Sex and the City author Candance Bushnell says she doesn’t care that the Samantha Jones character portrayed by Kim Cattrall isn’t returning for the upcoming reboot, And Just Like That… The original Sex and the City TV series was a major hit throughout its six-season run. Although the two films that arrived after the series ended were critical failures, the Sex and the City fanbase continues to thrive, especially as the reboot’s release approaches.
Yet as excited as fans are to see more New York City adventures from the franchise, the initial announcement of a return was marred by the news that Cattrall wouldn’t be returning. Among Sex and the City’s four main characters, it was Cattrall’s Samantha Jones that provided a great deal of the series’ comic relief, and her easy-going, try-anything-once attitude made for an unpredictable addition by comparison to the lives of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). While the exact specifics behind Cattrall’s absence from the series has never been fully addressed by either the show’s producers or Cattrall, it’s been clear for quite some time now that the reason lies solely in the fact that her and Sarah Jessica Parker are not on friendly terms.
Given that it’s Bushnell who created the four beloved characters, it stands to reason that she might have particularly strong feelings about the dynamic being readjusted for And Just Like That… But as The Daily Beast reports, Bushnell isn’t at all bothered by Cattrall’s absence, and what’s more, the 62-year-old bestselling author says that she can’t understand why people are even interested in celebrities. Insisting that And Just Like That… is an entertainment product with its own interior logic and rules, Bushnell brushed off Cattrall’s departure from the new series by saying:
“This is an entertainment product. All of these shows have their own interior logic and their own rules. This is a show that Michael Patrick King is doing and he’s very skilled at doing these kinds of TV shows. He’s going to do what he feels is right for the show and I totally respect that. Honestly, I really don’t understand that kind of fandom where people are like, ‘Oh my God [Samantha’s gone],’ it’s so anathema to me. I don’t have that personality, so I don’t actually even understand it. I don’t understand why people are even interested in celebrities. It mystifies me.”
Since it was first announced that Sex and the City would return for a new series, fans have wondered how Samantha’s absence would be handled. The early reason given by HBO was that friendships fade over time, but some have wondered if the character could be killed off. After all, the later seasons of the series had Samantha battling breast cancer, potentially providing And Just Like That… with a convenient yet admittedly grim method for explaining away Samantha’s exclusion from the series. It’s hard to believe that a series as fearless as Sex and the City has often proven itself to be would simply brush aside something as substantial as Samantha’s absence with the rather weak reasoning that friendships fade.
As for Bushnell, her confusion over why people are interested in celebrities seems a rather insensitive take on Cattrall not being a part of And Just Like That… The Sex and the City franchise has allowed Bushnell to become incredibly successful off the characters she created. Without an interest from the public in those characters or the celebrities who portray them, not only would there be no Sex and the City, but Bushnell’s status would not be what it is. Bushnell should also keep in mind that the character of Samantha has brought a great deal of laughter and happiness to many.
Source: The Daily Beast