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CNN Live At Daybreak

The Future of 'Sex and the City'

Aired August 13, 2001 - 08:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here it is, what everyone is going to be talking about at work this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP "SEX AND THE CITY")

KRISTIN DAVIS, ACTRESS: You're getting engaged.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: I threw up. I saw the ring and I threw up. That's not normal.

KIM CATTRALL, ACTRESS: That's my reaction to marriage.

CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS: What do you think you might do if he asks?

PARKER: I don't know.

DAVIS: Just say, "yes."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it has been a long awaited season finale of "Sex and the City" on HBO, one of sister networks. It's one of TV's hottest shows, that's for sure.

And fans like Allston Kendall threw watch parties with friends. She joins us right here in Atlanta.

Thanks for being here.

LIN: Hi, Allston.

And also for New York, TV Guide's Ari Karpel and "Time" Magazine's Belinda Luscombe.

Good morning to both of you.

ARI KARPEL, TV GUIDE: Good morning.

MCEDWARDS: Allston, let's start with you. How did you become such a fan? Tell us.

ALLSTON KENDALL, "SEX AND THE CITY" FAN: I started watching -- I've been a subscriber of HBO for years and I started watching the show back in season one. And it just -- originally, it just appealed to me from a fantasy standpoint, you know, these woman living this really fun life in the city, but it grew on me beyond that because they were such good friends and they had to deal with different issues and the differences in their personalities and life styles. And the fact that they became such good friends and were loyal to each other through all that was what, I think, kept me watching through the different seasons.

MCEDWARDS: Is it -- are they just good characters? I mean, do you see your life, or do you see life in them at all?

KENDALL: Not necessarily lifestyle, but definitely characteristics of their personalities and their behaviors and the way they talk and definitely their dialogue; you know, the dialogue that the woman have between themselves is so true to life, and you know, I have conversations like that with my friends, and that very much appealed to me from day one.

LIN: Well, I wonder if you have conversations like this? Take a look at this scene from last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SEX AND THE CITY")

JOHN CORBETT, ACTOR: Here, hold this, would you?

Go ahead, open it.

PARKER: Oh, my god -- it's -- god -- it's such a beautiful ring.

CORBETT: Really?

PARKER: Yeah.

CORBETT: I had a different one, then I changed my mind. This one seemed more like you. I love you, Carrie. There's no one I could love more. I want to live my life with you. What do you think?

PARKER (voice-over): Maybe there are no right moments, right guys, right answers. Maybe you just have to say what's in your heart.

(on camera): Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: OK, if you could see the look on our three guests' faces. You all -- you know, Belinda, you were grimacing.

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, "TIME": Oh, please, the violins.

KARPEL: I'm laughing at Belinda.

MCEDWARDS: I see trouble. I see trouble.

LIN: All right, Belinda, that was one of the lighter topic there, you know, whether Carrie was going to say yes. And I know you've got a prediction. What do you think it is? LUSCOMBE: Well, what do I think is going to happen? Yes, I predict widowhood. I say she's going to get married, and then they've got to keep her single, and it's the one sort of martial variable they haven't thrown in there yet. So, I say, you know, that guy should go back to, you know, checking out those car commercials that he used to do, because he's going.

LIN: Yes. And who knew a furniture maker could afford such a rock.

All right, Ari, I think this is the only part of the conversation here where you actually agree with Belinda, you don't think Carrie's going to get married either?

KARPEL: Well, what we do know is that when the season continues for six episodes in January, Carrie's going to get a job at "Vogue" magazine. So you have to wonder: Does Carrie do that to get some extra money because she has to buy the co-op that Aidan's no longer buying for her?

LIN: Because he spent it all on a ring.

Hey, listen, you know, getting married is one thing, but, you know, a lot of the topics this year were pretty heavy. I mean, they were talking about abortion and infertility and -- well, infidelity last year -- but lesbian affairs.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, there was a lesbian relationship.

And, Belinda, I'm wonder if you think, you know, whether some of the humor got lost as they sort of tried to take on some issues here?

