Secret Diary of a Call Girl

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Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret diary intertitle.jpg
Secret Diary of a Call Girl intertitle
Created by Lucy Prebble
Directed by Yann Demange
Susan Tully
Peter Lydon
Fraser MacDonald
China Moo-Young
Starring Billie Piper
Iddo Goldberg
Cherie Lunghi
Callum Blue
Ashley Madekwe
James D'Arcy
Narrated by Billie Piper
Opening theme "You Know I'm No Good"
Country of origin  United Kingdom
No. of series 3
No. of episodes 24 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s) Jacquie Glanville
Editor(s) Richard Mark Elson
Jim Hampton
Running time 22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel ITV2
Picture format 16:9
Original run 28 September 2007 – 11 March 2010
External links
Official website

Secret Diary of a Call Girl (known on-air before the watershed in the UK as Secret Diary) is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as "Belle", a high-class London-based call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The Sugar Syndrome and ENRON. The series has been compared to Sex and the City by many critics, mainly due to its humorous approach to sex.[1][2] The third series began on 28 January 2010, on ITV2[3] and on 1 February 2010, on Showtime in America.

Contents

[edit] Background

The rights to the blog were bought by Silverapples Media (Avril MacRory and Paul Duane), who co-produced the series with Tiger Aspect Productions. The series was initially developed with Channel 4[4] and when Channel 4 passed on the project, ITV took over. The series airs in a late-night 10pm slot, as part of ITV2's "XXL Thursday" programming block.

The theme song is an instrumental excerpt of "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse; this runs whilst the intertitle plays, showing Belle applying make-up and getting dressed.

[edit] Plot

The series, set in London, revolves around the life of Hannah Baxter, a seemingly normal woman, who lives a secret life as a call girl, under the pseudonym "Belle De Jour." The series focuses on her professional and private life and its complications as they collide. However, she receives help and advice from her best friend Ben, and fellow call girl Bambi.

Hannah, as the main character also narrates the series, sometimes through voiceovers but more frequently she breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience.

[edit] Characters

“ Escort, hooker, prostitute, whore - I don't mind what you call me, that's just semantics.[5] ”
 
— Belle

Belle/Hannah (Billie Piper)

Hannah is a university graduate living in London and — unbeknownst to her family — also the high class call girl "Belle".

Ben (Iddo Goldberg)

Ben is Hannah's best friend and ex-boyfriend from her university days. Ben is the manager of a London bar. His relationship with his on and off girlfriend Vanessa is made complicated by his feelings for Hannah. He knows about her secret life.

Stephanie (Cherie Lunghi)

Stephanie is Belle's madame; she was once a call girl like Belle herself. Rich and glamorous, with a cutting sense of humour and cynical attitude, she reluctantly looks out for Belle; offering her advice and help. Actress Cherie Lunghi has said "there's a maternal aspect to [Stephanie]."[6]

Bambi/Gloria White (Ashley Madekwe)

Bambi started as a naïve wannabe-escort who was mentored by Belle in season two. Fun-loving Bambi, who started as an escort for money, is now working for Stephanie. In season three, she deals with her rate being dictated by her race and becoming too close to one of her clients.

Duncan Atwood (James D'Arcy)

Duncan is Belle's publisher in season three, who is urging Belle to write a second book after the sucess of her first. Belle, despite claiming to have only a working relationship with Duncan and that she does not fancy him (well, a bit), has several on-screen liaisons with him.

Alex (Callum Blue)

Alex is a doctor whom Belle initially mistakes for a client in season two. They date and begin a relationship, while Hannah keeps Alex unaware of her secret night life as the call girl "Belle". After discovering her secret, he leaves her saying he can't deal with her chosen career. Hannah then gives up prostitution and tries to have a "real" job, but finds it tedious and unfulfilling. They mutually decide to separate as he feels she is not all she can be without prostitution, and she cannot fully be happy without her life as "Belle". Alex does not appear in season three.

[edit] Response

Belle turns to the camera and says, "Sex is really a numbers game. Group sex is complicated, but that's mechanics. For me, the hardest numbers have always been one plus one. Can never seem to make them add up." If that voice sounds familiar, it's because you heard Carrie Bradshaw use it in every episode of Sex and the City. The show also uses London in somewhat the same way Sex and the City used New York — we see a lot of bright lights, fancy restaurants, and expensive apartments — though there is a sadder, more wistful quality to the photography here, as if Belle were living in a kind of London fog, which, of course, she is.

