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108-465: Esquire Network was an American pay television network that was a 50/50 joint venture between NBCUniversal and the Hearst Corporation . Launched on October 1, 1998 as Style Network , a spin-off of E! , the channel initially consisted of fashion, design, and urban lifestyle-themed programming. In 2008, Style shifted its programming towards personality-centric reality shows. The network

216-490: A metrosexual audience about travel, cooking, fashion and other male-targeted programming that is not sports related, including the addition of acquired and archived program content from the NBCUniversal library such as Party Down , Parks and Recreation and week-delayed episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon . The rebranding was scheduled to take place on April 22, 2013, but was moved to an unspecified date in

324-469: A trial period , often one to three months, though there have been rare instances of free trials for pay services that last up to one year for newer subscribers to that provider's television service. Pay television has become popular with cable and satellite television . Pay television services often, at least two to three times per year, provide free previews of their services, in order to court potential subscribers by allowing this wider audience to sample

432-523: A Chinese baby girl, which Bunny does not approve of. A combination of these factors once again ignites old tensions with Trey and Bunny, culminating in Trey's deciding he no longer wants a family. Charlotte tries to adjust to this change, but is clearly upset, since having a husband and family were her dream. Trey finally tells Charlotte that she shouldn't have to give up her dream for him. Trey lets Charlotte keep their apartment after he moves out. However, Bunny

540-617: A constant presence in Miranda's life. The series explores Miranda's challenges as a single, working mother and her struggle to balance her career with her new responsibilities. Miranda eventually realizes she is still in love with Steve, but before she can express her feelings, Steve reveals he is dating a younger woman named Debbie. Choosing not to disrupt his new relationship, Miranda keeps her feelings to herself, and their interactions remain platonic. Shortly afterward, Miranda begins dating Robert Leeds, an attractive African American doctor for

648-406: A crude decrypting of the over-the-air television signal and a decoding box, but never caught on for use at that time. It took another four decades when cable broadcasters started using pay-per-view on a widespread basis. "Free" variants are free-to-air (FTA) and free-to-view (FTV); however, FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to

756-459: A firm believer in true love and soulmates. She places significant emphasis on emotional love over physical desire and is focused on finding "the one" to marry and start a family. Her dating life throughout the show reflects this pursuit, often involving men of status and pedigree, such as bankers, doctors, and lawyers. Charlotte can be a dark horse, and it is learnt that she once had a dalliance with an Orthodox Jewish artist, she dressed in drag for

864-632: A focus on their parent companies' libraries, with HBO Now replaced by HBO Max (now Max) in 2020 (which adds content from other Warner Bros. properties and third-parties, and would also be included with existing HBO subscriptions via television providers), and Showtime formally merging with Paramount+ in 2023. Canadian premium service The Movie Network similarly merged with the CraveTV service owned by parent company Bell Media in 2018. Pay-per-view (PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay television services in that customers must pay to have

972-404: A guy who likes to watch porn during sex. By the time she meets Steve, a bartender, she is skeptical of his niceness. Although they begin dating, differences in their schedules and finances eventually lead to a breakup. They reconnect and end up in bed together again, but not before Miranda dates a man who wants to get caught cheating, a Peeping Tom in the next building, and a divorced father. After

1080-543: A larger home and eventually move to a house in Brooklyn, a decision Miranda initially resists. In the final episodes of season 6, Miranda and Steve care for Steve's mother Mary, who is suffering from dementia / Alzheimer's . Miranda tells Steve that his mother can come stay with them in the Brooklyn house and even bathes her when Mary has a bad episode. Magda comments to Miranda that the things she does for Mary are what's called love. The oldest and most sexually confident of

1188-513: A lower subscription fee. These are called "mini-pay" channels (a term also used for smaller scale commercial-free pay television services) and are often sold as a part of a package with numerous similarly priced channels. Usually, however, the regular pricing for premium channels ranges from just under $ 10 to near $ 25 per month per suite, with lower prices available via bundling options with cable or satellite providers, or special limited offers which are available during free preview periods or before

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1296-417: A main flagship channel is accompanied by secondary services with distinct schedules focusing on specific genres and audiences (such as multiplexes focusing more on "classic" films, or family-oriented programming), time shifting , or brand licensing deals (such as channels focusing specifically on Disney films , or content from U.S. pay television brands if they do not specifically run their own network in

1404-659: A manipulative sort who intrudes on Trey and Charlotte's relationship and apartment on a regular basis. Not long into the marriage, on a weekend trip to the MacDougal country estate, Charlotte, frustrated by Trey's lack of sexual attention, kisses the hunky gardener, and is caught by a relative. Though Trey suggests they can stay together and have separate lives, Charlotte won't accept this. She and Trey separate, and she moves back into her old apartment. While separated, Trey suddenly gets his mojo back and they mend their sexual relationship. But it takes Charlotte getting fed up with being

1512-403: A marriage-minded man, but they clash over china patterns. She also declines to have anal sex with another boyfriend and consents to pose nude for a famous painter. Samantha has a series of brief sexual encounters, including one with an artist who videotapes his partners, with Charlotte's doorman, with a married couple, and others. When she meets James, who initially seems perfect for her, Samantha