LUSCOMBE: I totally think it got lost. I think people watch that show, basically, because they do outrageous things and they wear outrageous things, and you know, that's the fun of it. And once they start to bring in serious issues -- I mean, all power to them. You have a funny, vacuous, shallow show, and you try and put some content in, you know, go for it.

MCEDWARDS: Ari, what do you think?

Luscombe: if you're going to do it...

MCEDWARDS: What do you think, Ari?

KARPEL: This has never been a regular sitcom, it's not simply a funny, vacuous show. There are vacuous aspects of it, but we've watched these characters develop for four years, and I feel like this is the pay-off for getting to know them. I think they've developed them strongly enough that they can carry these serious issues.

LUSCOMBE: I don't think they've developed them at all. I mean, they just -- they're these sort of psycho women, and, you know, if Allston knows people like that, then perhaps this show should be set in Atlanta, because, you know...

LIN: Allston?

MCEDWARDS: Allston, what do you think?

KENDALL: I do have friends who mirror a couple of the characters, definitely, but I think it's less identifying with specific characters exactly and more of a combination of the characters. I mean, I think -- there are archetypes, but not everybody is exact...

MCEDWARDS: Do you think they've grown, though? I mean, you've been watching several seasons. Do you see development in these characters?

KENDALL: I definitely do. And one of the things I've heard criticism of is that maybe they haven't developed relationships with men, ongoing, successful relationships. And what impressed me last season, actually, was Charlotte's getting married. You know, I thought, you know, when they separated they were going to kind of use that as cop-out, similar to the widowhood that she mentioned, but they didn't, they stuck with it. And granted, they're still some rocky issues there and it may or may not go forward at this point, but, I mean, they stuck it out for a while, and that impressed me.

LIN: But all the men had issues. I mean, it's not like...

KENDALL: Right. It's not just the woman.

LIN: No, these -- the men that they've had on, except for Aidan, have been a little -- well, you know, they're weird.

KENDALL: They are. But then, have you been out there lately?

MCEDWARDS: And now...

LIN: Yes, you're right, good point.

MCEDWARDS: But now a baby's on the way, guys. What are they going to do with that, Ari?

KARPEL: Well, I don't know what they're going to do with that. Certainly it looks like Miranda's going to go through with it. But i think what's so interesting about this show, is that unlike most shows, where they wouldn't allow the protagonist to do something that's really foolish and may offend viewers, we actually saw Miranda contemplate having an abortion, and we learned that Carrie has had an abortion. They're bold enough to examine issues that real women go through and look at them in a way that real people do. They may make foolish choices, they may make mistakes, but that's how people learn and grow and that's how these characters are learning and growing.

MCEDWARDS: Belinda, can you have "Sex and the City" and a baby, though?

Luscombe: Well, I'm married with two kids, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask. But...

MCEDWARDS: Yes, your life's not on television, though, is it?

Luscombe: I think it's going to be a bit like the movie "Brown Baby," kind of those -- one of those babies you just see and that doesn't really change a person's life that much, which is, you know -- although, if they could do a funny thing about, you know, the vicissitudes of pregnancy an early motherhood, then that would be great to see. But, you know, with the episode last night, it was so touchy-feely and so not as funny as one would hope that I don't hold out great hope.

LIN: All right. Well, these woman, unlike a lot of woman on television, are growing old as we speak -- or older, I should say, as we speak. Excuse me. You know, we know how old they are, and in another four years they're going to be in their 40s, so is there going to be "Sex and the City" when these woman are in their in 40s.

KARPEL: The season started with Carrie turning 35, it was really -- I see it as a turning point for the series, and I think they really grew up this year, and I'm excited for it. I think they've been able to handle Charlotte's marriage to Trey, which I think a year ago we would have said: How could one of these woman get married? How are they going to deal with it? But they did, and they carried it off really well. I think they may carry off a baby really well.

LIN: Ari Karpel, Belinda Luscombe, Allston...

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: I'm sorry, Belinda, we're out of time.

MCEDWARDS: We've got to clear the decks for the next crew up.

LIN: Thanks so much.

MCEDWARDS: Thanks for being here though, guys. Appreciate it.

KENDALL: Thank you.

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