Cast and Crew: OK, Seriously, No Kim Cattrall?

[ifionlyknew]

1 hour ago, luna1122 said:

 https://people.com/tv/sarah-jessica-parker-cynthia-nixon-kristin-davis-speak-out-chris-noth-sexual-assault-allegations/

And the SATC women have released a statement 

I wonder what would have happened if they hadn't killed off Big.  Obviously this season has concluded filming but if there was going to be a second season and Big was still alive how would they have dealt with that?

[luna1122]

I'm guessing if Big wasn't already dead, this woulda been the nail in his coffin. 

I also wonder if they are surprised. They def seem to express no support for him. 

[Mattipoo]

5 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I'm guessing if Big wasn't already dead, this woulda been the nail in his coffin. 

I also wonder if they are surprised. They def seem to express no support for him. 

Didn't one of the women who accused Chris Noth say that he was drunk and often behaved inappropriately on-set? If this is true, I am pretty sure the SATC cast would not be surprised.

[RealHousewife]

4 hours ago, luna1122 said:

I'm guessing if Big wasn't already dead, this woulda been the nail in his coffin. 

I also wonder if they are surprised. They def seem to express no support for him. 

I noticed that too. As said above, it could be because they saw or experienced harassment by him themselves. 

Also, I love these girls and maybe this isn't them, but celebs can be pretty phony. Remember so many actors went out of their way to support child rapist Roman Polanski? Just seven years later it was believe all women period. Apologize for old crude comments. You're in trouble for jokes. It's hard to know what actors really believe. 

I adored Chris Noth's acting even if I didn't love Big. I hate to believe this stuff, but when there are multiple allegations . . .

 

[qtpye]

53 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

I noticed that too. As said above, it could be because they saw or experienced harassment by him themselves. 

Also, I love these girls and maybe this isn't them, but celebs can be pretty phony. Remember so many actors went out of their way to support child rapist Roman Polanski? Just seven years later it was believe all women period. Apologize for old crude comments. You're in trouble for jokes. It's hard to know what actors really believe. 

I adored Chris Noth's acting even if I didn't love Big. I hate to believe this stuff, but when there are multiple allegations . . .

 

Yes, it might be more to be PC than to support the women.

If these allegations prove to be true than it could seriously taint rewatching the series for some people.

I used to love watching Bill Cosby and now I will never watch anything with him in it, ever again.

[Cementhead]

21 minutes ago, qtpye said:

If these allegations prove to be true than it could seriously taint rewatching the series for some people.

Speaking for myself, this reboot has seriously tainted the desire to ever watch the original series again.  Everyone involved in rewriting the history and personalities of these characters without giving any thought or care to the show's legacy and fans pretty much killed my desire to do a rewatch anytime soon.  I figure why even bother?

Edited December 21, 2021 by Cementhead

[LemonSoda]

9 hours ago, qtpye said:

Yes, it might be more to be PC than to support the women.

If these allegations prove to be true than it could seriously taint rewatching the series for some people.

I used to love watching Bill Cosby and now I will never watch anything with him in it, ever again.

This. There’s so much of it out there. It’s to be PC or part of a movement more than actually supporting women. With situations like the Times Up implosion, it’s so disheartening. We need more true help and support out there. 

Me too. My stomach turns when I see Bill Cosby’s face but it kills me how much I loved his shows. What also bothers me is how such good quality work by such a solid cast is now tainted. The whole Cosby show cast was incredible. 

I’m curious how this will taint SATC’s value. I’ve ranted about it before in other threads so sorry if someone is seeing me complain again. But as a fan I feel ripped off by the multiple video releases of it over the years and they should upgrade everyone who bought the digital series to HD instead of expecting us to pay $70 again. 
 

8 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Speaking for myself, this reboot has seriously tainted the desire to ever watch the original series again.  Everyone involved in rewriting the history and personalities of these characters without giving any thought or care to the show's legacy and fans pretty much killed my desire to do a rewatch anytime soon.  I figure why even bother?

