That jazzy saxophone, that pink tutu, that careless city bus — “Sex and the City” was iconic from the opening credits alone. The groundbreaking HBO dramedy made TV legends out of its core quartet (Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall) as it followed four fierce New York women through loves, losses and lots and lots of cosmopolitans over six seasons and 94 episodes.
The Darren Star-created series spawned two follow-up films as well as a CW prequel (“The Carrie Diaries”) and an HBO Max sequel (“And Just Like That…”), but those expansions pale in comparison to the fabulous original, which is celebrating its 28th anniversary this month. In the years since viewers first encountered Carrie Bradshaw and Co., “SATC” laid the foundations for many women-centric television shows to come, from “Girls” and “Insecure” to “Younger” and “Emily in Paris.”
So, in honor of that enduring legacy, we think it’s high time to revisit all six seasons of “Sex and the City,” which are all available to stream now on Netflix, but not for long. “SATC” will leave that streaming service on June 30, so here’s why you should binge the stylish adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha before then.
What is 'Sex and the City' about?
Based on The New York Observer column and subsequent book of the same name by Candace Bushnell, “Sex and the City” centers on the personal exploits and professional struggles of thirtysomething newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her gaggle of close girlfriends: sarcastic lawyer Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), WASP-y art dealer Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and the slightly older and way more sexually liberated PR queen Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall).
Using Carrie’s weekly column as a framework, the Emmy-winning series follows the ladies through hilariously bad dates, heartbreaking relationship splits and hard-won career successes, but the real romance of the show is the close soulmate bond between the women themselves.
Why should you stream “Sex and the City” on Netflix?
Sure, we’ve all tuned into plenty of episodes of “Sex and the City” in the nearly three decades since HBO debuted the franchise, but even we’ll admit it’s been nearly as long since we’ve watched the whole shebang chronologically.
Consider that June 30 deadline as an opportunity to watch Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte from their humble TV beginnings all the way through their — pun intended — biggest romances (Chris Noth’s Mr. Big, John Corbett’s Aidan Shaw and David Eigenberg’s Steve Brady among them), major life events (Charlotte’s weddings, Miranda’s pregnancy, etc.) and personal growth as they mature from gals about town to empowered, fully realized women.
Few television shows have taken everything from female friendships to fashion trends as seriously or unapologetically, so pour yourself a Cosmo and settle in for an overdue OG “Sex and the City” marathon before Netflix puts those Manolos back in storage at the end of the month.
Stream "Sex and the City" on Netflix now through June 30
