Everything you need to know about Sex and the City

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones, Kristin Davis as Charlotte York and Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes

Sex and the City follows the lives of four best friends as they each attempt to find love in New York City.

Told through the eyes of Carrie, who publishes a diary-like column of the group’s exploits in a newspaper column, the four deal with the trials and tribulations of twenty/thirty-something dating with a hilarious lens.

Launching in 1998, Sex and the City became an international success, with women everywhere relating to at least one of the four main characters, or the experiences they have with as a woman in the Millenium era.

The series concluded in 2004, but remains to this day iconic to the era in which it was set.

**Who starred in Sex and the City?**

While there’s a revolving door of men and women in the show, Sex and the City wouldn’t be what it is without the four central women.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw

Carrie Bradshaw is the leading lady of SATC, and acts as narrator to the show’s antics.

A journalist and columnist for the fictional New York Star newspaper, Carrie has become a huge success thanks to her no-holds-barred detailing of the sex lives of her friends in her Sex and the City column.

Sarah Jessica Parker is an actor and entrepreneur, who won two Primetime Emmys, four Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild Awards for playing Carrie. Acting from the age of 11 on Broadway, Parker is also known for other screen roles including Footloose, The First Wives Club, Hocus Pocus, Divorce and Glee.

Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones

Samantha Jones is a sharp-tongued proud singleton and boss bitch. Working in public relations, Samantha works hard - and plays even harder. However, she’s also a very devoted friend, willing to go to any lengths to keep them happy.

Kim Cattrall earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of Samantha. Cattrall’s other notable credits include Mannequin, Big Trouble In Little China, Tell Me A Story, Filthy Rich and How I Met Your Father.

Kristin Davis as Charlotte York

Charlotte York is desperate to get married, and considers all her romantic endeavors with that in the back of her mind. But not all men are marriage material - as she quickly learns. While she may appear timid to the outside world, she’s not afraid to speak her mind to those that know her, or those who get on the wrong side of her.

Colorado-born Kristin Davis first found fame on popular US soap Melrose Place and later had a string of guest appearances in iconic sitcoms including Seinfeld, Friends and Will And Grace. Credits include Bad Teacher: The TV Series, Couples Retreat and Deck The Halls.

Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes

Miranda Hobbes is an independent woman who is used to fighting for what she wants in the corporate world of being a lawyer. Often the only woman in the room, Miranda knows she needs to act tough to get her voice heard. Unfortunately, this has somewhat leaked through to her romantic life, where she struggles to be vulnerable and let people in.

Cynthia Nixon is a two-time Emmy winner (for Sex and the City, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) and a two-time Tony winning actress (for Broadway roles of Rabbit Hole and The Little Foxes). Her other credits include The Big C, Hannibal, Ratched and The Gilded Age. She is also an LGBT and human rights activist, and attempted to run for New York Governor in 2018.

Other key cast members of note include:

Chris Noth as ‘Mr Big’
Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch
Mario Cantone as Anthony Marantino
David Eigenberg as Steve Brady
John Corbett as Aidan Shaw
Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt

**How many episodes of Sex and the City are there?**

The main Sex and the City series ran for six seasons totaling 94 episodes.

Season one ran for 18 episodes, before seasons two, three and four were upped to 22 episodes each.

Due to ongoing industry strikes at the time in 2002, season five only ran for ten episodes.

Season six was split into two parts totaling 20 episodes - the first half running for 12 and the second half running for eight.

**How many spin-offs or reboots of Sex and the City have there been?**

Sex and the City has been revived multiple times in the years since it finished airing.

This includes two movies, a prequel series and a sequel series.

The Carrie Diaries (2013-2014)

The first major spin-off of the franchise, The Carrie Diaries follows a teenage Carrie Bradshaw in 1984, as she dreams of life as a journalist in New York City from her home in Connecticut.

Meeting her in 1984, The Carrie Diaries explores how the character became to be the person we know in the main series, and how she found her friendship group.

AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terebithia, Dr Death) portrays the young Carrie, and Lindsay Gort (All Rise, Dead Boy Detectives) is a young Samantha Jones.

Famous faces including Austin Butler (Elvis), Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World), Freeman Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Chloe Bridges (Pretty Little Liars) all had standout roles in the series.

The series ran for two seasons, totaling 26 episodes.

Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

The entire original cast were back for the first Sex and the City: The Movie, picking up a few years after the TV show’s finale.

Carrie and Mr Big – real name John – are in a happy relationship, but things get complicated when they decide to get married.

Meanwhile, Miranda hits a speed bump in her relationship with Steve when work and life drives a wedge into their sex life, Charlotte discovers she is pregnant after years of fertility issues, and Samantha begins to doubt her life in a committed relationship with Smith.

Sex and the City 2: The Movie

In the second film, Samantha struggles to maintain her sex drive as she hits menopause, Miranda quits her high-flying job, Charlotte and Harry struggle to deal with life as parents of two and Carrie is finding it hard to keep the spark with Mr Big.

When Samantha gets an all-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi, she brings her three besties along with her for the trip.

While there, all four’s priorities are put to the test as old faces resurface and their Western life clashes with the Middle-Eastern culture.

And Just Like That… (2021-Present)

And Just Like That… premiered in November 2021, and picks up with Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda in New York City as they enter a new phase of their lives in their 50s.

Kim Cattrall opted not to return as Samantha for the new series, though did make a brief cameo in the season two finale.

Season three has already been confirmed, and at the time of writing (May 2024) has just gone into production.

Read more about And Just Like That… here.

**How successful was Sex and the City and what awards did it win?**

Sex and the City gained international acclaim, being considered ‘ahead of its time’ when it was on air.

This was therefore reflected by awards boards, earning 166 nominations with 48 total wins.

Wins include:

Seven Emmy Awards
Eight Golden Globes
Three Screen Actors Guild Awards
Two Directors Guild of America Awards
Two Satellite Awards
Three Producers Guild of America Awards

**What is the age rating of Sex and the City?**

Sex and the City's official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the complete run.

This means scenes may not be suitable for a younger audience.

Four episodes are considered 18, which are considered for adult audiences only.

Reasons for the rating include:

Depictions and discussions of sex and sex acts in every episode
Frequent exposed breasts and occasional full frontal nudity
Profane language, most commonly the word ‘f**k’
Moderate drug use, including use of marijuana, cocaine and acid
Smoking and alcohol is commonplace in every episode
Hard-hitting storylines that include discussions on miscarriage, abortion, infertility and cancer that some viewers may find upsetting
Occasional peril including being mugged and fist fights

**How to watch Sex and the City in the UK**

Sex and the City is available in full to watch on Sky Comedy or to stream on NOW.

On top of the main series, the follow-up …And Just Like That is only available to watch via Sky Comedy, Sky MAX, Sky Go and NOW as well. It is not available to watch on rival streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+.