As a fan of the show Sex & the City it was easy to request this title. It was enjoyable learning about the backstory to its production and success and Jennifer Armstrong delivers this in a fun and fresh way.

This book looks at the cultural phenomenon that is Sex and the City and how it shamed a generation of women in their lives and loves. It also looks at how Candace Bushell's ideas were transformed from page to screen and the people who were most influential in it and hears from them directly. This is a must for all sex and the city superfans.

I LOVED every single page in this book! If you are a Sex and the City (“SATC”) fan, interested in how iconic shows like this one get made or even if you enjoyed the show half as much as I did—this is the book for you!

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (author of Seinfeldia and writer of several pop culture publications) brings us a well-written in depth look behind-the-scenes of a popular tv cultural phenomenon that was and is Sex and the City.

The HBO show, created by Darren Star, co-produced by Michael Patrick King, and inspired by Candace Bushnell’s column and persona- Carrie Bradshaw, broke new ground in television by focusing on a main cast of four single thirty-something women. The show grew and matured overtime, but stayed true to its themes of female equality, empowerment and friendship.

This book is part-history lesson on New York, the creation of the show, and the feminism movement, and part-nostalgic tribute to such an amazing show. It is also quick to point out some of the show’s shortcomings. I found this book to be both informative and delightful.

There were several instances where the book discussed the choices made for specific scenes, both in terms of plot and style, where I found myself wishing I had the show playing in front of me for reference. I made several electronic highlights to these references where I intend to go back and watch these scenes again, armed this time with the information I have learned in this book.

I simply cannot say enough good things about this book and The author’s writing style. This is definitely a must read and I hope you will!

As a lover of HBO's "Sex and the City", I really enjoyed this book! I wish it would have been less of an analysis of the show, I still really liked learning about what inspired the show, and this book does a great job of conveying that information!

I was expecting this to be different. It was more about the writer than the show, and didn't hold my interest. I didn't read enough to feel comfortable rating this.

received ARC from Netgalley

I recently found myself home alone on a Saturday night and stumbled across some reruns of Sex and the City on basic cable, they were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first episode. Twenty years since we first met Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. The brief hint of nostalgia reminded me that I had Sex and the City and Us just waiting to be read.

In Sex and the City and Us, Author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong takes us by the hand and leads us down memory lane. But on our stroll down the streets of New York City, she also gives us all of the "behind the scenes" details that we could ever want. From the decision to go with HBO to the initial casting and Kim Cattrall's reluctance to joining the cast. Not to mention Sarah Jessica Parker's reluctance to join the cast. The author takes us through all six seasons and even includes the two movies. From the costuming to set designs and location used for filming, nothing is left out. Including everything about the opening with the tutu and the city bus. And IT IS AWESOME.

I was one of those women who eagerly waited for Sunday nights so I could hang out with my "friends." My first trip to New York City was in the summer of 1999, just as Sex and the City was hitting its stride. I remember watching the show, eagerly looking for the landmarks newly familiar to me. Beyond that though, was the longing for fashion sense of Carrie, the career confidence of Miranda, the sexual brazenness of Samantha, and the wholesome goodness of Charlotte. Depending on the day I considered myself a Charlotte or a Maranda. All women of a certain age could identify with one or all of the women. Sex and the City is one of those groundbreaking shows that changed the world for women all over the globe. And it changed women all over the globe.

Bottom Line - As I found out the other night, Sex and the City is one of those shows that stands the test of time. Sex and the City and Us is a well written, well-researched book that explores the ins and outs of one of my favorite shows ever. If you have fond memories of the show like I do, then you definitely need to check out this book. You will thank me later!

Details:
Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
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Pages: 256
Publication Date: 6/5/18
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Buy it Here!

Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Kelshin Armstrong provides a nostalgic look into the creation and evolution of the iconic television show to correspond with its 20th anniversary. Armstrong provides a fun behind the scenes look at the show, as well as also an examination of the cultural implications and critiques of the series.

