‘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

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Publishers Lay Low in Response to Driscoll Drama

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Lying Low During Driscoll Drama

Mark Driscoll, who recently weathered plagiarism charges, has made headlines once again, this time for hiring a company that manipulates bestseller lists. Now the Seattle pastor is stepping back from his writing career to focus on his church. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Billy Coffey: Writing a Different Ending

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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War hero depicted in hit TV miniseries Band of Brothers dies at 90

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[ The Guardian | 2014-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vice Goes Into Food Business With 'American Idol' Producer FremantleMedia

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[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AdWeek | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ AdWeek | 2014-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC faces damning criticism over £100m DMI fiasco in NAO report

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[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Fast Company | 2014-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Guardian | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Fast Company | 2014-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ BBC News | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Folio Magazine | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Engadget | 2013-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Engadget | 2013-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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