Michael Douglas believes that shows like Desperate Housewives are responsible for the box office failure of Basic Instinct 2.

The actor, who pulled out of plans for the sequel, thinks that sex no longer sells at the cinema.

"Regardless of how Basic Instinct 2 was executed, I think it's really hard for sex in the cinema now because it's 15 years later and you've got all these cable outlets and the internet," he told WENN.

"You've got shows like Desperate Housewives where even the network standards have changed so dramatically so there really isn't that titillation factor that you had a number of years ago."