Max will bring back its Sex and the City spinoff series And Just Like That … for a third season on the eve of the show’s second season finale.

The Michael Patrick King-produced series, which stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sara Ramirez and Sarita Choudhury, ends its 11-episode second season on August 24. Season two of  And Just Like That … ranks as Max's most-watched original series, Max head of original content Sarah Aubrey said. 

“[And Just Like That …] is the most watched returning Max original to date,” Aubrey said. “As we approach the highly anticipated season finale on Thursday, we raise our cosmos to Michael Patrick King and his magnificent team of writers, producers, cast, and crew who continue to charm us 25 years later, with dynamic friendships and engaging stories. We cannot wait for audiences to see where season three will take our favorite New Yorkers.” 

Added King: “We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex And The City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors. And Just Like That… here comes season three.”

And Just Like That … is produced by King, Parker, Davis, Nixon, John Melfi, Julie Rottenberg, and Elisa Zuritsky.  

The character of Carrie Bradshaw made her debut on HBO as the lead of Sex and the City (SATC) in 1998 at the age of 33. For six seasons, SATC became a kind of secret roadmap for those looking for love, those starting out or starting over, the cool kids wanting the latest look and anyone who just wanted a fabulous life in what many believe is the greatest city in the world. Showrunner and creator Michael Patrick King and lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker started their little endeavor, based on the novel by Candace Bushnell, on a shoestring, scouring thrift stores and friends’ closets for the iconic looks that defined the image of the Parker’s character, a sex columnist who spent a disproportionate amount of her paychecks on shoes—shopping is Bradshaw’s sport, and she’s a champion.

The action of the show, when it wasn’t living up to its title, took place in restaurants, in boutiques, looking for real estate, and occasionally in travel away from NYC—the swipe of credit cards could have been the soundtrack. Carrie and her friends, and so it goes—their audience—were smack in the middle of the key 25-54 buying demographic—that’s golden for advertisers.

Being on HBO meant that the show was free to explore creatively what it wanted without having to consider advertisers. But when the show became a hit, syndication followed. Thereafter, SATC found a huge broadcast television audience, and designers and brands piled on. Thrifting became a fictional endeavor, not a production necessity.

Nearly 18 years after Carrie and friends closed out their final season, HBO rebooted SATC this past December with And Just Like That—where the characters picked up their storylines in real time. Everyone has aged (magnificently) and matured into the next chapter of their lives. Our dear iconic Carrie, who graduated at the end of SATC from her one-bedroom/one-bath walk-up, where the stove doubled as extra sweater storage, to her penthouse with a closet the size of many Manhattan living rooms, has now, at the age of 55, also graduated out of the key demo of 25-54. Does that mean that advertisers should give the cold shoulder to the darling of designers?

In the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, the 55+ segment of the population grew 14.74%, while two cuts of the key demo shrank: persons 35-49 decreased by 4% and persons 50-54 decreased by 9%[1]. Expanding that key demo to persons 25-64 would incorporate Carrie, half of the Baby Boomer segment, and all of Gen X[2].

Carrie’s credit card still sings, and loudly, as demonstrated in the current 10 episodes of shopping, restaurants and real estate. Likewise, the buying power of the 55-64 segment is strong; this group outspends younger demos on new vehicles[3] and in many other key categories, because, to riff off of Carrie herself, “Enjoy yourself! That’s what your 20s are for. Your 30s are to learn the lessons. Your 40s are to pay for the drinks.” I say, your 50s and 60s are to buy what you want.

The 55-64 age segment, in fact, spends more on several key home improvement categories, including pools, bathrooms, kitchens, siding and the not-so-sexy but let’s-face-it-gotta-have-it HVAC categories.

Looking at net worth, the trend is clear: 55-64 is the age break with the money to spend. In a 2021 survey[4], household net worth broken out by age rose from $380,000 for persons 25-34 to $450,000 for persons 35-54 to $504,000 for persons 55-64. 

If the past informs the present, And Just Like That could have a second and extended life in the syndication world that could mean an even larger broadcast audience. While broadcasters have already made the case for adoption of the extended demo, our data shows that if you don't include the 55-64 year old set as a buying target, you may miss a big opportunity. No doubt advertisers are already paying attention to the aging population trend which necessitates keeping up with consumers, consumer spending habits and audiences. And just as the creative world adapts and expands to an aging audience, so should the key demo.

[1] Source: Nielsen NPOWER, UE and Sample Information, Past 11 February Measurements

[2] % of P2+ Source: Nielsen NPOWER, Total US, July 15, 2021

[3] Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2020 Release 2; *Scarborough measures adults 18+

[4] Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2021 Release 1; *Scarborough measures adults 18+

HBO Max's Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That ... leads the list of original series and documentaries debuting this week. 

Sara Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon all reprise their Sex and the City roles in And Just Like That ...., in which they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s, said HBO Max. The series debuts Dec. 9 on the streaming service.

Prime Video on Dec. 10 will premiere the sixth and final season of the sci-fi series The Expanse. The six-episode season will air weekly on the streaming service. 

