The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also the author of the plays 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 series, set in London, revolves around the life of Hannah Baxter (Billie Piper), a young woman who lives a secret life as a call girl, under the pseudonym Belle. The series focuses on her professional and private lives and on complications that arise when these collide. She receives help and advice from her best friend Ben (Iddo Goldberg). In the second series premiere, a new call girl is introduced: Bambi (Ashley Madekwe). Hannah becomes close friends with Bambi and often advises her.
Hannah, as the main character, also narrates the series, sometimes through voiceovers but more frequently by breaking the fourth wall. During the first series, the episodes are held together by a light story arc. Series 2 and 3 rely heavily on story arcs, mainly in the form of Hannah's romances, with Alex and Duncan respectively.
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[3] and when Channel 4 passed on the project, ITV took over. The series aired in a late-night 10pm slot, as part of ITV2's "XXL Thursday" programming block.
The theme song is an excerpt of "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse. The song runs whilst the intertitle plays, showing Belle applying make-up and getting dressed, interspersed with shots of urban London.
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.[citation needed]
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.[4] Piper also stated she would be taking on the role of executive producer of the upcoming series as well.[5] Ahead of the series 3 premiere ITV2 aired a one-off interview between Piper and Brooke Magnanti, who had written under the Belle de Jour pseudonym, entitled, Billie and the Real Belle Bare All.
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."[8] The second series aired on 18 January 2009. On 6 November 2009, Showtime announced that the show's third series would return on 25 January 2010 at 10:00pm. Showtime scheduled the fourth series to premiere 7 April 2011, at 10:30pm.
The first series was released on 7 January 2008 on Region 2 DVD.[9] 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.[10] On both sets, much of the popular music was replaced due to high licensing costs.
In the United States the Region 1 version of series 1 was released on 6 January 2009. Series 2 was released soon afterwards, in June. Again, much of the music was replaced due to high licensing costs.[11]
The series premiered in the United States 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.[21] The showing held on to an impressive 70% of its lead-in audience that tuned in for the fourth-series premiere of Weeds.
The series presents prostitution as a career choice that's separate from a person's personal life. Hedonism and greed are major themes. Although Hannah/Belle appears self-possessed and comfortable with her choices, she lies about her work to friends and family. Some discussion of racism, prejudice, and sexism, pertaining to choice of escorts and clients.
Shows a wide range of sexual activities and practices, including gay and lesbian sex, sadomasochism, and orgies. Bare breasts and buttocks are frequently visible. Hannah is briefly shown sitting on a toilet; she's also seen putting lubricant between her legs (though her genitals aren't shown). Condoms are prominently featured and are described as a required accessory for all sexual activity.
Parents need to know that this risqu British series, which follows the life of a high-class London escort (aka prostitute), is not for kids. A wide range of sexual activity and practices are discussed and shown, including sadomasochist activities and orgies. Nudity includes bare breasts and buttocks, and there's uncensored cursing ("f--k") and frequent drinking and smoking. The main character is comfortable with herself and enjoys her job, but she lies to her friends and family about her career.
SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL chronicles the life of Hannah (Dr. Who star Billie Piper), a young British woman who leads a double life as "Belle," a high-class call girl who caters to London's upper crust. From ordinary dates to fantasy-driven escapades, Hannah/Belle demonstrates how she maintains her professionalism -- and her boundaries -- while working in Britain's legal escort industry. But keeping her job separate from her personal life proves challenging at times, especially since she's keeping her career a secret from her family and friends, including best friend Benjamin (Iddo Goldberg).
This voyeuristic British series -- which is based on the published diaries of British call girl Belle Du Jour -- offers a witty look at the swankier side of London's sex trade. While the stories here are more fun than heartwarming, Hannah/Belle still comes across as a rather likable character who knows who she is and who's comfortable with the choices she's making. She unabashedly admits that she's driven by her desire for sex and money, sharing some of the inside secrets that guarantee her both. She also lightheartedly points out some of the darker sides of the business -- including handing over 40 percent of her earnings to her agent (Cheri Lunghi), the potential for catching a disease (a point driven home by the consistent visibility of condoms), and problematic clients.
But there are also brief moments in which Hannah/Belle seems conflicted about the impact that her double-life is having on her relationship with her family and friends. Although she doesn't dwell on this too much, her fear of meeting someone she knows while on the job highlights her concern. Thanks to strong writing, the series manages to introduce these dramatic moments without detracting from the sharp, witty insight that Hannah/Belle offers on what it's like to work in the world's oldest profession. The show isn't intended for kids in any way, but adults looking for a guilty pleasure will find that Secret Diary of a Call Girl is just the thing.
Families can talk about whether it's OK for TV shows to portray activities like prostitution or drug use in lighthearted, witty ways. Should the media always highlight the negative consequences of these activities? Families can also discuss the kinds of values that Hannah/Belle represents. Do you think her desire for pleasure and money reflects today's social values? She claims that her job gives her more control over her life -- do you think that's true?
Written by Lucy Prebble (who went on to work on Succession and I Hate Suzie), it followed the life of Hannah Baxter (Billie), a young woman who lived a secret life as a call girl under the pseudonym of Belle.
Raquel. In art Bruna Surfistinha. A true story, a blog that chairs world blog rankings, a book of millions of copies."Confessions of a Brazilian Call Girl" tells the story of Bruna, a Brazilian call girl. Tells his life, his feelings, and her redemption.If you are curious to see the movie, here are all the issues that are waiting for you:
I have a problem with art that imitates life so well, it leaves us with the message that there is no WINNING. It punches you in the gut and reminds you that even when you think you might win, you will lose. And that is my main problem with Seven Seconds, a drama offered up by Netflix, and created by Veena Sud.
I LITERALLY slammed a stack of books down onto my living room floor end of last episode. I hated the cops, I hated the wives, hated the defense attorney. It was like rubbing salt and then sprinkling lemon on a fresh wound. Regina saves the day as always but I was praying for a better ending.
This was actually filmed in my neighborhood right outside my building and I saw some of the scenes being filmed. I was excited to watch the series when I heard it was finally going to premier. But while watching and especially after completing it, I was disappointed in the ending. It left me feeling empty after all of the buildup.
I see your point and I disagree. Our stories are real and need to be told. Fairy tale endings where positive results are rarely achieved are already present in the lexicon. Although, difficult to watch I felt authenticity every moment (even rarer). From not-quite-right hair to not enough character development, I was drawn in.
The part that had me the MOST pissed was when she lost the racial bias argument. When the white female lawyer RIPPED her argument to shreds. I mean, did it have to be that brutal?! I threw a shoe at the TV.
Very on point. I expected the outcome, so I had to stop myself from exhaling and saying whew! and/or from getting excited about little victories. I would have been insulted if the cops had gotten their just dues because it would have turned this series into a fairy tale.
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