And just like that, Samantha's back in Sex and the City sequel series.

by Thinus Ferreira

After an acrimonious split behind the scenes with Sarah Jessica Parker which became public and saw her turn her back on Sex and the City and her former co-stars, Kim Cattrall is now returning and will be back in the second season of the sequel series as sex-positive publicist Samantha Jones.

The New York Post was first to reveal Kim Cattrall's return to her role as the beloved feisty and sex-open Samantha Jones for the second season of HBO's And Just Like That, seen in South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101), that will start on 22 June in the United States and seen in South Africa as an Express from the US title.

While Samantha return is great, it comes with caveats and while sure to please fans, it won't be exactly what they've expected and all they might want it to be be the episode is aired in August as the final of the second season's 11 episodes.

Variety followed up The New York Post's reporting, further revealing that Kim Cattrall's return is thanks to the intervention of Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, who personally reached out to her a few months ago to ask her to reprise her role.

After years of animosity between her and Sarah Jessica Parker, Cattrall has stated in multiple interviews that she has no desire to return to Sex and the City and has closed the door in the show and her relationships with her former co-stars Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Now she will be back although Samantha will only be seen in the final episode of the second season, although she didn't film any scenes with any of her co-stars.

During the first season of And Just Like That, Carrie was seen texting with Samantha, with the show in a sense mirroring the rift and estranged relationship which exists between the actresses in real-life. 

The relationship between Carrie and Samantha have become strained for unstated reasons, but Samantha did sent a massive bouquet of flowers to the funeral when Mr Big, played by Chris North, unexpectedly died.

Carrie kept in touch, and in the final episode Samantha agrees to meet with Carrie, although it happens off screen.

Kim Cattrall confirmed to The New York Post that she had decided to reprise her role. An insider whispered that "The fact that they’re keeping it very hush-hush says that there's some implication that she might be coming back — not this season, but it's definitely a cliffhanger that's gonna get people to come back for season 3".

Variety reports that Samantha will only appear in one scene and that Kim Cattrall filmed her scene on 22 March in New York City, and without interacting, seeing or speaking with either Sarah Jessica Parker or showrunner Michael Patrick King.

The famous designer Patricia Field who had worked on Sex and the City but not And Just Like That, returned to dress the character of Samantha for the scene.

Samantha has moved to London and is seen speaking with Carrie on the phone in the final episode of the upcoming second season, although Cattrall filmed her speaking scenes separately.

Also back for the second season of And Just Like That is John Corbett who is reprising his role as Carrie's former fiancé Aidan Shaw.

A full-frontal penis pushes M-Net to suddenly schedule The Princes and the Press documentary on Monday night to move episode 8 of And Just Like That an hour later.

by Thinus Ferreira

A full-frontal penis shot pushed M-Net on Monday to suddenly add the documentary special, The Princes and the Press that will be shown on Monday night in a back-to-back airing to push And Just Like That from 20:30 to 21:30 since the episode contains full-frontal male nudity.

On Monday afternoon M-Net said that the 2-part BBC documentary The Princes and the Press will suddenly be shown on Monday night in a double-bill from 19:30.

Made by journalist Amol Rajan, the controversial The Princes and the Press explores the years following the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the positive media reaction to the emergence of a new generation of royals. It also uncovers the illegal activities UK newspapers committed to get scoops on the royals.

Part one of The Princess and the Press will be shown at 19:30, part 2 at 20:30, with this week's episode 8 of And Just Like That moved to 21:30, an hour later than its usual Monday night slot.

In the And Just Like That episode entitled, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", Carried is unable to sleep due to her young downstairs neighbour Lisette's loud noises. Later during the episode Lisette's boyfriend opens the door in just a towel that he drops, with Carrie and viewers seeing him full-frontal naked.

And just like that M-Net snags the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That as well as the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

by Thinus Ferreira

Similar to Sky in the United Kingdom M-Net (DStv 101) has now acquired from WarnerMedia's HBO Max both the Sex and the City sequel series, And Just Like That, that will start in December; as well as the Game of Thrones prequel spinoff series, House of the Dragon that will be broadcast in 2022.

