Sex Sells, Sure: But Will Sex and the City Sell?

Four years after their small-screen curtain call, the fabulous foursome from Sex and the City (TWX) spring back to life on the big screen for a last—maybe?—hurrah.

Fans of shows featuring female bonding have been staring at the equivalent of an empty Cosmo glass since the fab four concluded their HBO series in 2004. “Sex and the City was still doing well, and I think viewers weren't ready to see it go,” says Marc Berman, a television editor for Programming Insider. “The show ended prematurely.”

Since American viewers said goodbye to NBC’S Friends the same year, there’s still a search for small screen friendships against the backdrop of the Big Apple. Darren Star and Candace Bushnell fumbled with ABC’s (DIS) Cashmere Mafia and NBC’s (GE) Lipstick Jungle, respectively. (Both network television shows grabbed a little more than the 4.1 million cable viewers that tuned in to watch the Sex and the City finale.) And try as they might, despite billing itself with the tagline “Same Sex, Different City,” Showtime’s (CBS) The L Word failed to grab the same audience, too.

So is it the lack of female friends-friendly television fare for women, or the new film's four stars that will bring moviegoers out opening weekend? MainStreet grades the careers of the stars post-Sex and the City, and thinks it might be the former.

Kristin Davis
Davis, who recently went public with her alcohol addiction, was a relative unknown in 1999, before she played prim and proper Charlotte. After the show she went back to relative obscurity. One of her first gigs, ABC’s (DIS) pilot for Soccer Moms failed to make the network’s lineup. Davis’ most steady work was in Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, an animated series on Nick Jr. (VIA) Meanwhile her big screen performances Deck the Halls and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D, were not exactly sexy, or even too memorable.
Post-Sex Grade: C-

Kim Cattrall
Samantha's alter ego, Cattrall, who was known for her roles in 80s film fare such as Mannequin and Big Trouble in Little China, had an uneventful four years after Sex and the City. Her biggest film role was the Ice Princess, which took in $27 million during its run at theatres. Post-Sex Grade: D

Cynthia Nixon
If the most buzzed about topic following your most memorable job is your lesbianism, then your resume might be as dull as Nixon’s. Her recent work? A few television roles, NBC’s E.R. (GE) and Fox’s (NWS) House M.D., and two limited released films (which brought in a combined total of a little more than $1 million). Despite her stagnant career, she’s still keeping busy: Nixon recently discussed being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and is a breast cancer activist.
Post-Sex Grade: C

Sarah Jessica Parker
The top star of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker always had the most screen time and the most buzz. Failure to Launch and The Family Stone demonstrated that the actress could bring in an audience (together the films grossed more than $220 million). In 2005, however, Parker was unceremoniously dumped by the Gap (GPS) for Joss Stone. Immortalized through her role as Carrie, it came to a surprise to few that, well, teenagers did not exactly want to dress like a 39-year-old. But, Sarah Jessica Parker is more than a movie star –she’s considered to be a fashion icon. Known for Manolos and Vera Wang, Parker now has a clothing line called “Bitten” that’s at discount retailer “Steve and Barry.” Parker also has two perfumes called “Lovely” and “Covent.”
Post-Sex Grade: B-

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