HBO may have to rethink its off-cable "Sex and the City" strategy a second time.
ABC, NBC and Fox have all passed on picking up a sanitized version of the Sarah Jessica Parker series, while CBS hasn't ruled it out -- but isn't expected to bite either. HBO recently pitched primetime repeats of "Sex" to all four major nets at $3 million an episode (
Daily Variety, Feb. 7).
Insiders said the nets balked at the price, given that "Sex" has already been seen frequently on HBO and that the show's first few seasons are readily available on DVD. Net execs were also concerned with perceptions that scheduling "Sex" might be construed as a vote of no-confidence in their own comedy development.
Webheads also wondered whether viewers would take to "Sex" without much of its edgy content.
HBO still has plenty of options on how to pursue a backend sale for "Sex," including a more traditional stripped broadcast or cable syndication run. The cabler has also raked in dollars from the show thanks to the DVD sale and other merchandise.
Should the major broadcast nets officially pass on "Sex," it would mark the second time HBO altered its "Sex" plans. The pay cabler floated the possibility of selling the show to a basic cable outlet for $750,000 a pop in 2001 but later pulled the show off the market.
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com