Ooh La La! It's Lily's Time To Shine

The frothy series Emily in Paris is just what 2020 needs, says Lily Collins, who’s in her element as the show’s leading lady

- Lavern De Vries

Back in the ’90s and early 2000s we had Carrie and her gang of gal pals sashaying down the streets of New York in fabulous outfits, sipping cosmopolitans in trendy cafés and discussing everything from sex and men to kids and careers.

Sex and the City (SATC) was pure es capism – a little bit frivolous, a little bit poignant, a little bit outrageous – and when it ended it left a void in TV land.

Little wonder then that Emily in Paris is proving to be such a hit. It’s being hailed as SATC for a new generation and is one of the most-watched shows on Netflix, rocketing into the streaming service’s top 10 within days of its release.

Full of fashion, comedy and romance, the series is written by Darren Star – the very same man behind SATC.

This time the city is Paris and the heroine is Emily, a young American marketing executive who moves to the city of light for a job opportunity. She juggles frosty colleagues with making friends and dating – and the results make for highly entertaining viewing.

Lily Collins plays Emily, who manages to maintain her sunny disposition despite the cold shoulder she receives in the French capital.

It’s light-hearted stuff that's been a hit with millions of viewers desperate for a dash of escapism in these trying times. But sacré bleu! The French aren’t pleased.

They’ve slammed almost everything about it, claiming it reinforces stereotypes – the berets, the croissants, Parisians’ refusal to speak English, you name it.

As for the American in Paris storyline – talk about been there, done that and taken home the baguette.