Category Archives: Sex and the City

And Just Like That Boss Michael Patrick King Addresses Critics

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The Sex And The City revival was divisive from the get-go, but when its final instalment aired over the summer, even its most loyal viewers were disappointed at the way things played out.

However, speaking to the New York Post, Michael Patrick – who was previously one of the showrunners on Sex And The City – maintained that the franchise has always been a controversial one.

“When we did Sex And The City and the women were 35, there was a lot of criticism about ‘why aren’t these women married?’ and ‘why haven’t these women settled down?’ and ‘how annoying are these women?’,” the Emmy winner said.

These days, he continued, the comments are more along the lines of “why aren’t these women further along?”, “why are they still talking?” and “why do they still exist on camera?”.

Michael Patrick King attends the premiere of "And Just Like That..." Season 3 at the Crane Club on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Michael Patrick King attends the premiere of “And Just Like That…” Season 3 at the Crane Club on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

via Associated Press

According to Michael Patrick, And Just Like That was “daring” in the way it depicted “very vibrant women at a certain age”, which he said “rubbed society the wrong way”.

He added that “people, especially women who were in that wheelhouse, were really moved and felt very seen” by the reboot.

“When you’re pushing an edge [or] when you’re trying to do something that really isn’t on TV, there’s always going to be pushback,” he insisted. “But the creative work stands for itself.”

After the finale aired in August, Michael Patrick defended the decision to have the last ever outing for the Sex And The City gang include graphic scenes of an overflowing toilet.

“Whenever anyone in this universe, Sex And The City or And Just Like That, stands on a soapbox to make a speech, the soapbox breaks. We cannot take ourselves too seriously,” he said.

“For the gorgeousness of Carrie’s pink, sparkly top and tulle skirt – that’s the high – the low is a toilet filled up with shit. Because guess what? Being single, there’s a lot of shit, and relationships are a lot of shit,” Michael Patrick added.

“It’s the comedy, with the drama, with the romance, with the fairytale. I guess it’s a response to the fairytale.”

Sarah Jessica Parker – the show’s lead, as well as an executive producer – also defended the finale after it was slammed by both critics and viewers.

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Missing And Just Like That Already? This Forgotten Sex And The City Spin-Off Is Also Streaming

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After three seasons of bed-wetting, street vomit, vertigo-induced falls, botched phone sex, “Miraaaaanda”, penis pumps, characters being brought back from the dead only to be killed off again, puppetry-inspired masturbation, “the woman wondered what she had gotten herself into”, “I’ve done a ton of weed” and more than double the amount of Bitsy Von Muffling than we ever got in Sex And The City, it’s almost time to say goodbye to TV’s most chaotic spin-off, And Just Like That.

Next week, the polarising reboot will come to an end with its last ever episode, which will see Sarah Jessica Parker hanging up her Manolos for good and making her last on-screen appearance as Carrie Bradshaw.

It’s no secret that And Just Like That was never exactly a hit with critics, but we still can’t help feeling a little sad at the prospect of never seeing the characters we’ve loved since Sex And The City – and Nicole Ari Parker as LTW, for that matter! – again.

However, what you might not realise is that And Just Like That isn’t the only show set in the Sex And The City universe that’s available to stream now.

If you’re looking for something to stream once And Just Like That is over, you might want to check out this other Sex And The City spin-off

AnnaSophia Robb on the set of The Carrie Diaries in 2012
AnnaSophia Robb on the set of The Carrie Diaries in 2012

Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic/Getty

While it received little fanfare at the time, in 2013, The Carrie Diaries reintroduced the future columnist and TV icon as a high school student.

Set in the mid-80s and based on Candace Bushnell’s book of the same name, the criminally-underrated series saw AnnaSophia Robb playing the character in her younger years, as she navigated first love and finding her place in the world.

The first season also introduced viewers to Carrie’s first group of girlfriends, as well as her first crush, played by a young Austin Butler a decade before he’d have his breakthrough in movies like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Elvis and Dune: Part Two.

Admittedly, The Carrie Diaries is a teen drama, meaning the action is a little more youth-oriented than anything showcased in Sex And The City or And Just Like That.

Still, for Sex And The City fans, we’d still consider giving it a whirl. For one thing, AnnaSophia clearly did her homework when it came to playing Carrie – her mannerisms are endearingly SJP-esque, and if you’re a fan of the character’s fashion, you’ll love seeing the young character experimenting with her personal style set against the backdrop of the 80s.

