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12 Queen Mary J. Intell. Prop. 1 (2022-2023)

handle is hein.journals/qmjip12 and id is 1 raw text is: Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 1-8 And just like that... he's alive!1 Transactions in character from television to brand This editorial contains both spoiler and unspoiler alerts. At the end of 2021, Sex and the City2 became the latest series to be administered a reboot when And Just Like That... was released worldwide, 9 December 2021.3 John James Preston, otherwise known as Big (Chris Noth), is the husband of the central pro- tagonist, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). In the first episode of the reboot, Big has a major cardiac event while getting in the shower after a vigorous exercise session on a Peloton bike and, much to the horror of fans,4 dies in Carrie's arms on the floor of the bathroom. Leaving to one side, for the moment, that Carrie failed to call 911, choosing instead to gaze at Big as he languished on the bathroom floor, it was not just the fans who were horrified at Big's death. Peloton shares dropped by 11 per cent overnight following the airing of the controversial episode,5 causing the brand to react, first by blaming the character's extravagant lifestyle,6 and then by resurrecting him. Within two days, Peloton had created its own advertisement,7 starring Chris Noth together with a real-world Peloton instructor, Jess King (who also appears in the epi- sode). And just like that ... Big was rebooted. 1. The text of the tweet by Peloton, 12 December 2021, promoting the new advertisement. Original tweet is available at <https://twitter.com/onepeloton/status/1470132497170239496? s=20>. 2. Sex and the City (1998-2004), HBO. 3. Episodes 1 and 2 were shown back to back. 'Hello It's Me', And Just Like That..., season 1, episode 1. Directed by Michael Patrick King. Written by Michael Patrick King, Darren Star and Candace Bushnell. First broadcast 9 December 2021. 'Little Black Dress', And Just Like That..., season 1, episode 2. Directed by Michael Patrick King. Written by Michael Patrick King, Darren Star and Candace Bushnell. First broadcast worldwide 9 December 2021. 4. M Evans, 'And Just Like That...: Sex and the City Returns with a Major Death and Safe to Say Fans Are Not OK', Metro, 9 December 2021 <https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/09/and-just-like- that-starts-with-a-major-death-and-fans-are-not-ok-15744586/>. 5. O Petter, 'Peloton Stock Price Drops by 11 Per Cent Overnight After And Just Like That... Premieres', Independent, 10 December 2021 <https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health- and-families/peloton-stock-and-just-like-that-bl973535.html>. Of course, correlation is not cau- sation and the drop follows a steady pattern of decline in the value of both stock and the bikes themselves since the peak during 2020 lockdown. See further, S Kurutz, 'Sex and the City Reboot Is Not the Only Problem for Peloton', The New York Times, 15 December 2021 <https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/style/used-pelotons-sale-satc.html>. Within days stock had lost more than 16 per cent at the time of going to press: Editorial, 'And Just Like That Peloton Resurrects Show Character', BBC News, 13 December 2021 <https://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/business-59632383>. 6. M Blake, 'Peloton Blames Shocking Sex and the City Death on Character's Extravagant Lifestyle', Los Angeles Times, 9 December 2021 <https://www.latimes.com/ entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-09/sex-and-the-city-and-just-like-that-hbo-death-peloton>. 7. He's Alive, was posted to YouTube 12 December 2021, with the tagline 'You can write off a character but not the value of cardio. Let's get it, Peloton!' but was removed 16 December 2021. The original link is no longer viable: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX7DuSxnWpg>. © 2022 The Author Journal compilation © 2022 Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd The Lypiatts, 15 Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 2JA, UK and The William Pratt House, 9 Dewey Court, Northampton MA 01060-3815, USA