1620-535: A mix of original series, films, and specials. The shift towards SVOD has resulted in increasing competition within the sector, with media conglomerates having launched their own services (such as Disney+ , Paramount+ , Peacock , and Disney's acquisition of the majority of Hulu ) to compete, and existing premium networks such as HBO ( HBO Now ) and Showtime launching direct-to-consumer versions of their existing services to appeal to cord cutters . HBO and Showtime later absorbed their DTC offerings into wider services with

1728-469: A monogamous relationship. However, Samantha's trust in Richard falters when she catches him cheating on her, leading to heartbreak. Although they briefly reconcile after Richard apologizes and showers her with expensive gifts, Samantha's jealousy and inability to trust him ultimately cause her to end the relationship. In the final season, Samantha becomes involved with Jerry "Smith" Jerrod ( Jason Lewis ),

1836-572: A much younger aspiring actor. Although their relationship begins as a casual fling, Samantha helps Smith advance his acting career through her PR expertise. Over time, their intense sexual chemistry and Smith's refusal to tolerate Samantha's emotional defenses lead to a deeper connection. When Samantha is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes chemotherapy, Smith stands by her side, even shaving his head in solidarity when she loses her hair. Despite her attempts to push him away, Smith remains devoted, and their bond strengthens. They remain together, and in

1944-559: A new carriage agreement). This forced last-second changes to Esquire Network's planned schedule outside of primetime. Cable-edited reruns of Sex and the City (a series which took heavy criticism from Esquire magazine during its original run) remained on its schedule until December 2013 (when the rights were shifted to E! ), with most of Style's series quietly shelved, or transferred to E!, Bravo and Oxygen . International versions of Style Network continued to exist several years after, as

2052-471: A one-night stand develops into a more serious relationship. Despite their strong connection, Steve feels insecure about Miranda's financial success and struggles with the income disparity between them. Tensions arise when Miranda attempts to buy Steve a suit for an event at her law firm; Steve, feeling inadequate, maxes out his credit cards to buy it himself, only to return it later and break up with Miranda, believing she deserves someone more on her level. Miranda

2160-529: A pay television bouquet – in other words, an offer of pay-TV channels – or can be purchased for a one-time cost. FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Australia is one example, as much of its programming content is free-to-air except for National Rugby League (NRL) games, which are encrypted. Sex and the City Sex and the City is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO , based on

2268-423: A planned vacation with him. Carrie sets up Miranda with her friend Skipper. Miranda and Skipper date intermittently, with their contrasting personalities—Miranda being more assertive and Skipper more laid back—causing tension. After they break up, Miranda sees him with another woman and feels compelled to resume their relationship, but they break up again when he seeks exclusivity, and she does not. Charlotte dates

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2376-453: A portrait, and she allowed an artist to paint a picture of her vulva . She can be an "East Side Princess" sometimes, and she and Samantha occasionally come to blows over their differing opinions about love and sex. In season 3, Charlotte decides she will be married that year and sets about canvassing her married friends to set her up on dates. One married friend usurps her blind date to try to start an affair with her. Horrified, she dashes into

2484-497: A puppy together further highlights their differences, with Miranda feeling burdened by Steve's lack of responsibility. Steve later opens his own bar, encouraged by Miranda's criticisms. They maintain a friendship, and in Season 4, when Steve is diagnosed with testicular cancer, Miranda steps in to support him, helping him through his surgery and treatment. Their relationship deepens, and after one night of intimacy, Miranda discovers she

2592-412: A range of suitors, including a legendary expert in cunnilingus, a handy actor who lives next door, a widower looking for a relationship, a man who undergoes adult circumcision, a famous actor, a pastry chef with effeminate tendencies, a shoe salesman with a foot fetish, and a 20-something who gives her crabs. Miranda dates a man who enjoys dirty talk, fakes it with an ophthalmologist, and tries to adapt to

2700-693: A restriction as a few providers optionally sell that service without requiring a Showtime subscription. Unlike other cable networks, premium services are almost always subscribed to a la carte , meaning that one can, for example, subscribe to HBO without subscribing to Showtime (in Canada, there are slight modifications, as most providers include U.S. superstations – such as WAPA-TV – with their main premium package by default). However, subscribing to an "individual" service automatically includes access to all of that service's available multiplex channels and, in some cases, access to content via video-on-demand (in

2808-425: A seasonal package. They are typically the most expensive type of pay services, generally running in the range of $ 35 to $ 50 per month. Some pay services also offer pornographic films ; Cinemax was well known for carrying a late-night block of softcore films and series known as "Max After Dark"—a reputation that led to the network often being nicknamed "Skinemax" by viewers. Cinemax phased out this programming in

2916-540: A short time during the 1980s, and unlike other general-interest pay services accepted outside advertising for broadcast during its sports telecasts), Preview , SelecTV and ON TV in the late 1970s, but those services disappeared as competition from cable television expanded during the 1980s. In Australia , Foxtel , Optus Television and TransACT are the major pay television distributors, all of which provide cable services in some metropolitan areas , with Foxtel providing satellite service for all other areas where cable

