Putting the ‘Box’ Into HBO Max

Sex & the City star Sarah Jessica Parker has produced a documentary for HBO Max about a former porn star who presented a candid, queer-friendly cable TV show in a black string bikini.

Bang my Box: The Robin Byrd Story will premiere on July 1.

Here’s the trailer as well as the media release:

Wednesday, 10 June 2026 – The HBO Original documentary Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story, directed and produced by Jyllian Gunther and Stephanie Schwam (Max Original Swiping America) and produced by Sarah Jessica Parker’s Pretty Matches Productions, debuts Wednesday, 1 July, only on HBO Max.

Before the internet and the ubiquity of social media influencers, there was Robin Byrd – the spirited, anything-goes New York City public access host, clad only in her signature black crochet bikini.

From 1977 to 1998, Robin created, produced and hosted the late-night call-in show that incorporated performances and interviews with adult entertainers and experimental artists.

Each show ended with a bawdy song and dance, turning her unapologetic, eponymous show into a national platform for sex-positivity and free speech.

Approaching her 70th birthday, Robin confronts her place in history and faces the decision to hand over a lifetime of memorabilia to archivists, while also tenderly caring for Shelly, her husband of 50 years.

With a wealth of archival and intimate interviews, the film reflects on Robin’s career and tracks her current life in New York City, as well as Fire Island where she has been a beloved resident for decades.

Robin candidly recounts the origins of The Robin Byrd Show revealing how sexy nighttime entertainment became a clarion call for sexual freedom and honest talk about sex beginning in the late 1970s.

During the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, Byrd became a tenacious champion for queer visibility, AIDS awareness and safe sex, providing a welcoming community lifeline for many.

However, her platform of inclusivity and frank sexual expression drew criticism from conservative activists.

She became the target of a national censorship battle that took her to the Supreme Court, and the ensuing landmark verdict cemented her legacy as a fierce First Amendment advocate.

Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story celebrates a woman who defied expectations and remains a pioneer in the world of content creation and a cult icon.

Featured participants include Robin Byrd; Byrd’s long-term partner Shelly Byrd; artists Annie Sprinkle, Sandra Bernhard, Porsche Lynn, Heather Hunter, Lou Cass and Cheri Oteri; journalists Kirsten Fleming, Bob Morris and Michael Musto; civil rights activists and lawyers, show guests and “Byrdwatchers.”