The beloved TV series, Sex and the City, has found a new home on Netflix, opening the doors to a whole new audience. However, while fans are excited about the show's availability on the streaming platform, author Candace Bushnell, the mastermind behind the original columns that inspired the show, won't be reaping the financial benefits.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Bushnell revealed that she will not receive any royalties from Netflix for the streaming of Sex and the City. She expressed her frustration, stating, 'The way men do business is a Ponzi scheme. All of these men who are in charge of things, they just keep moving these cards around to make money because every time they move the cards around, somebody's skimming.' Bushnell highlighted the gender disparity, pointing out that only about 3.5 percent of women in the top 1 percent made their own money, which she finds shocking.
Back in the '90s, Sex and the City premiered on HBO, captivating audiences with its focus on Carrie Bradshaw's (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) dating adventures in New York City. The show became such a hit that it expanded into two movies and a prequel series titled The Carrie Diaries. Bushnell was initially paid $100,000 for the screen rights to Sex and the City, but the financial details of the subsequent projects remain unclear.
Earlier this year, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery struck a deal to license all six seasons of the HBO series, making it available for streaming starting in April. However, the two movies and the recently revived series, And Just Like That, will remain exclusive to HBO Max.
When And Just Like That premiered in December 2021, it garnered mixed reactions from fans and critics alike. Bushnell herself expressed surprise at some of the storylines, stating, 'You know, it's a television product, done with [And Just Like That creator] Michael Patrick King and Sarah Jessica Parker, who have both worked with HBO a lot in the past. HBO decided to put this franchise back into their hands for a variety of reasons, and this is what they came up with. I mean, Carrie Bradshaw ended up being a quirky woman who married a really rich guy. And that's not my story, or any of my friends' stories. But TV has its own logic.'
Despite her initial reservations, Bushnell has since warmed up to the revival series, especially as it was renewed for a second and third season. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in July 2023, she shared her enjoyment of the current season and her investment in the characters. She even expressed her delight in seeing the audience's continued interest in Sex and the City, stating, 'I love the fact that other people are so invested in the show and that they really wanna discuss it. I think that's fantastic.'
While Candace Bushnell may not be benefiting financially from the Netflix streaming of Sex and the City, her influence and creativity continue to captivate audiences around the globe. As fans dive into the world of New York City's glamorous and complex women, they can appreciate the lasting impact of Bushnell's original work and the cultural phenomenon that Sex and the City continues to be.
