Airs: Mondays at 10:30pm ET/PT
Network: Showtime
Cast:
- Billie Piper
- Iddo Goldberg
- Cherie Lunghi
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Review - "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"
Reviewer: Charise Payne
Rating:
Showtime's newest summer series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" stars the captivating Billie Piper as Hannah aka Belle. The show's premise, taken from the real-life diaries of famed London escort Belle de Jour, is an interesting look into the life of a high-end call girl leading a double life. The diaries, of the same name, were published in 2005 and became an instant hit with readers.
In the first episode we are introduced to Hannah. To her friends and family, Hannah is a legal secretary who works a normal, boring job that no one wants to talk about. But to her clients, she is Belle, a talented call girl who has a knack for discovering exactly what her clients want and gives it to them.
The challenge for Hannah is where to draw the line between personal and work, or shall we say, between Hannah and Belle. Hannah is forced to come to terms with her double life when one of Belle's clients discovers her real name after a night of sex. She realizes now how hazardous it can
be when clients fall in love with her as Hannah. She wants them to want her as Belle; her business depends on this, but lines must be drawn, and her lives can never meet. But with all lines, they usually start to fade, and Hannah gets caught in the middle of her two lives. And here lies the drama: how will Hannah struggle with both sides of her lives, and which one will win?
"Secret Diary of a Call Girl" is an interesting half-hour comedy that sometimes dresses up as a drama. I found the life of a call girl intriguing; I wanted to know why a girl who was not sexual abused, is well-educated, drug-free, and from a normal family would choose to become an escort. The show tells us it is because Hannah is fundamentally lazy, she likes sex, and loves the money, but I feel there is something more to it.
The show is very racy, and shows quite a bit of Belle's life as an escort. Those scenes were hilarious. And the outlandish sexual requests — ride 'em, cowboy — were titillating to watch. But the real heart of the show is Hannah's struggle between personal and work — it will be interesting to see which one wins out. The show premieres June 16th on Showtime Mondays at 10:30pm ET/PT.
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