men, handle parenting in terms of approach or ideology would have been great as a central theme. The main plot instead revolves around them trying to find a nanny and juggling having to spend time with a screaming baby doll as practice. The logistics of feeding the doll and making sure they hold the doll's head up are what frustrates them. Except, all of this is depicted before the surrogate gives birth, so Noah and Wade are doing all this juggling with something that's not real. Yes, it makes noise and records computer data, and having them juggling dolls might be more comedic and cheaper on a production level, but it eliminates a lot of the stakes.
Rodney Chester (As I Am and Punks) plays Alex Kirby, a man who owns and runs his own nightclub called Bootnanny's, which is exclusively a drag club or a place that showcases performances of drag queens. Specifically, Alex is the drag performer who is the headliner most nights. This comes from the fact that Alex has always been the most effeminate of Noah's friends. It's ironic that Alex isn't featured in this film as much as he should have been. Noah is about to have a baby, twins actually, and Alex was always known as the "mama bear" of Noah's friend group, so one would think that Noah would go to Alex constantly for advice or help, but that's not really the case here.
Alex wasn't just the mama bear. Alex literally became a parent himself. In Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, it's revealed that Alex and his husband, Trey Iverson, played by Gregory Keith, adopted a baby. At this point, Alex and Trey's child is a teenager, 16 years-old or so. Her name is Olivia, played by Mariyea, a transgender girl. She goes to live with Noah and Wade, which allows for Noah and Wade to practice their future parenting skills on her. Unfortunately, this means that Alex and Trey disappear for a large portion of the film, so we don't get to delve into the issues that are raised but never explored like Alex misgendering people, which is particularly triggering for Olivia.
Christian Vincent who is mostly known for being a dancer and who is an Emmy nominee for Outstanding Choreography for The Porter (2022) plays Ricky Davis. Ricky is the owner of a clothing store on Melrose Avenue. If anybody gets the short shrift in this film, it's Ricky. He is barely a presence here. If anyone is a fan of the series, then you know Ricky had a health scare. Polk repeats himself and gives Ricky another health scare here. However, the whole health scare is over and done in two very brief scenes. It's revealed to be a serious health issue and not just a scare. Yet, the film devotes no significant time showing Ricky reckon with this health issue. Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery and My So-Called Life) plays Junito Vargas, a doctor who Ricky has been dating. Even he disappears for a long time in this film when we should've gotten more from him too.
Doug Spearman who has become a director, making films such as Hot Guys With Guns (2014) and From Zero to I Love You (2020) plays Chance Nigel Counter. Chance is a college professor who was married with a daughter. Thankfully, he doesn't get short shrift. He gets a serious story line that's a bit more shocking. The time dedicated to this story line is adequate. It's sufficient, but, part of me feels as if the story line would have been better served over a series of episodes rather than a B-plot in an 80-minute feature. However, that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that this film erases the fact that Chance is also a father.
This feature is all about Noah becoming a parent and Chance is one of Noah's closest friends. In fact, the "Arc" of "Noah's Arc" is an acronym. A-R-C stands for Alex, Ricky and Chance. Chance is essentially a titular character and the first season was about Chance dealing with a difficult child who was the biological offspring of his husband, Eddie McIntyre, played by Emmy winner Jonathan Julian White. One of the funniest running gags is that Alex could never remember the name of Chance's child. To not have her here, to be there for Chance during his serious story line, felt like a huge missed opportunity.
Jasun Jabbar Wardlaw Jr. (Stargirl and Black Lightning) rounds out the cast as 2-Tone Celo or Marcelo Murphy, a young rapper who is being managed by Wade. This is a new character invented for this feature. His character also becomes a proxy child for Noah and Wade to handle in preparation for their pending newborn. Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom already had a young character, Brandon, played by Gary LeRoi Gray (Blackbird and Bring It On: All or Nothing), who I wish would've returned. Yet, bringing a rapper into this story only reminds me of Baby Gat, played by Jason Steed (Bashment and Silent Witness). Baby Gat was a rapper who fell in love with Noah and was a significant character of the series. He was also in the 2008 feature. Not having Baby Gat here felt like another missed opportunity.
Rated TV-MA-SL.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 24 mins.
Available on Paramount Plus With Showtime.