And Just Like That… Sex and the City reboot will end with third season

And Just Like That…, the reboot of 90s and early noughties show Sex and the City, will come to a close after its third season, HBO has announced.

Show runner Michael Patrick King shared the news on Instagram, saying that as he wrote the last episode, “It became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop.”

Named after its heroine Carrie Bradshaw’s catchphrase, the series followed its characters’ lives, clothes and romances in New York in their 50s.

A two-part finale is yet to air and King said he and Sarah-Jessica Parker, who plays Bradshaw, “held off announcing the news until now because we didn’t want the word ‘final’ to overshadow the fun of watching the season”.

Parker, known as SJP, shared a poem and photo montage in honour of “this chapter complete” on Instagram.

Her co-star Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte York, posted “I am profoundly sad.”

The franchise, originally based on books by Candace Bushnell, has already been made into two films. But King clarified that, “The ongoing storytelling of the Sex and the City universe is coming to an end,” denying fans the hope of another spin-off.

Viewership has progressively declined over the three seasons, according to Samba TV, a viewing data tracker. Its first episode saw 1.1 million US households tune in, with the latest generating less than half of that initial number.

Criticism has plagued the reboot, in particular regarding its cast’s diversification. Elle magazine wrote that the “attempts to diversify fell flat” while The Guardian called it a “heavy-handed overcompensation” that was “atoning for SATC’s history of racial cluelessness”.

Apparent plot holes have also been spotted by viewers – including the father of one of the main characters seemingly dying twice. Character Lisa Todd Wexley referred to the period when her “dad died last year” in season one but in season three he appeared to have resurrected before suffering a fatal stroke.

The show’s production crew cleared up the rumour, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the first death was in fact of Todd-Wexley’s step-father.

And Just Like That’s final season also saw the character Che Diaz, dubbed the “worst character on TV” by The Daily Beast, replaced by a character who works at the BBC.

Fans have weighed in on the show’s end with comments beneath the cast and crew’s announcements.

“I wanted this show to run until all the characters were in assisted living and retirement communities in West Palm Beach” wrote one.

“We don’t want it to end. We want it to be better,” posted another.