''The Lair'' is an American
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
-themed
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...
television series produced by
here!
Here TV is an American premium television network targeting LGBT audiences. Launched in 2002, Here TV is available nationwide on all major cable systems, fiber optics systems, and Internet TV providers as either a 24/7 premium subscription channe ...
in 2007. The first season consisted of six episodes and wrapped production in January 2007. The first two episodes premiered on June 1, 2007. Season 2 consisted of nine episodes and debuted on September 5, 2008. A third season of 13 episodes was announced in September 2008 and
Colton Ford
Glenn Soukesian, known professionally as Colton Ford, is an American singer, actor, and former pornographic actor. As of May 2007, he resides in New York City.
Career
Adult pornographic career
Colton Ford appeared in a dozen gay adult celebrate ...
confirmed that filming took place in October and November 2008. Season 3 premiered September 4, 2009.
Cast
Main
*
Peter Stickles as Damian Courtenay, leader of a vampire coven and owner of The Lair
*
David Moretti
David Shae (also known as David Moretti) (born September 3, 1981)) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ron Martz, in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell and Alfred on ''The Walking Dead''.
Early life
Shae was born in Cranston, Rhode ...
as Thom Etherton, reporter for a local newspaper
* Dylan Vox as Colin, Damian's second in command
*
Brian Nolan
Brian Nolan (born November 28, 1979) is an American actor and producer, best known for starring as Frankie on all current seasons of Here! TV’s ''The Lair'' and as a producer on the Netflix films '' Secret Obsession'' and ''Fatal Affair''.
As ...
as Frankie, The Lair's human janitor
*
Colton Ford
Glenn Soukesian, known professionally as Colton Ford, is an American singer, actor, and former pornographic actor. As of May 2007, he resides in New York City.
Career
Adult pornographic career
Colton Ford appeared in a dozen gay adult celebrate ...
as Sheriff Trout, the island's sheriff
* Jesse Cutlip as Jonathan, Thom's overly jealous boyfriend (season 1)
*
Beverly Lynne as Laura Rivers, Thom's best friend and co-worker (seasons 1–2)
* Matty Ferraro as Ian, a young
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
(season 2)
*
Frankie Valenti as Tim, a landscaper and botanist's assistant (seasons 2–3)
* Steven Hirschi as Athan, an ancient
Gorgon
A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
(season 3)
Also starring
In season three select actors had their names included in the opening credits directly after the main cast members' names, although no montage was made for them
* Thor Knai as Dennis, a troubled youth who was straightened out by Sheriff Trout
* Jared Grey as Harris Phillip Chichester, owner of the Seen Of The Crime Bookstore and author of two books on local legends
* Vince Harrington as Matty, manager of the Arkham Harbor Light bar
* Tyler Saint as an unnamed member of Damian's coven
Special guest stars
In season three select actors had their names included in the opening credits as special guest stars, although no montage was made for them
*
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning (born Sybille Johanna Danninger) is an Austrian actress, model, and film producer. She is best known for her frequent appearances in B movies during the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography Early years and first films
Born in Austria, Dannin ...
as Frau Von Hess, a vampire who wants revenge on Damian
*
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953) is an American former pornographic actor.
Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list. Jeremy has also made a number of non-pornographic m ...
as a Delivery Guy, delivering to the Arkham Harbor Light bar
;Notes
Plot summary
Season 1
''The Lair'' is set in a small island community, the exact location of which is unknown. Thom, a reporter for the local paper, is investigating a string of deaths of young men, known as the "John Doe murders". His investigation leads him to a sex club called The Lair, which he discovers is run by a coven of vampires led by Damian. Damian is drawn to Thom because Thom is the double of the man who turned Damian into a vampire two centuries earlier. Colin, Damian's lieutenant, schemes to brick Damian behind a wall and take over The Lair. Local lawman Sheriff Trout, also investigating the murders, finds his way to The Lair. A shootout ensues in which Damian's human henchman Frankie is killed.
Season 2
As Sheriff Trout recovers from his gunshot wounds, he takes in Ian, a new arrival to the island who is pursued by a mysterious mainlander. Damian contacts Thom and convinces him to recover Damian's body and restore him. Frankie haunts Colin, warning of his imminent demise. Intrigue blooms in the form of the ''Lumina Orchis'', a flower that blossoms only in moonlight and which casts a strange fascination over local botanist Jake to the dismay of his assistant Tim. By season's end Jake, Laura, Jonathan and the mysterious mainlander are all dead, Colin is destroyed and Thom is living at The Lair.
Season 2.5
Season 2.5 was depicted in a
online 8-part comic seriesdrawn by comic artist Rosendo Brown, known fo
''Fabulance'' Each part in the series was a one-page stand-alone story that was meant to fill in the missing links of events that transpired after the Season 2 finale. These stories were:
"A Cold Day in Hell" Colin arrives in Hell and learns that he must make a deal with the devil to return to his immortal, vampire life.
"Special Delivery" Damian indulges in deviant sexual behavior with one of his vampire coven as he ruminates on his life as the undead king.
"Bump in the Night" Sheriff Trout keeps watch on a sleepless night at his house, guarding against the unseen terrors that have suddenly plagued his town.
"Highway to Hell" Colin is given directions by the demon on where he can find The Master, who will return Colin to Earth.
"A Warm Welcome" Colin fights a demon guardian on his quest to find the elusive "Master"
"Ghost Stories" Frankie learns the bright side of being a ghost from the spirit of a dead little boy.
"Last Call" Thom starts to lament the choices in his life as he is accosted by a blood thirsty vampire in Damian's club.
"A Chance in Hell" The Master puts his plan into motion by agreeing to return Colin to the world of the living
Season 3
Thom struggles to adjust to life as the only human at The Lair. Colin enthralls Richie from beyond the grave to restore Colin, who schemes to establish a club to rival The Lair. Damian is contacted by the reclusive Frau von Hess, who has plans for him and the island. Sheriff Trout, missing the now-fugitive Ian, recalls another young man from his past. A new arrival to the island is Athan, an antiquities expert who harbors within him the spirit of a male
gorgon
A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
.
Podcast
On June 21, 2007, here! launched a
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...
for the series. Hosted by
DJ and here! personality
Ben Harvey, the podcast features roundtable discussions of the series and interviews with cast members. No new podcasts associated with season two have been released; the last podcast was released in October 2007.
Critical response
Critical reaction to ''The Lair'' has been largely negative. "Awful...in a general sense
ut withtrue camp value" is how the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...
'' described the show. While the ''Post-Gazette'' singles out Moretti's performance for praise, other reviews describe various of the cast as "wooden"
and the acting "so amateurishly done as to be comical at times."
DVD releases
See also
*
Vampire film
Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...
*
List of vampire television series
List of television series about vampires, creatures from folklore that subsist by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and ...
References
External links
Official site*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lair, The
2007 American television series debuts
2000s American LGBT-related drama television series
American television soap operas
Gay-related television shows
Here TV original programming
2000s American horror television series
Vampires in television
Gay-related films