‘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 ]
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Why yet more books about Nazis and the future make my heart sink | Sam Leith

Publishing micro-genres often reflect the fashions and anxieties of the age – bad news for us literary editorsOne day last week, after I spent the best part of an hour opening two days’ worth of post at my office – I work as literary editor of the Spectator – I posted a peevish tweet: “Can we... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tattooist of Auschwitz to be adapted for 'high-end' TV drama

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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He shoots the shots — and so much more: Basketball Hall of Fame to honor photographer Andrew Bernstein

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH sells Sam Copeland's debut in 17 languages

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ BBC News | 2018-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Digiday | 2018-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At PRH, Producing a Publishing Powerhouse

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Damsels Rescuing Princes in Distress: Tokyopop’s Natalia Batista on ‘Beyond the Book’

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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