The ‘Sex’ series ends, but the show goes on

The “Sex and the City” financial and fan-favorite juggernaut won’t be ending when the series concludes its six-season run Sunday. Starting in June, HBO’s trend-setting series will be shown twice a week on TBS. The entire series will be available on DVD soon and is coming to broadcast TV in September 2005. And now a big-screen feature seems to be in the works.

That is all welcome news for the show’s loyal fans, who have been loading Internet message boards with their laments, nostalgia and denial regarding the HBO original comedy’s ending on Sunday. And fans can proclaim which of the four main characters they most relate to with new tank tops available at www.shopintuition.com that state “I’m a Carrie,” “I’m a Miranda,” “I’m a Samantha,” or “I’m a Charlotte.”

More than 6 million viewers watched last Sunday’s episode, the first part of a cliffhanger finale that left viewers wondering whether Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie will stay in Paris with her new boyfriend, reunite with her ex-lover “Big” or return to her best friends in Manhattan.

“This is probably the most contemporary, cutting-edge comedy in a long, long time and will bring a new contemporary measure to the network,” said Steve Koonin, chief operating officer for TBS and TNT.

“Sex and the City” will begin airing on TBS on June 15 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will remain in its 30-minute format, Koonin said. By airing on TBS, the show will be seen in 70 million more homes, he added. The show will go into broadcast syndication in September 2005, according to an HBO representative.

With $66 million in DVD sales for its first five seasons, “Sex and the City” is second only to “The Sopranos” in HBO’s video market, according to Adams Media Research and an HBO spokesperson.

Old episodes are one thing, but fans might be most interested in the news that the show’s executive producer and current guiding force Michael Patrick King is writing the script for a possible “Sex and the City” feature film. No deals have been signed, but a spokesperson for Parker said the actress “is definitely interested in being a part of that.”