The New Yorker, noting the similarities between the two shows.[7]

The series was mainly well received by critics, with Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle saying, "there's surprise at how much you've underestimated its quality."[8] It was graded A- by Entertainment Weekly, which said, "you will find a rather fascinating drama." Entertainment Weekly also commented on Billie Piper's portrayal of Belle, saying, "Piper is extraordinary, intermittently talking right to the camera in a straightforward, conspiratorial manner, the way a prostitute who's really good at her job would talk to a client."[9] It was less well received however by The New York Times, which said, "Secret Diary has amusing touches, but not enough to sustain an entire series."[10]

Whilst reviewing Series 3 of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Gerard O'Donovan of The Telegraph noted that the show focuses too much on Piper's character, saying "All the characters, apart from Belle (Piper), are about as two-dimensional as cardboard cut-outs – and no more engaging."[11]

[edit] Criticism

Belle leaves a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce and prepares to board a private jet. Critics attacked the decadent and indulgent lifestyle Belle leads.

The series was attacked by some feminists, as Belle sells her body and some complained it objectified women.[12] The series was also accused of glamorising and being a misrepresentation of prostitution.[13] Feminist Rosie Boycott, writing for the Daily Mail, echoed the claims of other, accusing the programme of objectifying women and falsely portraying prostitution, saying "It is impossible to imagine that any one of these women entered 'the game' out of free choice. Yet according to Belle, the heroine of the series, The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, which starts on Thursday, she loves sex and money and so prostitution was a natural career choice."[12]

It has even been suggested that the series could inspire young women who had not previously thought about entering the escort industry, to enter the trade through its glamorous representation of the work and lifestyle.[14] In fact, some escorts now routinely use blogs as marketing tools for their escort services.[15]

Piper hit back at the claims saying, "We've only been exposed to the drug-fuelled, sex traffic side – but the fact is, there are middle-class, cultured, well-read women who take part in this job."[16] Cherie Lunghi also noted the complaints and said in response "Series two is good because it brings the less glamorous side out into the open"[17], as the second series dealt with serious issues such as the prospect of rape within prostitution.

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Secret Diary of a Call Girl episodes

Both series 1 and 2 consisted of eight episodes; the series was commissioned for a third series, even before the second series was aired. Series 2 became complicated to film due to Piper's pregnancy and body doubles were hired.[18]

The filming of series 3 began at the start of 2009, once Piper had recovered after the birth of her son, Winston, in October 2008.[19] Piper also stated she would be taking on the role of executive producer of the upcoming series as well.[20] Ahead of the Series 3 premiere ITV2 aired a one-off interview between Piper and Magnanti, the real Belle de Jour, entitled, Billie and the Real Belle Bare All.

[edit] Broadcasters

Country Channel
United Kingdom United Kingdom ITV2
Australia Australia Nine Network
Argentina Argentina I-Sat
Belgium Belgium Vitaya
Canada Canada Showcase
The Movie Network
Czech Republic Czech Republic Prima Cool
Spain Spain Fox
Finland Finland Nelonen
France France M6, Téva
Greece Greece Alpha TV
Germany Germany RTL Passion
Iceland Iceland Skjár einn
Israel Israel Yes Stars Drama
Italy Italy Fox Life
Netherlands Netherlands RTL5
New Zealand New Zealand Prime
Norway Norway TVNorge
Poland Poland Fox Life
Portugal Portugal FX
Slovenia Slovenia TV3
South Africa South Africa Mnet
Sweden Sweden Kanal 5
Turkey Turkey Fox Life
United States USA Showtime
Latin America VH1
Middle East Showtime Arabia
US promotional poster (Series 1)

The series was first broadcast on 27 September 2007 on ITV2 in Britain. It was watched by 1.9 million, a record (which has since been beaten by Bionic Woman) for ITV2.[21]

In Canada. the first series began on Showcase on 22 November 2007. The second season debuted on The Movie Network on 19 January 2009.

In the United States, Showtime aired the first series of eight half-hour episodes beginning in June 2008, with a commitment for an additional 12 episodes.[citation needed] Robert Greenblatt, Showtime's president of entertainment, initially considered buying format rights and recasting it with American actors, but he ultimately decided that the original was "fantastic"; Greenblatt also noted that "it's very hard to find American actresses who are comfortable doing nudity."[22] The second season aired on 18 January 2009. On November 6, 2009, Showtime announced that the show would return on January 25, 2010 at 10:00pm.

[edit] DVD release

The first series was released on 7 January 2008 on Region 2 DVD.[23] Series 2 was released in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2009, and like the first series classified 18. On the same day, a four disc box set edition consisting of both series 1 and 2 was released.[24] On both sets, much of the popular music was replaced due to high licensing costs.