The cast of The Carrie Diaries, including AnnaSophia Robb, Austin Butler and Freema Agyeman
The cast of The Carrie Diaries, including AnnaSophia Robb, Austin Butler and Freema Agyeman

Warner Bros Television/Kobal/Shutterstock

It’s also heartwarming seeing Carrie’s love for her future home in New York blossom over time, especially in season two, when the character makes her very first foray into journalism as an intern for Interview magazine.

The second season also introduces a fabulous new addition in the form of Lindsey Gort’s lovingly-crafted interpretation of Samantha Jones.

If you’re intrigued, the whole show is streaming for free on ITVX in the UK.

Lindsey Gort and AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha Jones and Carrie Bradshaw on the set of The Carrie Diaries in 2013
Lindsey Gort and AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha Jones and Carrie Bradshaw on the set of The Carrie Diaries in 2013

Zelig Shaul/Shutterstock

When will the final episode of And Just Like That be available to stream?

The And Just Like That will premiere in the US on Thursday 14 August at 9pm ET on the streaming platform HBO Max.

After that, it will be available to stream on Now and Sky in the UK from around 2am on Friday 15 August (just in case you want to set your alarm and see it before it’s spoiled for you!).

Where can I stream Sex And The City and its spin-off films?

Like And Just Like That, Sex And The City is also available to watch on Now and Sky in the UK, as is Divorce, another SJP project featuring brief appearances from several And Just Like That cast members.

Meanwhile, the Sex And The City movie and its much-derided sequels are both currently on Netflix.

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Sarah Jessica Parker Opens Up About Deleted Sex And The City Scene That Could Have Been A Game-Changer For Carrie

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Sarah Jessica Parker is lifting the lid on a deleted Sex And The City scene that would have given viewers more of an insight into her character’s background.

The Emmy winner played Carrie Bradshaw in all six seasons of Sex And The City, as well as its two spin-off films and the revival series And Just Like That.

Ahead of And Just Like That’s return, HuffPost UK spoke to Sarah Jessica about the fact that, despite Carrie having been on our screens for the better part of 30 years, there are still a lot of question marks around the character’s back story.

SJP explained that there has always been a “very conscious effort” to not shed too much light on any of the characters’ introduced in Sex And The City personal histories, but especially Carrie.

“There was a moment that we had a father for Carrie,” she recalled. “There was a scene shot where Carrie opens a desk drawer, and looks down and sees a photograph of her father, and shuts the drawer. And we cut it from the show.”

Sarah Jessica Parker at the premiere of And Just Like That season three
Sarah Jessica Parker at the premiere of And Just Like That season three

via Associated Press

According to Sarah Jessica, showrunner Michael Patrick King opted to ditch the small scene as he felt it would have “complicated” the story, and might have “eclipsed” and “dominated” the bigger picture.

“I could not agree more,” she said. “There is a sort of alternate universe in which she lives, in which back story doesn’t exist.

“So, we’re not endowing her with qualities because… or saying she behaves this way because… or a parent or mother parented her this way and that’s why [she had] this response.

“[This approach is] so clean, and it kind of gives you more liberty to tell a story. Because in some ways, once you start introducing families, and the ways in which they’ve informed somebody, you lock yourself into, like, pathologies and choices and eccentricities.”

Carrie did briefly touch on her family life in season four of Sex And The City, when she disclosed that her father left the family home when she was a child.

“Do you think it really can be as simple as, ‘My father walked out, therefore I’ll always be messed up about men?‘’,” she asked Miranda in the episode A Vogue Idea, who responded: “My father came home every night at seven on the dot, and I have no clue about men either.”

The first episode of And Just Like That season three is now streaming on Sky and Now in the UK, with new instalments coming every Friday.

More interviews with the And Just Like That cast will be published on HuffPost UK in the coming days.

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This Is How Sarah Jessica Parker Really Feels About People Slating Carrie Bradshaw

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It’s fair to say that attitudes towards Sex And The City have shifted over time.

But there’s one other debate relating to Sex And The City that’s also become more heated over time – one relating to its leading lady, Carrie Bradshaw.

Let’s face it, Sarah Jessica Parker’s character wasn’t always the easiest to root for – particularly when it came to her affair with Mr Big while he was married and she was still with her boyfriend Aidan – but modern audiences have been even more scathing about Carrie, taking issue with everything from her self-centredness to her dramatic tendencies and the way she treats other characters in the show.