I agree. It hurts. The movies were painful but this? Ugh. 

[WendyCR72]

9 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Speaking for myself, this reboot has seriously tainted the desire to ever watch the original series again.  Everyone involved in rewriting the history and personalities of these characters without giving any thought or care to the show's legacy and fans pretty much killed my desire to do a rewatch anytime soon.  I figure why even bother?

I was seriously considering buying the new Blu-Ray set, but this reboot killed that urge right quick. A shame, but there it is.

[Lethallyfab]

For what it’s worth, the original series was composed-and-shot in a square 1.33::1 aspect ratio - that’s the width versus the height - (the size of square TVs that existed pre-HDTVs) - and that’s what’s on the DVDs and  I’m presuming the original digital series.

The HD remasters on HBO and the Blu-Rays are a rectangular 1.78::1 aspect ratio, also known as 16x9 (the size of HD TVs) which is not what was originally intended at all.  For the most part, it’s fine, but I’ve noticed that some of the close-ups in the remasters look kinda off to me.

(Buffy was switched the same way for streaming and now you can literally see the camera crew in some shots.  I’m happy I have the DVDs which have the original compositions.)

SATC was also shot on 16 millimeter for its entire run, which is a different, lower, substantially grainier film quality than either 35 millimeter or HD, but that’s the way the crew *wanted* it to look.  (They apparently asked them to change to 35 for the final season and they said no.)

In other words, you haven’t wasted your money, you don’t need to upgrade to Blu-Rays, you actually have the series how it was originally shot and intended to be seen and the HD upgrade by HBO is just shameless, money-grabbing tinkering.

 

[LemonSoda]

2 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

In other words, you haven’t wasted your money, you don’t need to upgrade to Blu-Rays, you actually have the series how it was originally shot and intended to be seen and the HD upgrade by HBO is just shameless, money-grabbing tinkering.

 

Thank You! I’m also still kind of sour about how they’ve money grabbed from us for this show over the years. The original flimsy plastic disc damaging cases. Then the very gorgeous but very faulty pink folder box set where most of the discs were defective so you have a large gorgeous useless set. Then the white set where they finally added a “play all” button to now all of this digital stuff. And I know the tech forum says it’s impossible but my old DVD’s look more clean than the original SD digital series before they did all this HD mess. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by LemonSoda

[Jillybean]

18 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Speaking for myself, this reboot has seriously tainted the desire to ever watch the original series again.  Everyone involved in rewriting the history and personalities of these characters without giving any thought or care to the show's legacy and fans pretty much killed my desire to do a rewatch anytime soon.  I figure why even bother?

Yeah, I posted about this in one of the episode threads, possibly ep 1. Something like, how does re-watching Carrie's journey with Big in the original series hold up now that we know it ends with her watching him die on their bathroom floor?

I already hated the character assassination on Aidan in the execrable 2nd movie. Now they're just doing it to all the characters. 

[qtpye]

 

[SlovakPrincess]

It does seem like Kim Cattrall was always a respectful "no" on doing more SATC and they thought she would eventually cave if everybody else was on board and they offered enough money.  And then were annoyed with her when it didn't work.  

I can't really tell if something happened during the series, or if the fallout came with the movies and the pressure on her to do another movie when she didn't want to (and comments made to the press about it being her fault there was no 3rd movie).  So I can't really tell if Cattrall was overreacting to something or simply stating a fact that SJP wasn't nice to her.

But honestly, people, you don't have to be friends with your co-workers or pretend they're your "family".   Or claim you "love" them.  Sometimes (usually) it's healthier to have some distance! 

[heatherchandler]

1 hour ago, SlovakPrincess said:

It does seem like Kim Cattrall was always a respectful "no" on doing more SATC and they thought she would eventually cave if everybody else was on board and they offered enough money.  And then were annoyed with her when it didn't work.  