In the U.S. the Region 1 version of series 1 was released on 6 January 2009, soon afterwards, in June, series 2 was released. Similarly, much of the music was replaced due to high licensing costs.[25]

[edit] Ratings

The first series averaged 1,242,125 viewers in the UK. The following weekly viewership statistics are from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board:[26]

Series
number		 Episode
number		 Date of
first broadcast		 Total
viewers		 Series
average
Series 1 1 27 September 2007 1,997,000 1,242,125
2 4 October, 2007 1,475,000
3 11 October, 2007 1,098,000
4 18 October, 2007 1,108,000
5 25 October, 2007 1,077,000
6 1 November, 2007 1,003,000
7 8 November, 2007 1,194,000
8 15 November, 2007 985,000
Series 2 1 11 September 2008 1,074,000 975,500
2 11 September, 2008 1,044,000
3 18 September, 2008 1,081,000
4 25 September, 2008 879,000
5 2 October, 2008 896,000
6 9 October, 2008 969,000
7 16 October, 2008 959,000
8 23 October, 2008 902,000
Series 3 1 28 January 2010 1,064,000 1,038,000
2 28 January 2010 1,013,000
3 4 February 2010 942,000
4 11 February 2010 975,000
5 18 February 2010 1,120,000
6 25 February 2010 1,145,000
7 4 March 2010 1,007,000
8 11 March 2010

The series premiered in the U.S. on Showtime to the highest ratings the cable channel had seen in four years for a television premiere. The series debut reached almost one million viewers, its closest rival, Dexter, premiered to 604,000.[27] The showing held on to an impressive 70% of its lead-in audience that tuned in for the fourth-season premiere of Weeds.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2008/06/30/080630crte_television_franklin
  2. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/16/DDRF119LNJ.DTL
  3. ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2808269/Billie-Pipers-steamiest-scenes-yet.html
  4. ^ BBC News, Piper set to star in TV sex drama, 2007-02-12.
  5. ^ http://secretdiaryofacallgirlwiki.sho.com/page/Secret+Diary+of+a+Call+Girl+Quotes
  6. ^ Cherie Lunghi (2008). "Meet the cast". ITV. http://www.itv.com/Drama/contemporary/TheSecretDiaryofaCallGirl/Castinterviews/default.html. Retrieved 2009-04-18. 
  7. ^ Nancy Franklin (2008-06-30). "Working girl - a British take on the world’s oldest profession". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2008/06/30/080630crte_television_franklin. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  8. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/01/16/DDSL15AVBK.DTL
  9. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20206297,00.html
  10. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/arts/television/16secr.html
  11. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7095052/Secret-Diary-of-a-Call-Girl-ITV2-review.html
  12. ^ a b Rosie Boycott (2007-09-25). "Why do so many modern women think being a sex object is cool?". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-483699/Why-modern-women-think-sex-object-cool.html. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
  13. ^ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article2409847.ece
  14. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/arts/17iht-girl.1.13733372.html
  15. ^ http://www.red-metal.co.uk/app/
  16. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3559918/Secret-Diary-of-a-Call-Girl.html
  17. ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article1644049.ece
  18. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-566767/Body-double-pregnant-Billie-Piper-reprises-racy-girl-role.html
  19. ^ Beth Hilton (2008-05-27). "ITV2 orders third series of 'Call Girl'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a96788/itv2-orders-third-season-of-call-girl.html. Retrieved 2008-05-27. 
  20. ^ Billie Piper (2009-02-02). "Billie to cut workload after Secret Diary Of A Call Girl". ITN. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8yQk49GDRU. Retrieved 2009-02-02. 
  21. ^ http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/the-secret-diary-of-a-call-girl-a-ratings-hit/
  22. ^ US networks look to British TV for content that can be Americanized into domestic hit, an Associated Press article via the International Herald Tribune
  23. ^ Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 1 (UK - DVD R2) in News > Releases at DVDActive
  24. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Diary-Call-Girl-1-2/dp/B001LFGV6U/ref=pd_cp_d_h__1
  25. ^ http://uk.dvd.ign.com/objects/143/14340631.html
  26. ^ "BARB Weekly Ratings". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. 7 November 2007. http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary/weekreports.cfm?RequestTimeout=500&report=weeklytop30. 
  27. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/18/tvratings.television?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Episode list
Characters
Other media
Lucy Prebble • Belle de Jour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Diary_of_a_Call_Girl"