Television dramas Emily In Paris and Sex And The City have a lot of similarities. Both shows are female-led and fashion-forward. The cast is incredibly gorgeous and the storylines manage to tip-toe the line of reality and deliciously fluffy fiction. But despite both series’ being written by the same man — legendary television writer Darren Star — he says it was never his intent to make Emily In Paris like a modern-day Sex And The City for Gen Z.

 

I was lucky enough to have a chat with Darren and the cast of Emily In Paris after Netflix flew me over to Rome to catch the premiere.

“To me, the shows are so different,” Darren tells PEDESTRIAN.TV.

“They came from different times of my life, different parts of my life, and for different reasons. I think to me, Sex in the City was a show about women defining themselves outside of marriage. It’s this very sex-positive show with women owning their sexuality and flipping the script by almost putting the female gaze on men.”

“Emily in Paris, to me, is a show about the importance of travel and leaving your comfort zone,” Darren continues.

“To me, the shows feel like they come from such different places.”

Just so you know, I’m a Miranda sun with a Samantha rising and a Carrie moon. (Image: Sex And The City)
For Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, who plays unflappable bad bitch agency boss Sylvie Grateu in Emily In Paris, the comparisons between the two series are understandable.

“I think the reason why people compare these shows is because your female characters are very whole,” she notes to Darren.

“They have this very beautiful feminine and beautiful masculine side. Your look at women, and your gaze on women, it’s very complete. So maybe that’s why people tend to compare these two shows because in Sex and The City and Emily In Paris these characters feel whole.”
Two besties!!!!! (Image: Stephanie Branchu / Netflix)
“I think the women have a lot of agency in both series,” Darren concedes.

“I think that people really respond to that.”

Thankfully, Darren is still just as in love with Emily In Paris as he was when the show kicked off in 2020. So much so, that he’d be down to film as many seasons of the colourful drama as Netflix will let him.

Happy days!!!! A

Season four, part two of Emily In Paris comes out on September 12. Until then, you can relive the glory of season one through to season four, part one on Netflix.