I can't really tell if something happened during the series, or if the fallout came with the movies and the pressure on her to do another movie when she didn't want to (and comments made to the press about it being her fault there was no 3rd movie).  So I can't really tell if Cattrall was overreacting to something or simply stating a fact that SJP wasn't nice to her.

 

I think what happened (I don’t know where I heard this but I definitely read it somewhere) was Kim said, the 4 of us are the show, let’s go in Friends-style and demand a huge amount of money, we will get it.  And SJP, who was a producer said no, that she’s the star and she deserves to make a shit-ton but the other ladies are not. And true, it started with SJP as the star, but quickly turned into an ensemble.  I think that’s where the trouble started.

[Black Knight]

In the book about HBO I mentioned earlier, the HBO exec, Albrecht, talked about compensation as well. SJP started out at one level while the other three were at another. But Cattrall did want more money and HBO knew that was justifiable because her character was the most talked-about. So more tiers of compensation started. They found ways to give Cattrall money outside of her salary for SATC, such as optioning another project of hers.

[Aulty]

Kim Catrall is on How I Met Your Father  (she Hillary Duff's character's older self), which has its first two episodes out this week and she is looks absolutely radiant.

[RealHousewife]

13 hours ago, Aulty said:

Kim Catrall is on How I Met Your Father  (she Hillary Duff's character's older self), which has its first two episodes out this week and she is looks absolutely radiant.

Aw I'll bet. I think Kim is just going to be beautiful forever tbh. 

[Lethallyfab]

I liked that they switched the mother to an on-camera role rather than just a voiceover like Bob Saget on HIMYM.  

Kim is clearly relishing the role and bringing a touch of Samantha to it and does look fabulous.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, RealHousewife said:

Aw I'll bet. I think Kim is just going to be beautiful forever tbh. 

That's true.  She looks amazing these days.

[newyawk]

Remember Claire-Anne? She was a memorable one episode character. I wouldn't mind seeing her brought back somehow.

There was a AJLT thread on Datalounge in which someone suggested Jean Smart be brought in. I thought that was a really good suggestion and she'd be a great fit.

[NotMySekrit2Tell]

If we're fantasizing, I wish Brady would be recast with Skyler Gisondo of Santa Clarita Diet and Righteous Gemstones. He'd be wasted on the material they wrote for Brady (sex with Luisa, smoking with Che, more sex with Luisa, standing at a door while his mom masturbates, and then having no reaction to his parents splitting up), but he'd be perfect if there were a real story for the character, and he has comedic skill. He's a couple years younger than the 27-year-old they cast in the role.

Edited February 8, 2022 by NotMySekrit2Tell

[bluegirl147]

If there is a season 2 Nya could be divorced and seeing a fabulous new man.  Nya invites Miranda back from LA to lunch to meet him.  And it just so happens to be Dr. Robert Leeds.  I know Blair Underwood is going to be busy with LA Law but I would love to see him on AJLT.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I think in the Blair interview I linked in the SATC thread he said that he wasn't even approached.  The show wants to be "woke" but doesn't call the man who played the show's most famous/beloved Black character.  LOL.  

[Scarlett45]

On 2/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, bluegirl147 said:

If there is a season 2 Nya could be divorced and seeing a fabulous new man.  Nya invites Miranda back from LA to lunch to meet him.  And it just so happens to be Dr. Robert Leeds.  I know Blair Underwood is going to be busy with LA Law but I would love to see him on AJLT.

 

18 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I think in the Blair interview I linked in the SATC thread he said that he wasn't even approached.  The show wants to be "woke" but doesn't call the man who played the show's most famous/beloved Black character.  LOL.  

Yes- let’s get Nya with Dr Leeds. I am HERE FOR IT!

[RealHousewife]

5 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

 

Yes- let’s get Nya with Dr Leeds. I am HERE FOR IT!