3024-412: A slave to "the penis" that convinces Trey to grow up and invite Charlotte to move back in, which she does. All seems to be well, and soon Trey tells Charlotte he's ready to try for a baby. Having no luck with natural method of conception, Charlotte seeks fertility treatment and is told she has a very low chance of becoming pregnant. Seeking other options, she begins hormone injections and looks into adopting

3132-401: A specific market). Typically, these services are bundled together with the main channel at no additional charge, and cannot be purchased separately. Depending on local regulations, pay television services generally have more lenient content standards because of their relatively narrower distribution, and not being subject to pressure from sponsors to tone down content. As a result, programming

3240-528: A struggle she navigates throughout the series. A 1990 Harvard Law School graduate from the Philadelphia area, she is Carrie Bradshaw's confidante and often serves as the voice of reason within the group. Carrie sets Miranda up on a blind date with her friend Skipper, but Miranda finds him too passive for her tastes. Miranda's most significant relationship is with bartender Steve Brady ( David Eigenberg ), whom she meets by chance one night. What begins as

3348-518: A studio apartment in an Upper East Side brownstone . Her best friend outside of the central group of women is Stanford Blatch ( Willie Garson ), a gay talent agent from an aristocratic family. Carrie has a tumultuous, on-again, off-again relationship with Mr. Big ( Chris Noth ), a prominent businessman and jazz aficionado. Big, who is once-divorced at the series' start, is a recurring source of emotional conflict for Carrie due to his reluctance to fully commit to their relationship. A running joke in

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3456-501: A year but does not explicitly invite Carrie to join him, they break up for a second time. Carrie then unsuccessfully tries to turn a friend-with-benefits into something more, dates a writer with a great family but who is consistently "early" in bed, and then a recovering alcoholic who uses Carrie as a replacement for his previous addiction. She later encounters Big again, who has returned from Paris with his new 20-something fiancée, Natasha (played by Bridget Moynahan ). Charlotte encounters

3564-688: A year of lead-up promotions and announcements, though it ended operations itself on November 18, 2022. Hearst has since re-established Esquire -branded programming through the stations of Hearst Television and its streaming network Very Local beginning in 2021, with In Transit , a tourism travelogue series hosted by Dave Holmes . Internationally, Style Network was launched in the Arab world in December 2007 on Showtime Arabia , across Southern and Western Africa during back in November 2007 on DStv , in

3672-485: Is Canal+ and its scrambled services, which operated in France from 1984 to the 2011 closedown of analogue television, Spain from 1990 to 2005 and Poland from 1995 to 2001. Some U.S. television stations launched pay services (known simply as "subscription television" services) such as SuperTV , Wometco Home Theater , PRISM (which principally operated as a cable service, only being simultaneously carried over-the-air for

3780-478: Is controlling and that Carrie is changing herself to fit into his world. Once in Paris, Carrie quickly becomes disillusioned as Aleksandr is frequently absent due to his work, leaving her to wander the city alone. After a lonely call to Miranda, in which Carrie confesses her regrets, Mr. Big decides to go to Paris to win her back. After a confrontation with Aleksandr, who accidentally hits her during an argument, Carrie

3888-442: Is credited with helping to increase HBO's popularity as a network. It won accolades including seven Primetime Emmy Award , eight Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Award . The series was ranked fifth on Entertainment Weekly 's "New TV Classics" list, and has been cited as one of the best television series of all time. The series still airs in syndication worldwide. It spawned two feature films, Sex and

3996-493: Is for the foreseeable future, though it's highly unlikely the company will invest in more original programming" according to The Hollywood Reporter . One of the factors was likely Style's distribution on DirecTV, giving Esquire more homes at launch with the Style channel slot than they would have had with G4 (G4 had earlier been dropped by DirecTV in 2010 due to the channel's low viewership and had never been able to come to terms on

4104-642: Is fulfilling, and eventually they begin dating properly. However, Harry says he cannot be serious with Charlotte because she isn't a Jew. Believing Harry to be her future, Charlotte converts to Judaism and this sees her struggle with losing her Christian faith and ideologies including Christmas and Easter . After her conversion, Charlotte celebrates her first Shabbat with Harry but loses her temper when he appears to not appreciate all her efforts. The argument quickly devolves into Charlotte's badgering Harry to propose and, feeling pressured, he storms out, and they break up, but not before revealing that Charlotte's dream

4212-731: Is heartbroken and later encounters Big at a party in The Hamptons with his new, much younger girlfriend, Natasha. Carrie tries to maintain a friendship with Big, but it falls apart when he announces his engagement to Natasha, a level of commitment he never offered Carrie. In Season 3, Carrie begins dating Aidan Shaw ( John Corbett ), an up-and-coming Manhattan furniture designer who is more traditional and patient than her previous boyfriends. Despite their happiness, Carrie starts an affair with Big, which ends when Natasha catches Carrie at Big's apartment. The affair's revelation causes Aidan to break up with Carrie after she confesses her infidelity on

4320-455: Is heartbroken and questions if her career success is a hindrance to finding a lasting relationship. In Season 2, after avoiding Steve on the street, Miranda is confronted by him at her home. They rekindle their relationship, and Steve eventually moves into Miranda's apartment. However, their differing views on having children—Steve is eager to start a family, while Miranda is focused on her career—lead to their breakup. A failed attempt to care for

