Film
In June 1997, the group began filming their movie debut, Spiceworld: The Movie, with Absolutely Fabulous and Fawlty Towers director Bob Spiers. Meant to accompany the album, the comical style and content of the movie was in the same vein as The Beatles’ films in the 1960s such as A Hard Day’s Night. The light-hearted comedy, intended to capture the spirit of the Spice Girls, featured a plethora of stars including Roger Moore, Hugh Laurie, Elton John, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant, Elvis Costello, and Meat Loaf. Released in December 1997, Spiceworld: The Movie proved to be a hit at the box office breaking the record for the highest-ever weekend debut for Super Bowl Weekend (25 January 1998) in the US, with box office sales of $10,527,222. This record has since been beaten by The Butterfly Effect in 2004. The movie took in total $70 million dollars at the box office worldwide, $100 million combining cinema tickets and DVD Sales, including $30 million in America and £11 million in Britain. Despite being a commercial success, the film was widely panned by critics; the movie was nominated for seven awards at the 1999 Golden Raspberry Awards where they “won” the award for “Worst Actress”.
Television
The first television special for Spice Girls was a film diary of their experiences from 1996-1997, called One Hour of Girl Power. Later, Girl Talk was released. It was a television special where the Spice Girls spoke individually about themselves and the group. In April 1997, The Spice Girls appeared on the popular American television show Saturday Night Live, singing Wannabe and Say You’ll Be There. In November 1997, An Audience With The Spice Girls was screened for British channel ITV . The show attracted 11.8 million viewers in UK, one fifth of the population. In December of 1997 was the release of the first US television documentary Too Much Is Never Enough, focusing on their reaction to their sudden rise to fame around the world. In January 1998, The Spice Girls appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, singing two songs, followed by an interview wirth Oprah.
In 1999 the TV special, The Spice Girls in America: A Tour Story was aired. This followed the Spice Girls’ exploits and adventures in America, focusing on their tour of the USA, and when Geri halliwell left the Spice Girls. In 2003 the television series on VH1 Behind the Music devoted a chapter to tell the story of the Spice Girls, as well as E! True Hollywood Story, the TV documentary series on the E! Entertainment Television cable.
The first public appearance on stage by the Spice Girls Reunion was made at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, where the group performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. They performed two songs, 1998 single “Stop” and the lead single off their greatest hits album, “Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)”. The show was filmed by CBS on 15 November 2007 for broadcast on 4 December 2007, the show attracts averaged 7.4 million total viewers.
In December 2007, the Official documentary, Spice Girls: Giving You Everything that made its world première in Australia on FOX8, It later aired in Canada on 19 December 2007 (on the CTV), and on the BBC in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2007. The film features narrative insight and commentary from the five girls themselves. The title of the documentary comes from chorus lyrics from their UK #1 single “Say You’ll Be There”. The episode attracted 3.6 million viewers in the UK.
Appearances in media
In February 1997 in the Brit Awards Geri’s union jack dress from Spice Girls live performance which created phenomenal attention and subsequently made all the front pages the next day. During the ceremony Geri’s breasts were exposed twice causing controversy.
In May 1997, in The Prince’s Trust 21st anniversary concert, Mel B and Geri Halliwell breached royal protocol when they planted kisses on Prince Charles’s cheeks, leaving it covered with lipstick, and later, Ginger Spice told him “you’re very sexy” and also pinched his bottom.
In November, The Royalty of Great Britain were considered fans of the Spice Girls, including the Prince Charles and his son Prince Harry.. That month, the South African President, Nelson Mandela, said “These are my heroes. This is one of the greatest moments in my life” in an encounter organized by Prince Charles, who said, “It is the second greatest moment in my life, the first time I met them was the greatest”.