They'd definitely make a gorgeous couple. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

That should be its own show.  I don't want Miranda to taint that.  LOL

[bluegirl147]

9 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

That should be its own show.  I don't want Miranda to taint that.  LOL

Or just don't have Miranda come back for season 2 and make Nya's part bigger. Who says it has to be a friend group of four?  Let's make it five and add Lisa too.

[funnygirl]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

Or just don't have Miranda come back for season 2 and make Nya's part bigger. Who says it has to be a friend group of four?  Let's make it five and add Lisa too.

This would be great. Seema, LTW, and Nya part of Carrie, Charlotte, and Anthony's group. Miranda can stay in LA with her fantasy rom-com. As it was, her story sucked up most of the screen time and LTW and Nya were barely fleshed out characters. 

*ETA: I added Anthony because he was the best part and most true to character out of the originals. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by funnygirl

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, funnygirl said:

. As it was, Miranda's story sucked up most of the screen time and LTW and Nya were barely fleshed out characters. 

This is 100% true. Why hire actresses as good as Karen Pittman and Nicole Ari Parker and have them do so little.  

If the writers need to come up with some ideas for season 2 all they need to do is come to this board.  I'm sure we could help them out.

[WendyCR72]

If there is a Season 2 (please God, no!), do it without Miranda. Just have Carrie, Charlotte, LTW, Seema, and Nya and go from there. A little of the "old guard" and a little of the "new guard", fleshing the latter out in more detail.

[RedHawk]

20 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

If there is a Season 2 (please God, no!), do it without Miranda. Just have Carrie, Charlotte, LTW, Seema, and Nya and go from there. A little of the "old guard" and a little of the "new guard", fleshing the latter out in more detail.

And Lisette from time to time. I liked her and we need someone of the younger generation besides Jackie and Smoke.

[Scarlett45]

On 2/10/2022 at 2:08 PM, RedHawk said:

And Lisette from time to time. I liked her and we need someone of the younger generation besides Jackie and Smoke.

I liked Lisette too. 

[luna1122]

On 2/10/2022 at 3:08 PM, RedHawk said:

And Lisette from time to time. I liked her and we need someone of the younger generation besides Jackie and Smoke.

I like Lisette too. She's so pretty, and her story obviously had some potential. 

Bobby Lee aka Jackie is 50 years old tho. Same generation as the SATC ladies. 

[RedHawk]

42 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I like Lisette too. She's so pretty, and her story obviously had some potential. 

Bobby Lee aka Jackie is 50 years old tho. Same generation as the SATC ladies. 

I thought so but the show seems to be making him an older millennial (late 30s to early 40s). At least, I can't guess what they mean his age to be or Che's so that's what I assume because they act as if Carrie is so much older, for example, the call to Jackie asking for a "cool" way to tell her noisey neighbors to shut the hell up.

[Mattipoo]

On 2/10/2022 at 3:08 PM, RedHawk said:

If there is a Season 2 (please God, no!), do it without Miranda. Just have Carrie, Charlotte, LTW, Seema, and Nya and go from there. A little of the "old guard" and a little of the "new guard", fleshing the latter out in more detail.

This is what I would do too. Write out Miranda and Che, and give LTW, Seema and Nya their own main storylines. This will be so much better and more interesting. Eventually, if the series continues on and is successful, Carrie and Charlotte can also be written out (if SJP and KD don't want to be part of it anymore), with the 3 new women as leads.

[RealHousewife]

21 minutes ago, Mattipoo said:

This is what I would do too. Write out Miranda and Che, and give LTW, Seema and Nya their own main storylines. This will be so much better and more interesting. Eventually, if the series continues on and is successful, Carrie and Charlotte can also be written out (if SJP and KD don't want to be part of it anymore), with the 3 new women as leads.