4428-523: Is heartbroken to discover that he has an extremely small penis. Carrie dates a baseball player on the rebound but ends the relationship when she realizes she's not over Big. She then dates a filmmaker who has compromised his artistic integrity, a shoplifter, and a nice guy whom she inadvertently scares away by snooping. Eventually, she rekindles her relationship with Big, initially keeping it a secret from her friends. Their relationship remains tumultuous, and when Big reveals that he may have to move to Paris for

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4536-494: Is most synonymous with premium entertainment services focused on films or general entertainment programming such as, in the United States, Cinemax , HBO , MGM+ , Showtime , and Starz , but such services can also include those devoted to sports , as well as adult entertainment . In contrast to most other multichannel television broadcasters, which depend on advertising and carriage fees as their sources of revenue,

4644-707: Is not available. Austar formerly operated as a satellite pay service, until it merged with Foxtel and SelecTV . The major distributors of pay television in New Zealand are Sky Network Television on satellite and Vodafone on cable. In the 2010s, over-the-top subscription video on demand (SVOD) services distributed via internet video emerged as a major competitor to traditional pay television, with services such as Amazon Video , Hulu , and Netflix gaining prominence. Similarly to pay television services, their libraries include acquired content (which can not only include films, but acquired television series as well), and

4752-505: Is not content to let Charlotte keep the apartment and the apartment becomes a contentious aspect of the divorce proceedings. When Charlotte's marriage ends, she meets Harry Goldenblatt ( Evan Handler ), her Jewish divorce lawyer, at the beginning of season 5. She is not attracted to him initially but, spurred on by Anthony, she starts a purely physical relationship with Harry. Harry is the opposite of Trey: short, bald, hairy, uncouth but funny, passionate, and attentive. Their sexual relationship

4860-551: Is ready to leave when Big arrives and tells her she is "the one," a sentiment she had longed to hear throughout their relationship, and they return to New York together. Charlotte York ( Kristin Davis ) is depicted as having a conventional, privileged Episcopalian upbringing in Connecticut and works in an art gallery. A classic overachiever and perfectionist, Charlotte was a "straight A" student who attended Smith College and

4968-717: Is typically aired with limited to no edits for time or, where applicable, mature content such as graphic violence , profanity , nudity , and sexual activity . As premium television services are commonly devoid of traditional commercial advertising, breaks between programming typically include promotions for upcoming programs , and interstitial segments (such as behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and other feature segments). Some sports-based pay services, however, may feature some commercial advertising, particularly if they simulcast sporting events that are broadcast by advertiser-supported television networks. In addition, most general interest or movie-based pay services do not adhere to

5076-479: Is unexpectedly pregnant, despite having been told she had a "lazy ovary." At the same time, Charlotte is struggling with infertility, leading to tension when she learns that Miranda, who is initially considering an abortion, is pregnant. At the clinic, Miranda decides to keep the baby and later gives birth to a son, Brady (Steve's last name). Miranda and Steve co-parent Brady, with the help of Miranda's housekeeper/nanny, Magda, an older Eastern European woman who becomes

5184-482: The U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit ) were promised to air on the new digital version of the network, but have since been abandoned. By coincidence, G4's Canadian network outlived both its mother American network and the Esquire Network, ending operations on August 31, 2017, two months longer than Esquire. G4 would relaunch in the United States in a new hybrid cable-digital form on November 16, 2021, after

5292-698: The United Kingdom and Ireland on June 10, 2008, in Japan on World on Demand, Australia in November 2009, and Poland in August 2011. The network was also launched in CEE, from February 19, 2011, until May 1, 2014 Style Network continues to air in international markets, though its British / Irish version ceased operations on December 9, 2013, while its African version ceased operations on March 31, 2015. The brand licensing agreement with Hearst for Esquire Network

5400-547: The Wimbledon tennis tournament. Specialty pay sports channels also exist—often focusing on international sports considered niche to domestic audiences (such as, in the United States, cricket ), and are typically sold at a higher expense than traditional premium services. Out-of-market sports packages in North America are multi-channel pay services carrying professional or collegiate sporting events which are sold in

5508-563: The business cycle , some broadcasters try to balance them with more stable income from subscriptions. Some providers offer services owned by the same company in a single package. For example, American satellite provider DirecTV offers the Encore channels along with the Starz multiplex (both owned by Lionsgate 's Starz Inc. ) in its "Starz Super Pack"; and The Movie Channel , Flix and SundanceTV (the latter of which continues to be sold in

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5616-586: The 2010s, citing that it did not align with its current focus on action programming, and that internet porn and the amount of sexual content in other mainstream premium series (such as Game of Thrones ) made a specific block for such content redundant. Specialized channels dedicated to pornographic films also exist, that carry either softcore adult programs (such as Playboy TV ), or more hardcore content (such as The Erotic Network and Hustler TV ). Pay television channels come in different price ranges. Many channels carrying advertising combine this income with

5724-533: The 2014 summer season, and airing as a new season on the broadcast network, proved the show's worth with great ratings. NBCUniversal decided to move the series permanently to NBC, leaving Esquire Network with repeats rather than new episodes, and even before its launch, removing one of the network's G4-era critical series from being used to promote its other content. Though it did receive a spin-off as consolation, Team Ninja Warrior , Esquire Network had no other compatible programming to promote it, and it never cracked

