The Carrie Diaries: Will Annasophia Robb Be A Success?

The CW has announced that 'The Carrie Diaries' - a prequel to HBO's iconic series 'Sex and the City' - will premiere in January 2013. AnnaSophia Robb has been given the job of playing Carrie Bradshaw herself - of course made famous by Sarah Jessica Parker - and the network has high hopes for the romantic drama.

Set in the 1980s, the series will follow a teenage Carrie as she sets up in Manhattan following the death of her mother. While shopping in the Big Apple, Bradshaw meets a magazine style editor, and her love affair with the city and its style begins. The CW are taking a risk, of sorts, with the project replacing the outgoing 'Gossip Girl', which has been a mainstay on The CW for several years. Speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times about her enviable new role, Robb simply said, "Those are some big shoes to fill". Clips of the series were aired on Thursday evening (May 17, 2012) and it appears The CW is looking to shore up its target audience of young women. As the Sun-Times put it, "the characters and writing seem aimed at viewers in their late teens and early 20s - people who would have been around kindergarten age when "Sex and the City" debuted".

Twitter reaction to the preview clips was positive, if a little cautious, with one user saying, "Carrie Diaries preview. AnnaSophia Robb sounds just like SJP. I'm going to go against my rules and give this show a pre-pilot-viewing A", while another offered, "At the upfronts... So exited for all the new CW shows! Carrie Diaries starts in January can't wait".