You really have to be a Sex and the City fanatic to appreciate the work Armstrong went through to write this. Thankfully, I am.

The backstory of Candace Bushnell is almost as interesting as Carrie Bradshaw herself. I loved reading about the way the writer's came up with ideas and how locations were scouted.

Gossipy and absorbing. A must-read for fans of the show, but interesting to television enthusiasts, women's studies scholars, and others as well.

I absolutely loved reading this analysis into one of my favorite shows. It's a fascinating look into why Sex and the CIty's popularity has endured and how it has impacted women and society as a whole. Highly recommend for any fan of the show.

Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or a Miranda?

If you know the answer, this is for you. If you loved the show Sex and the City, this book is for you.

I really enjoyed learning all the little tidbits about the show. This book also goes into the author Candace Bushnell's story to the publication of the original Sex and the City book. It includes looks behind the scenes, the outfits, the production, the writers and more. Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In my late teens and early 20s I was enamoured by Sex & The City, so much so that for my 21st birthday my friends made a video affectionately referring to me as “their Charlotte.” I was so excited when I was this book released as I admittedly knew very little of the behind the scenes of this iconic show.

The books follows the development of the show from its concept, finding the perfect cast, the fashion, through to how the show impacted NYC and businesses like Magnolia Bakery. It was fascinating and for did-hard fans of the show, these are details you will devour! I had no idea how the show mirrored the life of Candice Bushnell and drew inspiration from her early career as a sex columnist in NYC - Carrie Bradshaw in many ways took inspiration from Bushnell’s own life, and was inspired by her own idyllic notions of her move to the city.

I do think this book has an intended audience, and if you weren’t a fan of the show (or don’t have an interest in NYC pop culture or the entertainment industry) this may not be for you. My advice, hunker down with a cosmopolitan and savour this entertaining look at an iconic piece of television history!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Sex and the City was one of my all-time favorite shows so I would guess I am the perfect reader for this book. Armstrong provides an interesting story from the beginning of the series through the two somewhat sad movies. I haven't seen the second movie but I will take her well informed word for it. I wish Armstrong would have included more personal anecdotes as the introduction was written. That said, the writers and their stories of coming up with plots made up for it and I enjoyed reliving some of my favorite character moments on the page.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Sex and the City fans will enjoy this book. 20 years after SATC entered the zeitgeist, this new book takes readers behind the scenes of the show that defined love, sex, and dating for a generation. This book brings new information to fans with interviews from writers and actors who participated in this groundbreaking show.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Released the day before the 20th anniversary of the premiere of "Sex and the City," this in-depth, well-researched book comes at the perfect time for fans of the HBO series. This book highlights everything about the iconic show came to be: from the beginning of Candace Bushnell's column in The Observer which transformed into the bestselling novel which became the basis for the cultural phenomenon that was broadcast on a network that had predominately male programming. It even reveals the inspiration behind the famous theme song.

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's attention to every aspect and detail illustrates that the reader is in good hands with this account of their favorite television show, especially since she has written the history of other popular shows like "Seinfeld." The writer is also a a fan and shares a personal anecdote in the preface on what impact the show had on her life and relationships, which is extremely relatable to the people who saw a little bit of themselves in Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha. Highly reccommend for those who are interested in how "Sex and the City" came to be.

I was and am a fan of the show, so I loved reading about how the show was groundbreaking and affected so many lives! Yes, the book was filled with stories about how the show touched them, which could get a tad bit boring at times. However, I loved the show and movies that followed!!

Detailed look at the making of Sex and the City.

What adult or teen American woman has not seen themselves as a Carrie, a Miranda, a Charlotte or a Samantha? Sometimes all four in the course of a week. Sex and the City’s characters became the new archetypes of a generation as The Breakfast Club had for the prior era. Watching Sex and the City now, it seems almost old-fashioned in our gender-fluid racial-diverse millennial culture where tiny houses and recycling are fashionable and conspicuous consumption is not.