5832-488: The City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010), and a prequel television series commissioned by The CW , The Carrie Diaries (2013–14). A sequel series, And Just Like That... , premiered on HBO Max on December 9, 2021, with Parker, Davis and Nixon reprising their roles. The show is based on writer Candace Bushnell 's column " Sex and the City ", published in The New York Observer , which

5940-472: The DirecTV package despite Showtime Networks no longer owning Sundance, that channel is now owned by AMC Networks ) along with Showtime in its "Showtime Unlimited" package; Cinemax and its multiplex networks, in turn, are almost always packaged with HBO (both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery ). Though selling premium services that are related by ownership as a package is common, that may not always be

6048-555: The Esquire brand license was restricted solely to the United States. The original iteration of G4 ceased on December 31, 2014. The sudden change in networks surprised both viewers and providers, who had already shifted or expected the G4 channel space to a more appropriate place among other men's networks, and now had to deal with shifting Esquire's channel position away from women's networks, along with having to answer customer inquiries about

6156-530: The New York Knicks. Their relationship becomes serious when Robert confesses his love for Miranda, but she is unable to reciprocate. At Brady's first birthday party, Miranda has an epiphany and confesses her love to Steve, who reassures her that he loves her too. They end their respective relationships and reunite. Miranda and Steve marry in a modest ceremony in a community garden. Initially cramped in Miranda's one-bedroom apartment, they decide to purchase

6264-686: The aforementioned leniency in content standards, they too can contain content that is more mature than those of other cable channels or television networks . These series also tend to be high-budget and aim for critical success in order to attract subscribers: notable premium series, such as HBO 's Curb Your Enthusiasm , Game of Thrones , Sex and the City , and The Sopranos , and Showtime 's Dexter , Homeland , and Weeds , have achieved critical acclaim and have won various television awards. Some premium channels also broadcast television specials , which most commonly consist of concerts and concert films , documentaries , stand-up comedy , and in

6372-419: The broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-time payment for a single or time-limited viewing. Programs offered via pay-per-view are most often movies or sporting events, but may also include other events, such as concerts and even softcore adult programs. In the U.S., the initial concept and technology for pay-per-view for broadcast television was first developed in the early 1950s, including

6480-443: The channel began airing a variety of "makeover" shows. The home makeover show Clean House lasted for ten seasons on the network; How Do I Look? lasted eight seasons. Starting around 2008, Style shifted its focus to personality-based reality programing such as Jerseylicious , Tia & Tamera , and Big Rich Texas , along with a female-focused spin-off of The Soup known as The Dish . On June 25, 2012, Style Network

6588-415: The channel from their lineup nationwide on April 25, 2017 (the same day they removed Chiller from their lineup, also nationwide), leaving Verizon FiOS and Google Fiber as a few of the last cable providers to carry Esquire Network until its demise; online access to the network's TV Everywhere live feed was maintained by Charter until the network's termination. On January 18, 2017, it was announced that

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6696-444: The column) share the same initials, further emphasizing their connection. Like Bushnell, Carrie writes columns for the fictional New York Star , which are eventually compiled into a book within the series, and later becomes a writer for Vogue . Bushnell collaborated with television producer Darren Star , whom she had met while profiling him for Vogue , to adapt the columns for television. Both HBO and ABC expressed interest in

6804-428: The common top and bottom of the hour scheduling of other cable channels and terrestrial broadcasters. As such, programs often air using either conventional scheduling or have airtimes in five-minute increments (for example, 7:05 a.m. or 4:40 p.m.); since such channels broadcast content without in-program break interruptions, this sometimes leads to extended or abbreviated breaks between programs, depending on when

6912-548: The day of Charlotte's wedding to Trey. The two eventually reconcile in Season 4, and Aidan even proposes, but Carrie's ongoing connection with Big and her reluctance to fully commit lead to their final breakup. As the series progresses, Carrie and Big attempt to redefine their relationship, eventually becoming friends. However, when Big has a health scare in the final season, Carrie realizes she still has feelings for him. After helping him through his recovery, she decides to move on from Big due to his continued inability to commit. In

7020-399: The final season, Carrie begins a relationship with Aleksandr Petrovsky ( Mikhail Baryshnikov ), a famous artist who introduces her to a different, more cosmopolitan lifestyle. He eventually invites her to move to Paris with him, which she accepts, seeing it as a contrast to Big's reluctance to make similar gestures. However, Carrie's friends, particularly Miranda, express concerns that Aleksandr

7128-538: The first Sex and the City film, it is revealed that Samantha has moved to Los Angeles with Smith to manage his career. However, she eventually breaks up with him, realizing that she has prioritized their relationship and his career over her own needs and desires. Samantha decides to end the relationship, choosing to focus on herself and her life in New York. She and Smith part on good terms, remaining friends. It has been claimed by Louise Perry that Samantha's character

7236-647: The form of a conventional VOD television service, and in some cases, a companion on-demand streaming service as well). Most pay television providers also offer a selection of premium services (for example, the HBO, Showtime and Starz packages) in one bundle at a greatly reduced price than it would cost to purchase each service separately, as an inducement for subscribers to remain with their service provider or for others to induce subscribers into using their service. Similarly, many television providers offer general interest or movie-based premium channels at no additional charge for

