(Photo: Nigel Parry/Darren Star Productions/The Kobal Collection; Robert Voets/Courtesy of ABC)

Since Sex and the City ended in 2004, networks have tried (disastrously) to fill the void. There was Lipstick Jungle—Sex without the laughs! And Cashmere Mafia—Sex plus one Asian character! Now comes Eastwick, ABC’s Updikean attempt to corner the SATC market. With a twist, of course: The three leads are witches. Here’s how it stacks up against the original.

SATC
Leading Ladies: Carrie, self-obsessed writer; Miranda, successful lawyer; Samantha, sex-crazed publicist; Charlotte, sweet homemaker with perfect hair.

Location: New York; cursed with no-good men, muggers, and inordinately expensive shoes.

Favorite Drinks: Cosmo—now so dated.

Main Squeeze: Mr. Big (Chris Noth) continually messed with Carrie’s head by withholding affection and refusing to commit. What a devil!

Special Powers: Samantha convinced men that fortysomethings were hotter than twentysomethings; Carrie could walk the streets of New York in six-inch heels.

Worst Thing Done to a Man: Samantha dumped a drink on a guy.

---

Eastwick
Leading Ladies: Joanna (Lindsay Price), self-obsessed writer; Roxie (Rebecca Romijn), sex-crazed artist; Kat (Jaime Ray Newman), sweet homemaker with perfect hair.

Location: Eastwick, Rhode Island; cursed, like, for real.

Favorite Drinks: Dirty martini—better, but still pretty lame.

Main Squeeze: Darryl Van Horne (Chris Noth look-alike Paul Gross) continually messes with the ladies’ heads by giving them magic water. The actual Devil.

Special Powers: Joanna can persuade men to do things by holding their gaze; Roxie sees into the future; Kat controls the Earth’s forces.

Worst Thing Done to a Man: Kat almost kills her husband with lightning.

Related:

• Archive: “Guides”
• Articles by Emma Rosenblum
• Table of Contents: Aug 31, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!