There is authentic emotion and terrific video. Best of all, the story combines tawdry, intimate voyeurism of the rich and famous, with ennobling tragedy and Great Issues for pundits to ponder. Did the Media kill Diana, or wasn't it the public's own insatiable hunger for sleazy photos that compelled the tabloids to pay millions for the photos, etc., etc. I think my problem is that I don't watch enough television. So TV's capacity to elevate and trivialize always comes as a fresh shock.
Wronged princess wins public sympathy, sort of.
Princess is also somewhat frivolous, capricious, willing to use the tabloids even as she complains about their intrusions, and is attracted to unsuitable men. Give the British monarchy another few decades, tops, I concluded. Was I ever wrong. Diana's soap opera had touched the people's hearts. She had become the ultimate anti-Royal Royal.