Revivals of classic shows are hugely popular – and for obvious reasons. They let fans reconnect with old favorite characters, they are nostalgic, already have a storyline in place, and are basically guaranteed money makers. The latest series to announce an upcoming revival is Sex and the City, which will return for a mini-series titled And Just Like That. As of yet, there isn’t much in the way of information about the show, other than the fact that Samantha will not be part of it.
However, as the writers consider where to take Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, they could definitely learn a few lessons from the revivals that have come before – especially Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life. This four-part revival from Netflix was a huge success, but it was also controversial with fans, who didn’t love where some of the characters ended up.
Avoid: Not Updating Humor
Both Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City have been criticized for some of the jokes that may have seemed ok at the time, but aren’t particularly appropriate, looking back. And unfortunately, Gilmore Girls didn’t seem to do a lot to move on from jokes that fat-shamed, slut-shamed, etc etc etc. Hopefully, Sex and the City can listen to some of the criticism that has been leveled at the original show, and create something with more sensitivity.
Copy: Short And Sweet Reappearances
One of the great parts of a revival is revisiting favorite characters from the original series, but that doesn’t have to mean that every character returns for a big story arc. In A Year In The Life, many of the characters only pop up for a scene or two, and the show was better for it.
Dean appears for a quick hello in the market, Finn and the gang show up for one last wild ride, and it works. Hopefully, And Just Like That won’t try to shoehorn too many bigger appearances in.
Avoid: Awkward Explanations For Missing Characters
One of the big questions for And Just Like That will be how the series deals with the loss of Samantha – and if A Year In The Life has proven anything, it’s that when big characters can’t show up, it needs more than a cursory explanation. For Gilmore Girls, two big characters were missing: Richard and Sookie. And while Richard got an immediate and touching explanation, Sookie was basically ignored until she had a quick scene toward the end. She deserved more of an explanation, and so does Samantha.
Copy: Covering A Full Year
A Year In Life does just what it promises: shows fans a full year in the lives of Rory and Lorelai. This worked, too, because fans were more interested in the big picture storylines that take longer to develop, and less concerned about just seeing what happens overa span of weeks. While And Just Like That will be slightly longer than A Year In The Life in terms of number of episodes, covering a year (similar to the approach taken by the Sex and the City movie) would be a great way to show how the women’s lives have changed.
Avoid: Unrealistic Storylines
While both the original Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City certainly had their fair share of unrealistic storylines, for revivals, it’s best to keep things grounded. One of the least-loved parts of A Year In The Life was the ‘secret bar’, because it was just so unbelievable, and fans wanted to see something that felt real. Sex and the City should take note, and stick with the real lives of New York women (admittedly, extremely rich New York women, but still!).
Copy: Ending On A Cliffhanger
One thing that has kept fans talking since A Year In The Life ended was the incredible final line, as Rory revealed that she is pregnant. This kept people guessing, and speculating about who might be the father, and if another revival could happen.
While Sex and the City may find it harder to create the same kind of cliffhanger (it really wouldn’t be a big deal for a pregnancy to happen, given that all three remaining women are married, and two already have kids), but coming up with a big question to end on would definitely keep fans wondering.
Avoid: Overly Dream-Style Sequences
While most of A Year In The Life was grounded, there were two sequences that were extremely dream-like and more artistic than realistic. When the Life and Death Brigade came for Rory, and when Lorelai ran off to get married, things took a beautiful, but very strange turn, and not all fans were happy about it. Instead, Sex and the City should stick with what it does best, straightforward, character-driven episodes about the women’s lives, friendships, careers, and marriages.
Copy: Making Bold Choices
Not everyone loved the choices that A Year In The Life made (like having Rory and Logan involved in an affair!), but the show still did well to make big bold changes to the characters, and not just show up to everyone living happily ever after. As pleasant and nostalgic as that would be, it would also be a bit… dull, and saccharine. Given that Sex and the City is so well-known for covering big emotional moments and concepts, the revival needs at least one big shake up to keep things fresh (even if it’s hard to imagine what, as both Carrie/Big and Miranda/Steve had separations in the first movie, and no one wants to see Charlotte twice divorced!).
Avoid: Making Loved Characters Too Unlikable
Bold choices may be a good idea, but making beloved characters completely unlikable is taking it a bit too far. One of the biggest criticisms fans had of A Year In The Life was that Rory went from being the high-achieving golden girl to someone totally lost, essentially homeless, and having an affair with an engaged man. Sex and the City 2 was also criticized for a similar choice, when it made Samantha into an unlikable caricature of herself – so hopefully, And Just Like That will have learned from past mistakes, and be able to find the balance between flawed and likable.
Copy: Leaning In To The Nostalgia
While fans still want to see some freshness and shakeups, at the end of the day, this revival (like A Year In The Life) is primarily about the nostalgia. Fans want to recapture the original magic of the series they loved years ago, and A Year In The Life leaned in on that count. Lorelai smelled snow, all the classic Stars Hollow locations were used, references were made… and it all worked. Sex and the City should make sure to do the same, and use the success of the original series in the writing, not just the marketing.
