ABC NEWS SPECIAL: DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES: THE ROYAL TRAGEDY (TV)
Summary
This "ABC News Special Report," "Diana, Princess of Wales: The Royal Tragedy," presents coverage of the day's car-crash deaths of Princess Diana and her lover, Dodi Al-Fayed. The program opens with anchor Peter Jennings briefly discussing Diana. He is joined by fellow anchors Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters who discuss their reactions to the day's events. Jennings briefly discusses whether the press is responsible for the tragedy, as many reports claim. Aaron Brown, reporting live from Kensington Palace in London, shows people grieving at Diana's former residence before he recaps the day's events from England. Included are highlights of press conferences by both Prime Minister Tony Blair and Diana's brother, Charles Spencer. Next, Bill Ritter, reporting from Paris, the city where the tragic car accident occurred, tries to piece together the potential charges being levied against seven freelance photographers currently being held in custody for their possible roles in the accident. Ritter also discusses the details of the car crash which took place in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. Walters gives a thumbnail biography of Diana, beginning with her "falling in love" with Prince Charles, then examining her life from birth to death.
Included in the segment is an eye-opening interview that Martin Bashir conducted with Diana in 1995. Highlights from Bashir's interview are interspersed throughout the broadcast. Next, Sawyer examines the role of the paparazzi in Diana's life and death, also discussing how other royals such as Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and Princess Caroline of Monaco have been similarly affected. Then, from an interview held earlier in the day with Jennings, Baroness Margaret Jay discusses her friend Diana's work with AIDS awareness as well as how she shall be remembered in death. British writer and reporter Anthony Haden-Guest joins Sawyer to discuss the "culture of celebrity" that surrounded Diana and the viciousness that the paparazzi displayed toward her. Jennings, Sawyer, and Walters briefly discuss what will occur in the second hour of this program. Then, Walters examines the "beginning of the end" of the "fairy tale" romance between Charles and Diana, as well as the role that Camilla Parker Bowles, Charles's mistress, played in the eventual split. Diana's former private secretary, Patrick Jephson, speaks with Walters about what caused Diana and Charles's marriage to ultimately end. He also details why he quit working for Diana in 1996. Then, video captures some of the tributes to Diana laid outside the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Kevin Newman examines Diana's relationship with the general public, especially in regards to her work for AIDS awareness and landmine prevention.
Next, Patrick McCarthy, publisher of Women's Wear Daily and W, and Elizabeth Tilberis, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, join Jennings and Sawyer to discuss Diana's impact on the world as well as how their magazines will cover celebrity journalism in the future. Then, Jennings discusses the breaking news regarding Diana's body having been moved to the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace. Next, Sawyer discusses Diana and Charles's different roles as parents, showing video clips of Diana with her sons William and Harry. Former Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham touches on her past dealings with Diana, told to John Donvan earlier in the day. In another segment taped earlier, movie star John Travolta offers thoughts on the "parallelisms" between his and Diana's life as well as his remembrances from the night in 1985 when he danced with Diana at a White House party. Finally, each anchor offers his or her closing thought on Diana and the tragedy, after which her life is reviewed through a series of pictures and videos. Includes commercials. This program is closed-captioned.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: August 31, 1997 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:50352
- GENRE: News
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Diane Sawyer); News; Funerals; Royal families - Great Britain
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AT&T phone services
- TV - Commercials - Advil pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers for "Got Milk?"
- TV - Commercials - Burger King fast food restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Carnation instant breakfast
- TV - Commercials - Clean & Clear facial cleanser
- TV - Commercials - Discover credit cards
- TV - Commercials - EverFresh cat litter
- TV - Commercials - Gaviscon acid reflux medicine
- TV - Commercials - Glade air fresheners
- TV - Commercials - Goldfish crackers
- TV - Commercials - KFC fast food restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars
- TV - Commercials - Kenmore home appliances
- TV - Commercials - Listerine mouthwash
- TV - Commercials - Luxottica eyewear
- TV - Commercials - MasterCard debit cards
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's fast food restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Milano cookies
- TV - Commercials - Motrin pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - National Cattlemen's Beef Assn. and Beef Board for beef
- TV - Commercials - Nicorette stop-smoking gum
- TV - Commercials - Old English furniture polish
- TV - Commercials - Palmolive pots and pans cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Pedigree dog food
- TV - Commercials - Pledge dusting cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Slim-Fast diet shakes
- TV - Commercials - Special K cereal
- TV - Commercials - True Value hardware stores
- TV - Commercials - VO5 conditioning hairdressing
- TV - Commercials - Wal-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Wizard Stick Up air fresheners
- TV - Commercials - Zales jewelry stores
- TV - Commercials - Zantac 75 heartburn medicine
- TV - Promos - "ABC News"
- TV - Promos - "Dangerous Indiscretion"
- TV - Promos - "Dharma & Greg"
- TV - Promos - "Ellen"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Port Charles"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings"
CREDITS
- Peter Jennings … Anchor
- Diane Sawyer … Anchor
- Barbara Walters … Anchor
- Aaron Brown … Reporter
- Kevin Newman … Reporter
- Bill Ritter … Reporter
- John Donvan … Reporter
- Katharine Graham … Guest
- Anthony Haden-Guest … Guest
- Patrick Jephson … Guest
- Patrick McCarthy … Guest
- Elizabeth Tilberis … Guest
- John Travolta … Guest
- Dodi Al-Fayed
- Martin Bashir
- Tony Blair
- Camilla Parker Bowles
- Caroline, Princess of Monaco
- Charles, Prince of Wales
- Diana, Princess of Wales (See also: Spencer, Diana)
- Sarah Ferguson
- Margaret Jay
- Prince Henry of Wales (See also: Prince Harry)
- Prince William of Wales
- Charles Spencer