TV Talk: Is the 'Sex and the City' sequel series worth watching?

There’s a simple question to ask yourself when weighing whether or not to check out the new “Sex and the City” sequel series: Are you comfortable with change? Or would you rather remember characters and a TV show as they were?

Billed as “a new chapter of ‘Sex and the City,” “And Just Like That…” takes the situations and characters from the 1998-2004 HBO hit (and its two sequel movies) and plows forward. For the first 35 minutes of the 44-minute premiere, it’s an uncomfortable ride as writer/director Michael Patrick King reorients the characters in a post-covid, politically progressive NYC in a bid for 2021 relevancy.

“I have to go do a podcast,” Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) tells friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). “They’re like jury duty now.”

Carrie gets shamed for not being raunchy enough on that podcast by its host, Che (Sara Ramirez).

Miranda, who’s pretty clearly going to have an addiction issue in the new series, while always opinionated, used to be the smartest character, but she puts her foot in her mouth so often in the first hour it’s dumbfounding.

Charlotte remains pretty much the same, which is appropriate. Even in the original series, she seemed like a character from a bygone era, so being out of place in a “woke” world isn’t a head-turner.

But the most uncomfortable element is what’s missing: Samantha, who’s moved to London for work. Actress Kim Cattrall has had a pretty public (via social media) tiff with star Sarah Jessica Parker, refusing to return for more “Sex and the City” stories. “And Just Like That…” works that rupture into its plot: Carrie dropped Samantha as her publicist who Carrie says “then fired me as a friend. I understand she is upset but I thought I was more to her than an ATM.”

Cringe!

But for viewers who can make it past this bumpy beginning, this new chapter starts to settle into its changes in the second episode.

Now streaming its first two episodes on HBO Max, “And Just Like That…” introduces a seismic shift in the show’s established world beyond Samantha being AWOL. It’s a necessary departure that lays track for the story that follows but that turn, along with the show’s 45-minute run times, pushes the series into more dramatic territory, though not as severe and untenable as the sitcom “The Brady Bunch” mutating into short-lived Bradysomething drama “The Bradys.”

Characters from “Sex and the City’s” past – Bitsy von Muffing (Julie Halston), Susan Sharon (Molly Price), Natasha Naginsky (Bridget Moynahan) – make cameos, but the show also introduces new characters pretty seamlessly, including Miranda’s humanitarian law professor (Karen Pittman), Carrie’s podcast host and Charlotte’s friend LTW (Nicole Ari Parker), AKA “Black Charlotte.”

Episodes two and three suggest producers might have planned to make Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson) the fourth friend to fill the Samantha void but given Garson’s September death mid-production, that can’t continue.

Wherever the story goes, between major plot turns and unsubtle foreshadowing, “And Just Like That…” promises more change. “Sex and the City” fans, buckle up.

‘American Auto’

Like ABC’s preview of “Abbott Elementary” earlier this week, new NBC comedy “American Auto” is another surprise winner (previews at 10 and 10:30 p.m. Dec. 13; time slot premiere 8 p.m. Jan. 4).

From Justin Spitzer, who previously created NBC’s “Superstore,” “American Auto” is an office comedy set at Payne Motors in Detroit where new CEO Katherine Hastings (Ana Gasteyer), a former big pharma exec who has no interest in cars, takes the reins just as the company is about to unveil a self-driving vehicle that turns out to have a whopping blind spot.

Funny and fast-paced, this single-camera comedy is worth a test drive.

‘Grand Crew’

This one’s a more male “Friends” set at a wine bar instead of a coffee shop.

Executive produced by two “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” vets – Phil Augusta Jackson and Dan Goor – this NBC comedy has potential thanks largely to the presence of Echo Kellum (“You’re the Worst”) and Nicole Byer (“Nailed It!”). Even so, the writing for Byer needs to be as sharp as she is – which in the two episodes made available for review, it’s not.

Previewing at 8 and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 14 before moving to its regular 8:30 p.m. Tuesday time slot on Jan. 4, “Grand Crew” is a friends-hanging-out show about hopeless romantic Noah (Kellum), his emotionally closed-off sister Nicky (Byer) and three other male friends. Only the first two characters get much definition in early episodes, but perhaps the series will improve over time. Dropping a narrator after the first episode is a good first step.

‘Downton’ movie on PBS

The first “Downton Abbey” movie, released in theaters in September 2019, will air on PBS at 7 p.m. Dec. 25. WQED-TV will rebroadcast the film at 6 p.m. Jan. 2.

Kept/canceled/spun-off

HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and Apple TV+’s “Invasion” were both renewed for second seasons.

AMC renewed “Fear the Walking Dead” for an eighth season with original series star Kim Dickens, whose character is presumed dead, returning as a series regular.

Shudder renewed “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” for a fifth season.

Shows getting third-season renewals this week include Fox’s “Lego Masters,” Apple TV+’s “Truth Be Told,” Netflix’s “Outer Banks” and Starz’s “Power Book II: Ghost.”

Peacock canceled “A.P. Bio” after four seasons.

A “Money Heist” prequel series centered on the character Berlin is in development at Netflix.

A “Tiger King” spin-off, the three-episode “Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story,” debuts Dec. 10.

Amazon’s Prime Video ordered an eight-episode animated spin-off from “The Boys” for 2022. “The Boys: Diabolical” will tell stories from “The Boys” universe not seen in the live-action series.

BET series “Sistas” will get a spin-off, “Zatima,” that will stream on BET+.

The CW is developing a “Walker” prequel. If ordered, “Walker: Independence” would be set in the 1800s and follow Abby Walker as she seeks revenge for the murder of her husband as the couple migrates West.

Premiere dates

“Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas” streams Dec. 16 on Peacock. … A new “Reno 911!” special, “The Hunt for QAnon,” debuts Dec. 23 on Paramount+. …The 10th season of “Letterkenny” debuts Dec. 26 on Hulu. … A new season of “Dirty Jobs” with Mike Rowe premieres at 8 p.m. Jan. 2 on Discovery and discovery+.

Channel surfing

CBS’s “48 Hours” (10 p.m. Saturday), executive produced by Pittsburgh native Judy Tygard, revisits the murder of Aliquippa’s Rachael DelTondo. … Pittsburgh native Billy Porter will co-host “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022” (8 p.m. Dec. 31, WTAE-TV). … NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” ends 2021 with Billie Eilish hosting and serving as musical guest on Dec. 11; Paul Rudd hosts with Charli XCX as musical guest on Dec. 18. … Free, ad-supported Mystery Alley, carrying reruns of “Murdoch Mysteries” and “Midsomer murders,” is now available as a streaming channel via Plex, DistroTV, Freebie.TV and the Ovation Now app on Roku. … “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas,” a follow-up movie to NBC’s canceled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” is now streaming on The Roku Channel. … Hulu will dump the FX on Hulu branding but the FX logo will still appear above FX shows on Hulu. … Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to share “Jeopardy!” hosting duties through late July. … Paramount+ added live streaming channels devoted to reality TV, “Star Trek,” “Paw Patrol” and more.