‘A new chapter of Sex and the City begins’ – as reboot finally drops  

A crowd-pleasing combination of nostalgic nods to the original series (‘I remember when you kept your sweaters in the stove,’ quips Chris Noth as Big), coupled with new territory (like dating apps, podcasts and teenage children), the trailer makes clear that friendship remains at the heart of the show. The accompanying YouTube caption even reads: ‘If you have good friends in your corner, anything is possible. After all the years, and all the changes, a new chapter of Sex and the City begins.’  

A shorter teaser trailer was previously released, with its caption offering a synopsis of the new programme, relating: ‘A new chapter of the groundbreaking HBO series, Sex and the City, from executive producer 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.’

Featuring the three returning cast members and a host of exciting new faces, the teaser ends by revealing the imminent release date of the show, which began streaming on HBO Max on 9 December.

Sarah Jessica Parker previously teased fans with a host of behind-the-scenes snippets from the set. The actress clearly relished getting stuck into filming once more, having shared a girl-group team shot of herself alongside Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and new cast member Nicola Ari Parker in a tight embrace. 

She captioned the image: ‘Oh so fine. I’d sing along to 70s love songs with this trio deep into any night.’ As might be expected, the fashion is perfection – a masterclass in how to dress in your middle years and beyond.

Parker also delighted long-running fans by posting a sweet photo of herself and Chris Noth, in character as Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big, reprising their famous roles in the upcoming reboot. The ultimate will-they won’t-they couple, Carrie and Big kept eager viewers on tenterhooks right from the debut of the very first episode of Sex and the City in 1998. All these years later, and it seems that the pair might (finally) have worked out the kinks in their turbulent relationship. The image shows them gazing into each other’s eyes as they embrace, with Parker captioning the post: ‘These two. I bet they stay out late tonight. X, SJ’.

Parker, along with Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis (aka Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York) officially confirmed the rumours of the upcoming show back in January, posting a short video teaser to their Instagram accounts. It features shots of New York intercut with Carrie’s typing and voiceover with the words, ‘And just like that…’ before text appears, reading: ‘The story continues…’. Parker teased fans with a nod to Carrie’s famous catchphrase, captioning the post: ‘I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?’

Back in July, HBO Max shared the first official photo of the new show, showing its three stars strutting their stuff down the New York Streets. Now that the series has finally debuted, find out everything you need to know about And Just Like That… below.

What is the new spin-off about?

Made up of 10 half-hour episodes, the new series follows Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda, now in their 50s. Parker has also revealed that the coronavirus pandemic will likely feature in the plot, telling Vanity Fair that it will ‘obviously be part of the storyline, because that’s the city [these characters] live in. And how has that changed relationships once friends disappear? I have great faith that the writers are going to examine it all.’

Who will be returning from the original cast?

The new chapter stars three of SATC’s original leads, Parker, Nixon and Davis, as Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte. Kim Cattrall will, alas, not be reprising her role as the unforgettable Samantha Jones, with HBO Max’s chief content officer Casey Bloys telling TVLine : ‘just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave… Friendships fade, and new friendships start… They’re trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her 50s in New York. So it should all feel somewhat organic, and the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50.’

There’s also been much speculation over which of Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda’s love interests will be returning. John Corbett, who played Aidan Shaw in the original, confirmed to Page Six that he’ll be appearing, while Deadline reported that Chris Noth, forever remembered as Mr Big, is back, too. The official Instagram page for And Just Like That… also revealed that David Eigenberg, who played Miranda’s husband, fan-favourite Steve Brady, will return for the reboot, as will Charlotte’s husband, Harry Goldenblatt, played by Evan Handler.

Add in original cast members Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino and Julie Halston as the hilarious Bitsy Von Muffling, and it’s shaping up to be quite the glorious reunion. It was previously expected that the late Willie Garson would be reprising his role as the lovable Stanford Blatch, but the actor tragically died in September this year. He filmed his appearances, however, prior to his passing, meaning he has been immortalised on screen in one final outing as the memorable character. 

What about new characters?

Fans can also get ready for some exciting new cast additions. HBO previously confirmed that non-binary Mexican-American actor Sara Ramírez, known for their roles in hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Madam Secretary, will play a key role in the series. A media release from HBO Max on 19 May announced: ‘Sara Ramírez stars as “Che Diaz” (they/ them), a non-binary, queer, stand-up comedian that hosts a podcast on which Carrie Bradshaw is regularly featured. Che is a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humour and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.’

The spin-off’s Executive Producer, Michael Patrick King, added: ‘Everyone at And Just Like That… is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family. Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama – and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show.’

TVLine reported that three women of colour would be joining the spin-off as series regulars, bringing some much-needed racial diversity to the show. HBO Max’s chief content officer Casey Bloys told the website that Parker and King ‘didn’t want to tell a story with all-white writers or an all-white cast’, as ‘it’s not reflective of New York. So they are being very, very conscious about understanding that New York has to reflect the way New York looks today’.

The cast members include Sarita Choudhury as Seema Patel, Nicole Ari Parker as Lisa Todd Wexley and Karen Pittman as Dr. Nya Wallace. A number of exciting young talents have also joined the show, such as Cathy Ang and Alexa Swinton as Charlotte and Harry’s daughters, Lily and Rose Goldenblatt; Niall Cunningham as Miranda and Steve’s son, Brady Hobbes; Cree Cicchino as Luisa Torres; and Isaac Powell, who is named simply as George (perhaps so as not to give too much of the plot away).

Who’s involved behind the scenes?

The three returning stars are also executive producing along with Michael Patrick King, who directed the two SATC films. King will act as head writer and showrunner, while long-running SATC writer Julie Rottenberg will be joined by new writers including Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom and Keli Goff, known for their work on Shrill, Fresh off the Boat and Black Lightning, respectively. In an interview with Vanity Fair , Parker commented that the writing room is ‘incredibly diverse in a really exciting way.’

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When can we expect the first episode?

The revival was set to air in late 2021, and finally debuted on 9 December. 

See all the best pictures of the series below.