Once Upon a Time on TV3: The Week We Lost Diana

Princess Diana's death in a car crash was one of the biggest news stories of the 1990s. The world-famous princess, mother and humanitarian being hunted to her death by the unpopular paparazzi seemed like a tragic modern fairy tale unfolding in real time. Meanwhiie, Gus Gillies was not long into his new job as producer of the late night news programme Nightline on TV3 in New Zealand. The unprecedented outpouring of grief and mourning for Princess Diana caught the media by surprise and the story itself had many twists and turns as the investigation into the crash developed and the British royal family hesitated over what the appropriate response might be.
In 2024 the TV3 newsroom was closed for good after the shutting down of Newshub Live @ 6, while Gus's beloved Nightline programme had been replaced years earlier. This book looks back on an incredible week in TV news and journalism history and celebrates the liveliest newsroom in New Zealand.