Arts & Entertainment
“Sherlock” creators tease new homoerotic “Dracula” series
Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait a whole year for more sexy scares.
The BBC just dropped a teaser trailer for their highly anticipated “Dracula” series, in which Danish actor Claes Bang portrays the iconic count, and it’s clear that this iteration of the classic tale plans to take a more pansexual approach than we’ve seen in the past.
In the trailer, Dracula is seen gently caressing the face of an obviously terrified young man as he tells him, “Try and stay calm, you’re doing very well.”
The series comes from writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, who created the wildly successful modern-day “Sherlock” reboot that won legions of fans and turned actor Benedict Cumberbatch into a household name. Produced by Hartswood Films and inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic novel, it’s set in 1897 Transylvania and re-introduces us to the blood drinking Count as he prepares his plans against Victorian London.
Gatiss, who is gay, says “He’s got broad tastes, this Dracula. It’s not just a collection of sixties women with push-up bras this time. Dracula has never been discriminative, in so far as he can tell the difference between the sexes. He goes for his food but also people who interest him.”
Gatiss and Moffat are also known for their work on another popular British show, “Dr. Who.” They previously introduced LGBT themes and characters in that series as well as in “Sherlock,” where they portrayed the fictional detective’s arch-nemesis Moriarty as a gay man (memorably portrayed by out actor Andrew Scott, now known as “Sexy Priest” from the Emmy-winning “Fleabag”) and often playfully tipped the hat to fans who “ship” the duo of Holmes and Watson – though they never went so far as to actually suggest any sexual or romantic relationship between them.
The shadow of “Sherlock” looms large – literally – over the new series.
According to Gatiss in an interview with Pilot TV magazine, the entire idea for “Dracula” sprung from something that happened while filming the first season of the previous show.
“Well, I’m conscious whatever we say now will be the story we’ll be telling for the next ten years, so I might pretend that we were in a hot-air balloon over Marrakech,” he joked.
“The truth is we were making Sherlock, two days into shooting the first series… I had this photo on my phone of Benedict Cumberbatch silhouetted against Mrs. Hudson’s door, and I showed Ben Stephenson, who was then head of BBC drama, [saying] ‘Oooh it looks like Dracula, doesn’t it?’ and he went, ‘Do you want to do it?’”
Gatiss is also an actor, known best to American audiences for appearing in “Sherlock” as the detective’s brother, and also for a juicy turn as shrewd banker Tycho Nestoris in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” He takes on an as-yet-undisclosed role alongside Bang in “Dracula,” which will also feature John Heffernan (“The Crown”), Joanna Scanlan (“Hold The Sunset”), Dolly Wells (“Can You Ever Forgive Me”), Morfydd Clark (“His Dark Materials,” “Patrick Melrose”) and Lujza Richter (“Phantom Thread”).
The new series has yet to air, but Gatiss has already teased the possibility of a second season, saying, “It’s very hard to kill a vampire.”
“Dracula” will follow the same format as “Sherlock,” consisting of three feature-length episodes and airing in the UK on BBC One. It will be available in the US and other parts of the world on Netflix. No release date has been set but it is expected to debut in January of 2020.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
Let love and compassion guide our response to Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis
D.C. Black Pride 2025: Events, parties, and empowerment
Cuban lawmakers to consider simplifying process for trans people to change IDs
Frank Kameny’s legacy lives on
