Sex and the City (TV series)
"Sex and the City" is a television series that aired on HBO, inspired by a 1997 novel of the same name by journalist Candace Bushnell. The show follows the lives of four women navigating their careers and romantic relationships in New York City, centering on the character Carrie Bradshaw, a sex columnist. Initially using a documentary-style format, the series shifted focus in later seasons to the core group of characters: Carrie, Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York, each representing different aspects of women's experiences and perspectives on love and friendship.
The series is notable for its candid exploration of sexuality, tackling a wide range of topics that were often considered taboo at the time. It received both praise for its open discussion of women's sexuality and criticism for being overly explicit. "Sex and the City" garnered significant acclaim, with numerous awards including seven Emmy Awards and eight Golden Globes. In 2008, it was adapted into a feature film, further extending its cultural impact. The show remains a landmark in television history for its portrayal of modern womanhood and relationships.
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Subject Terms
Sex and the City (TV series)
Creator Darren Star (1961- )
Date Aired from June 6, 1998, to February 22, 2004
This groundbreaking comedy/drama chronicled the sex lives of four New York City women and their friends.
Sex and the City was based on a 1997 novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell. Bushnell, a journalist who wrote about sex and dating for The New York Observer, based the novel on her newspaper column. The Home Box Office (HBO) television series, produced by Darren Star, followed the book closely for the first season, using vignettes and documentary-style interviews with various single people in New York City. By the second season, the series began to focus less on large numbers of characters and more on the main four: Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sex columnist based on Bushnell; Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), a public relations executive; Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), a lawyer; and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), an art gallery curator.
Impact
The show was groundbreaking for pushing the limits of sexuality on television. The characters discussed all sexual topics; nothing was taboo. The show displayed full nudity of both genders as well as intimate sexual acts between heterosexual and homosexual partners. While critics felt that the series was gratuitously sexual, supporters praised its frank approach to women’s sexuality and their relationships, especially the deepening friendships among the women. It was nominated for more than fifty Emmy Awards, winning seven, and more than twenty-four Golden Globes, winning eight. A film adaptation of the hit series was released in 2008.
Bibliography
Akass, Kim, and Janet McCabe, eds. Reading “Sex and the City.” New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.
Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. New York: Warner Books, 1997.