I'd pass on that to be honest. I only watch AJLT because I love my SATC gals. I want more of them even if I was disappointed with the writing. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Cattrall is definitely an attractive woman, but she is 65, and imo has changed the most in her appearance since SATC.  I fully get why she wouldn’t want to resume that role and open herself up to the constant comparison of the face, body, etc.   She’s also in Filthy Rich, right?  So, no real upside to AJLT, really.  I’m not a big Cattrall fan, but do get her declining the reboot offer, though the real reason may not be recognized.

Trey, from SATC, is featured in new series Joe vs, Carol.  I think it’s on Netflix.  He plays Carol Baskin’s missing former husband.  …….Correction: he plays Baskin’s current husband.  

Edited March 1, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[bluegirl147]

10 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Cattrall is definitely an attractive woman, but she is 65, and imo has changed the most in her appearance since SATC.  I fully get why she wouldn’t want to resume that role and open herself up to the constant comparison of the face, body, etc.   She’s also in Filthy Rich, right?  So, no real upside to AJLT, really.  I’m not a big Cattrall fan, but do get her declining the reboot offer, though the real reason may not be recognized.

Trey, from SATC, is featured in new series Joe vs, Carol.  I think it’s on Netflix.  He plays Carol Baskin’s missing former husband.  …….Correction: he plays Baskin’s current husband.  

Filthy Rich didn't last beyond the first season.  Kim is however starring in How I Met Your Father.  And she looks good.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Kim clearly will take ANY television role as long as it's not this one 😄

[chenoa333]

On 1/18/2022 at 5:41 PM, RealHousewife said:

Aw I'll bet. I think Kim is just going to be beautiful forever tbh. 

Yes! Unlike SJP who looks like a starving horse.

[Mattipoo]

On 3/2/2022 at 12:29 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Kim clearly will take ANY television role as long as it's not this one 😄

LOL this is so true! 😂

[BlueMoon81]

KC's decision to pass on this show, looks more brilliant by the day/week/month. It's clear that SJP, Michael Patrick King, etc put AJLT out as both a money grab and to prove that SATC could "thrive" without KC and Samantha Jones. Predictably (to those of us paying attention).... they've failed. The writing is reminiscent of the second movie--characters regressing instead of progressing, insulting cultural stereotypes, etc. Except this time around, they don't have KC's wonderful comedic timing to paper over SOME of the horrid writing 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Karen Pittman stars in a new Hallmark movie:

https://www.hallmarkmoviesandmysteries.com/unthinkably-good-things

[T Summer]

I've been absent from the SATC and AJLT threads since I saw SJP in the 2018 movie Here and Now. I had to just not think about SJP for a while. A long while.

I like Sarah Jessica Parker just fine and I don't hate the character Carrie Bradshaw. I've had only minor complaints over the years. I could do without her working that horror movie scream into so many projects  and I thought the HBO series Divorce sucked. Aside from that, I enjoy her work and will pretty much watch anything she's in.  Apparently I need to be a whole lot more discerning. Did anyone else see Here and Now? I'll put my thoughts behind a spoiler tag.

Spoiler

SJP plays Vivienne a long time veteran of the music biz with 9 albums under her belt, a tight playing  and  rehearsing schedule, a  tour to include Carnegie Hall awaiting it's dates confirmed  and she's been appearing at Birdland  for 25 years. It's  a day in the life of movie. First look in, and she's at a medical center  finally having the cause of her headaches investigated. She winces a little at one point and later in the movie she's bothered by an Uber  driver's loud music to the extent she has to get out. These are the only affects she seems to suffer. She's able to walk all over NYC in  5" stiletto heels in the bright light of day, visit, shop, rehearse, take interviews, whatever. No need to lie down in a dark room. I digress; the doctor delivers some bad news. Really bad, she has an aggressive brain tumor, glioblastoma and 14 months to live is possible with surgery and chemo. Much less if she forgoes treatment, and she  could lose her voice. She's to return for further testing and the doctor urges her  to get her support team in place for the long haul ahead.