And it sounds like SJP has taken some of these criticisms to heart.

During the latest episode of her co-star Kristin Davis’ podcast Are You A Charlotte?, the host told Sex And The City showrunner Michael Patrick King: “There’s still people who are like, ‘Carrie’s the worst!’. Or whatever different thing it is that week…”

Kristin then revealed that Sarah Jessica Parker does take these comments “personally”, revealing that before they began working on revival And Just Like That, the Emmy winner confided in her, asking: “What is this thing where people don’t like Carrie? I mean, how could they not like Carrie?”

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This Is Where You’ve Seen Masters Of The Air Star Austin Butler Before

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Warner Bros. UK via PA Media

After wowing critics in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic (and landing himself an Oscar nomination in the process, no less), Austin Butler is now back in action in an exciting new project.

The US star joins a star-studded cast of actors in Apple TV+’s new war epic Masters Of The Air, alongside the likes of Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan and Ncuti Gatwa.

However, what you might not realise is that there’s every chance you’d already seen him either on TV or the silver screen long before Masters Of The Air or Elvis came along.

Here are nine of Austin Butler’s former projects you may well have seen him in without realising…

Hannah Montana

Austin began acting professionally as a teenager, appearing as Lionel Scranton in over 40 episodes of the Nickelodeon series Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.

But that’s far from the only teen show Austin appeared in during that period.

As well as Zoey 101, iCarly and Wizards Of Waverly Place, Austin shared the screen with Miley Cyrus in an episode of Disney’s Hannah Montana, when he was around 15 years old.

Ruby & The Rockits

Danny Feld via Getty Images

Starring teen idol David Cassidy (and created by his brother Shaun), the sitcom Ruby & The Rockits centred around a once-famous musical family who have retired from the limelight and their lives after fame.

Austin appeared as the lead character Ruby’s son Jordan Gallagher, who gave several musical performances over the course of the show.

Aliens In The Attic

Moviestore/Shutterstock

Having already racked up appearances in several teen comedies, Austin’s first feature-length film role came in 2009, when he appeared in the family adventure Aliens In The Attic.

For those unfortunate enough to have missed it, the film – which co-starred Ashley Tisdale and Carter Jenkins – deals with a family whose children discover some aliens.

Spoiler alert: They’re in the attic.

Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure

And speaking of Ashley Tisdale, her iconic High School Musical character received her own spin-off, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, in 2011.

The musical film reunited Aliens In The Attic stars Austin and Ashley, with the former playing an aspiring film director who convinces Sharpay to be the star of his next project. It’s completely ridiculous, and therefore a must-watch.

The Carrie Diaries

Warner Bros Television/Kobal/Shutterstock

While we’re on the subject of must-watches, we were skeptical about Sex And The City prequel The Carrie Diaries when it was first announced, but ended up loving it, and we definitely don’t feel it gets enough love.

Austin was one of the main cast members in both seasons of The Carrie Diaries, playing Carrie Bradshaw’s first ever love, Sebastian Kydd.

Arrow

Austin appeared in the superhero crime drama as a DJ who catches the eye of Thea Queen, played by Willa Holland.

His character, Chase, was a recurring role in the third season, with Austin racking up three episodes in total.

Yoga Hosers

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Yoga Hosers formed part of filmmaker Kevin Smith’s “True North trilogy”, alongside Tusk and Moose Jaws.

Like the rest of the trilogy, Yoga Hosers featured appearances from Johnny Depp and his daughter Lily-Rose, Justin Long and Haley Joel Osment, as well as Adam Brody, Tony Hale and Nastasha Lyonne.

The comedy horror – which centred around two teenage yoga enthusiasts who end up fighting a battle with zombie Nazis – was completely panned by critics.

The Dead Don’t Die

F Elmes/Focus Features/Kobal/Shutterstock

Another comedy horror in Austin Butler’s back catalogue, which boasted a seriously impressive star-studded cast including Billy Murray, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevingny and Adam Driver.

Austin’s character was one of a trio of travellers, sharing the screen with Selena Gomez and Luke Sabbat.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Undoubtedly Austin’s most prolific role to date was in the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Austin appeared as Charles Denton “Tex” Watson, a real-life member of the so-called Manson Family, who was responsible for the murder of Sharon Tate, an event which is reimagined by Tarantino within the film.

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