On the documentary front, Disney Plus on Dec. 8 will debut Welcome to Earth, as six-part series starring Will Smith as he travels around the world to explore earth's greatest wonders and reveal its most hidden secrets, according to the streaming service. 

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting the week of Dec. 6 to Dec. 12 on cable networks and streaming services (for some videos, viewer discretion is advised):

Dec. 6 -- Landscapers (drama) -- HBO

Dec. 9 -- Anne Boleyn (drama) -- AMC Plus

Dec. 9 -- Mr. Saturday Night (documentary) -- HBO

Dec. 10 -- Encounter (sci-fi movie) -- Prime Video

Dec. 10 -- Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story (documentary series) -- Netflix

Dec. 10 -- The Unforgivable (drama) -- Netflix

Dec. 11 -- The Real Charlie Chaplin (drama) -- Showtime

HBO Max has set a Dec. 9 premiere date for its Sex and the City spinoff series, And Just Like That ..., the network said Friday.

In And Just Like That ..., series stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon will reprise their respective roles from the original Sex and the City series -- which ran on HBO from 1998 to 2004 --  as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s, said HBO Max. 

The 10-episode series also stars Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson, and Evan Handler.

And Just Like That … is executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, John Melfi and Michael Patrick King.

HBO Max will stream the first two episodes of the series on Dec. 9, with additional episodes premiering weekly on consecutive Thursdays, said the streaming service. 

Starz delves into the complexities of female friendships in its new original dramedy, Run the World. 

Set in present day Harlem, Run The World centers on the lives and relationships of four Black female friends who navigate their way through their thirties faced with the everyday challenges of career, relationships, marriage and children. 

Whether it’s Sondi (Corbin Reid) dealing with her relationship with a single father (Stephen Bishop); Whitney (Amber Stevens West) worrying over her upcoming nuptials; Ella (Andrea Bordeaux) taking a humbling job as a website writer and potentially getting back with a former boyfriend; or Renee (Bresha Webb), dealing with uncertainty over her marriage and future, Run The World tells each woman's story in an unapologetic, bold, straightforward and grounded manner that’s feels genuine.

While comparisons will inevitably be made between Run The World and genre predecessors such as Girlfriends and Living Single (the latter of which Run the World executive producer Yvette Lee Bowser created) -- along with Sex In The City (there’s a humorous Mr. Big reference in the pilot episode) -- Starz has created a series that stands on its own two feet in terms of its feel and flow. The characters feel more like sisters than friends who talk freely and openly about virtually every dynamic of their lives, including their sexual escapades.

Run The World creator Leigh Davenport successfully channels the charm and strength of the camaraderie between the four ladies into an entertaining eight-episode journey. Viewers will embrace how their friendship remains steadfast and loyal through the challenges that they face --  both societal and self-created -- as together they shoot for “world domination” with control over both their professional and personal lives.

HBO Max said it has given a series order to And Just Like That..., which is billed as a new chapter of the Sex and the City story.

The sequel will star Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. The three stars will executive produce along with Michael Patrick King.

“The series will follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s,” HBO Max said.

Also Read: Are HBO Max Users Twice as Engaged vs. Disney Plus?

“I grew up with these characters, and I can’t wait to see how their story has evolved in this new chapter, with the honesty, poignancy, humor and the beloved city that has always defined them,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. 

The ten-episode, half-hour series is scheduled to begin production in New York late spring.

The announcement did not mention Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the series. 

The news appeared on Sara Jessica Parker’s Instagram Sunday afternoon.

As we near the 20th anniversary of Sex and the City’s premiere, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong releases her book Sex and the City and Us: How Four Single Women Changed the Way We Think, Live and Love. Keishin Armstrong, who also wrote the Seinfeld deep dive Seinfeldia and Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, chose Sex and the City for a book because of the effect it had on her life. The introduction details the author, emboldened by the show, leaving her fiancé in the early 2000s.

“It was very personal to me, and I don’t think I’m alone,” she said.

Keishin Armstrong landed interviews with Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Star, Michael Patrick King, Kristin Davis and other key figures involved with the series. She supplements those with published reviews and think pieces about its six-season run on HBO.

Which episodes stand out? One entitled “My Motherboard, My Self,” from season four, which sees the women rally around Miranda when her mother dies. “It’s the absolute essence of the show,” Keishin Armstrong said.

She noted Sex and the City’s “magical effect” on young women. “It changed people’s lives,” she said. “It changed so much about the way we date, the way we talk about sex.”

A new season of Teachers begins on TV Land June 5. Season three offers surprises, star and executive producer Katy Colloton promised. “We’ve done 30 episodes, and wanted to change it up a bit,” she said. “We introduce some new characters and explore new territory.”

One episode offers an homage to The Walking Dead. A student has lice, prompting the teachers, in ponchos and hairnets, to wander the halls like the living dead. “It’s a fun twist on zombie movies,” Colloton said.

Teachers features six stars that also write and produce: Colloton, Caitlin Barlow, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O’Brien and Katie Thomas, collectively known as the Katydids. Each has her own style of comedy, said Colloton, be it bathroom humor or something more sophisticated. “It ends up being something everyone can enjoy,” she said.

What style of humor does Colloton bring? Physical. “I just want to be Lucille Ball,” she said.