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Billie Piper Bares It All for Secret Diary of a Call Girl

BuzzSugar — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 07:30:34 -0800

One of the more surprisingly funny panels at TCA this month was for Showtime's Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Well, anytime you get a room full of critics talking about dominatrix training and "modesty sacks," it's got to be a pretty good time.

The show's star, Billie Piper, let us in on some of the upcoming stories for the show, how playing a call girl has changed perceptions of her, and whether the US or UK was more prudish about the show. Read on for highlights:

Playing Belle means men are terrified of her: "Men don't come anywhere near me anymore," Piper said. "They seem so threatened by me now. They also just stare for ages, like I'm going to do something wild and raunchy. And, you know, much to their disappointment, it never really happens."
She was never really worried that playing a prostitute would harm her image: "I really, really liked the early drafts of the script. I liked the idea," she said. "I didn't really think about it too much. I think my family and friends were quite concerned about my mental state and well-being when I was making the show, but they got over it pretty quickly."
But it sure surprised London: "People were really shocked when Billie took the role in the UK," said producer Rebecca De Souza. "Her perception at home was very much as a kind of girl-next-door darling, the nation's darling. So to take a role like this was really quite extraordinary, very, very bold."

To find out what's coming up for both Hannah and Belle and find out how to see the season two premiere even if you don't have Showtime, just read more.

Juggling Hannah and Belle will always be a problem. Having a legit identity and a call girl identity will dog Piper's character throughout the series. The main story of the second season will be "Belle falling in love and can she manage to sustain a relationship? Can she juggle Belle and Hannah? Can Hannah get what she wants? Hannah wants a relationship. Or will Belle always take her away from that?" De Souza said. In the third season, which is about to start production in the UK, Belle will write a book about her experiences.
UK audiences reacted more prudishly to the show than US viewers. "Over here, it's been nothing but a joy really," Piper said. "And people have been really open-minded - which, you know, I wasn't surprised about because when you look at the lineup on Showtime and other stations over here, TV is really advanced in terms of ideas."

Showtime has made the second-season premiere of Call Girl available for streaming, so to check it out, just head over here.

Photo courtesy of Showtime

TV Preview: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:15:18 -0700

Watching Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which starts tonight on Showtime, is like getting let in on the juiciest piece of gossip ever. The show is sly and slick, pulling back the curtain on the world of sex-for-money in London and leaving you feeling like the ultimate insider.

The show stars Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class hooker - and the alter ego of Hannah, an everyday gal who prefers jeans and books to corsets and stilettos. In the first couple of episodes, Belle explains, in blunt and clever language, the mechanics of her job: Keep two closets and two cell phones, take the money first, give the client what he wants - and don't be afraid to enjoy it.

There's surprisingly little sex in Call Girl (and some of it is more funny than salacious, like when Belle puts a saddle on a particularly dorky, heavily sideburned client who has a thing for horses). The real seduction comes from Piper, who's eminently watchable as the confident, sassy Belle. Belle often speaks directly to the camera, not unlike Carrie in the early episodes of Sex and the City, but the narration doesn't seem forced or awkward. Indeed, it's all part of the fun, with Piper tossing her hair, cocking an eyebrow, and looking - it seems - right at you as she reveals another trick of her trade. It's clear, from the first few episodes, why people seem to fall in love with Belle left and right. I know I did.

The series premieres tonight at at 10:30 p.m. EDT and PDT. No Showtime (or can't wait)? You can check out the first two episodes online right now. To watch a preview with Belle talking about her life as a call girl, just read more.

First Look: Secret Diary of a Call Girl on Showtime

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:36:08 -0700

Starting this Summer, premium cable is going to be all about the premium prostitute. Showtime and HBO each have a series about high-end call girls in the works, one imported from the other side of the Atlantic, one developed right here by Sex and the City's Darren Star - and yes, this all started even before Eliot Spitzer's scandal broke.

The first of the shows, the UK's Secret Diary of a Call Girl, will hit Showtime in June, while Star's Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl was just given the go-ahead from HBO. Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which aired its first season in the UK last Fall, is based on the anonymous blog of a London "working girl," while Star's show draws its inspiration from a semi-autobiographical novel by a former New York call girl. No, no chance for confusion there.

Showtime recently released a trailer for its series, and I'm curious to know if you'll be tuning in - or, if you've already seen the UK version, if you think we in the US should give this show a shot. The series starts June 16, but you can watch the trailer for yourself right now if you read more.

Photo courtesy of Showtime