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The 'Sex And The City' AppealHow Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda Have Captured HeartsThe world is hooked on the lives and loves of four thirty-something Manhattan maidens. But just how do Carrie Bradshaw and the 'Sex And The City' girls attract the crowd?
After six highly successful series, a knock-out of a movie and a sequel rumoured to be in the pipeline, it seems that the only way is up for the popularity of 'Sex And The City'; viewers who have felt Carrie's heartaches, shared Miranda's hardships, revelled in Charlotte's happiness and laughed out loud at Samantha's candid attitude towards sex will be thrilled to watch the continuing rise of their favourite romantic comedy. The 'Sex And The City' PhenomenonFor those unlucky few who might have been trapped underneath a rock since the show first aired in 1998, 'Sex And The City is loosely based on Candace Bushnell's book of the same name. It follows four single friends in their ever-hopeful search for romance, dealing with dating disasters and analysing sexual encounters along the way. Played by Sarah Jessica Parker, the main character, Carrie Bradshaw, narrates the series through her relationship/sex column which she writes to fund her expansive wardrobe and expeditions to new clubs and restaurants around the city. When series six draws to close, Carrie is left in Paris finally in the arms of her infamously on-off love interest, 'Mr. Big', with viewers everywhere praying that this time is for good. Desperately looking for a good, old-fashioned relationship leading to marriage and children is her more conservative friend Charlotte York, a somewhat prudish art dealer who's endless faith in the power of romance often meets with resistance from the other women. Over the course of the series Charlotte overcomes a divorce and difficulty in conceiving to finally end up with the happily every after she's always dreamed of. Samantha Jones skips from man to man, using them to sate her self-proclaimed love of sex. When not in bed, she manages a successful career in public relations. However, after moving briefly on to women, even Samantha is enveloped in romance and eventually succumbs to a monogamous relationship with the one man who supports her through the treatment of her breast cancer. And finally, determined lawyer and reluctant mother Miranda Hobbs struggles coming to terms with her love for a man far removed from what she believes to be her type, who happens to be the father of the child whom she relentlessly attempts to juggle with her ever-demanding job. Perhaps the more cynical of the bunch, Miranda is often the one to counter Charlotte and Carrie's hopelessly romantic streaks. Sex Appeal'Sex And The City' focuses on four slightly different types of women, recognisable from our day-to-day lives, their friendships, their sex lives, their love lives and their quest for the perfect relationship - not their pasts, their families or their careers. Therein lies the simple secret to the show's success; by focusing exclusively on something with which everyone - male or female, young or old - is intensely familiar with, 'Sex And The City' reaches out to a vast array of viewers. And it's no secret that the path to true love never runs smoothly, so there is something almost cathartic in the audience watching other people going through the same kinds of romantic traumas as themselves, and something inspiring in seeing them pick themselves up and move on with their lives. One cannot help but feel uplifted after watching an episode, no matter how some of the subject matter may be. Add this to heart-warming cast, intensely realistic storylines and an often devilish humour, and 'Sex And The City' never fails to deliver. Once you take the bait, you'll be hooked.
The copyright of the article The 'Sex And The City' Appeal in Prime Time Sitcoms is owned by Richard Jan Vale. Permission to republish The 'Sex And The City' Appeal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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