The Donald Strachey Mysteries has been a groundbreaking franchise for here! Networks, in that the films feature an openly gay protagonist who breaks stereotypes by being the hero in these gritty crime dramas. Furthermore, in what is a rarity in mainstream entertainment, Strachey is involved in a healthy, functional, loving and monogamous relationship with another man, his husband, New York State Senate staffer Tim Callahan (Sebastian Spence). The relationship is explored in fun, entertaining and thought-provoking ways. Moreover, the films tend to explore important and relevant themes to the gay community. The series’ first film, Third Man Out, dealt with the controversial subject of outing. The second film, Shock to the System, saw Strachey investigate an ex-gay “reparative therapy” group. On the Other Hand, Death delves into gay hate crimes and the difficulties faced by LGBT teens. A resource for gay teens contemplating suicide, The Trevor Project, is prominently mentioned in the film. 

Directed by Ron Oliver (Queer as Folk, here!’s Kiss Me Deadly: A Jacob Keane Assignment) and based on the book by Richard Stevenson, On the Other Hand, Death begins with Dorothy (Kidder) and Edith (Gabrielle Rose) sleeping in each other’s arms on the second floor of their long-time farmhouse. Downstairs, a shadowy figure breaks through the glass door. When Edith goes to investigate the noise, she discovers graffiti sprawled across the walls. The hateful message reads “DYKES GO HOME.”

After speaking with their neighbors, Donald discovers that Dorothy and Edith rejected a developer’s over-priced bid for their property. Everyone else in the neighborhood wanted desperately to sell their homes, and Edith would have sold as well, but Dorothy wanted to keep her home of nearly forty years rather than make money for corporate profit. Meanwhile, things start to get complicated when the sexy and charming Andrew, Tim’s ex-boyfriend and good friend of Dorothy, comes into the picture. Andrew makes a pass at Donald and challenges Donald’s loyalty to Tim. Andrew’s presence puts Donald and Tim’s commitment to their marriage to the test. 

Not only has the series already produced two successful films, it also has drawn interest from well-known stars of film, television and stage to star in supporting roles, including Sean Young in Third Man Out and Morgan Fairchild in Shock to the System. The fourth installment in the franchise is titled Ice Blues and will be premiering in the fall and co-starring Sherry Miller (Queer as Folk). 

“We’re thrilled that Chad Allen is reprising his role as the sexy, gay, tough-guy detective Donald Strachey, and that we can offer his fans two additional installments of this popular franchise in 2008,” says here!’s Senior Vice President of Original Programming, Meredith Kadlec.  

here! is confident that On the Other Hand, Death will continue to add depth and mystery to a trailblazing and exciting franchise of original films.  

Founded in 2002, here! airs on all major U.S. cable systems as a 24-hour subscription service. here! appears in 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets, including every top ten market. here! also was the first gay network originating in the U.S. to launch in Canada. here! offers a wide variety of groundbreaking and acclaimed original movies and series plus the world's largest collection of gay and lesbian films appealing to the broad-based, diverse LGBT audience. here! Video, the broadband portal of here! Networks found at www.heretv.com/videoplayer, provides a broad sampling of here! programming. For more information on how to subscribe to here!, please visit www.heretv.com or call our toll free number at 1-888-HERE-NOW.