7344-454: The foursome, Samantha Jones ( Kim Cattrall ) is an independent businesswoman with a career in public relations (PR). She is confident, strong, and outspoken, often referring to herself as a "try-sexual"—someone who will try anything once. Early in the series, Samantha declares that she has given up on traditional relationships and instead chooses to have sex "like a man", purely for physical gratification without emotional attachment. Throughout

7452-437: The help of wedding planner Anthony Marentino; a gay Sicilian who is as forceful as Charlotte is timid). Wishing to "do things the right way," Charlotte has withheld having sex with Trey, hoping for a romantic and traditional wedding night. On the evening before the big day, she gets drunk with the other women and goes to Trey for sex. Unfortunately, it does not go well; Trey reveals he suffers from impotence (though he won't say

7560-454: The launch of a network's prestige series. However, some other channels, such as sports and adult networks may ask for monthly pricing that may go as high as near $ 50 a month. There are also premium television services which are priced significantly higher than the mini-pay channels, but they compensate for their higher price by carrying little or no advertising and also providing a higher quality program output. As advertising sales are sensitive to

7668-467: The majority of pay television services rely almost solely on monthly subscription fees paid by individual customers. As a result, pay television outlets are most concerned with offering content that can justify the cost of the service, which helps to attract new subscribers, and retain existing subscribers. Many pay television services consist of multiple individual channels, referred to as " multiplex " services (in reference to multiplex cinemas ), where

7776-472: The majority of the original programs produced for Esquire Network ended up being low-rated, with only the youth football reality series Friday Night Tykes and the network's Men in Blazers –produced live broadcasts of Pamplona 's running of the bulls receiving any critical acclaim or notice. The rest of its lineup was criticized for depending on derivative and "copycat" formats of better programming, which

7884-407: The network towards the same issues befalling G4, Chiller , and Cloo , where little original content being produced made it a network viewers and providers claimed provided little value for its monthly carriage fees. On October 1, 2016, Dish Network removed the channel from the lineup. As with their earlier dropping of Cloo , the provider stated that most of the network's rerun-centric programming

7992-423: The network would end all pay television distribution in the summer of 2017 and convert to an online-only model. The network went off the air on June 28 at noon Eastern time. The network programmed a final marathon of Friday Night Tykes that day, ending with the season one finale, "Finish What We Started". After the episode ended, a "thank you" slide was shown with the network's web address (which shortly thereafter

8100-512: The newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell . It premiered in the United States on June 6, 1998, and concluded on February 22, 2004, with 94 episodes broadcast over six seasons. It had various producers, screenwriters and directors, principally Michael Patrick King . The series follows the lives of four female friends living in New York City: the streetwise newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker ),

8208-422: The odds, becomes pregnant after acupuncture therapy but loses the baby very early on. Charlotte is crushed, but they later go on to adopt a baby girl, Lily, from China, and it is revealed during Sex and the City that Charlotte later naturally conceives and gives birth to the couple's second daughter, Rose. Miranda Hobbes ( Cynthia Nixon ) is a career-minded lawyer with cynical views on relationships and men,

8316-408: The oncoming rebranding until September 18, when a 60-second farewell clip was posted on its YouTube channel serving as a retrospective of the network's history and ending with a thanks to the channel's audience for their viewership. Other social media platforms for individual Style programs also began to mention the end of the network on that day. The last program to air on Style on September 22, 2013,

8424-754: The online-only model since. The channel was originally launched as Style Network (although on-air promotions typically referred to it as simply "Style") on October 1, 1998, serving as a spin-off of E! . It was intended to leverage E!'s coverage of fashion and to provide an expanded venue for shows such as Fashion Emergency . The network focused on fashion , design , interior decoration and urban lifestyle-related programming. Style provided coverage of events like New York Fashion Week and showcased various designers. Early programming included: The Look for Less , Shabby Chic with Rachel Ashwell , Glow: The Beauty Show , Vogue Takes... , Stylemaker , Model , Runway , Dining with Style , and Homes with Style . Around 2003,

8532-494: The original term of license agreements with a distributor may also be broadcast as "sub-runs", in which a service holds rights to film long after the conclusion of a distribution agreement (under this arrangement, the pay service that originally licensed the rights to a particular film title, or one other than that which had held rights, may hold the broadcast rights through a library content deal). Many general interest premium channels also produce original television series . Due to

8640-597: The past, theatrical plays . Sports programming is also featured on some premium services; HBO was historically known for its broadcasts of boxing , while Showtime and Epix also carry mixed martial arts events. Some general interest premium channels have aired other professional sporting events in the past: HBO for example, carried games from the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) in its early years, and from 1975 to 1999 aired

8748-455: The pilot, stating, "I hated the look, the clothes ... I didn't think it worked" and feared it might end her career. She even offered to work on three HBO movies unpaid to be released from her contract. Though Star refused to release her, he listened to her concerns and made significant changes before shooting the first season. Reflecting on the experience, Parker said, "The funny thing, after the first episode of season one, I never looked back, and

