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 Synopsis
Chad Allen stars as gay
detective Donald Strachey in this gritty series of crime stories based on
the popular novels by author Richard Stevenson. The series follows
Strachey through upstate New York as he works on solving crimes while
facing walls of opposition from members of the local police force.
In Third Man Out, gay writer/activist,
John Rutka, is the target of a drive-by shooting. He narrowly escapes with
his life. The police are too busy to give him the time of day so he hires
Albany, NY private investigator, Donald Strachey to find the perpetrators.
Strachey is less than willing to help John. As an outspoken publisher of a
magazine mandated to "out" prominent New York citizens, both gays and
straights despise John Rutka. To say John is a man with influential and
powerful enemies would be an understatement. Strachey easily lists ten
individuals who would pay to have John dead and his magazine permanently
shut up.
After much persuasion
and financial inducement, Strachey takes they job (against both his and
his life partner's better judgment). After less than one day on the job,
Strachey is called to Rutka's house - it has been firebombed.
Once again, Rutka
narrowly escapes injury. But Strachey hits upon a clue that leads him to
suspect Rutka's current boyfriend, Eddie. Not wanting to delve any further
into this apparently violent lover's quarrel, Strachey quits. Rutka is
incensed and pleads with Strachey to stay on the job. Eddie would never
want to hurt him. Following his long-honed instincts, Strachey walks.
The next morning the PI
learns the gruesome details of Rutka's death. Racked by guilt and a
professional need to wrap up the loose ends, Donald confronts John's
grieving partner. Eddie convinces the skeptical Strachey of his innocence
and the two agree to work together to find Rutka's killer. Leafing through
Rutka's files, all leads point to a particualry sinister closeted gay
Rutka referred to in his notes as the "All-American Asshole
Mega-Hypocrite." A prominent person who would stop at nothing - even
murder - to keep his secret concealed.
Strachey's life takes many interesting twists and turns as he delves
deeper and deeper into a Gay underworld he never knew existed. Searching
for the murderer's identity, Strachey soon faces the realization that he's
in too deep to get out alive. The only way Strachey can survive is to
unmask and "out" this lecherous villain before he kills again. And the
next name on the murder's list is Donald Strachey.
News Articles
Chad Allen's on the case
The Advocate, March 29, 2005
"IN THE fourth grade my best friend and I decided we'd be private
investigators because we read a series of books from Alfred Hitchcock, The
Three Investigators," recalls out actor Chad Allen. "We went to the
principal to inform him we were prepared to solve any crimes in our grade
school for him. Unfortunately, we never got any cases. I can't imagine why
not."
Allen will get a chance to stretch his PI muscles on the TV film Third Man
Out, currently shooting for cable's Here network for broadcast this
summer. Adapted from the fourth book in Richard Stevenson's acclaimed gay
sleuth series, Third Man Out sees gay detective Donald Strachey--a
military man turned private investigator--enlisted to track down the
mysterious would be killers of a gay activist reviled for outing
practices.
"Donald spans the distance between campy fun to dead serious
rough-and-tumble," says Allen, who has also signed on for future
adaptations if the network decides to turn the books into a series.
From Notes from Hollywood:
In other gay television news, Chad Allen (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) has
been cast an original series Third Man Out based on the popular series of
detective novels by Richard Stevenson. Directed by Ron Oliver (Queer As
Folk) and written by Mark Saltzman, the series begins filming in Toronto
about now and will debut on here! TV in summer 2005. In Third Man Out,
Allen will portray Donald Strachey, a gay detective “who delves into the
seedy world of urban corruption, making enemies as he solves crimes. He’s
a touch, cool customer in the tradition of the greatest hard-boiled
detectives.”
“We’re thrilled to be starting production on Third Man Out and to be
working with Chad Allen. This detective genre program will be a terrific
addition to our line-up of programming,” says Paul Colichman, Founder and
Chief Executive Officer of here!.
That’s a wrap!
From Hollywood reporter:
Jan. 13, 2005
Here! 'Out' with new series
Here! said Wednesday that it has green-lighted a new original series titled
"Third Man Out." Chad Allen has signed on to star in the series bound for
the premium TV network targeted to gay and lesbian audiences. Here!
founder and CEO Paul Colichman made the announcement during the network's
portion of the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour. The series,
based on the books by Richard Stevenson, centers on a gay detective
(Allen, "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") who delves into the world of
corruption, making enemies as he sets about solving crimes. "Third Man
Out," set to premiere in the summer, is directed by Ron Oliver and was
written by Mark Saltzman. (Kimberly Speight)
Deep Inside Hollywood: Chad Allen Five-O
Romeo San Vicente
Starsky & Hutch" may have been unintentionally and entertainingly homoerotic,
but there's never been a genuinely queer detective who's also the lead
character on a crime drama.
Until now, that is. Openly gay actor Chad
Allen ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") has just signed on to star in the
here! TV original series "Third Man Out." Based on a popular series of
books by Richard Stevenson, the show will be directed by Ron Oliver ("Queer
as Folk") and written by Mark Saltzman.
Allen will play tough-guy detective Donald
Strachey, a man who moves through the hard-boiled crime world with ease,
taking care of himself, rooting out corruption, busting the bad guys, and,
oh yes, making out with guys at the same time. Well, at least between
arrests.
The show starts shooting this month in
Vancouver and will begin airing on here! later this summer.
Photos from Third Man Out
courtesy of HereTV
Behind the Scenes Photos from
Third Man Out
courtesy of Daryl Shuttleworth
More Behind the Scenes Photos
from Director Ron Oliver's web site
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