HBO’s award-winning series “Sex and the City” will soon air on regular cable television bringing its risque characters to the masses.
Tribune Broadcasting, a division of Tribune Company, recently announced it acquired the rights to air “Sex and the City” in syndication. The show will run six-times a week on the company’s 26 major-market stations including nationally-run WGN. Unfortunately, the show will not begin airing until September 2005.
Tribune officials said the 30-minute shows would have to be cut down to 23 minutes to allow for commercial breaks.
“The producers of ‘Sex and the City’ thought ahead and shot alternative scenes that would be cleaner for cable television,” said Christine Hennessey, manager of group media relations for the Tribune Co.
The alternative scenes would help in the editing process to get each show down to 23 minutes.
“We’ve seen a half dozen samples that will air in syndication,” Hennessey said. “We think it will work well with our television stations.”
In a news release, Tribune Broadcasting President Pat Mullen said he is excited about the syndication.
“‘Sex and the City’ has been one of the strongest half-hour comedies on television, and it is easily the best new comedy coming into the syndication marketplace” Mullen saod.
Tribune Broadcasting owns the rights for such shows as “Friends,” “Will and Grace” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Adrienne West, a general business administration freshman said the series would be successful on syndicated television.
“Some people don’t want to pay to get HBO because it’s an extra in some cases,” West said. “This will broaden the viewers around the country so more people will be able to watch it. It will grow in popularity.”
West said she would watch the comedy series on cable.
“It’s fun to watch, and the girls are crazy,” West said. “They’re exactly like guys but women. I’d like to be like them when I grow up because they don’t care about anyone else but themselves.”
Brandy Mire, an English freshman, said she thinks people will watch if the publicity is right.
“I think it would definitely be successful since it was so successful on HBO,” Mire said.
Mullen said the syndication will make the programming at their stations even stronger.
“It is also the perfect show for the younger demographic served by our WB affiliates and coveted by advertisers,” Mullen said.
Popular show set for cable
September 24, 2003