8856-521: The previous program concludes and when the start time of the next program is. The only universal variation to this is prime time , where the main channel in each pay service's suite usually schedules films to start on the hour. Films comprise much of the content seen on most pay television services, particularly those with a general entertainment format and those that focus exclusively on films . Services often obtain rights to films through exclusive agreements with film distributors . Films acquired during

8964-497: The rest is history. I never thought, though, that the show would become what it has become." Carrie Bradshaw ( Sarah Jessica Parker ) is the narrator and main protagonist of the series, with each episode structured around her thoughts while writing her weekly column, "Sex and the City," for the fictional newspaper, the New York Star . A member of New York's social scene, she is known for her unique fashion sense and lives in

9072-662: The same detachment he once showed her, and she discovers that he seems eager to see her again when they next meet. Carrie openly discusses her relationships with her best friend Stanford Blatch, who is gay and perpetually searching for love. Carrie has several chance encounters with a handsome businessman whom Samantha dubs "Mr. Big." They begin dating, but Carrie is dismayed to learn that he is still seeing other people. Although he eventually agrees to exclusivity, he does not introduce Carrie to his mother and avoids referring to her as "the one." Frustrated by his lack of commitment, Carrie decides to break off their relationship rather than go on

9180-417: The series involves Carrie being interrupted whenever she is about to introduce Mr. Big by name; his first name, John, is only revealed in the final moments of the series’ last episode (Season 6, Episode 20). Carrie and Big break up for a second time in Season 2 when he leaves New York for a work trip to Paris and shows no willingness to either bring her along or maintain a long-distance relationship . Carrie

9288-451: The series, but Star ultimately chose HBO for the creative freedom it offered. Star wrote the pilot with Sarah Jessica Parker in mind for the role of Carrie. According to Parker, "I was flattered but didn't want to do it. He convinced me, begged me to do it, and I signed a contract." The pilot episode was shot in June 1997, a year before the series premiered. However, Parker initially disliked

9396-582: The service for a period of days or weeks; these are typically scheduled to showcase major special event programming, such as the pay cable premiere of a blockbuster feature film, the premiere (either a series or season premiere ) of a widely anticipated or critically acclaimed original series or occasionally, a high-profile special (such as a concert). Subscription services transmitted via analogue terrestrial television have also existed, to varying degrees of success. The most known example of such service in Europe

9504-412: The sexually liberated public relations professional Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall ), the more conservative art dealer Charlotte York (played by Kristin Davis ) and the cynical lawyer Miranda Hobbes (played by Cynthia Nixon ). The stories address sex and relationships, friendship and femininity . Sex and the City has received both acclaim and criticism for its characters and themes, and

9612-693: The show, Samantha engages in numerous brief sexual encounters, including a lesbian relationship with an artist named Maria ( Sônia Braga ). This marks her first attempt at monogamy, but her sexual past with men soon interferes and she returns to her previous lifestyle. Later, she secures the PR business for hotel magnate Richard Wright ( James Remar ), who is her male counterpart—handsome, sexually liberated, and uninterested in long-term commitments. As their relationship develops, Samantha finds herself unexpectedly falling for Richard, which frightens her. Despite her efforts to hide her feelings, Richard reciprocates, and they enter

9720-465: The situation: for example, in the United States, Cinemax and Encore are optionally sold separately from or in a single package with their respective parent networks HBO and Starz, depending on the service provider. The Movie Channel and Flix meanwhile, are usually sold together with Showtime (all three channels are owned by Paramount Global ); though subscribers are required to purchase Showtime in order to receive Flix, The Movie Channel does not have such

9828-509: The street and trips in front of a taxi, carrying Trey MacDougal ( Kyle MacLachlan ), an attractive, old-money, Scottish-American cardiologist with pedigree, a Park Avenue apartment and country estate in Connecticut. They fall in love at first sight, and he appears to be everything she has always wanted. Things move quickly and Charlotte, convinced he is the one, suggests they marry. He agrees, and they are married very shortly afterward (with

9936-555: The sudden demise of the Style Network and its programming. More privately, talent which had been brought on for Style programming, including the Mowry twins, reacted angrily to seeing their projects cancelled without notice or be shifted among other networks with different programming priorities, and NBCUniversal would have to deal with the repercussions of ending a network's life with only two weeks' notice. Style made no mention of

10044-569: The summer on April 15, 2013, as network general manager Adam Stotsky stated the rebranding was pushed back in order to have a broader slate of original series to launch than would have been available for the April launch. In May 2013, the launch date was pushed to September 23, 2013, with its first program being an 80th anniversary special on Esquire which was rebroadcast later in primetime. On September 9, 2013, NBCUniversal announced that it would replace Style Network with Esquire Network, leaving G4 "as

10152-423: The top 100 cable shows in any of its first season airings. It was moved to USA Network for its second season and beyond. Press attention for the network's programming soon was limited to the bookends of their premieres, then to their eventual notice of cancellation, including little to no promotion from Esquire magazine itself due to a lack of compatible promotion. The magazine, which under the brand licensing deal

10260-558: The word). While concerned, Charlotte presses ahead with the wedding. Minutes before walking down the aisle, she confides in Carrie about what happened the night before and nearly does not go through with the marriage. As the marriage begins things do not get any better in their intimate relationship, and Trey refuses to address matters either physically or psychologically, resisting their marriage counselor's advice. Matters are not helped by Trey's overbearing mother Bunny ( Frances Sternhagen ),