There is no word yet on whether M-Net will be picking up the Harry Potter 20 year cast reunion special, Return to Hogwarts - also an HBO Max Original - similar to what Sky did, although it's extremely likely given that M-Net acquired the Friends reunion earlier this year from the same American studio. 

The 10-episode And Just Like That will debut in America on HBO Max and on Sky on 9 December with M-Net (DStv 101) that will start showing it a few days later from 13 December at 20:30 with a double episode premiere.

And Just Like That episodes will be available on DStv Catch Up as an Express from the US title on Fridays from 10 December for DStv subscribers using the DStv app or a connected DStv Explora decoder.

And Just Like That will be placed on Showmax later once its run on M-Net is done. 

And Just Like That is billed as the "next chapter" for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her New York friends, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and some new friends as they find themselves facing love, life and friendship in their 50s.

The cast also includes Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson, and Evan Handler.

According to sources M-Net also acquired the Game of Thrones sequel spinoff series, House of the Dragon that has no broadcast date for 2022 yet. 

Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the series - which is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones - tells the story of House Targaryen, with Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

The M-Net rollout will very likely follow the same broadcast procedure as Sky with House of the Dragon that will be an Express from the US title for M-Net and be available on DStv Catch Up with the series that will move to MultiChoice's Showmax later as a second pay-window.

A magical return

Meanwhile, WarnerMedia is working on Return to Hogwarts that reunites the Harry Potter cast - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - 20 years after the first film was screened.

Sky has already picked up Return to Hogwarts that is set for a 1 January 2022 release date on HBO Max but with M-Net that hasn't yet made any announcement about having secured it. M-Net didn't respond with an answer to a media query made last week about it.

While author J.K. Rowling won't be joining the stars in the surprise-filled special, the American filmmaker Chris Columbus will be part of it as well to discuss the films and to explore their creation in depth.

"Fans will be invited on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time", HBO Max says, with the cast returning "to where the magic started".

 The Return to Hogwarts special will also include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton and Tom Felton.

Casey Patterson, executive producer, says "There's magic in the air with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago. The excitement is palpable as they prepare to take their fans on a very special and personal journey, through the making of these incredible films".

ALSO READ: And just like that, Sex and the City returns to TV with Sarah Jessica Parker for 10-episode limited series on HBO Max.

ALSO READ: After Sky in Britain acquires HBO's House of the Dragon there is still silence from Africa's M-Net.

ALSO READ: M-Net hasn't acquired HBO's Game of Thrones spinoff series House of the Dragon.

ALSO READ: WarnerMedia shows the first teaser footage of its Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon coming to HBO Max in 2022.

ALSO READ: The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon starts production and principal filming with the first (socially-distanced) table read.

ALSO READ: HBO scraps one of the Game of Thrones prequel pilots but gives the prequel series House of the Dragon a straight-to-series order. 

And just like that, Sex and the City returns to TV with Sarah Jessica Parker for 10-episode limited series on HBO Max.

by Thinus Ferreira

Sarah Jessica Parker on Sunday night confirmed on Instagram on social media that a limited series of 10-episodes of Sex and the City has been ordered by the HBO Max video streaming service, reviving the iconic series.

And Just Like That ... will see Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon revive their iconic characters and will "follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s" in 10, half-hour episodes that will start production in New York around May.

Kristin Davis who played Charlotte York and Cynthia Nixon who played Miranda Hobbes joined SJP on social media with posts.

Notably absent was Kim Cattrall who over the past few years has distanced herself from Sex and the City where she played Samantha Jones and who have been openly fighting with Sarah Jessica Parker for a few years.

Sex and the City was created by Darren Star, based on Candace Bushnell’s book. 

The Sex and the City executive producer Michael Patrick King will again be showrunner and executive producer of And Just Like That... with the three women who will all also get an executive producer credit.

"I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?," Sarah Jessica Parker wrote on Instagram, noting that And Just Like That... will follow "the next chapter" in the women's lives.

"I grew up with these characters, and I can’t wait to see how their story has evolved in this new chapter, with the honesty, poignancy, humour and the beloved city that has always defined them," says Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max's head of original content.

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