It's appropriate that her mood  would be dark and gloomy but I can't help but picture dour Carrie Bradshaw  in AJLT as she  white knuckled her way through Big's funeral. Picture that and you have the exact tone of SJP's  performance in Here and Now.

Next stop: rehearsal. We learn she's having a not very deep, not very public thing with her drummer played by Taylor Kinney (who  played Kate's brother in The Other Woman).

Then she sits down to an interview where someone half her age asks if her latest album was about her break up last year with her fiance and fellow musician? After the response "My inspiration comes from many different places, many different things" doesn't seem to satisfy and the question is posed a second time, Vivienne states glaringly  "all of my albums have been influenced by all of my broken engagements"  and  turns the focus  back to her upcoming tour. Speaking about the Birdland shows, she states she's "going to be joined by some incredible musicians on the weekends. Diana Krall. For sure!" 🙄

She visits her mum (Jackie Bisset). It's obvious Vivienne just can't talk to her mother who is letting her know her shows aren't selling out as expected. "What you do is so difficult. So much disappointment, but you keep going. I admire that." We learn that Vivienne  sings in French as well as English. Moving on...

Simon Baker plays Vivienne's ex and the father of the 16 year old girl who hasn't had mum's time because performing and touring took it all up. Vivienne pops in on them early so she can have an adult talk before their daughter gets in. Dad is soley focused on an event coming up for their daughter and he prevails on her not to make promises she'll attend that she  can't keep. The daughter comes in carrying a guitar case but isn't too focused on mum.

Vivienne will return to the apartment later and get another dressing down from her ex, this time  for waiting so long to see about her headaches and he will extract a promise she'll wait and talk to him about how to bring the daughter into the loop.

As she walks around the city she has a brief conversation on a bridge with a very old lady with crinkly eyes. Vivienne and the camera are focused  on the  engagement and wedding rings worn so thin,  they're practically cutting into the old woman's hands. Then she runs into a friend outside a restaurant  (Renee Zelwigger)    out with her husband and friends celebrating her birthday. Inside the friend asks about her engagement. Vivienne asks about their  child  and  learns they are on their third. These scenes are so blatantly  signifying Vivienne questioning whether she should have prioritized home life over touring...  that there ought to be a law against such heavy handedness. Just in case you missed it the first time there's a  shot of Vivienne  looking  back at the friend surrounded by loved ones singing happy birthday, her smiling face bathed in light from   the candles on the cake. We then get a close up of the   only dude who notices Vivienne   slip out.

After dropping in on the drummer for  a brief and unremarkable tryst, next scene she's  in a nightclub  taking in a performance and then she's urged onto the stage to give one of her own. The less said about this, the better.

You know before we get out of this that mum Vivienne  and daughter are going to have a moment.  The second time she stops by the apartment the daughter lets mum listen to her music and mum says:" It's good. Is this you? I like it. I REALLY like it". The girl confirms she'll be at the upcoming Birdland show with grandmere and then she is the only one all day who notices mum seems sad and serious. She asks if it's about the tour? Vivienne  starts down the path "I've missed... so much" and daughter reassures her "It's fine. I like you so much more than my friends like their mothers right now". She stays until the girl falls asleep.

The events of the night fade  as the sun comes up on a new day and she makes her way by Uber (the same Uber she's been in a couple of times the day before) to the medical center where  we see her  removing her jewelry to prepare for a test. The end. Oh, there's another freaking awful song.

This movie is  slow, plodding and most of all dreadfully miscast. It's lifeless,  soulless and utterly joyless. Why it wouldn't have featured someone who  the audience would've really enjoyed hearing sing, I don't know? Not just someone playing so completely against type and making it through without going wildly off pitch. Strong and moving performances could have provided much needed contrast to the tragic nature of the story. This flat, slow, talky "singing"??? It didn't  seem like a movie in any way about or connected to  music.