After several years, numerous film festivals, dozens of audiences, and lots of controversy, America's first black gay television series sets sail this month on Logo. The show, "Noah's Arc," centers around four black gay men in Los Angeles and their love, lives and relationships. It's groundbreaking television, even if only because it's never been done before. But it also provides an entertaining introduction to black gay men.

Much like the original Noah's Ark from biblical accounts, "Noah's Arc" the television series is larger than life. It's bigger than the director, the actors, or even the television network. It's about the community of black gays, bisexuals, and lesbians finally being recognized as something other than a comedic caricature for the entertainment of heterosexual audiences.

Noah (Darryl Stephens), the lead character, is a struggling screenwriter who falls in love with Wade (Jensen Atwood), a "straight" screenwriter with a successful career, a killer smile and a hot body. Noah's close friends, Alex (Rodney Chester), Ricky (Christian Vincent) and Chance (Doug Spearman), round out the story.

Alex is an HIV/AIDS counselor in a long-term relationship with a hot partner he suspects of cheating. Ricky is a store owner and the group whore who will sleep with anyone, including his own employees, for a quick fix. And Chance is the stuffy college professor who is not sure he's ready to live with his new man.

The Fire Next Time

The premiere episode follows roughly the same story line seen by thousands of viewers on the film festival circuit over the past year, but don't expect to see an exact replica of the initial pilot. All the scenes have been re-shot in new locations, and the sex has been toned down considerably for Logo's more conservative standards.

Although viewers will still find a gorgeous cast of black male characters, they will also find that Noah has been "butched down" (or "queened up," depending on your perspective). His look, his hair, his voice all scream fire, a contrast from the more subtle depiction of his femininity in the film festival version.

The first episode starts off a little slow but quickly picks up steam midway through the show. That's when we start to get a feel for the intimacy shared among the characters. Indeed, the most important achievement of this television series is the depiction of black male love. If black men loving black men is the revolutionary act that Marlon Riggs predicted more than a decade ago, then this TV series may well spark a cultural revolt.

For the first time ever, 18 million American homes will be exposed to weekly images of black men hugging, kissing, loving, and sleeping with other black men. That alone is revolutionary. Billed as a black gay "Sex and the City," "Noah's Arc" may do for black men what the popular HBO series did for contemporary women -- that is to help liberate us from the fear of our own sexuality.

A Flood of Controversy

Even before it began, the TV series was already no stranger to controversy. Members of the Nation of Islam shut down the taping of the show one day in August in an impromptu demonstration at a South Central Los Angeles filming location. Although initial speculation suggested that the controversy was focused on the gay content in the TV series, later reports indicated that the Nation was more concerned about the use of mostly white crew members in the predominantly black neighborhood.

Another mini controversy began to brew recently around the advertising campaign for the series. Early print ads in gay publications used the slogan "Boys In The Wood" as in West Hollywood, California, the mostly white gay community of Los Angeles. Director Patrik-Ian Polk said he did not approve that ad. "I never saw that ad [in advance] and when I did see it, we were all a little shocked," he said. "It was a mistake." Polk said that Logo has since been told to refer to the series as set in Los Angeles.

The latest controversy centers around the apparent decision by rap artist Kanye West not to allow "Noah's Arc" to use West's music in the series. In an interview last night, Polk said he did not think Kanye West made the decision himself. Still, he said West, who recently made gay-friendly comments in the media, needs to "check" his people.

Polk also mentioned several other artists who refused to allow their music on the TV series, including Roberta Flack. At first, Roberta Flack's handlers told Polk that the decision was at "the artist's request," but then Polk ran into Flack on a plane recently and she told him she had never heard anything about the request. After speaking to Polk directly, Flack apparently told her representatives to contact Polk, and Logo received a call this week that Flack had agreed to allow her music to be used.

No doubt, controversy will continue to follow this television series. It's not everyday you get to see authentic depictions of black gay men on television. Thankfully, today is one of those days.