It may have been off the air for four years but it seems that absense does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Fans of the racy cable comedy-drama “Sex in the City” flocked to theaters this weekend to watch the big screen version of the show which stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. The “Sex” movie took in an estimated $55.7 million dollars in its first three days of release making it the biggest opening ever for an R-rated comedy. “American Pie” had previously held the record with $45.1 million dollars back in 1999. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” fell to second place with a gross of $46 million dollars, bringing its accumulated total to $216.8 million dollars so far.

Talk of a “Sex in the City 2” has already begun. Shortly before the movie’s release gossip had been floating around that the movie’s producers had signed all of the film’s stars to sequel options in their contracts. One insider told a British newspaper that “They want it to be a franchise and think they can stretch it over at least a trilogy.”

Two of television’s most watched entertainment news programs have caved in to mounting pressure generated by Hollywood public relation firms and celebrities dismayed over the sensationalist reporting of the death of Heath Ledger. After a promo aired on “The Insider” soliciting an upcoming story that would have aired footage from a two-year old video showing Ledger at a Hollywood party where one person was seen snorting cocaine, the Hollywood press relations firm ID PR sent a letter to the program requesting that it not air. The sister show of “Insider” is “Entertainment Tonight” and it is likely that both programs would have aired material from the grainy video which it is rumored the shows producers paid in excess of $100,000 for.

“This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind,” said Heath Ledger’s representative Mara Buxbaum.

The ID PR line in the sand was swiftly followed by several other major press relations firms. As well several of Hollywood’s top talent also stood behind the agency including Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman and Josh Brolin. The message being delivered to “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider” was clear: if you run this video don’t expect any more interviews from our celebrities again. Facing a public relations nightmare both “ET” and “Insider” backed down and decided to not air the Ledger party footage.