What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedSex and the City
Darren Star · Series · 1998
If you loved Sex and the City, start with Sex and the City (Amy Sohn, 2002) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Sex and the City across media.
What hooked you in Sex and the City was the candid navigation of urban independence, friendship, and the complexities of modern romance.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Sex and the City
Michael Patrick King · Film · 2008
Adaptation
Sex and the City 2
Michael Patrick King · Film · 2010
Books on the same thread
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Truman Capote · Book · 1958
Shares a thread with Sex and the City: New York City Life.
If Sex and the City captured your heart, you will appreciate this look at the original NYC socialite whose search for identity mirrors Carrie Bradshaw’s own Manhattan adventures.
Valley of the Dolls
Jacqueline Susann · Book · 1966
Shares a thread with Sex and the City: Female Friendship.
Fans of Sex and the City will recognize the dark side of ambition and the intricate bonds of female friendship explored within this gripping tale of industry survival.
The Three Musketeers
Alexandre Dumas · Book · 1998
Explores: Friendship, Loyalty, Intrigue.
While historical, the core of this story is the same unbreakable loyalty between friends that defines the quartet of women at the center of Sex and the City.
Bridget Jones's Diary
Helen Fielding · Book · 1996
Shares a thread with Sex and the City: Single Life.
Bridget Jones is the spiritual cousin to the women of Sex and the City, offering a hilarious, diary-style perspective on navigating single life and career pressures in the city.
Films on the same thread
When Harry Met Sally...
Film · 1989
Explores: Friendship vs Romance, Gender Dynamics, Unrequited Love.
Just as Sex and the City dissects the nuances of urban relationships, this film provides a sharp, witty examination of whether friendship can survive the complications of romantic attraction.
Manhattan
Woody Allen · Film · 1979
Explores: Infidelity, Age Gap Romance, Existential Crisis.
Those who loved the neurotic, fashion-forward, and often messy social landscape of Sex and the City will find this exploration of Manhattan relationships and moral ambiguity deeply familiar.
The Devil Wears Prada
Film · 2006
Explores: Workplace dynamics, Ambition, Fashion industry.
This film echoes the high-fashion career struggles found in Sex and the City, focusing on the intense professional climb and the personal transformation required to make it in NYC.
Celebrity
Woody Allen · Film · 1998
Explores: Midlife Crisis, Celebrity Culture, Existential Angst.
If you enjoyed the midlife existential crises of Sex and the City, this narrative offers a cynical, humorous look at celebrity culture and the search for meaning in Manhattan.
Podcasts on the same thread
Extra Dirty with Hallie Batchelder
Hallie Batchelder · Podcast
Shares a thread with Sex and the City: Female Friendship.
This podcast serves as a modern, unfiltered extension of the conversations started in Sex and the City, focusing on the raw realities of dating as a woman in NYC.
Call Her Daddy
Alex Cooper · Podcast · 2026
Explores: female empowerment, sexual autonomy, brutal honesty.
Carrying the torch of female empowerment and sexual autonomy from Sex and the City, this podcast delivers the same brutal honesty about navigating the modern dating scene today.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch or read Sex and the City?
You should start by reading the 2002 book Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell or watching the 1998 television series created by Darren Star. Following the conclusion of the series, you can continue the story by watching the 2008 film Sex and the City and its 2010 sequel.
Is the Sex and the City television series based on a book?
Yes, the 1998 television series Sex and the City is based on the bestselling book of the same name written by Candace Bushnell. The show follows the lives of four best friends navigating their careers and personal relationships while living in the New York City social scene.
How many Sex and the City movies are there?
There are two feature films that follow the original television series. These are the 2008 film titled Sex and the City and the 2010 follow-up titled Sex and the City 2. Both films continue the narratives established in the television show and the original source material.
What is the premise of the original Sex and the City series?
The 1998 series Sex and the City tells the story of four best friends in their late thirties who are single. The show focuses on their pursuit of professional careers and their candid discussions regarding their sex lives while they attempt to navigate the social scene in New York.