DAVID BIANCULLI

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TALES OF THE CITY
June 4, 2018  | By David Bianculli

Acorn TV, 3:00 a.m. ET

 

The six-hour Tales of the City miniseries, based on the novel by Armistead Maupin, premiered in the U.K. in 1993, five years before HBO premiered its own groundbreaking drama, Sex and the City. In both, the story revolved around a young woman in the big city, getting by with a little help from her friends. In Sex and the City, the young woman was played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and the city was contemporary New York City. In Tales of the City, first imported to the U.S. in 1994, the city was 1970s-era San Francisco – and the protagonist was played by a young, then-unknown actress named Laura Linney. Co-stars in Tales included Olympia Dukakis, Thomas Gibson, Billy Campbell, Chloe Webb, Paul Gross, Parker Posey, Ian McKellen, and such happy surprises as McLean Stevenson, Don Novello, Janeane Garafalo, Rod Steiger, Mary Kay Place, and Edie Adams. Netflix plans a new version of Tales of the City for next year – but for now, to note its original silver anniversary, Acorn is presenting and showcasing a full repeat of the original. Well, well worth revisiting – and for those who never saw it, dive in and enjoy.

 
 
 
 
 
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