Sex and the City and Us tries to explain the magic of the series. It is well researched and interesting. However, the book was written so far after the end of the show that it seems culturally irrelevant, at least to me.

However, Sex and the City and Us is perfect for readers wanting to break into show business as either actors, writers, directors, producers or even costumers. There are many details about how the show was created and run from each of those perspectives. It also relates some of the issues of being in the business like waiting six months for the first episode to air. Should the actors, writers, and directors take other “permanent” jobs or wait to see if the show is a hit?

Sex and the City and Us is also a good choice for hard-core fans of the show. Many of the underlying reasons for some of the quixotic decisions within the show are explained.

For most other readers, it is a long slog. Still it rates 4 stars if you fall into one of the above groups!

Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was really excited to receive an advanced electronic copy of Sex and the City and Us, I absolutely loved the show Sex and The City. I used to wait all week for a new episode and would even rewatch episodes when they replayed during the week on HBO. This book just didn’t work for me- I think I mistakenly thought it was going to be more about a behind the scenes on the iconic show. The beginning starts out with how the show played a huge part in the authors personal life in New York City. The book jumped around and didn’t seem to flow for me, I think writing it in a chronological order would have presented the material better. At times I was a bit bored and was waiting for something interesting to be divulged. I think Jennifer Keishin Armstrong voice was strong and it was obvious she did a lot of research before writing SATC and Us. I would be interested in reading something else the author has previously written.

***Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me an e-ARC of Sex and The City and Us in exchange for my honest review.

Will post my review to Goodreads 1 week before release and post my review to book sellers on the date of release.

Interesting ideas but nothing that I feel was new. Enjoyed portions of interviews with key players in the SATC family. Would have liked to see more of that.

I was a late convert to the insane, cultural phenomenon that Sex and the City was during it's original broadcast. I was in grad-school, in Chicago, the first time I heard women squeal about drinking cosmos and getting together to watch the show. I guess I was too busy in college to pay attention, and I certainly couldn't afford an HBO subscription at the time. The first time I caught an episode was on re-runs on TBS, that were highly edited and very clean. I had the feeling that I was missing the point of the show, so when Borders was going out of business, I snapped up the box-set for 80% sticker price. This also coincided with my husband's first hunting trip, which took him out of town for 10 days, with no cell phone reception. I had no idea what to do with all of my free time and I ended up binge watching the whole series within a week, plus the 2 movies (which had already come out by this time). I fell in love with these four women. Not the glamour of the clothes, the fancy apartments or the copious no-strings attached sex...but the strong, friendship that these four friends had and the strength they each had to self-design the lives that fit for them (kids, no kids, a man, no man, career and a man...the options were endless). I find that it's a show I go back to again and again, I can jump in to any episode, any season and still find the show fresh and poignant and still very relevant. I just couldn't say there was a bad season or a bad plot...I think they were all natural and needed to happen, even if I disagreed with their decisions. That's what made them realistic and relatable. Even good people make dumb, hurtful decisions. You're friends may agree they were bad decisions, but in the end, they have your back through it all. Your friends are your family.

I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this book and to find out more about how the show came to be, where the stories came from, how was it received by the critics at the time. I've read tons of articles over the years, but this book pulled everything together and gave me the in-depth, historical analysis I had always craved. Most of the book focuses on the producers and the writers. There is talk about the actors themselves, how they were cast, etc. but they chose to focus more on their creative contributions and involvement, rather than making it a gossip tell-all. I appreciated that. This show lives in a magic bubble for me and I don't want to see that popped by speculating on alleged feuds. I was disappointed when I heard a 3rd movie was in fact not going to happen...but maybe that's for the best. The 2nd movie was a disappointment to me as a fan, but as a fan, I still watch it and appreciate it for what it was. A chance to see four talented actresses bring my favorite characters back to life for one more adventure. Thank you to the author for giving us fans a glimpse into how the magic was made.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review