It stars Billie Piper as Belle , a high-end London call girl. The series has been compared to Sex and the City by many critics, mainly due to its humorous approach to sex. The series was initially developed with Channel 4 [3] and when Channel 4 passed on the project, ITV took over. The song runs whilst the intertitle plays, showing Belle applying make-up and getting dressed, interspersed with shots of urban London. The series, set in London , revolves around the life of Hannah Baxter Billie Piper , a seemingly normal 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 the complications as they collide. However, she receives help and advice from her best friend Ben Iddo Goldberg. In the second series premiere, a new call girl Bambi Ashley Madekwe is introduced; Hannah becomes close friends with her and frequently gives her advice regarding prostitution and her personal life.
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 ; however, Series 2 and 3 rely heavily on story arcs, usually in the form of Hannah's romances, namely with Alex and Duncan. The New Yorker , noting the similarities between the two shows. The series was mainly well received by critics, with Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle saying, "there's surprise at how much you've underestimated its quality.
Whilst reviewing Series 3 of Secret Diary of a Call Girl , Gerard O'Donovan of The Telegraph opined that the show focuses too much on Piper's character, saying "All the characters, apart from Belle Piper , are about as two-dimensional as cardboard cut-outs — and no more engaging. The series was attacked by some feminists, as Belle sells her body and some stated that it objectified women. Yet according to Belle, the heroine of the series Piper hit back at the claims saying, "We've only been exposed to the drug-fueled, sex traffic side — but the fact is, there are middle-class, cultured, well-read women who take part in this job.
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. The filming of series 3 began at the start of , once Piper had recovered after the birth of her son, Winston, in October After the end of Series 3, ITV had not commissioned a fourth series, as well as there was speculation, even amongst the cast, [17] whether or not Secret Diary of a Call Girl would return.