10368-437: Was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma (there are no sororities at the real Smith College) majoring in art history with a minor in finance. During the series, it is revealed that Charlotte was voted homecoming queen, prom queen, "most popular," student body president, and track team captain, in addition to being an active cheerleader and teen model. As the antithesis of Samantha, Charlotte is optimistic, hopelessly romantic, and

10476-569: Was an overnight repeat of the Tia & Tamera season finale episode "Twerkin' 9 to 5" (which became its de facto series finale as Tia and Tamera Mowry opted not to continue with the series) at 2 a.m. Eastern Time, with the nightly three-hour paid programming block leading into the Esquire Network launch special after a 30-second abbreviated version of the Style farewell clip aired on the channel space. The changeover occurred on September 23, 2013, at 6 a.m. Eastern Time . Throughout 2015 and into 2016,

10584-488: Was based on a stereotypical portrayal of the life of a promiscuous gay man. Carrie Bradshaw lives in Manhattan and writes a column titled "Sex and the City." At a birthday party for Miranda, Carrie and her friends discuss the idea of having sex "like men", meaning without emotional attachment. She decides to test this theory by sleeping with a man who had previously broken her heart. This time, however, she treats him with

10692-552: Was duplicative of that available on other networks and streaming services. The only notice of the dropping was through the provider's monthly billing statement. AT&T then gave notice that Esquire Network would be dropped from U-verse and DirecTV on December 15, 2016, a move that cut the network's availability by 25% and removed almost all consumer-based satellite service availability outside of niche C-Band consumers. Charter Communications through its Time Warner Cable , Bright House Networks and Spectrum subsidiaries removed

10800-519: Was exclusive to the United States, and NBCU and Hearst never pursued any international versions for Esquire Network. In 2014, the Australian version of the Style Network made its first local commission, Fashion Bloggers , after its American counterpart rebranded. Style Australia shut down on 17 December 2019 as part of a restructuring of NBCU's Australian operations and a broad re-map of Foxtel 's channel lineup. Pay television The term

10908-434: Was expected to be a linchpin of Esquire Network's lineup, but with the delay of the network's launch to the fall of 2013, NBCUniversal did not want to wait to launch the season, and the program had success airing on NBC during the summer as repeats in previous seasons. The show's sixth season, which had been taped expecting to air as part of Esquire Network and visually featured its logo in prominent places, then moved to NBC for

11016-591: Was expected to be used to source new series ideas or its writers participating in factual programming such as countdowns, was also severely underutilized, with most of the content developed for the network ending up being from traditional talent pipelines used by NBCUniversal, rather than the magazine itself. Due to these multiple issues, the network began to carry more repeats of existing library comedy and drama series (many of which were seen over-the-air for free on sister networks Cozi TV , LXTV , and NBC's streaming apps, along with other NBCU networks), which again brought

11124-404: Was in reach after all, that he'd bought a ring. Charlotte is heartbroken but tries to move on with her life. Sometime later, at a singles event at the synagogue , she bumps into Harry. She tells him she loves him and doesn't care if he never marries her as long as they can be together. Having missed her, too, Harry proposes, and they marry in a traditional Jewish ceremony. Charlotte, against all

11232-445: Was later compiled into a book of the same name. Bushnell has mentioned in several interviews that the character of Carrie Bradshaw in her columns is her alter ego . Initially, she wrote the column from her first-person perspective but later invented Carrie, introduced as Bushnell's friend, so her parents would not realize they were reading about her own sex life. Both Bushnell and the television version of Carrie (who had no last name in

11340-460: Was often found on other networks or produced for free consumption independently and uploaded to streaming video providers such as YouTube and Vimeo . After only several months, the network stopped airing repeats of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon after its February 2014 end, immediately upon his move to the higher-profile Tonight Show , which NBC refused to dilute the value of with cable repeats. American Ninja Warrior , which had started on G4,

11448-428: Was rebranded with a revised logo and a new slogan: "Work it. Love it. Style it." In 2013, the channel launched two real estate related shows: Hot Listings: Miami and Built , which featured male models remodeling houses. In December 2012, NBCUniversal signed a brand licensing deal with the Hearst Corporation , owner of Esquire magazine, to relaunch G4 into Esquire Network , which would air shows aimed at

11556-500: Was relaunched as Esquire Network on September 23, 2013; said rebrand was supposed to be on G4 , but that was given to Style due to G4's low ratings. As Esquire Network, the channel focused on travel, cooking, sports and fashion, and also aired reruns of popular sitcoms and dramas. Due to low ratings and subsequent carriage decline by cable providers, Esquire Network ceased operations as a cable channel on June 28, 2017, to become an online-only brand; no further comments have been made about

11664-491: Was turned into a redirect to the main Esquire website). No further comment was made in regards to the supposed online-only version of the network, and Esquire's "TV" section on their website now contains the general features and behind-the-scenes footage prevalent on most magazine sites. The network's final two projects, Edgehill (a true crime series about the Murder of Suzanne Jovin ) and Borderland USA (a reality series about

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