‘She was an unsung hero’: Billie Piper on playing producer Sam McAlister in a new drama about Prince Andrew’s Newsnight fiasco

In Scoop, the story behind the prince’s disastrous TV appearance, Piper plays McAlister, the woman who landed the interview. They discuss their unlikely alliance, the pitfalls of fame and the extent of Andrew’s delusionsThe Netflix film Scoop, which retells the story of how Newsnight landed its infamous, eye-popping 2019 interview with Prince Andrew, has a strong Working Girl vibe, which may be one reason why I enjoyed it (I’m talking about the Oscar-winning 1988 movie, in which Melanie Griffith plays a girl from Staten Island who dreams of climbing the corporate ladder). In part, this is thanks to the blond wig worn by one of Scoop’s stars, Billie Piper, which comes with a powerful whiff of the late 1980s. Mostly, though, it’s because Peter Moffat’s screenplay pitches Piper’s character, Sam McAlister, as a plucky outsider surrounded by somewhat toffee-nosed types who only finally begin to take her seriously when she lands the TV exclusive to end them all. One minute, her lip is trembling with the unfairness of it all. Why do her bosses disdain all her brilliant ideas? The next, she’s at Buckingham Palace telling the queen’s favourite son to his face that his brand is distinctly grubby and could do with a generous spin in the Newsnight washing machine.Was it really like this? When I meet Piper and the real life McAlister at Netflix HQ in the weeks before Scoop has its premiere, I hope vaguely to get to the bottom of some of the gossip that trails it; there’s talk, for... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-03-31 06:00:30 UTC ]
News tagged with: #meet piper #netflix hq #hope vaguely #ultimately delivered #netflix film #loosely based #executive producer #rival depiction #royal scandal #netflix production #unusual combination #piper plays #ten minutes #recent book

Other Publishing stories related to: '‘She was an unsung hero’: Billie Piper on playing producer Sam McAlister in a new drama about Prince Andrew’s Newsnight fiasco'

America needed a space race hero. John Glenn was the obvious choice.

Jeff Shesol recounts the astronaut’s dazzling career and role in the Cold War-era faceoff. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #america needed #john glenn #obvious choice #dazzling career

Andrew Weber Will Leave Macmillan

Andrew Weber, global chief operating officer at Macmillan, will leave the publishing house at the end of May after eight years in the role. A successor has not yet been announced. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leave macmillan

London Book Fair: Pandemic Issues Play Into Education Conference

London Book Fair's 'What Works?' education conference will take a series of looks at educational issues arising from the pandemic. The post London Book Fair: Pandemic Issues Play Into Education Conference appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-14 21:02:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Review: Billie Eilish's new photo memoir is unpretentious to a fault

The pop star seems to have entered her memoir era at 19. Her new book, "Billie Eilish," uses photos and spare captions to document her life for fans. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-05-11 12:00:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #billie eilish #photo memoir #pop star #memoir

Capes debut snapped up by Call The Midwife producers

The screen rights for Kirsty Capes’ debut novel Careless (Orion) have been snapped up by Neal Street Productions, the company behind "Call the Midwife". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-10 18:56:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #screen rights #kirsty capes

In ‘Brat,’ Andrew McCarthy looks back at his younger self — a sheepish outsider, torn between ambition and art

McCarthy provides an entertaining if hazy glimpse behind the scenes with the Brat Pack. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-08 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Before Billy Wilder ventured behind a camera, he was a precocious journalist honing his sharp wit

“Billy Wilder on Assignment” is the first anthology to collect Wilder’s newspaper work in a single volume, and it’s a revelation. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sharp wit #single volume #anthology

Neuralink monkey can now play Pong with its mind. Imagine what humans could do

It sounds like science fiction but the demonstration by Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company Neuralink is a brain-machine interface in action. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2021-04-15 02:20:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #elon musk #brain-machine interface #science fiction

Prince Philip biography brought forward by Mardle

New Ad Lib imprint Mardle Books is bringing forward the release of Prince Philip's Century by royal commentator Robert Jobson following the Duke of Edinburgh's death last week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-14 02:22:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bringing forward #prince philip

The 15th-Century Wool Worker’s Son Who Made Books for Princes and Popes

“The Bookseller of Florence,” by Ross King, tells the history of Renaissance bookmaking through the story of Vespasiano da Bisticci, who rose from humble roots to dominate the trade. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-04-13 09:00:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookseller

HQ signs Uddin's epic family drama

HQ has signed The Halfways, a “very special” debut family drama from Nilopar Uddin. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-26 17:41:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

‘The Performance’ unfolds over the course of a two-act play. The fact that it works is a miracle.

Claire Thomas’s three female protagonists ponder their worries while watching Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days.” Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-03-23 16:59:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #happy days

Andrew Bolt's 'virus thrives in multiculturalism' columns offensive, press council says | Weekly Beast

Press watchdog says News Corp columnist breached two rules. Plus: Daily Mail pushback on media bargaining codeAndrew Bolt has received a rap over the knuckles from the Australian Press Council for attributing the spread of the coronavirus in Melbourne to multiculturalism. Two columns were found... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-26 02:43:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andrew bolt #press council #weekly beast #press watchdog #news corp

Two Roads to publish memoir from Billy Connolly

Two Roads will publish Billy Connolly's first autobiography, titled Windswept and Interesting.    Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-24 15:35:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish memoir #billy connolly #memoir

True Born Englishman: did the BBC ban this Buckingham Palace play?

Peter Barnes’ monologue about a royal footman was commissioned for radio but never broadcast until now. Director Philip Franks and others unravel its mysteryThe most celebrated set of dramatic monologues for broadcasting and theatre are Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, first performed in the 1980s.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-12 13:00:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #alan bennett #talking heads #alan rickman #jeremy irons

Milestone’s Black Comics Heroes Return in New Series

Milestone Media, the African American–owned publisher that created the celebrated Black superhero comics universe, will relaunch its publishing program later this month with the release of newly created original series in digital and print formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african american #print formats #publishing program

On the Connection Between Chinese Folktales and American Comic Book Heroes

I first heard about the monkey king from my mom. When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me Chinese folktales before bedtime. My mother is an immigrant. She was born in mainland China and eventually made her way to the United States for graduate school. She told me those stories so that […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-11 09:48:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mainland china #graduate school #comic book

Pan Mac reveals surprise 'globe-spanning drama' from Ken Follett

Pan Macmillan is bringing out a surprise novel from Ken Follett later this year, said to be a "knock-out read" and a new departure for the bestselling author. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-11 03:37:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ken follett #bestselling author #pan macmillan

Can a Comic Book Contain the Drama and Heat of Activism?

In his Graphic Content column, Ed Park looks at “The Black Panther Party,” a new history of the group, and “Come Home, Indio,” a memoir about growing up part Native American. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-02-02 17:30:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ed park #memoir #comic book

New novel Billy Summers from Stephen King for summer 2021

Stephen King is publishing a new thriller with Hodder in August 2021, Billy Summers. The book–about a unique hitman, "a good guy in a bad job”–has been billed as “part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-31 23:25:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen king #hodder