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Why would Logo dangle the dream of a movie in front of the show's fans if they weren't serious about it? On Cannick's website, she speculated: "My guess, and it is just that, is that Logo canceled the show and offered the movie as a consolation prize. … Hey, who's going to be upset the series is canceled when there's the possibility of a movie in the works?"

McCullom shares her skepticism. "You can quote me on this: I don't believe Logo. I don't believe Logo is committed to a theatrical release. … I think they're playing a spin game. … Now, maybe they don't want to say the show is canceled because they don't want people to lose hope, or they don't want people to become skeptics. I don't know, but I personally resent the fact that Logo sent out that press release, and Patrik-Ian Polk sent out a press release, proclaiming a movie and never said … that there'd be no third season."

One thing both sides can agree on: The word "groundbreaking" gets thrown around a lot in the entertainment world, but Noah's Arc genuinely was. A drama about the lives and loves of four African-American gay men in Los Angeles — Noah (Darryl Stephens), Chance (Douglas Spearman), Alex (Rodney Chester) and Ricky (Christian Vincent) — it is Logo's most popular series.

The show debuted in 2005 and went on to garner mixed reviews but a passionate fan base. "When I watch television shows or films, I never watch expecting to identify with any of the characters or the story lines that may occur, but Noah's Arc did it all for me," QueerKidofColor.com's Steven Emmanuel told us. "There were characters that I identified with. And I finally, for once in my life, saw images of me."

Fisher offered: "It covers a phenomenon that is very common in the GLBT community, which is that so many of us have a circle of friends that we're so close to. It's like family. I think that Noah's Arc really does that in a very powerful way, in a very authentic way, and in a way that speaks to our entire community. … The show is about gay friends, but the story and the themes are very universal."

Beyond the universal storytelling, the show speaks to a group of people who are rarely represented in the media. "The fan base so desperately wants to believe [the show will continue] because the fan base is black gay men who had almost no representation on television whatsoever," said McCullom.

He explained: "It's extremely important for us to see our images, as imperfect as they may be. And for some people, this is the very first time they saw black gay men on television, the very first time they saw black gay men on television express love toward each other, interacting with each other. It was created by a black gay man. The stars are black. Whether they were gay or not, whatever. This was the first time, so they so desperately want to hold onto that."

The passion of the fan base, while undeniably an asset, might turn out to be a mixed blessing for Logo. For fans for whom this show carries the burden of being the first and only time they've seen themselves on TV, its loss is particularly bitter and fuels mistrust of Logo's motives. Cannick explained: "This network came out of nowhere, and they used Noah's Arc to launch itself. And they try to deny it, and they hate when people say it, but the fact is for African-American gays and lesbians, that's the only reason why we watch Logo."

Some fans have speculated that Logo doesn't value its black audience and that the removal of the series from the schedule is the product of racism, but McCullom doubts that.

"I never thought it was racial," he said. "I never went that route. I was only upset — and I'm from the industry and I know the game — if you cancel the show, just say you cancel the show. … But you can't dance around and you can't do the Bill Clinton 'it depends on what "is" is.' That's the only thing that bothered me. Now, a lot of my readers have been talking about [it]; they think there's a racial angle. … I don't necessarily think that's the case. I think they're [Logo] probably being more careful then they need to be because it's a black gay audience, but I don't necessarily think that the audience or the complexion of the characters dictated the budget for the show. I just don't."

Will Noah's Arc, the movie, really be made? And if the movie is made and is successful, will it bring Noah's Arc, the series, back to Logo? Logo has been unequivocal in its expressions of support for the future of the project, and Patrik-Ian Polk's public statements are equally enthusiastic. Still, the answers to those questions probably have more to do with the realities of financing movies and TV shows than with the intentions of the show's creators or the desires of the fans. Only time will tell.

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